Dr. Ihrman is a very nice teacher. He makes you laugh, great love of English LIT

A+: Everything a prof should be--passionate, smart, eccentric, & a bow tie too!

Overly excited, make sure to spend time in office hours.

A+!!! Eccentric, Passionate, LOVES literature, and wears bowties! AWESOME PROF!!

Fairly easy course until the final. EXTREMELY DIFFICULT FINAL!!!!!

great enthusiasm, passion, and intelligence.

Lectures are never dull, great voice, participate, pick paper topics early

Nice guy; great in-class discussion. Couldn't read his writing very well!

Extremely knowledgable and passionate. Highly recommended.

I am now an English major because of the man-best prof I've ever had.

ihrman rules.

He rules!

best prof that GVSU has

Interesting personality & lectures but unclear & unrealistic requirements

Best prof in the english dept. He has taught me so much - take him if you can!

Dr.Ihrman rules. He's hilarious, intelligent, and just a really good guy.

wonderful. amazing. inspiring. simple as that.

He is nice but expects you to do a ton during a summer class

My hero!

Makes you do to much to enjoy what your doing

very interesting teacher, makes class fun!

He is a very hard grader and expects you to be as smart as he is.

Contagiously passionate! Enthusastic, funny lectures. Hard work, but worth it.

Difficult grader but he's helpful. Goofy but his lectures were a bore.

He is the whole reason why I am an english major. Amazing

Very entertaining, very knowledgeable, but lots of reading during summer class.

He is the god of all professors! He's amazing! I'm pretty convinced he is not of the human race. He knows too much for the human brain to handle. Bow down! You must take him!!!

I would like to see inside this man's head. Great fun, entertaining, tons of reading, expects a lot.

This guy really knows his stuff; as a result, he expects his students to have a full comprehension of course material. I did not get an A (I don't know of anybody that did), but I learned a lot from this class and truly enjoyed it.

What an amazing guy! He is extremely smart and witty, and had a whole different perspective on teaching. I learned valuable lessons that I used in other classes. Still haven't gotten the final grade. Doubt it will be an A, but who cares, I learned a lot.

This man is an intellectual! I enjoyed his bi-polar teaching style which, somehow, made the subject matter extreamly clear as well as interesting. Don't be intimdated by his scare tactics...he isn't as hard as he likes people to believe.

He is the best prof that I have had. He takes teaching to a different level so that you can learn more about the subject at hand. He encourages his students to think outside the box which a lot of profs don't!

Ihrman is a god and should run for president.

The best professor at GVSU... but, if you don't like to read or discuss, you're screwed. Volunteering is everything in his class.

This guy is incredible and very funny. He fully expects you to be an intellectual, this is not a take n` test course.

I have never met someone with so much energy! He wears you out! Good guy but DON'T GET BEHIND! Tough class but you'll learn a lot!

Awesome prof! He's crazy about English! Very entertaining class (most of the time). Lots of reading and papers are kind of hard, but I would definitely take him again!

so much fun as a prof, very kind and energetic, entertaining

This guy is a trip! Funny and interesting class. He is a very tough grader on papers-but lets you revise them and they force you to write a very intelligent paper. Watch out for the final-He is a trickster :)

Dr. Ihrman is the reason to go to GVSU. Don't listen to others; he hates brown-nosers. Come with a willingness to learn and knowledge of the subject (gained by reading, people, try it). Don't count on an A, and who cares if you get a C.

One of the strangest people. Yet, I would chill with him any day of the week. Perhaps the most difficult professor I've ever had. Through it all, he gave me the most intense and thorough education I've ever experienced and transformed me academically.

his class is the only class at GVSU that i have ever learned anything in. No doubt his class was hard, but well worth it

Very hard grader but a riot in class. His bowties and his "look" will get you every time. Very willing to help and an all around fun guy.

Freakishly smart man. Sometimes his language is a bit complicated, but you can of course ask for clarification. He is very amusing. We were able to revise 2 of the 3 papers we handed in, and he would provide guidance, so he isn't THAT hard when you think about it. I learned PLENTY

He's a complete psycho and a very tough grader, but I think he is going to be one of those guys I'll be happy I had somewhere down the road. I definately left class with more knowledge of American literature than when I entered, and that's really the best I could have expected. Proceed at own risk.

Very funny and engaging, and he really knows his stuff. However, the class just killed my GPA.

One hell of a prof. Be prepared to learn and be confused... but ask A LOT of questions about papers and anything else! VERY kind and you know he loves his job!! He really made me think but as a result I am a much better student!

Professor Ihrman is quirky and hilarious without even trying to be! I really liked him as a prof, but he is not specific on his requiremnts for papers. He is very willing to help outside of class, so take avantage of that. Lol, he also talked about hip hop and Lil Kim almost every day in class!

Ihrman is a hard grader, but if you talk about your paper with him, it's easy to up the grade. It takes a while to get used to his teaching methods, but once you do you'll realize he's one of the best prof.s out there.

Took him for Literary Modernism, and loved the class. He is witty and hilarious ("Lil' Kim"). I learned a lot about Modernism and I liked that we read some non-traditional authors. He even made Getrude Stein interesting! I would take him again. Also very helpful outside of class.

Superb lectures and discussion leading. Some of the best insights in American Literature I've seen. Feedback on papers is not always adaquate. Promotes a very active, relaxed environment. Hilarious speaking style.

I learned so much from this class and from Dr. Ihrman. The papers were tough but I am a better writer because of him. He is always willing to help, so go to his office. He loves to talk with his students. Great guy, super funny, and an excellent mentor.

I love this prof...his teaching skills are excellent and his class is interesting...he actually made me work the hardest on any paper I've ever written, but it was well worth it and I learned alot...his grading is not too bad, work hard!

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I have a huge crush on this man's mind. Most intelligent man I have ever met, best professor I have ever had at Grand Valley. I was extremely cynical about American Literature, and he made me love it. Missing his class breaks my heart. If you really love literature, take this man - his passion will inspire you, and he's incredibly encouraging.

Awsome teacher! It was my second time taking that class and I hated it the first time through. He made it fun and interesting

I thought Ihrman is one of the best profs I've had here at Grand Valley. He makes the material interesting, and you actually learn something in the class. He is creative and entertaining and class, and you actually will look forward to going! It's an easy class as long as you show up to class, do the reading, and pay attention. Great Professor!

Amazing proff, I am deffinetly going to take him again if I have the chance. The papers are lengthy but you can redo them as many times as you desire. He makes you really appreceate and be able to analize the text. Every English and Writing major should take him.

Ihrman is amazing. He is energetic and demanding but still very laid-back in regard to class discussion. Very helpful. His intelligence is intimidating but he is not. The workload really isn't bad; you learn so much! He returned 60 7-9p papers after a weekend. To cap it all, the man wears a bow tie and makes Puritan jokes. Amazing sense of humor!

If it makes any difference to you, Professor Ihrman is a blatent postmodernist. That said, even though I disagreed with him on many points, I still think he's an excellent teacher, made the class interesting, ect. Focused more on the literature itself than on its social implications, though he did go in to that as well.

He is an awesome professor! Professor Ihrman's speech is sometimes hard to understand and his writing is always impossible to decipher- but take him! He is funny! Not only that, but he's a nice guy who will do whatever it takes to help you succeed. He makes English enjoyable for all you book phobes out there.

Ihrman is a god. Seriously. Since it was an SWS paper, they had to be long, but we only had three papers the entire semester. His grading gets you thinking and he did return them fairly quickly. He's constantly making jokes, from the Puritan's, to children. Take this man's class, you won't regret it.

I really enjoyed going to Prof. Ihrman's class. Even though i didnt enjoy all the short stories/novellas that we read, his jokes and personality made lecture so much fun. there are 3 papers, but it is an SWS class so that should be expected; he is really helpful and lets you revise them after his first grading. definately take him for this class.

Weirded me out at first, but his quirkiness grew on me. He's funny and knows his stuff! Papers are tough at first but he lets you revise them as many times as you want. Extremely helpful if you visit him out of class. Spells out what you need to do to make your papers better. Highly recommended.Great prof.

I really liked Dr. Ihrman. He went through a lot when I had him, but he never let it hurt his teaching because he cares about his students so much. The class can be hard, but you can keep redoing your papers until you are satisfied. I wish I could take him again!

Dr. Ihrman is amazing! He will enter the class on day one and try to freak people out by insisting that you should have been preparing for the final even before class started, but fear not he's just trying to weed out the slackers from the hard workers! He's incredibly helpful and very sweet. He really knows the material and wants you to succeed!

He is quirky but he's SUCH a nice guy. Sometimes it's difficult to follow him in his lectures and he isn't an easy grader. But if you work hard, you'll do fine. I definitely recommend him!

Dr.Ihrman is my favorite professor at GVSU. He is one of the most intelligent people I have ever met and although his intelligence can be intimidating, he NEVER makes you feel stupid. He sets very little limits for your papers and loves creativity. I wish he was going to be here next year. I'd take him again in a heartbeat! =)

Good professor. Highly recommended if you are an English major or just love literature. Very smart, very quirky and funny. Can be intimadating at first, but loves creativity and discussion. Papers are very open to whatever we want to write about. Loves moby ****.

Such a fun guy! He is so insanely intelligent in literature! His lectures are often kind of disjointed and weird but if you really pay attention and ask for help when you need it he is so resourceful and willing to help you out!!!

My favorite professor. Very passionate and intellligent. Learned so much in his class.

One of Grand Valley's most interesting teachers. Must take at least once. He tries to scare you into hard work, but he is not as hard of a grader as he says. He acts pretty much the same in all his classes, so taking him twice won't reveal too much. Exam can be take home or in class, don't believe people if they say it's only take home.

Best prof I have ever had! Three papers one final, lucky enough for my class it was a take home. He varies it. Funny, let's you rewrite papers. He is a strong believer that learning never stops, and a grade is not indicative of anything. He likes to joke around and scare students with jokes about finals and papers. Prove your points and do well.

Awesome professor. Ihrman is crazy intelligent, funny, and has a love for Moby **** you wouldn't believe. I enjoyed every class and learned a lot...including that his elementary school aged son is probably a lot smarter than me.

oh gosh, the most amazing teacher i have ever had. so much fun, has a major love for what he teaches, and also for Melville's Moby Dick. i signed up for his english 226 class next semester just because i liked him so much. oh man. if you get the chance ever, he is the man.

One of the best profs I've had! Great prof and a wonderful class! He is funny in class and has a real passion for the material. Only 3 papers and a final (mine was take home). Talk a lot in class and work really hard on the papers and you'll get an A. I feel like if he thinks your argument is strong, he'll overlook more minor grammar issues.

This man is incredible. He is intelligent, lets you rewrite papers as many times as you want to get the highest grade possible. Lectures are inspiring to say the least. He loves literature and that love is contagious. Funny guy, one of my favorite professors. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

This guy is one of the best profs I'ver ever had. He is so funny and interesting. He is very polite to students and very interested in what everybody has to say. If you can take his class, I would hands down. I learned so much, not just about the subject, but about life as well. His lectures are thought provoking and interesting. Love the tie.

I am in love with the teachings of this man! He is by far the best English professor that I've ever had. He is interesting and so inspiring that he makes 50 minutes fly by and makes me wish that I had his class everyday-all day. He has so much knowledge and really inspires great conversation. TAKE HIM IF YOU CAN, AS MANY TIMES AS YOU CAN!

Just a few things about this prof: 1. unlimited rewrites, yes. However, only two papers are due before (TG) break and those are the only two you will have the option of rewriting. 2. He's very critical of your writing and hard to please 3. I would not suggest dual enrolling in his classes (eng 225 & 226) during the same semester- it's overwhelming

While he is an amazing professor who gets one thinking in class, he is a very difficult paper grader which is tough, since there are only three papers in the class; however, I do like his teaching style. He is always very energetic and listens and expands on students ideas. I reccomend his class if you're willing to do the work. Amazing professor.

Great professor. Always enthusiastic and willing to help out his students. He is a tough paper grader though, but if you work hard you will be fine. If you have any questions about papers talk to him because he will tell you what you did wrong and where to improve. I highly recommend taking him. He is great at what he does.

Dr. Ihrman is a great prof! He doesn't expect you to teach yourself. He wants you to think deeply about literature and not expect him to feed you insight. He's a hard grader because he wants you to think about the lit and make arguments with textual support. Go beyond class diss. in your paper and write without 'filler fluff' to get pg length.

Overall, I was impressed with this professor. He does have a tendency to grade papers rather harshly, but students have opportunities to make revisions. He is very enthusiastic and animated. Therefore, I found his class to be entertaining at times. Overall,Professor Ihrman is a great guy and is always willing to help students.

Very interesting professor. Interesting teaching style, interesting way of grading and has an obsession with Moby Dick. GREAT prof. Would recommend him, always interested of what students have to say, great discussions and favors those who think out of the box.

Dr. Ihrman is my best teacher you so must take him!!!!

Absolutely wonderful professor. Witty, intelligent, interesting and just a tiny bit eccentric, he's able to keep the interest level in the class high, and he's extremely approachable outside and inside class with questions and ideas. Take this man for whatever class you can, and learn how great Moby Dick is.

Great prof! I took him twice. He's funny and very approachable. A pretty tough grader, but he always gives you a chance to revise your papers. I learned a lot with him and really improved on my analytical writing.

An amazing prof. Very insightful and passionate about the subject. He challenges you to think outside the box without him holding your hand. He grades papers with a fine-toothed comb. I've learned a lot with him and definitely encourage you to take him.

I really liked Dr. Ihrman for the most part. He's nice, funny, easygoing, and helpful. Classes are a little bit of lecture and a lot of group discussion. The only criticism I have is that he was unclear sometimes about what he wanted us to discuss in our groups and I feel that we didn't thoroughly discuss a decent amount of the literature.

Interesting class. I enjoyed the texts we read and discussed. Grades are based on a few papers so you have to make sure you do well on all of them. Running an idea by him is no problem. He can be a bit odd sometimes but in a funny way. Knows what he's talking about. One of my harder English classes here so far.

Dr. Ihrman is by far my favorite professor at Grand Valley. He keeps class interesting and is always willing to help you. There are only a few grades which makes it a bit tough but if you talk about your paper with him it helps. Overall, a great professor and an interesting class.

Despite not using Blackboard, one can pretty assess what is their grade in the class based on one's grades from the papers we have to write. I appreciate and respect Dr. Ihrman, a lot. I think he is an outstanding professor who is passionate about literature and has us all asking the deeper question, "Why does this matter?" I recommend him!

Great prof! Lots of reading and his lectures aren't the clearest, but they are interesting and can go off on tangents. There's two longer papers and one shorter one, and he allows rewrites on the first two. If you're a strong writer, you'll be fine, and besides he's always available for help. Beware though, his final exam sucks.

Professor Ihrman is fantastic. He is extensive in his knowledge, and teaches with a rare passion. He is not a challenging grader, if one is willing to work hard on their papers. He assigns three papers, two 7-9, and one 4-5. On the 4-5 meet the requirement but do it well. With the 7-9 go big. I did 12 & 14 pg papers and I received perfect scores.