3.9
Quality3.6
Difficulty63%
Would Retake99
Reviews63%
Would Retake
99
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
5
51
4
23
3
7
2
7
1
11
What Students Say
“I would recommend finding a different professor”
ENG101 - 2.0 rating“Barbara is a great teacher; great because her standards are simple: show-up, do your work, and share your ideas”
AMERLIT249 - 5.0 ratingClass Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
79%
Textbook Required
32%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
A-
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-0.81 avg changeRatings by Course
ENGLISH
5.0
(1)ENG246
5.0
(3)ENGLISH246
5.0
(1)ENGLISH272
5.0
(2)ENG278
5.0
(2)Difficulty by Course
ENLG101
5.0
HUM107ENG102
5.0
ENG246
4.3
ENGL101
4.3
ENGLISH
4.0
Reviews (99)
Not the easiest prof. She expects a lot from her students, but she gives a lot in return and makes class a blast. Don't expect an easy A, but get ready to be enlightened.
Terrible, terrible, terrible. I have never encountered such a cocky, worthless prof. in my entire college career. Stay away from her if you want to enjoy college.
I found her class very challenging, but in a good way. She is not an easy A, but she is an inspiring teacher. Not too much homework. Very thought-provoking class discussions. Makes you think about the world from a completely different perspective.
I'm happy I took her class. I wasn't all that excited about it, but it's been very enlightening. I've learned quite a bit in her class.
She is great! Very thought provoking and engaging. She gives a fair amount of reading, but always makes class exciting. My experience was great and I recomend her to everyone!
Great teacher. She is all talk, she really does care. Sometimes she will baby you to much through a paper but overall shes good.
One of the worst professors I've ever had. She's incredibly liberal and teaches almost nothing about interpreting literature. Everyone shares their feelings, then she and the rest of the class make fun of anyone unfortunate enough to disagree with her. Stay away if you want to really learn anything aobut literary criticism.
I really really like her..she is a bit of a feminist and has really strong views but she is open minded and really intelligent and can make a class interesting.
Ms. Williamson is a great teacher. She does push you very hard, but in the end you'll be thanking her. She is one heck of a teacher.
I took summer ENG 101. If you are considering about ENG 101, I would strongly recommend you take summer ENG 101. I did not read book! She was there to help me a lot. It was only a month course, so it was very busy!
I took this class from Barbara about a year ago and what we learned in class still has a huge impact on me. I refused to even resell the textbook!
I am certainly not a literature major, but she made literature somewhat fun. The fact that I got to interpret literature the way I saw it was very freeing. Like I said I'm not a lit major, but I was still able to get a 3.5 out of her class with a lot of work, but learned more than I ever thought I would. Did well for cramming 400 years of lit in.
I think she is a good teacher, not really hard if you only will stay up and don't fall behind.
Dr. Williamson is responsible for the best three months of my education. Terribly difficult, attendance a must- more than rewarding. She teaches English 101, American Lit, and Woman's Lit (which i took, happily). I recommend taking the Woman's lit course with American History from McLuen, learn the history of this country from both sides of the gen
Seems to be very short and crabby, but is actually a fun woman when given a chance. Her class is very helpful, and she takes the time to explain exactly what she wants from you. Definately a great professor who makes english fun!
Well educated and opinionated. Very helpful. Also kind of hot...
Dr. Williamson is the reason I'm going to graduate school. If you go to SFCC, then you should at least take one class, preferably one Learning Community with her.
I had troubles with her type of writings. It was inconsistent with what i was used too. I felt she put emphasis on parts of stories or things we read that needed no emphasis. Like the sex parts, or the swearing. Overall she was a pretty nice gal.
Sex sex sex sex...thats all she talks about!
If you have tried your hardest and did your best on a paper she will kill it right in front of you to make it look like nothing. She doesn't care if you have progressed as a writer from the beginning of the QTR to the end, she just has a standard that everyone should meet, its also a little unrealistic. Nice outside of class but inside...shut it!
I truly enjoyed her class. im not a big fan of writing but I enjoyed the topic and her teaching style. i grew a ton in this class and if you get the opportunity.... TAKE IT!!! she does try to scare you away for the first couple weeks but if you stick it out its a cake walk.
This class was awesome! If you get the opportunity, definitely take it. I took the intro to lit "W" course she offered, and it was not very difficult at all. Just make sure you read and come to class and you'll learn more about literature than you would have ever thought was possible. Its fun, take it!
I love this class! She taught me how to read poetry. There is alot of writing but it is a W course. She makes it easy to understand. She is helpful and respects what you have to say. Loves what she does. I think gonna take another of her classes
I absolutely love her! She is an amazing teacher. She pushes you out of your comfort zone and talks about the things most people are afraid to hear. She is really knowledgable and extremely helpful. She trys to help you anyway she can. Really funny. It felt like she was trying to turn us into little femenists...but I loved her anyway!
Great teacher. Very funny, cares about what you have to say. If you show up and try you will love her to death. If you screw off then she won't care about you...be an adult. Overall I would love to take another class of hers!
Do not take this teacher. She manipulated the facts and spun the situations the authors described to bring her own opinion. Very biased and unobjective in grading as well. If you don't agree with her or accept her opinion and let her know that she lowers grade. Worst prof I ever took in college.
She is a good teacher but she can make you feel like you are wrong quite often. Never assume anything based on her facial expresions! Good class, really tough curriculum. Don't ever miss assignments or your grade will seriously suffer.
Engl 101 & HUM 107. She is tough, makes you think of every side of a story. If you cannot handle your views to change or be challenged, then you are not going to be able to handle her so well. However if you like to be OPEN MINDED and actually learn new things, then she is a great professor!
Dr. Williamson is far from judgmental. I completely disagree with her on most issues, but she was extremely objective and goes far to protect everyone views in their portfolios... You will learn how to write well and be inspired by her class. SUPER CLEAR on what she expects. Dedicated students will love her. Others should stay away from good profs.
Best teacher I have ever had. I have never learned more in a class. She is very opinionated, but she knows it and is open to others opinions as well. I don't care for American Literature, but I enjoyed this class
I am taking her for American lit and I disagree with a lot of what the people below said. She is probably one of the hardest teachers I've ever had.. but I am working hard and doing my homework every night. A lot of work to do in this class, however the material is easy if you keep up with it. She is so strict but you will be glad that she is.
She has impacted my life and every day I walk out of her class feeling smarter and more awake to myself and the world. She's difficult and at times a bit scary, but her class has been the most englightening experience I've had in college. Keep your head up and your mind open, she has a lot to offer. Be prepared to work hard, and really GO TO CLASS.
She's really hard and doesn't tolerate people who screw around. If you want an easy class, don't take her. But if you want to learn, take her!
Dr. Williamson is the best teacher I have ever had. She has impacted my life tremendously. She is extremely intelligent and interesting to talk and listen to, and she really does care about her students. Her class is not an easy A, it's challenging, but also the most rewarding experience of my college career to date.Cant wait to take her again!
I had Dr. Williamson several years ago, and that class is still impacting me today. I'm involved in science, but I compose something every day (sometimes on paper, often just in my head) in a way I never would have if I hadn't been lucky enough to take her. She challenged me, and I learned to meet the challenge. I'm glad she's still at it.
This professor, was not helpful, never taught us how to take notes on the films. This class should have been a easy class, one of the hardest class, I have ever taken. Stay away from the film classes at SFCC. I will help you in the long run.
Loved it.
Williamson was amazing. Every single time I walked into her room, I learned something knew. True, she scared the shiz out of my sometimes, but once you get past being afraid of her, she is amazing. I learned so much in her class, stuff that I most likely won't forget. I hate useless classes. I never felt like I was wasting my time here.
Barbara is an excellent teacher. She is challenging but it really pays off in the end. Like someone else said she can be scary, especially if you are not taking her class seriously. If you are serious about becoming a better writer then definitely try to get in her class.
She is hard, but a good teacher! She gets right to the point. You write alot of papers in this class!
This class was fantastic. I didn't imagine that I could learn so much in such a short amount of time. Take her class seriously. There's a lot of writing, but it's not so bad if you keep up on the readings. I loved this class, highly recommended.
To start off I will warn you she is les and should be nominated for TLCs what not to wear. She is a very strict teacher and makes you work for your grade. Coming in to this class I had no interest in the subject but she really teaches you a lot. Great teacher, hard class, highly reccomend, dont get behind, attendence manditory
A very intimidating teacher to say the least. But she will indefinably challenge your thinking process and even some beliefs you have about life. She's brilliant, making her behavior more forgivable. Speak up in class, always always read your assigned homework, and DON'T take the easy way (i.e. sparknotes)it's well worth it if you try.
Very daunting. You definitely learn a lot but it is difficult to convert that knowledge into a satisfying grade. Enjoyed the class but felt she is a bit strict on grading. As with any class, make sure you attend on time!
Good teacher overall, but if your writing level is not at a college level I would not reccomend this class. She grades papers harshly. Has high expectations of her students. Is not always personable, but is a good teacher, and I learned alot in this course.
You will have syllabus shock after the first day. She is crazy and intimidating the first several days, but stick it out. She is a very good and challenging instructor! YOU WILL LEARN. Class was never ever boring, and she really does care about her students. She really can be crazy, but it is worth it. Take the class. And yes, do your work.
You'll definitely learn in this class, but be prepared. Barbara can be extremely terrifying... and that's exactly the way she likes it in her classroom. Keep up on your homework and you'll be fine.
I really liked this class. As long as you stay up on the reading and put in your effort, there is no way to fail. She's pretty funny, too.
Great teacher! She is amazing and very insightful. I loved the class.
Amazing class.
For what it's worth, I'm a good student and I love to read. However, I found her to be insensitive and rude to other students. I learned a lot, but I won't be taking another class with her. I recommend signing up with another professor.
Homework every night. Didn't learn much out of the class at all. If you take her make sure to participate in class discussions and never miss class or your grade will drop a ton. Would not recommend to take her at all.
If you are person that doesn't talk in class much don't even bother taking this class. She is a very good teacher who will make you want to read more and actually understand what you are reading. Homeowrk every night.
Homework every day. Have to read the entire Huck Finn book in 4 nights and write a journal on it each night. She assigns unreasonably long reading assignments due the next morning. She will humiliate you in front of the entire class if you step out of line at all or say the wrong thing in class discussions. She is also les. I DO NOT recommend her.
Barbara is a great teacher; great because her standards are simple: show-up, do your work, and share your ideas. People can be intimidated by her, but she just wants you to pass and grow as a person from what you read. Students that are just there for the credits may struggle if they lack "try". But if you are open, you will grow as a student.
She is a WONDERFUL teacher. Although this class forces you to think maybe outside of your beliefs, you learn lots about yourself. You will do lots of reading but there is no textbook required and she has meaningful lectures. I would take her class again.
She is awesome! The class is very hard and there is a lot of homework especially reading, but if you come to class and pay attention you will learn a lot. I would definitely take this class again. Worth all the hard work!
This class had some interesting material but I felt Barbara was really intense about some of it. I was often confused by the readings and never felt like I had a full understanding of the concepts. There is two weekly readings and responses but no textbook. These responses are a big part of your grade. Overall an okay class to take if required
She's just amazing. Honestly she is the best teacher i've ever had in my entire life. From Kindergarten until now. She's amazing!
Williamson is a very arrogant lady but she has given me the most incredible learning exirience ever. She assigns a reading ever night, and TRUST ME, you'll want to read it. Get involved in the discussions and make yourself known, she may seem tough on the outside but she's a very nice grader. TAKE HER!
I LOVE BARBARA. She was a wonderful professor. She gives great feedback, and shes there to help. She seems tough and scary on the outside, but shes really a real sweetheart.I would highly suggest you take her, you won't regret it!
Dr. Williamson is truly an incredible professor. She seems intimidating, but she's really approachable if you just treat her like any other teacher! She really, really cares about her students and just wants them to be successful. Her class was tough & you did have to work for your grade (LOTS of revising). Don't be afraid to ask her for help!!!!
Dr. Barbara Williamson is a great professor. She comes across very strict but she does this because she wants us all to succeed. She inspired me to better my writing and to work hard. There are plenty of chances given to revise your paper, she only takes your best paper for final grading. She is exceptional, I would definitely recommend her.
Barb is a wonderful instructor. She seems extremely intimidating at first, maybe even the whole quarter, but she's really open to people coming and talking to her. Her class honestly made me a better writer and thinker. Would definitely take another one of her courses again!
She was alright, really hard to talk to though. Makes you feel stupid if you ask her clarifying questions about what she wants on papers or assignments. A lot of reading so don't fall behind. Funny though but rude too, swears like a sailor as well. I learned a lot but probably wont take her again.
Barbara is hands down my favorite professor. I have had her twice now for both intro to lit and women writers; her lectures are always intriguing and informative. I have never left her class without feeling as though I had learned something. Lots of reading, but for a good reason. She's funny and incredibly intelligent.
My only problem with Barbara is that she can be slightly condescending to her students and, at times, even her colleagues in class. I think she has a huge academic ego and has a hard time listening to the input of others. I think she assumes her students are less intelligent than they are and sometimes makes me feel like I' in a high school class.
She does not explain her expectations or assignments clearly. She is also not very flexible when told the reason why something happened. She doesn't adjust to different learning styles and is very rude when told that a person isn't learning well due to this.
I loved Dr. Barbara. What an intelligent lady. She taught me to be more open-minded to other people's POVs more than anything, which is a skill I lacked for my entire life. She seems intimidating at first, but that is only because she wants her students to succeed. You can submit drafts to her as many times as you want, and she will help. Take her.
Great lady, funny yet respectable, intelligent. Kind of tough, but her are entertaining.
Two reading assignments/week relevant to what is being taught. Lots to print out. Sometimes assignments on new topics are due before new material is introduced - frustrating & confusing. She is big on wanting respect, but doesn't always show respect for students - can come off as condescending. Overall, the class is full of great info! Worth it!
Dr. Williamson is amazing. Attendance is mandatory, but I didn't want to miss a class. This class makes you think about life and it will change your life as well. Every single student, no matter their profession, should have to take this class. You won't have a textbook, but make sure you buy a printer and lots of ink with the textbook funds.
Barbara is extremely knowledgeable and definitely knows the ins and outs of what she teaches. This class makes you look at our society in many different perspectives, and she always has an aspect of deeper critical thought for us to look into. She is very educated and strives for her students gain awareness of the world in many different lights.
Barbara knows her stuff. She is a strong woman, and inspires all people to be who the are. She is respectful, caring and a extraordinary professor. She truly wants people to get a chance to see the water in which they swim. Her lectures expand your mind to the point you'll find them coming back up in personal conversations with friends.
Barbara is hilarious. She is great at giving good lectures without being boring. She explains the really boring parts of English well. The papers are rather boring in her class to write, but she helps make it easier and more fun for you to write. Attendance isn't super needed, but it is helpful. She does take attendance kind of often
Dr. Williamson is a genuinely caring, humorous, and engaging teacher. She really encourages her students to explore the subject matter and dig deep to analyze what people often take for granted. This was a writing intensive class, but be warned, it's no "easy A." There will be a LOT of writing papers, however, her expectations are very clear.
She is respectful of you, if you respect her. If you come in to class prepared, and willing to listen to the class content, and not text or sleep, you will get along with her fine. I totally would take her class again. Professor Williamson is smart and is willing to help you, if you are willing to let her know you want and need help.
Dr. Williamson is nothing short of fantastic! She makes you work hard for your grade & grades tough. There aren't any quizzes or tests, but there are a lot of group discussions in class. No textbook, but there are a lot of articles that she gives out for students to read & then write about them before class. Final is oral, study guide is provided.
Barbara Williamson is my absolute favorite professor. She is amazing! You do get graded off of attendance but it is honestly to better your skills. If you just show up to class, I think you're guaranteed to pass. I don't consider myself an English expert, but I passed with a 4.0. I absolutely love this professor. I strongly recommend Barbara.
Barbara is absolutely amazing. Shes very personable. She has a great grading system. You get out of it exactly what you put into it. (grade wise) shes completely willing to you. Take advantage of her office hours. Attendance is mandatory. At the end of the quarter she adds points for your attendance. I totally recommend her. Shes a great teacher
If I could give her a O rating I would. If you don't write an assignment the exact way she would have, with her own thoughts and opinions as well, expect negative feedback. Honestly I am not the best at English and I was hoping this class would help me since there are two professors. Sadly, the only one that gives feedback on my assignments is her.
If you take this class be prepared to pay for a lot of the films that you have to watch. There's also a ton of articles you have to read for the quizzes every Tuesday which is hard since your last assignment for the week before isn't due until Sunday. There's just not enough time given for all the assignments.
Terrible. At first, she's nice, but as the quarter goes and you get into specific topics (Black film, Latinx film, LGBT film) she becomes more hostile if you don't have the exact same views as her, even if you generally agree with her. Let's students bash you and doesn't call them out on it. Gives crappy feedback. Have to rent a film each week.
Worst teacher I have ever taken. Ever! Condescending, biased, gives terrible feedback, and if you disagree with her, you're immediately wrong. Have to watch a film a week surrounding a certain topic in independent film. If you don't know or like independent film, she will be rude to you. Not enough could be said about how bad of a teacher she is!
Worst teacher I have ever had. Constantly being negative towards you, even if you were just expressing your opinion. Picks favorites at the start of class and favors them all quarter long while (sometimes) subtly bashing political views different than her own. Would not recommend to my worst enemy.
Barbra is kind to those who share her liberal political views however if you have a conservative view, you're wrong. If I have learned one thing form this class, it is that it doesn't matter your sex, age, race, ethnicity etc, all films are the same. Indie film is cool however the entire class not enjoyable.
She is terrible as a person and teacher. She knows everything, doesn't care what you think, she is always right (no other opinions accepted, only hers). Very rude.
Dr. Williamson is a rockstar. Her grading criteria and expectations are clear, she is accessible to students for help with work or feedback on assignments, and breaks material down well so it's easy to intake. She keeps class fun but focused which makes class really enjoyable. I have taken her for 3 different classes. I can't recommend her enough!
Dr. W was great! It was easier than I thought it would be, but fun and she kept us on our toes. I loved her class and would take another from her. I thought she was going to be some feminazi from all I'd heard, but I loved this class so much!!
She's a good teacher with high expectations! Her views are clear and she isn't very tolerant of other ideas but if you go in knowing that you can do well in her class without having conflicts over things that don't matter for your grade. I'd have given her a 5 if not for her somewhat intolerant attitude to values that do not match hers.
I enjoyed Prof Williamson's class. I took film to get credits, but ended up enjoying the class and learning a lot. She is a good prof. Very thorough and straight forward with how she wants things. Just stick to the criteria and you will pass!
I bet she isn't a bad if you share her views and parrot them back to her on assignments. If you have different opinions, she'll give you bad grades and critical feedback about your views rather than the quality of your work. That makes learning the content really hard. She doesn't even try to keep her personal views separate from her job - Not ok!
Trust me, take this class if you enjoy film. I ended up in it to complete my WI requirement, but it has been my favorite class so far. The lectures are enjoyable.. The quizzes are open note. Writing assignments are clear and easy to follow. The final is a fun project. There is a TON of extra credit. Dr. Williamson really cares about her students.
Williamson is my favorite professor so far at SFCC. I have noticed the majority of the bad reviews of her on here are politically driven. All she really does to drive that is talk about LGBTQ+ and black films and I guess that just makes some people uncomfortable. I don't think it is valid criticism. She has wonderful input and is very passionate.
Barbara's class was my favorite by far this quarter. She is great with lectures and I loved how clear and concise her assignment criteria were. Very enlightening in the topics of film and film history. There is some political stuff thrown around, but not nearly as much as other reviews make it seem. Really fun class, would take again!
She will make an assumption about you on day one and go with that the whole quarter. If she would have liked me the class probably would have been a lot more enjoyable. I would recommend finding a different professor
I would not recommend this professor. She is very condescending and gives very rude feedback to students. As other reviews have said, if she does not like you or has negative feeling towards you do not expect to get a good grade. No late assignments under any circumstance. Barbara Williamson is not a reasonable or understanding professor.
I don't understand the negative reviews. Amazing professor, interesting class, and gave great feedback in both papers and discussion boards. She is very passionate about Film Studies and that translates into the class which makes it so much more enjoyable. I highly recommend taking her class if you get the chance!
This class is to inductory and a bulk of class is simply talking about different genres . The topics learned are fine, however barbara herself is interesting, and if you dont use the specific words she said she'll mark your writing as wrong even though its the same thing rephrased, she also makes sure always to bring up smth about sex or being gay.
Class Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
79%
Textbook Required
32%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
A-
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-0.81 avg changeRatings by Course
ENGLISH
5.0
(1)ENG246
5.0
(3)ENGLISH246
5.0
(1)ENGLISH272
5.0
(2)ENG278
5.0
(2)Difficulty by Course
ENLG101
5.0
HUM107ENG102
5.0
ENG246
4.3
ENGL101
4.3
ENGLISH
4.0