John Gould - University of Victoria

Professor: John Gould

Department: TBD

College: University of Victoria

Rating # 1

Overview:

• Course: WRIT100
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Prof Gould seems really nice and helpful, but his classes are very unstructured and he hardly refers to the course pack. His expectations aren't clear at all. He is very sincere and interested in the process of writing fiction, less focussed on the outsome which can cause confusion come marking time. The final exam was easy as pie.

Rating # 2

Overview:

• Course: WRIT100
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

I'm so glad I got to take Fiction with John. He's really nice, understanding of creative freedom and always there to help you out with your stories. Lots of hand outs and readings, but he tells you exactly what's going to be on the exam. Highly reccomended.

Rating # 3

Overview:

• Course: WRIT100
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

He is a very funny guy and is very caring, understanding and fair. However, he gives you a million handouts and there are hardly any assignments so it is hard to know his expectations. I hardly got any feedback on the one assignment I did hand in. The exams was very easy though because he told us exactly what was going to be on it. Read his books!

Rating # 4

Overview:

• Course: WRIT100
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

I really enjoyed this prof & his class. He's got a witty, dry humor & he was pretty insightful but I do wish his lectures hadn't just been readings of the handouts. His critique was helpful and he actually made me want to show up to class every morning.

Rating # 5

Overview:

• Course: WRIT100
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Amazing teacher. Always willing to help students out. Lectures can sometimes be very dry [he very often reads from the dozens of handouts], but his criticism is helpful and insightful. One of my two favourite teachers for this section.

Rating # 6

Overview:

• Course: WRIT100
• 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:

Excellent professor. Can get into a lot of review and the pace can be pretty slow, which will be frustrating to advanced students who will feel as though the class is for beginners. But don't worry. He's a responsible, fair grader and you'll get lots out of his insightful feedback. He's also very accepting of differing approaches. A class act.

Rating # 7

Overview:

• Course: WRIT100
• 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:

My favourite prof so far! Not only does he use jokes to get a vital point across, he comes to class prepared and presents clear lectures. I learned more about literary fiction than ever before, and motivated me to write. For the Writing department, John is a fair marker and tries hard to improve writing skills.

Rating # 8

Overview:

• Course: WRIT100
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

John is a very perceptive instructor. All of his comments hit the nail on the head and he recognized the same weaknesses I saw in myself. (A good thing!) Even through this short 6 week course, I have become a better writer. He is a tough marker, but I think that being marked hard is realistic. Don't expect good marks just for completeness.

Rating # 9

Overview:

• Course: WRIT100
• Grade Received: A+
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Gould makes fiction fun! His classes are usually pretty entertaining, however he tends to talk alot about his own work and it takes away from his lessons alot of the time b/c he comes off sounding a bit pompous.

Rating # 10

Overview:

• Course: WRIT100
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

A clear lecturer, gives good comments and examples. He is a fiction writer so he knows what hes talking about, which helps. As with all writing classes, just go. Dont expect a's, because no writing teacher will give them to you.

Rating # 11

Overview:

• Course: WR100
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Obviously understands what he's teaching, but has a rather odd way of conveying it; his explainations don't really create understanding. When commenting on student work, he is very perceptive.

Rating # 12

Overview:

• Course: WRIT100
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

John is 'by the book'. His teaching, like his writing, is clear, concise, and without surprises. He is a prof who expects his students to create very straightforward, almost simplistic, stories. Save the embellishments for the poetry and drama units.

Rating # 13

Overview:

• Course: WRIT100
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

No Comments

Rating # 14

Overview:

• Course: WRIT100
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

No Comments

Rating # 15

Overview:

• Course: WRIT100
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.5
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

This is a hard class because the dept can only take a cert. # of students into the 200 levels. It is because of this the grading is very severe. John was a helpful prof, however I was dissapointed with the lack of comments on my final fiction peice.

Rating # 16

Overview:

• Course: WRIT202
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.5
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Can't control the class and lets his favorites run things. Likes to be with the clique and is not very deep and can't fathom symbolism. Talks about being up for the Giller Prize a lot in class. Besides that he's a swell guy.

Rating # 17

Overview:

• Course: WRIT100
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

Being an author himself, he knows his stuff. Very fun class, especially attendance! Very clear, relatively easy assignments (1 per week). Lot's of in-class editing time. Mediumly hard marker. Loves his job, quite funny, and knowledgable about writing.