The best Spanish teacher you will ever have. She is amazing helpful during office hours or when you ask questions during class. She wants you to understand the material and it really shows. She's a relatively tough grader when it comes to tests and compositions, but in a very good way. She makes class fun. Take a class with her if you can!

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Incredible teacher. Small class sizes allow her to get to know everyone individually, and will know what you're doing well or need help with before you even ask. Class is fast-paced but fun, and Begona has a great sense of humor which adds to her great teaching ability.

Some expectations were not clearly defined, such as mesa redonda and debates. She is really sweet and cares a lot about the individual student.

Begona is a wonderful teacher, very caring and she pushes you to learn alot (especially in accelerated sections). Very funny once you get to know her too. Sometimes you may feel like shes stressed out but I think thats how she is on high mode all day.

Awesome teacher to have if you are thinking about or planning on studying Spanish after 1004. She pushes you to do your best and does a great job trying to make the book that we use "fun." Very helpful and explains things well. I would definitely recomend her!! I learned a lot.

Begona's a really sweet teacher. She pushes you, but I constantly found myself wanting to do well just to make her proud. She takes an effort to get to know her students. Class was usually pretty fun and time went fast.

Tough but justly so.

This class seems incredibly overwhelming at first,but she's honest about her high expectations from the start. However,if you put a decent amount of effort into this class,you learn so much and your Spanish will be taken to new levels.She cares about her students and wants them to succeed,but it's definitely "tough love" at times.Awesome professor!

This is my second class with Pra. Orive and I love her. Yes, she expects a lot but I have learned more from her than anyone else at the U. If you actually do the readings and participate, you will love this class. She is amazing and, contrary to what others here have said, she wants you to be amazing too. I highly recommend her!!!

AMAZING!! I was nervous at first because she was very clear about her high expectations but I learned more in one semester with her than in all my other Spanish classes at the U combined. If you actually want to learn Spanish, take a class from her! She is NOT mean at all if you are participate and make an effort. Loved her!!

This is a very challenging class, but I did learn a lot! She is nice and so passionate about teaching spanish! However, she is not really open to going over your papers, so go to the writing center or ask others for help. Make sure you attend class and read because then the class is manageable and you can learn a ton!

When I first looked up Sra. Orive I was really scared to see how many people said they hated her, I seriously debated switching but sucked it up and I'm so glad I did, she really is an amazing teacher and is helpful and very funny/nice. She makes class enjoyable if you go in with a good attitude. It's college spanish, it's not supposed to be easy!

Absolutely one of the best teachers I have ever had, and THE best spanish teacher I have ever had. She is so passionate about what she teaches, and it makes all the difference. I would take any class from this woman again in a heartbeat.

SHE IS THE BEST. She did everything she could to help me and when I came to the class she saw my desire to succeed and always takes that into consideration when grading. I would recommend to her anyone. Her passion is amazing!

Sparked my interest in Latin Amcn issues. Don't expect an A unless you have a solid history in Spanish or try extremely hard - she only gives out a few. But, you will learn a LOT. Great class.

AMAZING teacher. I learned so much in this class, and now that I've taken higher level Spanish classes, I really appreciate all the effort I put in in her class. Got the lowest grade I'd ever gotten on the first essay - but from their improved a lot. A powerful learning experience!! But make sure you have the time.

An amazing teacher! The class is difficult and time consuming, but she really helped a lot! One of my favorite Spanish classes and teacher.

Helpful teacher. She has a lot of knowledge to offer. Her class was very interesting. Quite a bit of work. Be prepared to work outside of class. Señora Orive gives helpful comments on essays, so you know what to improve/work on for the next one. She is a believer in class discussion. My Spanish speaking and writing skills improved due to her class.

Señora Orive is not only an amazing professor, but she is an extraordinary person. She cares so much about what she does, and has a way of making you really feel passionate about something that never used to interest you. Yes, be prepared to work hard in this class, but the amount of improvement you will see is worth it. I absolutely love her.

Sra. Orive was the best Spanish teacher I have ever had. She is so encouraging and so welcoming if you are willing to be open minded. She actually inspired me whereas most good professors just make me understand. I highly recommend her; there are a lot of bad Spanish teachers out there, she is not one of them.

Extremely good teacher. She is difficult and she knows what she wants but if you do the readings and participate in class, it'll be a breeze.

Very passionate about the class which made it easy to go to class (which was mandatory). She explained the literature well but was a very tough grader when it came to exams and essays.

Sra. Orive has high expectations, but she gives students the tools they need to do well in the compositions through her well-facilitated class discussions. Participation is very important to her, so practice your speaking skills during class. She takes the assigned literature seriously, so make sure to read it, and take time to analyze.

Begona is an amazing person, she is so passionate about the topic and she makes sure everyone learns and grows as a student and person. Although at times she is a bit difficult, and demands quite a bit out of each of her students, the class is well worth it.

There is no extra credit in this class and you have to be on top of your work. There are always readings and papers due, but only 2 tests. The final is an in-class essay on how you related with the novel that you will read. Make sure you do the work and the extra work that isn't graded and you will be fine in this class. Also participation is HUGE.

Profesora Orive-Abad is hands down an excellent instructor. She is extremely passionate about the material and her job as an educator. She is a tough grader and expects a lot from students, but is always willing to help you out if you need it. Awesome professor and you will do well if you are willing to work hard.

AMAZING instructor. Extremely passionate about the subject matter, and the success of students. She takes your desire to succeed in Spanish, effort , and participation in class into account when grading. She is a difficult grader (only gives out a few As). Hard work is expected, but well worth the incredible amount you will learn from her.

Begoña is the most passionate professor I have ever had. I was really worried about this class before I took it, but she really cared about her students understanding the readings.

Not a good prof if you're looking to glide by with an easy A. Excellent prof if you want to learn a lot. Class was a bit tough and her standards were high, but looking back it made all my higher level Spanish classes easier in later semesters. You will not succeed if you don't read and at least try to participate in discussion.

Cares about her job and students and very interesting woman. Do the readings, come prepared, and expect to work hard in her class. She has rather strict guidelines but if you take the time and put in the effort, you can for sure receive a B. Not my favorite professor, but you do learn a lot and it's clear she wants to help you learn.

One of the most passionate professors I've ever had, and probably will ever have. She's more than willing to help students, and always seeks to encourage growth in the language as well as personal growth. Be ready to work hard if you want to do well, but it'll pay off in the end.

It's clear that she cares a lot about her students, and she really makes an effort to help them learn. I thought she was a little too lenient when it came to grading papers. She always made an effort not to overwhelm the students with negative comments, which meant, unfortunately, that she didn't always tell you everything you did wrong.

She's passionate about the subject matter, and she'll definitely notice if you take an interest. She can be "direct," which is MN speak for not passive-aggressive. She gives detailed feedback on writing assignments. Sometimes the grading criteria felt a little unclear, but if you show up, participate, and do the work, you'll be fine.

Orive is a wonderful spanish professor. She was a bit intimidating at first, but if you participate and show her that you want to improve, you will get along very well. She loves teaching and seeing her students improve. I put in a lot of time, especially for reading, but I have gained much more!

She's very clearly devoted to Spanish lit and she does a good job of getting you into it as well. Sometimes can hijack discussions and on occasion has strong opinions on readings that seem open for interpretation. Clearly tells you what to improve on for essays and wants you to push yourself when writing. Wonderful prof.a.

She's a great professor who really wants to see student's progress and learn. She cares about much more than the letter grade you receive in the class. While this class is a lot of work with many readings, she makes sure to clarify everything and help students to stay on track.

Senora Orive is one of the best spanish teachers I have ever had. She is really passionate about the spanish language and culture and wants to help students succeed. She values participation above all else, so be sure to talk multiple times in every class--that way she will be more lenient on your participation grade. It was difficult, but worth it

Really cares about her students and is very passionate about the subject. What matters to her is that you learn and that you try. That being said you need to participate A LOT for your grade and her grading is very difficult. Expect to work for a good grade in this class.

Begoña is a wonderful professor, and I learned so much in just one semester. I would absolutely recommend this professor to anybody that will take SPAN 3015W, as I feel she allowed the student to receive a lot more out of the course than some other students with different professors. Although strict at times, she is compassionate.

Sra Orive was very enthusiastic in teaching and had a good sense of humor. The readings could be a little tough to fully understand, but the discussions in class always helped, and you came out feeling like you really learned something. The class can be tough and she expects your writing to improve, but is VERY helpful and cares about her students.

She was a great teacher, but grades VERY hard. Dont expect higher than 85% on essays unless youre basically fluent. I felt like I learned a lot. She is very passionate and loves to talk - sometimes too much. There are only 2 tests and one final group project and lots of essays. Need to read and be prepared for class every day. I enjoyed this class.

Amazing teacher- really hard class. To get an A: participate often (at least 1-2 times/ class), edit Spanish essays thoroughly (bring to the writing center or befriend someone who is really good or fluent in Spanish), and do the readings ahead of time. Also- don't bother buying the cuaderno- you won't use it!

Begona is literally the best spanish teacher i've ever had. She cares so much about all the students and really cares that you learn the material. Definitely take her class.

Begona is so sweet and very helpful. She is very clear about her expectations and is always willing to offer guidance and help. The class is a lot of reading and papers, but it's manageable as long as you're willing to put in the work. She helped me walk away from the class with a better understanding of the material and genuine interest.

I absolutely LOVED taking Spanish with Sra. Orive. She's my favorite college prof I've had so far. She is so passionate about the material and really wants her students to connect with the text and to improve as speakers and writers. Be sure to participate at least once per class! I wish I could take every Spanish class with her.

Señora Orive is by far the best teacher in the Spanish department. She is so passionate about all of the topics covered and cares so intently about each individual student. You do have to work for your grade, but she focuses a lot more on your efforts to try new things and participate

Professor Orive is extremely passionate about everything to do with this class. She is originally from Spain, but her accent isn't hard to understand. This class challenged me both academically and personally and I highly recommend to anyone interested in the Spanish language or culture.

Señora was amazing. She truly does care about her students. While she is a tough grader, I found that she often showed us exactly what she wanted in our papers. She would reword risk even if you made a mistake. After multiple classes, I left feeling I had a different perspective on life. Be engaged in class and you'll be fine.

I loved Professor Orive! She will like you if you participate and put yourself out there in class, read the assigned pages and write down questions and you will be good.

A bit intense at times, but clearly passionate and knowledgeable. Put in the work, participate, and you'll be fine.

Prof. Orive is obviously very passionate about Spanish literature and you'll learn & improve your Spanish a lot in her class. She can be a bit close-minded at times, but mostly you can tell she cares about her students. Expect to write a lot of papers (about 6) and have a lot of reading. The class is hard, but if you put in the work you'll do well.

She expects the most from each student and won't let you be half-hearted. This isn't an easy A, but if you genuinely want to learn than you'll love Professor Orive's classes. Participating and giving your best in class is important, and as long as you ask for feedback and talk to her about how you can improve you'll learn a ton and get good grades.

She is a really sweet individual. She cares deeply about all of her students and makes it known. She also somehow makes poetry an interesting topic. The only downside is that she expects A LOT out of you in regards to oral participation. Also, the class structure is exactly the same for all of the 30 class periods of the semester.

super accommodating regarding COVID, the best lecturer i have had yet. at first i wasn't a fan because she is very forward when she thinks you're wrong, but i've learned to accept that as part of the experience. she really cares about her students. one other criticism is that she has certain problematic views but tries to be centrist.

Professor Orive was one of the best professors I've had. I was challenged and engaged in her class. She gave feedback, she was funny and engaging, and she didn't take any bs. If you don't try in her class you won't do well, but she also grades on improvement over 'perfect Spanish', and just wants to see students asking questions and getting better.

LOTS of discussion, and you have to participate.If you didn't understand the material, stick to asking questions rather than just BS-ing your way through it: questions count as participation, and she will call you out / critique your thoughts if you stuff up or formulate opinions based on not having understood any of what you read (or didn't read).

Profesora Orive, by far, has the most engaging lectures out of any class that I have taken. She doesn't use any presentation slides and will give her lectures while you sit in a circle. This is my hardest class, but a good grade is achievable if you put in the work. Attendance is mandatory and takes a big portion of your grade.

It's understandable why students have problems with her, but it's unfair to ignore the good aspects of her classes. She was a wonderful lecturer (didn't use slides!). Boredom didn't exist in her class, thanks to how good she was at attracting and keeping students' attention when she explained things. She has immense knowledge of Spanish literature.

Professor Orive was very knowledgeable and passionate about literature. Her lectures will prepare you well for essays and exams which are fairly easy. She can be a tough grader but her feedback is wonderful and I saw improvement in my writing throughout the semester. Overall, I had the best literature experience with her.

Sra. Orive wasn't an easy professor, and it would be disingenuous to say otherwise. However, she was a compassionate, helpful, and encouraging professor, especially to those who took the effort to get to know her. You could count on her, and she wouldn't hesitate to help. It's a pity that a literature expert like her is no longer teaching at the U.