2.3
Quality4.3
Difficulty27%
Would Retake93
Reviews27%
Would Retake
93
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
5
12
4
17
3
6
2
21
1
37
What Students Say
“Never received below a B on a paper in my life”
30121 - 1.0 rating“I had him my Freshman year at Hacc for English 101 and he was by far the worst teacher I've ever had, his classes are incredibly boring cause all he does is talk and show a bunch of papers on the overhead”
ENG101 - 1.0 ratingClass Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
97%
Textbook Required
50%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
C
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-0.33 avg changeRatings by Course
LIT201
5.0
(1)ENGENG
5.0
(1)20820
4.0
(1)ENGLISHCOMPI
4.0
(1)ENGLI101
3.7
(3)Difficulty by Course
21079
5.0
30121
5.0
30123
5.0
EA
5.0
END101
5.0
Reviews (93)
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McCarthy is a really crappy professor. His class has ruined my first semester at HACC. I dread going to his class every day. I am failing that class, and I don't deserve it... His grading techniques are crap.
Very mean...
Very Mean...He was disrectful and his teaching methods in the least sucked. And he moved around too much which made me very dizzy.
ALERT THIS TEACHER IS THE WORSE. 7 PEOPLE DROP FROM ONE CLASS AND I HAD A (D) IN HIS CLASS AND I ASK HIM FOR DROPPING AND HE REFUSED TO SIGN THE PAPER AND IN THE END OF THE SEMESTER HE FAIL ME WITH OUT ANY RESPOND FROM HIS PART. aLSO THE CLASS IS BORING IF YOU TAKE THIS TEACHER BE READY TO SLEEP.
the worse thing that happend to HACC. Bad teacher. He don`t like Spanish people Alert all my community
I really liked him. He was there to help me out. The only reason I didn't do well was that I took on too much. It was my first semester there, and I was taking 6 classes, I was the secretary of SGA and a member of 5 clubs, and I was fighting a custody battle. I don't know what the other person was saying because he signed my withdraw form.
I dreaded going to his class. I am an A or B student and I just had to drop out of his class before I failed. I don't think I learned anything in his class.
Worst teacher ever, he failed pretty much every one in the class. more then half the class dropped it, i wish i did too. I didnt learn anything and dont expect help when you dont understand what he wants from a paper. The papers are the worst part though. He gives instructions and no one knows what he means.
He was a good teacher...he challenged your mind and wants students to succeed and write with clarity and emotion. Tends to grade a little tougher but hey it's college...I appreciated his as a teacher very much and he made me learn to like writing a bit more. Back off!
McCarthy was a hard professor. He wants you're work done his way or it needs to be redone and he will grade you that way. Most of the people dropped his class or never showed after the first few days of his class. His class is also quite boring. What he says is difficult to comprehend and he's always moving around the class. I hated his class.
McCarthy challenges you to learn how to write better. Contrary to some other reviews, he was always very helpful (especially if you went to his office like he had asked). If you expect to slam out a paper a couple days before the due date, then you may be dissappointed with your grade. Helpful hint-start working on the paper when he assigns it!!!
He will challenge you.Heavy on critiquing.Do your best and he will recognize it.Don't be affraid to ask for help. Was expecting to get a C just to pass, he gave me a B+.Start your paper ASAP.To the poster that brought up the "Race" card on Spanish people,your wrong.Its college not high school you only get what you put in to it
I think people that don't want to work hard and write will not succeed in this class. It was tough, but after the class I STILL use what he taught in future classes. He is not **** or a hater of any kind. The authors I in his class were vast as Richard Wright to Willa Cather. He still remembered me after many years later.
You will not like him. He does not explain things until you turn in your papers. You can also barely hear him in class because he always turns the AC on and he talks so quietly
If you are taking english 101 you definitly do not want hi as a teacher. You only write papers in the class, but he never explains how to write it. He gives a paper that says what you have to do and that's it. He doesn't explain any of it.
He was the worst teacher I have ever had. He never explains anything at all. He rambles and lets you out super late. My friends all agree that he should retire. WORST TEACHER EVER BEWARE~!
Eddy! Eddy! Eddy! The horrible grade that you gave me for my relatively decent work in the eyes of your colleagues will forever haunt my GPA. You crucified me, Eddy?Why must you be so cruel?
terrible teacher, he talks so quietly and doesn't explain anything. gives everyone in the class the same bad grade depending on his mood that day. do not take.
Listen... I have been an honors english student for as long as I can remember. Mr. McCarthy spoke very quietly (you can barely hear him), He explains NOTHING and almost gives everyone in the class an 'F', and finally, he talks down to everyone making them feel insignificant. WORST PROF EVER!! Seriously, don't take this guy.
very hard because he does not explain assignments well. He tells you what he doesn't want but not what he wants with assignments. It helps if you are a liberal democrat. Most people failed or dropped the class.
I feel bad writing this, but this guy is horrible. He rambles on, and you can barely hear him. He hardly explains anything, and expects way too much. I've turned in papers thinking they were at least a B, and he writes D or F on them. It's impossible to impress him. Stay far away from this guy.
I had McCarthy for English 101. He is a difficult teacher, but he is good at what he does. He is a little bit too opinionated for my taste, but if he sees that you are really tying he will be more understanding.
did not like this class at all!!!
Hard?Yes. Will people drop this class?Yes. My impression is he doesn't expect HS level papers - this is college after all and he won't write your papers. An A in HS won't always translate here. Having peer read papers, many people who think they are A/B level are not. He is willing to help. Show effort and ask for help-your grade will improve.
Good professor. If you have natural writing skills thei class will be cake for you. If not you will struggle. But he will help you if you ask for it
He is tough, but if you show up for class, take notes, pay attention, and ask question when you don't understand you will do fine.
I took this class in my first semester and did very well. The teacher is easy to understand, and makes you actually think about what you're doing. I learned a lot that I've been able to consistently use in both my school work, and my job.
I must say I was leery about how well I might do because I hadnt written a paper in about 10 years. He was very helpful. If you are passing with at least a 95% he doesnt make you take his final exam. He even gave me an "I" in order to have more time to finish my final paper because my son had issues with his health. Very understanding...I rate an A
My first College English and Loved it. Grammer is a big in this class. You Write about different things from creative stories to Laws and Politics.Try to get a good grade on the midterm exam which is just Vocab and you wont stress as much.Extremely helpful and is always willing to help.
He was a very hard teacher, I failed his class but it was not for his lack of help. Very Very hard grader do not expect an easy pass but very willing to help if you put in the effort
Worst Porfessor I have had my entire 2 years at HACC. He rambled on about things that did not apply to anything we were talking about and you could barely hear him. Does not give any help when needed!
Alot of other students in my class didn't like him. However, He is very good at responding to my emails and providing extra help if needed.
He's a nice guy, adequate at teaching but doesn't provide a clear insight as to what you need to do on assignments. He hands out rubrics and I typically go off on what they say, when I completely the assignment by the rubric, there's a lot more mistakes then what I expect. He's a hard grader and babbles on about EVERYTHING. You will be 5 mins late.
I ABSOLUTLY HATE THIS CLASS! He is an awful teacher, you can barely hear him and he grades way too hard. I did a paper, following all his guidelines, and I received and F. More like F this class! You are a horrible teacher and I do NOT recommend you take his class.
I do not like Mr Mccarthy. he is a hard grader. a paper i thought i was going to get a b on he gave me F. i wll not recommend McCarthy to my enemy. pls do not take his class...
Most students in my class don't like this professor.For the most part I didn't think his class was bad. I love writing - and I do think he improved my writing skills. He does grade very harshly. If you need help though, he responses to emails and will meet with you outside of class.
I did not enjoy this class at all. He was miserable! He is very unclear of what he expects and very unhelpful!I dreaded this class everyday! he rambles about nothing the whole class then the last 5 minutes tries to hurry up and teach and keeps you late every class. DO NOT TAKE HIM!
He was a nice teacher who would help you out if you asked him. He grades very hard and expects a lot out of your papers that you write. I found that if you do what he asks, follow the rubric, thoroughly edit your paper, and make sure that the paper makes sense and is interesting. I personally wrote about topics I felt strongly about and got a A.
I would absolutely suggest that you do NOT take a class with this professor. He rambles throughout all of class about things that aren't even helpful. He grades extremely harshly. In all of the classes I have taken so far he is the only professor that I have disliked
He is absolutely HORRIBLE. Do not waste your time & money. He grades so hard. I did not pass one paper & I give them 110% & went to the writing center. He thinks his opinion is the only opinion. His classes consist of lookin at past students work on the over-head & you can't hear what he's rambling about. HORRIBLE HORRIBLE HORRIBLE. Don't take him!
Mr. McCarthy is a great professor. I was surprised how low he is rated on here.
He is an awful professor! I strongly suggest not taking him, he is so biased and grades way to hard, I learned absolutely nothing relevant and had to withdraw from his class, which he made me make a personal meeting with him just so he could sign my form! Creep.
You will get out what you put in for this class. If you're willing to work hard for a good grade, he you'll get it. Definitely don't take his class if you're looking for an easy A. He grades really hard, but he is more than willing to help you if you need it. Not my favorite prof, but he isnt quite as bad as these comments make him seem
Ahh Professor McCarthy... okay, first off, pay attention. he tends to get butt hurt when your mind wonders- just as he should. he doesnt like anyone coming into class late, nor leaving/disrupting class. he doesnt assign more work than anyone can handle. and he will answer any of your questions. he loves in class discussions. great guy, good prof.
you will receive the grade you deserve. if you ask him to look over a paper and he says everything looks good & tells you to change something and you do, you will still receive a C grade. does not curve at all.. get ready to write papers that need to be outstanding to get a C or abovex
If you have a strong writing background, his class is a cake walk. English was never a problem for me in high school and it was easy to see exactly what he wanted, especially if you asked questions to clarify something you did not understand. He is not biased in his grading at all.
What a waste of time grades way to hard. Try as I might I could not receive a passing grade from this guy. He could give you an F for making minimal mistakes on a paper you'd expect a B on
WORST PROFESSOR EVER... Don't EVER try and give your opinion and if you do, make sure it's towards the liberal left wing side or you will fail this class... Mentioned in an OPINION paper about MY OPINION of politics (which were right wing conservative), and was completely bashed the rest of the semester.. Such a sad sorry individual
Despite the fact that I did get a good grade and English is usually one of my favorite subjects, I did not enjoy him at all. I agree with whomever wrote about having a different opinion than his, I wrote an opinion paper regarding my belief system and he tried to bash/question me. I found it offensive and useless to the point of the paper.
He is a very awkard man and the fact that you cant understand him doesnt help. Signs papers that are way to long for the topic. Gets really mad if you have your phone out its like highschool all over again. When he comments on your papers you cant understand you got wrong cause of his hand writing and the stupid symbols he uses. Would NOT reccomend
He is terrible do not take him. He failed the whole class and he is not considerate nor helpful.
This class was very difficult for my because I am not a strong writer. The grading system did not help, when you hand in one of his writing assignments out of the book he gives you either a 10/10 6/10 or 0/10 no middle ground, and I am not the greatest with grammar so I usually got a 6 which brought my grade down. had to retake class next semester
Tough teaching style, but if you're a good writer, you'll definitely like his class. If you aren't good at writing, this is not the class for you. His grading style was harsh, especially if you don't write on topic. As long as you stay on point and did well with high school writing classes, you'll be okay.
Class was not related to assignments, the class was easy, assignments were confusing.
Take if you can put in the time and need to improve your writing.NOT an easy A.Grades like it's a 4 year college. Interesting topics and he’s VERY available. Take advice on drafts and you can improve and get good grades. NO sympathy if you don't rewrite. Big on citing sources. Improved grades in other classes and probably got me my raise.
Very awkward, not good at getting the point across.
Best English teacher I ever had! Very funny, kind, and has been teaching for years! I loved the assignments and he was very helpful.
I had a hard time paying attention to the constant "talking at you," but it wasn't the worst class in the world. You should also consider yourself a decent writer if you want to even attempt to get at least an A or B. Overall, he is very helpful (if you want it and ask for it), and a great professor.
DO NOT TAKE THIS CLASS!! If you are not a strong writer or enjoy writing you will fail. Very tough grader. He's boring. Class doesn't relate to the assignments. About 5 big papers in this course.. if you aren't a strong writer expect a 40 on your paper. DO NOT TAKE THIS!!!
Prior to the course I received numerous writing awards & scholarships. Never received below a B on a paper in my life. He failed the 2 whole classes on a paper and I am struggling to maintain a low B or strong C. Extremely opinionated and ignorant to students. Worse than a high school teacher especially with phones. Not sure how he's employed...
I took his class because it was the only thing that fit my schedule. I had to get up at an ungodly hour of the morning. He grades papers way too harshly and his classes are off topic and boring. I feel asleep a few times in his classes. He talks quietly and with the lights off sometimes. You can see why I feel asleep now right?
I am at the end of my semester with professor McCarthy and I'm just now finding out he is a hard grader, tough professor? I think he is absolutely wonderful. This is college people. He expects us to do the work. He states every day that he doesn't want an average paper because we're smarter than that! I'm a B student in his class.
Different style of learning. Hard to follow. Very soft spoken so it's hard to hear him
Terrible professor. Ive had plenty of professors, but he is by far the worst. I would try my hardest in his class and he still failed all my papers. I would advise not taking his class.
English was one of my favorite subjects but I cannot stand it now. Thanks to this man. He is a very nice man and has a good sense of humor but it seems like He is speaking a different language when he teaches. I had A in English 051 and now I'm struggling for a C. His style of teaching is just not for people like me. His teaching is not clear.
he is an extremely harsh grader. Not many people in my class received above a C. He always teaches past time. No matter how hard i worked he always gave me a C on everything even if i went to him for help. No phones are allowed. Don't be late. He laughs at his own jokes and was kind of just a rude person.
He is very passionate about what he is teaching. I feel he is a tough grader because he tries to pull the best out of you. However, I think he forgets we are not professionals we are students. He throws in a couple pop quizzes to make you are reading the assignments. Make sure you attend all classes or you will fall behind.
He was the hardest professor ever. No matter if you meant the criteria of his assignments if he didn't like it he gave you an F. He was all over the place during lecture and they were really long. Seemed no matter what you did he made it impossible to pass.
Hard grader. I used to love English but I could never seem to keep up in his class. In high school I got mostly A's and B's on essays and I can barley get a low B in his class. Spazes out when he talks and thinks he is funny but he's really not. Very hard to stay awake in his class due to his soft voice and drab teaching style.
I asked for help on a paper he made me redo which no problem i did. I couldn't turn my final paper in he wouldnt accept it late. Did an outline for a critique paper i got no points for it and he told me last minute it was all wrong my opinion was wrong. Not enough points ro afford one bad grade bad experience
Would not recommend this professor. He tends to give very vague explanations for things and often takes long amounts of time covering non essential things. He also likes to slip in a political reference every now and then. Also very monotone in lectures.
Dual enrollment student speaking, this was the most terrible taste of college I received. I do not mind waking up early but his lectures made it hard to stay conscious. Graded all my essays with Ds I even got help from tutors, teachers, etc. If you get stuck with his class (bless your soul) be "coherent" as possible in your writing. Yale professor
He is a strict professor who makes expectations very clear. He does ramble in his lectures but he is very intelligent and makes an effort to be entertaining. As long as all the assignments are done and on time, you show up to class, and produce college level work, you will pass. I passed with an A and a recommendation for my tutoring job.
I didn't like this professor at first. In fact, I tried to switch after my first day. But after that wasn't possible & I stuck it out, I realized he actually is a good teacher. He does have a lot of homework & does pop quizzes to make sure you read the section, but in the end if you do the assignments & participate you'll be fine.
The way the essay are graded are ridiculous. Gave me D's although clearly states I put a lot of effort into in. Don't take his class.
The worst professor I ever had in my life and this wasn't my first semester in college, so I knew what to expect in a college course. HARDEST grader at HACC; forget a (.) and it's 20% off the paper, not exaggerating. There are pop-quizzes and no one in my class ever passed them, also out of 20 kids in the class, 14 of them failed the course! That's telling you something is wrong with this professor.
Not bad. A little too in your face for me. But he was funny, and did a decent job at keeping the class engaged.
I had him my Freshman year at Hacc for English 101 and he was by far the worst teacher I've ever had, his classes are incredibly boring cause all he does is talk and show a bunch of papers on the overhead. He's an extremely harsh grader and if you're a procrastinator you basically gaurenteed an F. He couldn't care less if you failed or not.
I had Professor McCarthy my first semester in college. I never thought of myself as good at writing. When our first essay was assigned I joked that I would be the one to fail low and behold I got a 95 and he wanted to keep my paper for future classes. He's a great guy. A little heavy on the homework but I never saw him as a tough grader
McCarthy has made me love writing again. He is a great caring teacher and has offered me so many opportunities. I have not gotten below a high B on any essay and he has showed me new skills I can easily add. If you like politics, like I do, he will inspire you to write. McCarthy is honestly my best friend I love him.
He is a very funny guy, he tries to be relatable to the generation. Starting off on his class I thought it would be a walk in the park because writing in high school I received a 88% or above. I got to his class and this is the hardest C I've ever tried for.
He jumps all over the place and makes his lectures confusing to understand.
His class was pretty boring. I started to fall asleep almost every class. Theres a lot of reading and homework, also a lot of papers which is expected in English. He is a very tough grader so try your best.
He is a very soft spoken man for being a professor. You do not take notes in his class, he just hands out a bunch sample papers for you to read. He is the worst professor I had and this is my fourth semester attending HACC. I would not recommend you to take his class. Thanks to him I hate reading and English classes.
Absolutely WORST class Ive ever taken! Not a nice guy. Ive been at HACC for 3 semesters and NEVER got under a 90% for a final grade in ANY course. My final grade for this class was a (F- 58%). He offers no help when asked. Pop-quizzes that DO NOT pertain to anything your currently learning. Save your GPA, and money. Take another class!
He grades very hard and does not leave any helpful feed back on your papers. What he does leave written in the margins of the paper you can't read because his hand writing is chicken scratch. Assigned reading have nothing to do with class. He told the class a week before the final that there was a final and never went over what was on it.
Not a nice guy. I made it very clear to him that i had some questions but was not able to make it to him during office hours and he said oh well. He also brought my attendance up in front of the whole entire class ( i only missed may be 5 classes the whole semester and had doctors notes) 10/10 DO NOT recommend. Brings up politics WAY too much.
Missed some classes due to doctors visits, when i would hand him doctor notes he would decline taking them, i also asked to meet with him multiple times to make up work and he never allowed me to make up a single assignment. He also gives terrible grades to students who do not actively talk in his class and teaches/ grades TERRIBLY! Worst Professor
He is a Perfectionist.
Horrible, Politics are a big subject every day. If you don't have the same opinion as him he will not respect you or grade well.
I'm an English major, so perhaps I'm biased, but I really enjoy Professor McCarthy and his class. If you show up, are willing to participate and keep an open mind in class, complete homework assignments, and follow directions when writing papers, it should be an easy A. He is a tough, but fair grader.
Hard to hear him. He talks so quiet. He trya to be funny but is not and very boring.
Class Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
97%
Textbook Required
50%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
C
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-0.33 avg changeRatings by Course
LIT201
5.0
(1)ENGENG
5.0
(1)20820
4.0
(1)ENGLISHCOMPI
4.0
(1)ENGLI101
3.7
(3)Difficulty by Course
21079
5.0
30121
5.0
30123
5.0
EA
5.0
END101
5.0