Denise Albanese - George Mason University

Professor: Denise Albanese

Department: TBD

College: George Mason University

Rating # 1

Overview:

• Course: ENGH322
• Grade Received: C+
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

She is very set in her ways and she doesn't want to hear your own opinions on the plays. I never really got a good sense of what the plays were about, as she kept to only a few passages she thought were important to the entire play. She's a really hard grader on the papers.

Rating # 2

Overview:

• Course: ENGH322
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Worst part about her is that she's very set in her ways. All her papers are basically just regurgitating what she said in class, which makes me wonder how she can stand reading them except that they all massage her ego. Wish there was less "My way or the highway" approach. However, I loved learning about Shakespeare in this way as it's more clear.

Rating # 3

Overview:

• Course: ENGH322
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

AVOID!!! The content of this class is great. We read seven plays, only one of which I'd read before. But Albanese is so rude, disrespectful and unpleasant to students on a daily basis that only the most strong-willed lovers of Shakespeare will not loathe the course. Also, multiple pop quizzes. If you need a Shakespeare class, take someone else!

Rating # 4

Overview:

• Course: ENGH325
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Avoid. It takes longer to understand her essay assignments than it does to write them. And they're pointless to write because you have to agree with her 100% to get any credit. Essay comments are extremely rude, as is class discussion. Close minded and arrogant. Final exams don't measure intelligence.

Rating # 5

Overview:

• Course: ENGH202
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

That class was probably the driest english class I've ever taken. She comes off as very judgmental and takes things way to serious. She kicked out half of our class because they didn't have paper copies of a book we were looking at. I would never take that class again. The papers were hard, she graded ruthlessly, and isn't approachable.

Rating # 6

Overview:

• Course: ENGH336
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

she's extremely knowledgeable, but her paper prompts were rather vague and she's not the easiest grader. she could be kind of rude to students sometimes as well.

Rating # 7

Overview:

• Course: ENG336
• 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:

She seems a bit crazy at first, but she knows a LOT about the subject matter. Attendance isn't mandatory, but she pulls test questions from lectures (important quotes, characters, etc). The papers were difficult and the class covers 8 plays in 16 weeks so sometimes it's hard to keep up, but she answers email questions promplty.

Rating # 8

Overview:

• Course: ENGL336
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.5
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

She's very knowledgeable about Shakespeare, but I found her to be incredibly ruthless in grading and in the overall class. If you work really hard you'll pass the class, but I found her prompts and tests to be incomprehensible if you weren't able to fully understand everything.

Rating # 9

Overview:

• Course: ENGL336
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

inflexible, knowledgeable, ruthless, eloquent. can come off really rude at times towards certain students. when a classmate used a big word, she didn't ask for clarification, but just changed the subject instead of admitting "i don't know what you mean." she'll drill her interpretations into you, take at your own risk but be warned!

Rating # 10

Overview:

• Course: ENG484
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

If you want the easy A, just paraphrase her opinion and give it back to her. Don't debate with her, she doesn't like it. She just kind of waits for her turn to speak rather than listen to what you're trying to say.

Rating # 11

Overview:

• Course: ENG482
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.5
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

I found Prof Albanese inaccessible and noticed students who espoused views similar to her in class or in their written work tended to do better in class, both in grading and in class discussion. Also thought she was very unprofessional when you voiced a different view than her, and overall she seems less interested in teaching than academic work.

Rating # 12

Overview:

• Course: ENGL473
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Hands down the BEST English professor at Mason. For a student with little to no interest in Shakespeare prior to the course, she makes the class fun and interesting. She likes students to be involved in course discussion. Always willing to review paper drafts and offer suggestions for improvement. Prof Albanese is AWESOME

Rating # 13

Overview:

• Course: ENG474
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

A few across the board points: 1) This is by no means an easy class. However, if you can write well, you're guaranteed at least a "B." 2) She has a knack for breaking down complex theories in clear, relatable terms. 3) You'll come out smarter. 4) You also may come out bitter.

Rating # 14

Overview:

• Course: ENGL335
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Of the people I talked to in class, I was one of the few that kind of liked her. She really knowledgeable about Shakespeare. Then on one paper I had a differing opinion from her and she marked it down *a lot* because of that. She didn't return our final papers by the final exam, and a week later I'm wondering how 50% of my grade turned out.

Rating # 15

Overview:

• Course: ENG335
• 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:

Its not necessarily the easiest class, but Professor Albanese was a fantastic teacher. Her insights were enlightening and very clear, and the papers are very short (>3 pages) considering its an English class

Rating # 16

Overview:

• Course: ENGL400
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

I took several classes w/Dr Albanese in the late 90s ... Shakespeare, sexuality/textuality, etc. If you are engaged with the class, Dr Albanese will make you smarter. You'll work hard, but speaking w/her about theory is extremely rewarding. Excellent prof. I continue to use skills that she taught (partic. critical analysis) as a professional.

Rating # 17

Overview:

• Course: ENGL336
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

I disagreed with her on basically everything, I wrote what she didn't want to read, argued in class, but I worked hard, attended class, was active in conversation and USED THE TEXT and walked out with an A. The only A in the class. If you can express yourself, write well and work hard she's an awesome professor.

Rating # 18

Overview:

• Course: ENG502
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

Total waste of time--thinks she's the planet's gift to literature; you will need binoculars to see her on her high pedestal. don't even bother.

Rating # 19

Overview:

• Course: ENGL630
• 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 think that Dr. Albanese's willingness to call students out on bad rhetoric (or to demand that they *gasp* back up their assertions in class or in their papers) often gets misinterpreted by her detractors as an unwillingness to entertain new opinions. Yes, she's hard, but fair, interesting, helpful, and knowledgeable.

Rating # 20

Overview:

• Course: ENGL440
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

She is incredibly interesting and you will learn quite a lot but she's literally written and edited books on Shakespeare and English renaissance literature so good luck trying to prove a point she disagrees on.