He was really funny and nice and I would recommend anyone to take this class. I read most of the books and the essays were easy to write since there were not really any prompts, you can write on whatever. He's a pretty easy grader as well.

Not only super nice but super nice to look at too! He's fun and engaging and gives you so much room to pretty much make the class whatever you want it to be.

Honestly, LA Stories is awesome. Chris is an amazing professor. He teaches you about your surrounding city--and its reaaaaally interesting. And he is really nice and humorous, too! LOVE LOVE LOVE the class...HIGHLY recommended! :)

Prof. Freeman is an extremely engaging teacher and has a wealth of knowledge about Los Angeles. Los Angeles Stories was one of my favorite classes at SC and I highly recommend it to everyone (especially those from out of state like myself).

LA Stories is a great class. Professor Freeman picked out some great texts which really gave me a better understanding about LA. The class is very engaging and fun at the same time. One of my favorite classes so far. Professor Freeman is an awesome teacher.

I absolutely love this class. I have nothing negative to say. It's the only class I never dread attending, even when I have a paper or project due. He's extremely helpful and will chat if you ever need to. He taught me so much about LA, but all in an interesting manner. HIGHLY RECOMMEND HIS CLASS.

LA Stories is an amazing section to choose from the Arts & Letters category. This is mainly because Chris Freeman is one of my favorite professors and I would even love to retake this class, just so I can be in his class some more. His lectures and readings are very interesting and he is simply a "cool" guy :)

Chris is an awesome professor and LA Stories has to be the best Arts & Letters class you can possibly take. We read 5 novels and various other texts/movies that are all really interesting so they don't feel like work. There are only a couple of papers and a presentation of your choice. HIGHLY recommended.

Great teacher, great class. One of my favorites at USC.

Chris is one of the best and most engaging professors I've had at USC. He has an excellent disposition and humor, and stays on task without us even realizing that we're learning. I don't think I've ever not enjoyed a moment of his class.

Freeman is one of my favorite professors at USC. He is approachable and fun. His class is held seminar style and the discussions are extremely interesting. Readings are fun and never a pain to complete because they are so interesting. One of the best classes and profs at USC - for sure! Doesnt hurt that Freeman is also very good looking!

I have taken two classes with Chris and he is definitely my favorite professor. His classes are engaging and fun and he has a great disposition and teaching style. The workload is light--just two essays and some really interesting weekly reading. If you don't take a class with Chris, you'll miss out on one of the best professors at USC.

Easily my favorite class and favorite professor. The texts are extremely interesting, and class is always fun, never boring. Workload is light, and there's no midterm/take home final. TAKE THIS CLASS!

Pretty good, knows his stuff, and he really encourages discussion in class. Also very helpful in office hours.

Chris is definitely one of the best professors at USC. He always makes class engaging and is an incredibly approachable and understanding person. He will always try to help students out if they ask. I've had two classes taught by him both great! Work load can be heavy but is really interesting!

Took LA Stories over the summer and this is one of the best classes I've taken at USC. Chris is such a nice guy and really knows what he's talking about. He's really helpful too. There are four or five readings over the semester that are actually good (and you don't need to finish them) and a couple movies. Highly recommend!

I had Chris for LA stories and he was the best teacher I've had so far at USC. All of the novels you read are really interesting (and also pretty short). In terms of essays he's usually pretty flexible with topics/encourages you to try new things. He's enthusiastic about LA & knows a ton about it so if you're interested, definitely take this class!

LA Stories was by far my favorite GE and perhaps entire class of my USC career. I love the class structure and the course novels are easy reads paired with some really captivating stories. Chris is a really fun professor and his enthusiasm is so refreshing. I really wish I could enroll in his class again!

This class is great, at least among the best I've taken at SC. Interesting reading, stimulating discussion in class, lots of freedom to write about things that interest you. Easy too, no final exam :) and if you're an LA native it's even better, I learned so much

Chris is a great teacher. LA Stories was easy, I read half the booksbut they're really good books too! Every class he has a discussion on the books and movies and as long as you participate (easy to do) and attend class, you're good. He grades easy on the essays as well. Really interesting class, I learned a lot.

Professor Freeman is an amazing instructor. His passion for what he teaches clearly shows throughout each class meeting and he's easily accessible to his students, which I found super helpful. There are six books, but he picked these out not only to teach us something but also for us to enjoy! Probably one the best professors at USC!

The LA Stories class was awesome. There was a bit of reading, but it was not necessary. Some didn't read half the books. We talked mostly about race in LA because that is a majority of LA's history. There were 3 essays and a presentation. He's really cool about the presentation and will give you links to articles relevant to your topic. Take it!

Professor Freeman is the best! This class was a joy to take because all the readings are interesting & Freeman keeps it that way in lecture. I'd leave class feeling inspired & on occasion re-read texts because of things we discussed in class. Three papers, one project, take-home final. Fill or surpass word requirements for all & you'll be fine.

He was amazing but his TAs did all of the grading. He gave them complete freedom to set their own grading criteria. Your grade heavily depends on whether you get a fair TA. He doesn't curve. Take this class pass/no pass. Attendance in lecture and discussion is necessary for the Hot Seat. 2 papers and a take home final.

I absolutely loved this class! It is true that the TAs are responsible for your grade, but if you have a good TA, this class is great. Freeman is very engaging and funny and never makes you feel stupid for answering in any one way (and that is important in a poetry class, I think). There's fun components too, like attending a live poetry reading.

Best GE I've taken at USC. He totally understands that this is a GE class so he doesn't make it too hard, but it isn't just a throw away class. Very intellectually stimulating and really fun.

Prof Freeman is a boss. Cool guy, funny, and knows a lot about fiction. Your grade is given by the TA's. I had a TA that graded fairly (not overly hard, not easy). So the level of work you have to put in this class kind of depends on your TA. I highly recommend Diana Arterian (Friday TA) if you want to learn how to write better and work for your A.

He is an impressive professor who does a brilliant job in his lectures. He truly shows his passion for fiction. In fact, I consider this to be a great class because he proved to be very engaging, especially with the readings he selected for our classes. Essay grades depend on the TAs, which were highly respectable as well.

This is my second time with this professor. He still maintains the same level of passion when he teaches non fiction. The readings he assigns are very enjoyable. I would HIGHLY recommend taking this course.

Really great and inspiring English professor. Easy but rewarding GE.

Brings a lot of expertise to lectures and has a passion about what he teaches. Grading depends on the TA, who are respected in their own right, so it isn't necessarily easy or hard grading. Overall, solid GE.

Fiction is a great GE class! Chris assigns a lot of interesting readings, but he and the TAs are realistic and they wont overwork you. Having a manageable amount of work made it a much more enjoyable class. You have to go to class because of his Hot Seat attendance policy, but you can have up to 2 unexcused absences.

Freeman's class was essentially reading and then discussing the readings. Super easy. He made his lectures interesting and he was really funny.

Yes yes yes. Awesome personality; funny, chill, and lively. I took his class for GE, so English isnt necessarily my passion, but I still loved his class. Its easy to pay attention in class because of his sense of humor and interaction with the students. Spent some time reading the books, but it was definitely doable and the books are enjoyable!

Now this is what a GE at USC needs to be! Professor Freeman understands that few students will be English majors, and that most are taking ENGL299 as a GE. He and the TAs cultivate comfortable, low-stress, interactive, and fun discussions among 100+ students. The assignments are dependent on your TA, but are all meaningful and not difficult.

One of the best professors I have ever had. Very intelligent and caring. Definitely recommend and would take again.

This is an excellent GE to take. There is a bit of reading, a few 500-750 word papers, and some required participation. Participation was the most challenging part for me as I don't like to speak in class, but Professor Freeman is super chill and really fosters a supportive environment that makes you feel as comfortable as possible to contribute.

Great GE teacher. Really helped me increase my appreciation for poetry. Very relaxed class setting and not at all intense in terms of in class experience or workload. Would highly recommend.

Awesome teacher, very enthusiastic! He clearly cares about the material and the students! There is a good amount of reading, but the lectures are discussion based which makes the material more engaging as you get to hear your classmates opinions on the readings. The workload is very manageable and the assignments are very straightforward.

I do not like poetry, but Chris is an absolute gem. He is so passionate about the class, and he encourages you to look at poems in a different way. He is always so energetic and enthusiastic, and he's a great guy overall. Grading depends on your TA. I took this GE pass/fail, so the class is probably easier than my grade suggests. Take him!

Professor Freeman really cares about helping you grow as a student and definitely cares. The class grades revolve around the essays but if you put in good effort and write something decent you won't fail the class. Participation is appreciated and he is super accessible outside of class.

Great class! Readings were fun and interesting and the TAs grade the papers - my TA was super chill. One get to know me paper, two official papers, and a final paper. Classes were interesting, a lot of discussions about relevant topics. and it's clear that the prof and the TAs all care about the topic and the students!

Easy A. You just need to be sure to skim over the readings since he likes having discussions. I enjoyed this class as a GE since we only wrote essays (no midterms). final is an essay as well but his TAs grade it. TAs are fun as well. You'll enjoy the class esp for a GE.

Chris was so outgoing and made lectures fun! The work is graded by TAs, but if you have a good one it's easy.

I took Professor Freeman's L.A Stories class for my GSEM . He's an incredible lecturer, is very open to feedback, gives extensions (even though most of the time they aren't necessary), provides super interesting and modern course content and to him the class is all about making sure that the students are enjoying themselves and doing well.

Certainly my fav class this semester! He is so caring and nice, and he is opened to have separate meetings with students to see how they're doing with freshman year in general. The lecture was very interesting, and I learned a lot from the materials he brought into class. Gives great feedback and not a lot of workload. Super understanding as well!

Nicest guy I've ever met. Really cares about his students and about the class. He teaches interesting and important topics and spends time on one on one's as well. Definitely recommend this class.

Amazing class! The lectures are super interesting, and he keeps everyone engaged. Grades are based on three essays, a take-home final, and participation. Not a lot of workload. He gives extension on all assignments and is so caring. He even sets up individual meetings to help us adjust to college life. A solid choice for GESM!

Professor Freeman is the BEST! He cares so much about each student that he has individual meetings to check on their well-beings. His assignments are relevant and not stressful. He makes classes so much fun through using a variety of teaching methods/forms! If you pay attention in class and do the assignments, it's an easy A and you learn a lot!

This is an EASY A and an EASY GE! Professor Freeman really cares about his students and made the transition to online so amazing. Hot seat days are the only days where attendance is checked and TAs take care of grading assignments (1-2 essays, and lots of poems). Really great class if you want to get into poetry, books not required necessarily!

I loved Professor Freeman! The books we read were all interesting, and he always tied them to current events and topics. A good amount of reading, but discussions were always very relaxed and guided. He made sure to check in on students and see how they were doing. Definitely an amazing professor for a GESM.

I truly loved this class. The readings we had were actually exciting to read. The papers are super flexible and you can essentially write any paper from a topic you chose. Professor Freeman is super caring and really cares about the well-being of every student. I would love to take another class with him!

Amazing class and an amazing professor. Did not dread attending his 8am at all. He checks up on the students and genuinely cares about them. Papers are very interesting and so are the readings. Take his class you won't regret it.

This class and Freeman made me want to pursue poetry as a career. You don't need to buy books and can get away with doing none of the assigned readings, but I recommend doing it because his selection of authors is amazing. TA's are responsible for your grade, take Piotr if possible for an easy A, the lectures are big but the community feels tight

Love Prof. Freeman! An easy A for your GE credit. Your grade is determined by your TA (take Piotr if you want a 100 on every assignment). Two papers, one long poem, and a final paper (just a 350-word response to a movie). As an engineering major, this is definitely the class to take. Actually made poetry interesting!

Pretty easy A. The lectures are interesting because he's a great speaker but they get long and mundane after a long day (not his fault). Your TA might take attendance so show up! Not a lot of assignments; you really just have to be your most creative self. Very liberal and casually disrespects more conservative thought tho.

Chris is an awesome professor! The TAs are responsible for your grade. Class discussions were super light and friendly. Participation only counted for specific days assigned to you, so most days you don't have to talk or even show up. The readings were honestly interesting and very manageable. Can't wait to take him again next semester :)

Professor Freeman is truly caring. The lectures and readings were interesting. I learned a lot. There were a few papers but he is very flexible and understanding.

Professor Freeman is such a sweet guy and really cares about what he is teaching. The class is super fun and easy if you enjoy reading fiction and short stories. He kept classes engaging and really loved to have all his students engaged.

Take him, you won't regret it. The lectures were really interesting and discussion-based (super chill). Your grade is based on 5 super easy papers and participation. He gives extensions for almost every paper and just really cares about his students. He makes sure you're adjusting to college okay and makes himself a support system for you.

Professor Freeman is truly a gem at USC. His course on poetry is not only incredibly enlightening, but he also makes it an absolute joy to be a part of. He does an incredible job of picking his TA's so even when you aren't in lecture you're in good hands. As long as you attend lectures and put your best foot towards on assignments you'll love it.

AMAZING professor for freshmen, he's very helpful and understands that you're adjusting to a new life at university. Will always give extensions and plenty of time on the three papers total. GSEM Los Angeles Stories is great for any freshmen new to LA, I didn't read half the required reading and am doing very well.

He is honestly a gem of a professor. Such a fun class that was honestly a stress-buster. My TA Austen Rosenfeld was excellent too. Both made me want to pursue writing.

Definitely one of my favorite professors ever. He creates such a welcoming & encouraging environment to speak your thoughts on the poetry. I absolutely fell in love with writing again during this class. As soon as I was registering for classes for the spring, I checked to see if he had any I could take for other GE credit. He is a wonderful prof!

Solid GE choice, lectures were mainly discussions about the readings. I had a great TA, they grade all of the assignments/participation so it can be hit or miss with the discussion section. Grades are determined by 4 papers (intro essay, two main essays, final essay) and participation in lectures and discussions.

Overall, a great professor who is very knowledgeable about literature/fiction. This class is a pretty easy A if you put in the effort but grading does depend on your TA. I had Sam Cohen and would recommend her. The only reason this class has a 2 difficulty rating is because there is so much reading.

Absolutely loved the class with Professor Freeman!! Lectures were primarily discussions on poems we read during the semester or about the anthology, so the overall workload was super light. Discussions were super interesting and I totally loved the class and section (I took section with Piotr Florczyk, whom I love)!

Everything is graded by the TAs so it really depends on them. There is a lot of reading. Sometimes we had extra readings to do which were assigned by the TAs in addition to Freeman's readings. Regardless, the class was really relaxed and it's fun if you like reading fiction. The class consists of essays which all had very clear grading criterias.

If you need to take a GE B, do not take any other class but this one. Professor Freeman is the BEST and his class is so much fun. Easy grading, FUN assignments, super chill class. I did maybe 4 hours of homework all semester. TAKE THIS CLASS or you will regret it!! There is no easier or more interesting/fun GE B.

I think if you go to USC and do not take Chris Freeman you are doing yourself a huge disservice. He is the most amazing person and professor, he made me want to come to class every day. He made me want to write the assignments and read the books. THE BEST CHOICE FOR GESM!!!

Amazing professor. Super chill and easy grading for the small amount of work in this class. Show him the respect he deserves and get ready for an amazing semester.

Prof. Freeman is amazing! He is so kind and interesting. He really wants you to grow as a poet. Class is graded by TA, and participation is a large factor of your grade.

Class was online and lecture participation was not for credit unless if your discussion section was scheduled to lead the reading that day. Prof. Freeman is kind and the class is an easy GE with minimal writing for an English class. Choose a good TA.

A great professor that is very interested in what he teaches. I learnt a lot when it comes to writing and English literature. A lot of reading is required, but the books are interesting.

You'd be making a HUGE mistake by not taking Chris Freeman during your time at USC. We covered a bunch of super interesting books as well as documentaries, poems, and essays, all about LA. It's an absolute privilege to learn from Prof. Freeman. If you don't take him for GSEM, definitely consider his other classes that fulfill GE-B. Best Prof ever!

LOVE FREEMAN! Can't say enough good things. Do yourself a big service and take his LA Stories GESM. Loved reading LA literature and learning about the city's culture. He's awesome, kind, profound, and fun! He's a mini LA celebrity and knows a lot of the authors of the books we read. You get out of the class what you put in, keep up with readings!

Class can be an easy A or a pain depending on your TA. Lectures are boring if you aren't into poetry or literature and attendance is sometimes mandatory. Every couple of weeks you are forced to participate. Definitely look for an easy TA as they are the ones grading your essays. I would not recommend Chris Adamson as he is a very picky grader.

GESM 120 Los Angeles Stories | Best professor of my first semester. If you enjoy Los Angeles history/literature or just want to learn more about LA, take this class! He allows you to be creative and his advice helps you become a better writer. Very flexible. Light on homework but there are some essays assigned throughout the class. Highly recommend

Class isn't graded harshly, but depends on your T.A., I had Chris Adamson who was phenomenal and very caring. Lectures were boring, but its poetry so what do you expect. Two essays, one small assignment, and a final consisting of three writing sections, graded very fairly and easy.

Prof chose really interesting books to read! Homework is literally just reading and a few creative writing papers, lectures go through the reading. I looked forward to this class so much! Super easy A and a really fun chance to get outside my STEM major and flex my writing muscles/express my thoughts in a way that I don't usually get to do

Take this GE if you need it!!!!! Loved Prof. Freeman's humor and passion. A majority of the essays entail a creative side to it, which is amazing if analytical writing isn't your thing. All the TA's are amazing too. The books we read are each relatable and entertaining. Overall, amazing class.

Prof is pretty charismatic as an individual. He has a lot of interesting stories in class. It's a normal workload for a GESM: a few papers, some readings, some presentations. Freeman puts a unique spin on them though. For a project, me and a friend traveled around LA and wrote intense food reviews. My final presentation was on Disneyland's history!

professor freeman is amazing! he is so passionate about poetry and the things we read are interesting. if you go to a poetry event you only have to do 2/3 of the final. attendance all depends on ur TA. i had liz and although she seems cool and shes very sweet she is not clear with grading criteria or what she expects you. she is a harsh grader

You are doing yourself an injustice if you don't take Prof Freeman. 10/10 GESM with super interesting readings and assignments. He understands where students are coming from and is lenient with extensions. Light workload. Assignments are fun (no joke): I explored LA for one of mine. Cannot stress how much I enjoyed this class. Take it if you can!

professor freeman is amazing which is why I rated him a 5. hes super funny, easy, the only thing is DO NOT TAKE LIZ AS A TA. she might seem chill and fun but that s just a cover, she tries to be cool like the other TAs but in reality she is a harsh grader and is not clear with her reading rubric and what criteria she expects from you in your essays

freeman is a easy and cool proff but poetry is boring.. my TA liz was a pain and always gave me a B but never told me what I did wrong and when I went to office hours she was unclear. I learned a lot about Mary Oliver which was nice, wish freeman could of been my TA

super chill class I had Amy as my TA shes the best, super funny and so helpful. my friend had Liz and said the ratings are true she expected alot and was unclear. so if you take this class yo 100% want Amy shes literally the best, still in touch with her!!

Great professor, lectures interesting to those who are genuinely interested in the class. The TA's are what make the class, I had Liz Johnson and she was just awesome. Some essays throughout the semester but they're super easy and fun to do!

YES. JUST YES. Amazing literature, hilarious lecturer, caring, compassionate, relatable. Everything you could ever want out of a professor. TAKE ANY CLASS YOU CAN WITH HIM

Assigned way too much reading for a GE, but the readings weren't necessary for doing well in the class. A lot of the lectures were great and made me more empathetic with others' experiences. Lectures got a bit boring at times, though.

This is my favorite professor I have had at USC. Though classes were early, he made them really manageable and always brought in modern relations to some not as modern texts. He truly cares about his students, and wants everyone to succeed. He is very accessible outside of class and responds to emails super quick.

I loved taking Prof Freeman's class this past semester- the lectures were always interesting and he always put a lot of emotion into the readings we did in class which made everyone more invested. He keeps it real and speaks his mind about things in and outside of the classroom, which is respectable. All the readings are interesting and worthwhile.

Professor Freeman was a very thoughtful teacher who really cared about his lessons is very passionate about poetry. The course required minimal work and reading and as long as you participate in lab you will do great.

If you need a GESM to take, I recommend Prof Freeman. He's so nice and caring to everyone and has a lot of interesting things to talk about. He is really understanding if you can't make it to his class. I also didn't do most of the readings he assigned and made it out just fine. Overall, 10/10 prof and there are no tests, just essays.

The class was so easy and he is very passionate about poetry. Although it was an early class, it was worth it because the work load was so light and fun to talk about! All you do is read poems and discuss them. The assignments are very fun. Highly recommend!

Great personality, makes a lot of jokes. Lectures consist of rereading the assigned readings and analyzing them for writing style choices. Attendance is mandatory b/c you never know when you're assigned Hot Seat, but Hot Seat is just easy participation points. Only gripe is that he chooses very long books (500+ pages), which are a slog to read.

He gave super intriguing lectures and also left some leeway for not reading occasionally by recapping the entire reading during the lectures. This led to a very slow progression in the material as most of the time was spent reading the homework as a class. Nevertheless, he was very engaging but the grading is solely based on your TA and not him.

Very funny and made class somewhat entertaining. Just took this as a GE, I don't care about poetry much but the class is extremely easy

Easy GE B. Take it!! Your TA influences your experience with the course, I had Cameron and he was great.

Such a fun and amazing professor. Interactive lectures that are understandable for both shallow and deep readers whether you're an ENGmajor or not. Assignments are graded by TAs but they're really great and support exploration (shout out to Cameron!!!). Nonfiction is so much different from what I originally thought. Truly an outstanding course.

This class made nonfiction way more interesting to me and he is a very passionate lecturer who really knows what he's talking about. Your grade is mostly dependent on TA's grading but my TA (Benjamin Bush) made class really enjoyable and interesting. Really fun essay prompts and well-selected books to discuss. Would def take for a chill GE-B

Not very interested in poetry coming into this class but he made it super engaging and entertaining. A few really easy papers, and discussion is pretty dependent on your TA but most graded easily and were accomodating. Great for a GE-B

Overall such a good professor. Don't read the most interesting things but would 100% take again. Attendance is taken every lecture, and Deagler is a great TA. Super caring about students.

I loved this class! Admittedly, some of the books we read were too “old-timey” for my taste, but I found some amazing gems. Deagler as a TA was great, super flexible and always gave great feedback. This class is less about what you read and more about what you get from the lecture, which Prof. Freeman makes quite engaging. Super sad to see him go!

Really loved this class, the content was interesting and freeman is very nice. His deadlines always had some leeway. Overall, I wrote 4 papers that made up my grade and all were fairly and quickly graded with feedback. I wouldn't say my writing drastically improved, but it was an easy A. Moved to Zoom halfway through the semester.

Such an awesome guy! Loved this class so much. Moved to online halfway through semester but it was chill. Really loved the readings we did and the assignments were all really fun. One presentation and a couple essays. He does cold call sometimes for reading but its chill. Best class my first semester.

Engaging lectures that bring nonfiction to life. Grading can be TA-dependent, but overall a chill GE. Definitely use unstuck study and other study tools to ace this course.

Chill guy, great TA. Easy class, some good books, some ehh. Just participate every now and then, make a few creative papers in discussion, it's an easy A. Felt more like a chill after-school activity rather than a tedious class. I believe this might have been his last semester.

I took this class before and had a great experience. My TA was Thomas Renjilian, and she was honestly one of the best TAs I've ever had, her feedback and guidance really inspired me to improve my writing. Overall, I think Professor Chris is truly one of the few GOAT professors at USC.