2.6
Quality4.2
Difficulty37%
Would Retake90
Reviews37%
Would Retake
90
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
5
20
4
13
3
8
2
23
1
26
What Students Say
“Carla is quite possibly the worst teacher I've ever encountered”
ENG271 - 1.0 rating“She is great for students who agree with her”
ENG549 - 2.0 ratingClass Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
92%
Textbook Required
86%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
A-
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Stable
-0.08 avg changeRatings by Course
ENG529
5.0
(1)WRITINGTHEORY
5.0
(1)ENG431
5.0
(1)271
4.5
(2)ENG201
4.5
(2)Difficulty by Course
364
5.0
WRITINGTHEORY
5.0
ENG649
5.0
ENG458
5.0
ENG549
5.0
Reviews (90)
The class was exceedingly dull
Didn't explain things clearly! If she hates you, your grade will suffer!
No Comments
She teaches a 100 level course like a 400 level.
if you don't share her opinion, you're WRONG!
The reading in this class is incredible literature
The worst class of my college career
Liked the course, good lit.
No Comments
No Comments
No Comments
Interesting class, but a little over my head at times
Gives it to you straight. Will help out and kick you in the ass when needed.
Brilliant but tough. Most students too egocentric to realize her significance.
very knowledgeable, very smart and very helpful
She is incredibly brilliant and puts a lot of time and effort into the class - more so than most profs.
she is brilliant and so very helpful. sad to say class is still much over my head at least 3/4 of time
I do realize she's brilliant, but this class was redundant and boring. I can't deal with talking about the same things every single class for two weeks. She's probably much better at the graduate level. At least, I hope so.
Could barely understand her. Didn't explain things well, encouraged participation and shoots you down when you do. If you're not on her level, forget it. So disapointing. :(
She did not explain things clearly at all, and offered very little help or respect for student questions or concerns.
Can't stand this woman. Thinks her views are better than everyone elses, and treats students like children. I really wish she wasnt the only prof for this course.
Extremely brilliant, and helpful if you make the effort.
Terrible teacher. Rude and has no understanding of students. Could barely understand her. She'll give you an essay by some theorist from 1800, and expect you to become an expert on it. Taking this class was like performing brain surgery on a conscious patient after having only read a med. text book.
What a rude person!!! Very hard to understand and does not take other opinions well. She wants participation, but shoots down other points of view! She is the only teacher of this course, and it is very painful to wake up and know that I have to see her that day...
What a horrible teacher. I understand that she is incredibly smart, but she is the worst teacher I have ever had...very rude and ignorant. She wants participation but is very condescending when opinions are not the same as hers. She is AWFUL!!!!!
I wonder if she has ever learned how to effectively teach...She does not speak clearly or convey her ideas clearly. She glares at people and has horrible reactions to students when you give her an answer. She is a very rude individual and I hope I never have to take another class with her, EVER!
She is a smart woman, but a bad teacher. She cannot teach the material, she only knows how to get mad at students who don't magically understand what some theorist from 1920 is talking about when they talk in circles and have to define every word they write.
No Comments
I hate this class. She is not helpful - "Oh, you'll get it", "I don't know what you exspect me to do." She gives a prompt for a large paper only four days in adavnce. She is smart - but is a lousy teacher. She is to smart to teach the material. The class needs to be easier for the level it is.
You get the hang of the class about 2/3 through the semester. Intellectual discipline is absurd. Linguistics belongs in the upper 400's - this is hardly an intro class - which is why it is so difficult. Assignments are given inadequate completion times. HOWEVER - if you demonstrate even any proficiency in the course, you will get a good grade.
Carla, as a person, is a wonderful lady. Whenever I came to talk to her in her office, she was always very kind and friendly. However, the way she taught left me feeling alienated from the material. I suggest taking this class with another professor.
This professor is the meanest one I have ever met. I saw her outside of class at a restaurant and she treated me like !@#$. Very rude.
Very rude....if you don't give her what she wants to hear she gets mad. Also, I tried to be nice to her and chat one day while passing and she totally blew me off and gave a a weird look.
Hard class, sucky teacher
I don't know what you all call a long paper, but 5 pages is hardly long! 4 days is plenty of time. I think while she is hard to understand with her accent, she makes a real effort to make herself clear if you have difficulties understanding her speech or handwriting. She is easy to get further information and clarity from, particularly via email
Avoid he rlike the plague! Impossible to understand her speech. Assignments are ambiguous, explanations of the material border on inane. Pointles to take this class with her, take it with Evans.
Carla is an extremely intelligent person and has an excellent understanding of the material. She's not easy, but she is fair.Some people may consider her aloof, but she IS european:-) If you show a sincere interest in her class and give a decent effort, you won't be disappointed with a bad grade.
She is the ****iest teacher I have ever had. She is very narrow-minded and unwelcome to other viewpoints. She is not only insulting, but very condescending to students. She may be smart, but she cannot teach!! She is also very hard to understand. She gives students dirty looks, and makes students feel stupid.
Had I read these reviews, I may have missed the most significant educational experience of my undergraduate career. She is one of the brightest and most passionate people I have ever met. Yes, her class is hard and she requires the same intellectual discipline from her students that she requires of herself. What are you here for? Growth or easy A's?
to the undergrads who thought she would be better at the graduate level - all of your comments apply.
I noticed that some of Prof. Billitteri's worst critics made the most grammatical mistakes. Yes, her course was tough and yes, more material than usual went over my head. Still, I learned more in her class than from many others. It's possible to get a good grade if you work hard and at least pretend to show interest and respect in class.
Carla Billitteri is a good professor if you want to get a lot out of the course. However, if you do not agree with her opinions, of if you do not play to her interests and give her the exact answers that she wants (despite the face that the work she assigns is always essay) she will not give you a good grade.
Professor Billitteri, while brilliant, is disingenuous and cruel at best. Her standards vary wildly depending on the student and her social skills are severely lacking. You will learn a lot from the reading, but you will also be demeaned, abused, and thoroughly disillusioned by this woman.
The only teacher I've had here that I actually learn something from...unlike the usual trivial crap they give me!
The best professor I have ever had. She is insightful, respectful, I was not in her area of study when I took the class but now I am because of her. I was having a hard time with a paper and met with her about it and she set up a hand-picked tutor to help me with grammar and paper construction. I can't say enough about how grateful I am for her!
I thought she was an absolute sweetheart. She looks tough, but don't let that fool you. The ENG 271 material was really quite difficult, but if you show any understanding of the material at all and apply it to your paper, you'll be just fine. =)
She gives constructive criticism. I thought she despised me at first, but quickly realized that she was very invested in helping me become a better writer. She is incredibly intelligent, and has very high expectations of students. She actually let our class vote a book out of her course because we all disliked it so much. She's awesome.
Carla is incredibly challenging, true, but she's completely brilliant. If you really put thought and effort into the class you'll do well and earn her respect.
Figuring out what her expectations are is a shot in the dark. Does not explain things and expects too much. You can go from a C- to an A back to a C on each assignment. Just hope she grades your paper on a good day.
Horrid teacher, focuses on her own opinions far too much to be an objective teacher. If you don't agree with her views you are wrong, take this class with evans, and thank me later.
DO NOT TAKE A CLASS WITH CARLA. The class I took with her was just a never ending conversation between her and a student.
This class is hard! 20 books to read for one semester, 4 papers for 4 seperate books, and a 10 page paper. Most of the discussions make no sense and she is very set in her opinions. Most of the books are so out there that you cannot even follow the basic plot. She is very intimidating and expects way too much out of you and i'm an English major.
Professor Billiteri is a brilliant woman. Although her classes are hard and she does demand plenty from her students, she does take an interest in you and she is willing to help. You just don't find many profesors now a days that worry wether or not you are understanding the material, be she is one of them.
She is a hard teacher, but she will work with you if you put in the effort. If you want to be a better student than she is the way to go. She will make you work, but if you are looking to move on to a master's degree she will help you write a paper worth turning in.
Brilliant woman, but her teaching methods leave a lot to be desired. She assumes way too much for a 200-level course, and is easily offended if your views are different than hers and makes it known. Has a reputation in the English department for making students cry, and now I know why. If at all possible, take this course with another professor.
Hard professor, but if you want the most out of your education, you'll take her class. You have to work hard, and she expects you to be mature and intelligent, but why else are you here?
This is by far the worst teacher I have ever had. She is rude and inconsiderate. If you have a different opinion she will not acknowledge it. Her teaching style is all over the place and the way she explains things. The class itself is not a hard class, but she missed 5 days of class and got mad if a student missed one or 2.
Probably the smartest professor I have had so far. She made this 100-level class extremely hard, but she has a great understanding of what she teaches which makes attending class worth it.
I only had her for a 170 course and by far the worst professor I had yet, we are doing the same course work that she does in her 251 course. Very opinionated, and if you disagree with her you are wrong, even if you can back up your opinion. On top of that her accent is very thick and on a bad day she is very hard to understand.
Worst class I've taken all semester. I think she forgot she was teaching a 200 level INTRO to creative writing course. We had two 20+ page portfolio's due on top of various other work. She gives no direction and is easily offended. She WILL cancel class if people are not prepared/have work done. Take this with someone else. You will thank me later.
One of the worst teachers I've had. She's always changing deadlines so you never know when something is due. You also never know what she wants in the papers until after she grades them. Absolutely terrible class and teacher.
Possibly one of the worst classes I've ever had to attend. This professor does not offer any clarity to her lectures and about 95% of the time you won't know what you're actually doing. It's difficult to ask questions because she is very insulting if you do not immediately understand the material prior to coming to class. I don't recommend her.
Carla is a very nice person. Unfortunately, she seems to stop being a person in class and becomes a tryant. She bullies students who do not have her research interests or do not respond the way she would. She is great for students who agree with her. Do not let it show if you haven't read Heidegger; stick to masculinist writers. Good luck.
She is a brilliant teacher! There were times it was hard to understand what was happening, but there was no problem asking questions in class. She demands through her actions that you read the material and come in prepared. I ended up taking several classes from her because she made me a better writer and student.
She clearly knows what she's talking about, but if you don't understand it instantly, she gets very irritated. She is not interested in helping students learn the material, and the few clarifications she gave were muddled, unclear, and rambling. Does not accept opinions that differ from hers. Would NOT recommend.
The reading load is ridiculous, even for an English class, the material is confusing and she doesn't explain it well, then gets mad when you don't get it. She also goes off on random, irrelevant tangents. I ended up dropping the class because it didn't teach me anything and just hurt my grades. Plus, her attendance policy is heinous!
Don't take this course with this professor. Helpfulness: (don't ask for help) rewrite and restate her opinion back to her. Only agree with her. Clarity: She doesn't have any, she will respond with anger if you don't understand (witnessed) her POV. Easiness: Not that hard to be a cog, just be unthinking, while learning "critical analysis."
This professor is the real deal. A lot of students come to college and don't ever really want to use their brains. If you put in the work, then you will not have any of the issues others are ranting about on here. She DOES allow for creative interpretations. She IS approachable and helpful. But, yes , if you are looking for easy, look elsewhere.
You will have to work for this grade. Carla is both an easy grader (she understands she slips up; can be persuaded to modify) and a tough grader (she expects you to THINK.) Do the reading, for your own sake. She was unorganized and changed the syllabus frequently. She has an accent that some people might have trouble with. I still liked her.
Easy enough, slow grader, confusing lectures, nothing interesting going on in this class.
Carla is an amazing woman and teacher. But she is also going to push you until you want to cry. She's VERY intimidating, but will help if you work up the courage to ask. Remember: all grades are weighted equally. Read CAREFULLY. You will be quizzed on every assignment. Draw upon cultural knowledge and feminist theory in your papers. She loves that.
Carla is quite possibly the worst teacher I've ever encountered. I asked a question of clarification and she asked if there was "something wrong with me." She also called another student "dumb" to the entire class. I have seriously considered reporting her for her classlessness. Don't take any of her classes; she'll just confuse and disrespect you.
She's confusing as hell. You have to put in a lot of effort for an A, which she rarely gives. Lectures are all over the place. She's really smart and you can learn from her if you try super, super hard. She should be publishing work, not teaching. She also has really stupid reading check assignments and "short" answer exams.
Carla's real nice. However, she is very confusing and the readings she gives are equally confusing and very dense/hard to understand. Very smart and knowledgeable and probably a great scholar, but not great as a professor. Try to avoid her if you can, unless you want the hardmode version of a class.
At first, I didn't like Carla. It's true that she expects way too much of her students for a 200-level class, and if you didn't have her for 170 as well, you might be lost. You HAVE to do the readings or you'll be lost af. But she is really understanding if you give her a chance. Easily swayed by emotion and you can usually get an extension, lol.
Prof Billitteri is a super super nice person, if you give her a chance and actually try in her class. If you don't she can be very rude and infantilizing, over all she's extremely knowledgeable and she has interesting things to say..
Honestly worst decision of my life to take her don't make the same mistake so many other better professors to chose from
In my personal opinion, her teaching methods are so outdated. She has a problem with getting off topic, so therefore you learn nothing. Attendance was not mandatory, but if you didn't go, you will become so lost. She claimed the assignments were based off the readings but she teaches other content in class that papers are based off of. Bad grader.
Absolutely hate her, I am currently in ENG 170 and I am so lost and she offers no help. She expects students to know the content already if you are confused she will not help you understand. The readings are very complex and confusing.
I speak Italian and even I can't understand her accent sometimes. She admits she's more into philosophy and that it's her strong point, makes English philosophical and way too confusing. Has some weird opinions about switching versions of textbooks and doesn't acknowledge any students feedback whatsoever.
If I could give her a 0 I would. No feedback on anything, never sticks to the syllabus, and does not care about the student's opinions at all. I tried talking to the chair who did nothing. She is insanely smart, don't get me wrong, but she expects you to also be that smart, which is impossible, especially for a 100 class. English majors beware.
Carla is intelligent and passionate. Her lectures foster a deep, philosophical understanding of concepts in narrative theory, such that they can be applied far beyond the scope of traditional written literature. The workload was very manageable, and her assigned readings included texts written by Black, Queer, Jewish, Latine, and Woman authors.
Billitteri is truly one of the smartest and most caring professors at UMaine. Her lectures are always interesting and extremely helpful for workshops, assignments, etc.; attending class is definitely a must for a passing grade. She always provides excellent feedback and is always helpful within and outside of class. Highly recommend!
I understand why people struggle with Carla's class I think her passion for the subject (especially relating to the intersection between narrative and philosophy+social justice) makes her lectures interesting once you get past the mask and thick accent. The work can seem like a lot but it's very cyclical. Once you know what to expect you're good.
Syllabus clearly outlines what reading is expected, and it can be a lot to keep up with. If you're not in class you won't pass, but if you show up the instructions are pretty clear. She gives great feedback when she gets around to it and is the only English teacher I've had that kept me interested in the subject.
In my opinion, she is genius-level intelligent when it comes to literary analysis. If u are not, however, you will struggle. Almost everyone in my class has struggled a bit with concepts, myself included, but she will always try and make sure every individual understands. Genuinely very caring and forgiving. Just show up and you'll probably be fine
Carla is iffy, she's a heavy grader and things can be unclear, as well as scolding a student for having a doctor's appointment during class (that was made 6 months prior) but she does care quite a lot about her students which was very nice to see. She showed concern for our daily lives but seemed blinded by the focus on school
Carla cares about her students. She asks about our weekend, personal lives and brings treats to class, making sure to ask about preferences and allergies before doing so. However, she goes on tangents about other classes, gives confusing lectures and grades insanely harshly. I have learned nothing in this class and pray I pass. SO CONFUSING.
Carla is a genius. The material is hard, but if you think clearly and really work hard, a good grade is attainable. She is a lovely woman, and I enjoyed showing up to her class. If you love English and crave to learn at an intellectual level, take her classes. Do not listen to the negative reviews, SHE IS AMAZING!!
She has no idea how to teach. I had her in ENG 170 and we start off going over the syllabus for several days and then not following it the remainder of the semester. She goes on long tangents and explains things confusingly. She is very smart and kind to her students but the way she structures her classes (hardly any reading) isn't very engaging.
Class Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
92%
Textbook Required
86%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
A-
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Stable
-0.08 avg changeRatings by Course
ENG529
5.0
(1)WRITINGTHEORY
5.0
(1)ENG431
5.0
(1)271
4.5
(2)ENG201
4.5
(2)Difficulty by Course
364
5.0
WRITINGTHEORY
5.0
ENG649
5.0
ENG458
5.0
ENG549
5.0