Irina Barclay - Appalachian State University

Professor: Irina Barclay

Department: TBD

College: Appalachian State University

Rating # 1

Overview:

• Course: RUS1010
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

Very thick accent means she knows her stuff. Tests weren't that hard so long as you paid attention in class. Textbook used in class daily to do exercises. Don't believe there are any options other than her for beginning Russian anyway.

Rating # 2

Overview:

• Course: RSN1010
• Grade Received: A-
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

Honestly could not tell you anything I learned. I had intended on being a Russian minor but after this class, I dropped that idea. I learned absolutely nothing. We did homework but didn't check it. She never gave feedback. Only one clear grade and that was the final exam. Attendance was 60% of the grade.....

Rating # 3

Overview:

• Course: LLC2025
• Grade Received: B-
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Do not take this class unless you absolutely have to. Barclay is very knowledgeable on these works, and expects you to know the same. She reads the lectures directly off a word document that she shows to the class. Her tests are very specific (down to asking what characters said particular pieces of dialogue). You will have to work for your grade.

Rating # 4

Overview:

• Course: LLC2025
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Professor Barclay has a really heavy accent so sometimes shes hard to understand. Its especially hard to understand her instructions because she isnt very clear and gets frustrated when you dont do the assignment the way she wanted it. She is passionate about the subject but for Gen Ed cred I would recommend a different professor.

Rating # 5

Overview:

• Course: RUS1040
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Charismatic personality with a sense of humor. She utilizes class time very well however, she requires lab participation for a 3 credit class. A lab that is not scheduled when you register for classes and the lab is definitely not very structured and therefore not worth attending unless you care too much about grades.

Rating # 6

Overview:

• Course: LLC2025
• Grade Received: B-
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

She's certainly intelligent but doesn't know how to teach. All over the place and incredibly rude. Has essay format quizzes. If your answers are anything less than research paper quality, she simply won't give you a grade and tell you to rewrite it. Same goes for any homework. Do not take any of her classes unless you wish to live in Russia

Rating # 7

Overview:

• Course: LLC2025
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

Personally I enjoyed having Dr. Barclay last semester. Most of the time she would post her lectures on ASU Learn, however there would be time that she would forget. However, she was open to talking to you if you're struggling. She is a lenient grader, and so long as you attend class and read the poems, you will easily pass the class.

Rating # 8

Overview:

• Course: RUS1040
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Do NOT take this class unless you have a genuine interest in Russian Studies. Dr. Barclay is a tough teacher and most of the class is self-taught. Her accent is very heavy and it is often difficult to understand her English and her handwriting is not the best. Attendance is mandatory and if you miss one day you will miss out on a lot of information

Rating # 9

Overview:

• Course: LLC2025
• Grade Received: B+
• Overall Rating: 1.5
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Barclay has a thick accent, doesn't post things in advance on asulearn, has the weirdest test formats, and has videos/students do most of her teaching. She is bad about communicating what needs to be done and when. However, she doesn't seem to really look at papers as I got A's on all of them without reading them over.

Rating # 10

Overview:

• Course: LLC2025
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

The worst professor I've ever had. By the end of the semester your ears will bleed at her thick accent, slowly driving you crazy. Due to her poor language skills, her idea of "teaching" entails writing a word document, opening it in front of the class, and reading it very slowly. You read terrible literature, and it's impossible to test well.

Rating # 11

Overview:

• Course: RSN1020
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

I have been in Dr. Barclay's Russian class for 2 semesters now and she is amazing. As long as you are willing to put in the effort, you will learn. Make sure to go to your study halls also, they really help to tie everything together. I have also taken Dr. Barclay's Russian literature class. Make sure you do your reading though.

Rating # 12

Overview:

• Course: RSN1010
• Grade Received: INC
• Overall Rating: 2.5
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

It is somewhat of a self taught class. She will definitely jump around and leave you baffled at the end of class. Also her hand writing is not the best so prepare to decipher badly written Russian. I learned a lot, but I will not continue my Russian studies with her.

Rating # 13

Overview:

• Course: RSN1010
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

I wouldn't take her class if you're serious about learning Russian. She's super nice and all, but when it comes to teaching, all is lost. Consistency isn't there, which is essential in a language. She'd jump around and I felt as though we didn't get very far. I kind of regret taking her class. Again, she was nice , I just do not recommend her.

Rating # 14

Overview:

• Course: RUS1040
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

If you want to actually learn Russian this class is a waste of time. She is nice and very smart but not a proficient professor. I would strongly consider taking a different language.

Rating # 15

Overview:

• Course: RSN3000
• 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:

I have been with Dr. Barclay for 3 years. She is a passionate teacher and will do anything for her students. For all her effort, you have to be aggressive if you need something - clarification, help, etc. Can be confusing, but if you make the effort to clarify and understand, she is worth it!

Rating # 16

Overview:

• Course: RSN2010
• 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 class and I have been with Dr. Barclay for 3 years now. She's extremely dedicated to her students and their understanding. Always helpful and worth taking the time to get to know. From Russia, so you get the real experience of language from a native. Her accent may be there, but in the Russian classes it shouldn't matter, target language is used

Rating # 17

Overview:

• Course: ENG2040
• 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:

The content of this class (World Lit) is very interesting, but Professor Barclay is just not a very good teacher. Her standards constantly change with regards to papers, and oftentimes she pays attention to minor details rather than main ideas. Good class, and she is certainly quite intelligent, but she simply isn't a very good teacher.

Rating # 18

Overview:

• Course: ENG2040
• 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:

She has good intentions, but the class is awful. She is a foreign language professor teaching an english literature class. There is alot of busy work, and she is an inconsistant grader. It's hard to figure out what she expects. it's supposed to be a world lit class, but it's all about russia. nice lady, but i wouldn't recommend the class

Rating # 19

Overview:

• Course: ENG2040
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

She seems a little scary at first, but if you do your work and participate she'll help you out. I think the culture difference makes her seem mean to some people, but she's just not overly friendly. And the Russian focus of the World Lit class was in the course description--she's just teaching what she knows, and she knows a lot.

Rating # 20

Overview:

• Course: ENG2040
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.5
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

If you want to take a World Lit class, don't take her. I think she honestly thinks that Russia is the world, because that's all you'll do in her class. She's very rude when you come for help and in her mind, there's only one way of looking at literature, and its her opinion only. She's not too hard to understand but is just a ridiculous professor.