James Holstun - University at Buffalo (SUNY Buffalo)

Professor: James Holstun

Department: TBD

College: University at Buffalo (SUNY Buffalo)

Rating # 1

Overview:

• Course: ENG222
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: Yes
• Attendance: Mandatory

Comment:

I've taken two classes with Holstun and have enjoyed them immensely. He is always open to discussion, both on or off topic, and will ensure he understands your point. Each class he requires a short essay, which gauges your engagement with the required readings. While it may seem like a lot, the workload is extremely manageble and rewarding.

Rating # 2

Overview:

• Course: ENG221
• Grade Received: A-
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: Yes
• Attendance: Mandatory

Comment:

Professor Holstun was amazing. There was a lot of reading and short writings on everything we read,but he took the best grade out of the two large papers we had to write. Sometimes he can be overly opinionated, but he is also open to new ideas. Amazing class would take again

Rating # 3

Overview:

• Course: ENG301
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: Yes
• Attendance: Mandatory

Comment:

I took his class years ago; he made us work hard, but he loved the material and was fully engaged with his students. I was better student and writer for having taken his class. It's funny to read the "participation trophy generation's" comments on a professor who expects them to earn a grade.

Rating # 4

Overview:

• Course: ENG580
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: Yes
• Attendance: Mandatory

Comment:

Jim is one of the best professors I've ever had. People who complain about him aren't doing their work. If you want an easy gen. ed. don't take his class.

Rating # 5

Overview:

• Course: ENG199
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: No
• Attendance: Mandatory

Comment:

If you are ready to write and work more , then you are fine otherwise it's tough.

Rating # 6

Overview:

• Course: ENG199
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: No
• Attendance: Mandatory

Comment:

Take his class if you are ready to work hard.

Rating # 7

Overview:

• Course: ENG301
• Grade Received: B+
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: Yes
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

Professor Holstun is not easy. He will challenge you. You will read. You will write. You will be smarter for it. I am the laziest person I know, and God knows, I don't always want to work so hard, but I didn't go to school to stay stupid. If you want an easy class where the professor isn't reading what your write anyway, this isn't the class.

Rating # 8

Overview:

• Course: ENG352
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: Yes
• Attendance: Not Mandatory

Comment:

Prof. Holstun is one of the most energetic faculty in the English department. He holds a fairly high standard to student work, but he measures up to that standard himself. He's one of the most generous professors I have had.

Rating # 9

Overview:

• Course: UGC211
• Grade Received: B+
• Overall Rating: 2.5
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: Mandatory

Comment:

This class had an excessive amount of work for a general education course. This guy truly must believe that his class matters more than those that actually count towards your major. Also, he will blatantly tell you that you are wrong and is constantly interrupting students, as well as making rude/offensive remarks. Stay away if you can.

Rating # 10

Overview:

• Course: UGC211
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.5
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: Mandatory

Comment:

Do yourself a favor- don't take this class. He comes off as thinking he is above anyone who has a differing opinion than him, and will be sure to take it out on your grade. You could have to different people hand him two of the same papers and he would grade them differently. He also assigns long papers and gives an extremely short amount of time.

Rating # 11

Overview:

• Course: UGC211
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: Mandatory

Comment:

He has a lot of interesting things to say, however your grade is solely based on the two papers you are required to write. Every class you are expected to read between 45-100 pages from the required novels. Be prepared for in class discussions and lots of writing. He is friendly, and is willing to help you if you need it.

Rating # 12

Overview:

• Course: ENG352
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: Mandatory

Comment:

Incredibly Intelligent, and always willing to help. He will however make you work for it. He can be critical, but states in this syllabus he WILL be critical, and would like for nothing more than for you to prove him wrong, and inspires you and tries to give you the tools to do so. Those looking for an "easy A" aren't worth this man's time.

Rating # 13

Overview:

• Course: GRADSEMINAR
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: Mandatory

Comment:

not for the grade inflation generation or the lazy college students, or the mediocre.

Rating # 14

Overview:

• Course: ENG383
• Grade Received: B
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: Yes
• Attendance: Not Mandatory

Comment:

Pros: Reasonable course load, very nice, always offering office hours to help students out. Cons: not recommended for freshmansophomores. He expects your papers to be fine-tuned, and critiques tiny mistakes. He also teaches as if you have a standing background in the cultural aspect of the works you read.

Rating # 15

Overview:

• Course: GRADSCHOOL
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

Holds people to standards he doesn't hold to himself. Very vindictive, smug, and nasty. Unhelpfully critical. Easily one of the meanest professors at UB.

Rating # 16

Overview:

• Course: UGC211
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

He is a okay teacher. He wants everyone to follow his ways of thinking.

Rating # 17

Overview:

• Course: ENG301
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

A marvelous professor!!! He will teach you a lot! You will work very hard in the class, but it will all pay off. You will learn a lot and Dr. Holstun is an excellent professor. He explains very well, and he is immensely helpful. Great mentor, I learned a lot about E.A. Poe, literary criticism and various research methods. TAKE HIM! HE IS EXCELLENT!

Rating # 18

Overview:

• Course: ENG383
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

An intelligent, witty, and practical teacher who quite clearly thinks the world of his students. Take a class with him early in your English student career - you won't be sorry.

Rating # 19

Overview:

• Course: END301
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

HE. IS. AWESOME. Best mentor and the best best English professor at UB. i'm taking my second class with him now and if you have any aspiration of being a good english major student, you should take his class. it might be a bit of work, but it made me a better literature student!

Rating # 20

Overview:

• Course: ENG301
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.5
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

Left Wing to the point of being a Stalinist. Would send you to Siberia if he thought it would please Stalin. That said, he's probably never met a real member of the working class, and, if he did, he's just mock him.