3.1
Quality3.2
Difficulty33%
Would Retake84
Reviews33%
Would Retake
84
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
5
27
4
11
3
15
2
17
1
14
What Students Say
“For me, I hated every minute”
ENGL1410W - 1.0 rating“The worst Professor I have ever had at GW”
ENGL3540 - 2.0 ratingClass Info
Attendance Mandatory
78%
Textbook Required
100%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
A-
Grade Distribution
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Improving
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120
5.0
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5.0
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5.0
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5.0
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(2)Difficulty by Course
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Reviews (84)
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His name is Geoffrey, not Gregory.
Among the five worst teachers I have had in four years...he doesn't know what he's doing, does not have a single insightful thing to say about the texts and fakes an English accent. Taught us nothing. Should retire.
No Comments
Bring a pillow.
boring, not a really hard grader but the class is less than inspiring, i've had better high school english teachers. he is a really nice guy, though (the accent is real)
Easy prof, but butchered the great material we were reading for the course. Boring as hell and extremely uninsightful.
Pretty dull, but a nice guy at least. Whoever thought the accent was faked is a moron though, the guy went to Cambridge
Are you all insane? He's one of the best professors at this school. He has an incredible grasp on the material, not too mention in-class tangents that rival the prose which he is discussing. He might be soft spoken, but to consider that boring is igno
I am a science major and he made the subject matter interesting. He is a very hard grader, but atleast the class was interesting.
I took two classes with prof. Carter. I enjoyed both-Shakespear and eng lit. If you are a good student you will do well in his class. He is helpful aswell.
great professor. Lecture predominately, but makes words on the page come to life. Turns the mundane into something beautiful. Very nice. Brilliant. Great classes, awesome literature picks.
He is the most adorable British man I have met in my entire life. He was a hard grader at first but gave good pointers on my writing in general. Ask for help and he will give it. He was passionate about the material and almost made me cry once.
would def take another class with him! cares about his students and would go the extra way
He was able to make the class fun and i learned a lot!
Simply briallant and on top of that very very veyr helpful with any thing you need at all. Take a class with Dr. Carter and you shall not regret it.
Carter is a very intelligent professor, who's able to really bring tragedy to life. He lectures mostly, but really helps you to understand the fine workings of the books. A fair grader, and very helpful. I would definitely recommend taking a class with him, and hope I can take another myself.
Worst...professor...ever. He's absent minded, his discussion of the texts in limited to "it makes good theatre", he spits all over you when he talks, and never engages the students. Doesn't even know we're there. Grades poorly. Avoid him.
he understands the literature, but only focuses on the plot summary and what the text says on the surface...no attention to detail or any kind of literary analysis...not for people interested in english lit! he also is very unhelpful..i got an "A" but he isnt big on helping other students out.
Easily the worst professor I have ever had. He is rude, condescending, ignorant of the subject matter, and supremely lazy. His readings of the material are simplistic and surface. He is a lazy grader, albiet an easy one. Grading can be erratic. He also smells of failure and onions. No joke, onions.
Lectures mostly. It's hard to figure out what he wants for the exams. Loves the subject, seems to be obsessed with sex in literature. Good professor, hard grader.
I fell for the funny british accent and the obsession with sex at first too, then I went to his office hours to ask a question, and I realized that he is a pompous, unhelpful, horrible professor who uses lecture not to teach students but to ramble on about what he likes, not what's relavent. boo.
pretty much lets you know what his opinions are on the subject material.You better not decide to interpret the material in any other mannor.the only reason people think he intellectual is because he is so articulate in what he believes because hes never heard any other side,and he wont hear yours.
fantastic teacher--dont believe any of the comments below, these were obviously made by students who were lazy and didn't want to do the work.
I loved Carter! He is so brillant, and I do not know how anyone could hate him. He is one of the most brillant people i have ever met. He helped me so much on my papers, and was so smart.
Very smart and really into what he teaches. He knows what he's talking about. Just do the work, like any normal student.
amazing teacher, passionate about the subject--will help a student if they're willing to do the work! def will take another class with him.
This is the most boring class I have ever taken. He is not at all engaging, tends to zone out, and won't ask questions or listen to any comments that the class has. The tragedy of this class is that I am going to kill myself before it's over.
Quirky kind of a guy. Prepare yourself to just sit and listen to him talk. I felt he spent a little too much time reading to us passages from the text instead of analyzing them.
I was so interested in this class and was SO disappointed with him. He doesn't know any ones name, he spaces out in the middle of his sentences, and there is NO other opinions besides he opinions. The whole class consists of plot summary. It is SO boring and pointless, and he doesn't seem to care about it at all either.
He is funny and insightful and the work load is very easy. Go to every class and just listen and take notes, and you probably don't even have to read. One paper, mid term and final. Mid term was very easy. He reviews the quotes that he puts on the exam. Also shows video clips, which is helpful. Very smart. Take a class with him.
Not only is he rude to students when they attempt to talk to him outside of class, but the entire class is spent going over the plot of books. There is no class discussion, and if there is it BETTER be his opinion otherwise you are just wrong. STAY AWAY. one of the worst professors I have ever had.
I was hugely excited about this class in the beginning of the semster. Reading list was inspiring, but the lecture put me to sleep. He simply read straight from the text, with intermissions in which he stared out the window. To him a B on a paper is 3/4 or 75%, not an 85%. Beware!!!!
I thought Carter was absolutely brilliant... I didn't mind the fact that he mostly lectured (there were occasional class discussion), because honestly, I think his insights were more useful than most of the students' could have been. The man has a grand command of the English language, and was passionate about this subject.
Terrible--he's overworked and often highly confusing. Avoid at all costs.
very good teacher, knows his material and helps when needed, doing the work is a must
Horrible Class - Reading list is insanely long. Class is all lecture. Very difficult grader. Plays favorites. Clearly intelligent, BUT has no concept of teaching, grading, or fairness. Taking his class is like playing Russian Roulette - if he loves you, easy A; if he hates you, expect a C or below. Nothing in between.
I have never wanted to kill myself more sitting in a classroom. Not only does he have no idea who his students are by name, he doesnt care. he is disshevled and unopen to any type of discussion or interpretation, and his lectures could bore you to death. the grades are absolutely arbitrary. AVOID HIM
This guy is ridiculous...He lectures the entire class time. Doesn't like questions. Going to his office hours are useless. Whatever you write won't be good enough unless you are one of his favorites. I guess, if you go to class and pay attention you'll probably get a B, thats what I got...but I totally deserved an A
Definitely knows English lit, a little dry in lecturing. He's tricky with the reading, sometimes he'll just talk and have you write which can be really boring, other times he'll expect people to comment and if they don't he'll give a quiz on the reading. Also, sounds immature saying this but it seems like he plays favorites a bit.
Alright, so Professor Carter may be a bit dry, but he's SO knowledgable and you'll definitely learn. There were usually only 3 out of 7 students in attendance at a time- don't feel bad about missing a couple classes. 2 papers (5-8 pgs), final for which you'll receive a study guide. Class avg prob an A- and you probably won't have to stress about it
Do not take this class. For the love of all things good, do not take this class. The man is a dinosaur. He talks the entire time, all he does is summarize what you've already read. He's an insult of a college professor, my high school English teachers could teach him a thing or two about how to conduct a class in an engaging way, something he fails
OMG,Prof. Carter is the best!!! He is so intelligent and really knows his stuff! But most importantly, he shows us the Beauty of the nature and the Beauty of Human dignity, which those poems intended to tell. Everytime I walk out of the class, I feel that the world is more beautiful and that I should be a better person.
I LOVE Prof Carter. like for real hes a winner. If you can conceptualize the material in an abstract manner than his class becomes that much better. be prepared to step it up if you really care but you dont actually have to
Horrible professor! For the first few weeks I was very into the course, but over time it became clear that Carter has very little respect for his students and treats them as if they are all delinquents. He lectures at you, and stifles class discussion- painful to sit through. He was often very difficult to meet with outside class. UNPROFESSIONAL
I had a lot of interest going into this class. Now, i don't ever want to sit through another english or literature class for as long as i live. The poems we read are amazing but Carter is HORRIBLE for the job. He lectures the entire hour and 15 minutes and if your answer varies from his in any way you are automatically wrong. Don't bother.
Why does it matter whether he knows everyone's name? The man is brilliant and incredibly interesting, that should be enough for most students. Plus, he reviews everything you need to know 15 times.
He's an absolutely incredibly intelligent man, and while his lectures can be interesting, they are so tedious. He's not open to comments and if you don't agree with his view then you're wrong. The readings are super interesting, but I wouldn't recommend the class unless you have to.
Total odd-ball, but very worth listening to. Here's the deal: go to class, read what he reviews, and write papers that present theories that are original and a little messed up. You're cool then. Oh yeah, go to class. Believe it or not, he does know who you are.
Amazing prof. Best I had.
he is amazing, you really do not need to read the books, he does his own version of sparknotes in class and goes over anything you need to know, and participation really doesnt matter, hes a cute old guy that laughs at his own jokes, only complaint is DO NOT sit in the front row!! he spits when he talks!
Don't miss class and don't be late. After he closes the attendance book he doesn't open it and its very hard to approach him after class. Clearly he has favorites, not very personable. Lectures are interesting but long and tedious. Though this is a required class for english majors, its probably best to take it with a different professor.
Carter is amazing! if you are a good student and have any background in english, you'll be fine. He is a really nice guy and goes over all the reading clearly in class (so you dont need to read). grades fairly, but helps a lot if you go talk to him in office hours.
Prof. Carter is by far my favorite professor at GW. He seems intimidating at first, but he's actually a really nice guy. If you're struggling with a paper, go to his office hours and he'll help you out. You do need to go to class and be on time, but seriously if you're not attending lectures you don't deserve to do well in the class anyway.
Readings were basically interpreted during class, which could become quite boring easily. But, as Carter pointed out, the people who zoned out or played on their laptops were the ones with lower grades. The papers and exams are fair, and turned out to be easier than expected. If you can appreciate a subtle sense of humor from a humble man, go Carte
Freud Shakespeare Dostoyevksy: Good class if you don't mind not having any class discussions and just listening to him speak, but he knows what he is talking about. Lots of reading, B. Karamazov 1000 pages, so its easy to fall behind in readings but if you go to class you'll learn what you need to know.
Possibly the best English professor that I've had so far. Carter is amazing; he provides excellent advice on papers. Great lecturer, engaging, and knows all the material practically by memory
Professor Carter is an unbelievably intelligent guy who requires an equally intelligent narrative but is happy to talk at you all class. Doesn't seem to mind if no one has anything to say. He is such a pleasure to listen to. Take this class if you want to be reminded of the flavor of life twice a week.. he really makes my day! Best professor at GW!
Carter is a sweet guy with a enjoyable sense of humor. You can tell that he's read and stewed on the texts that he teaches over and over again, just like he claims. If you really pay attention and don't let his somewhat quiet and monotone voice tune you out, you'll enjoy some great insights. He's generally a fair grader if you show him you're tryin
He's just ok..... He assigns readings and then goes over them in class to explain his interpretation which must be the same as yours or else yours is wrong. Which I don't agree with, If you can choose a point of view and successfully argue it who is he to say its wrong. Also poor grammar is HEAVILY penalized, regardless of quality substance.
Decent professor who is unfortunately set in his own ways. He's obviously an expert on victorian lit but can also be very harsh in comments/advice. He's also very inflexible in his grading. 2 papers and one final. The final is incredibly weighty - 40% of your grade (two essays and about 8 ID).
He's terrible. Drones on for the whole class - zero class participation. Is rude to students, and doesn't care if you try to become friendly with him. Took this class to fulfill a humanity, and I barely passed it, despite getting As in High School for Eng Lit. Avoid, Avoid, Avoid.
Absolutely terrible. I majored in English and never got below a B in any other class. The subject matter is bad enough, but this guy is so dry its almost impossible to stay tuned in. On top of that, he requires attendance. Take anything else!
Everyone complaining about Carter probably didn't do the readings or come to class. There isn't much discussion, but his lectures are brilliant. I took pages and pages of notes during class that were really helpful for the papers. FS&D was a fascinating class. Highly recommend!
Great professor, amazing lecturer! Make sure to come to class, take a LOT of notes, and you'll be golden on your papers. He assigns to big papers and then there's a final exam, but he's very, very helpful and always willing to talk with students. Never thought I could stand to read Freud, Shakespeare, OR Dostoevsky, but he made it SO enjoyable!!
Professor Carter has been one of my favorite teachers at GWU...I have taken a total of 3 classes with him because I enjoy his lectures so much. He talks the whole class, but his words are GOLDEN and something to be remembered. Take good notes and you will get a good grade
Definitely one of the most boring classes I have ever taken. Victorian Literature isn't my favorite subject but I am an English Major and pretty open-minded about topics. Prof. Carter enjoys hearing his own voice and lectures at the class, all class, every class. He is very interested in his topic but is not an engaging teacher at all.
The worst Professor I have ever had at GW. I've never written something on Rate My Professor before but felt I needed to save any future students from taking his class. His lectures are dry to the point that it's difficult to stay awake and he is extremely rude and condescending when meeting with him during office hours. Avoid at all costs.
Geoffrey Carter is by far the WORST professor I have had at GW. I've had really great professors, and he is so rude and makes you feel like an idiot. I went to meet with him various times and he made my cry at least twice, telling me that my work was bad rather than helping me to improve. I would never recommend any of his classes to anyone.
Professor Carter may be the worst professor I have ever had in my life. He lectures the entire class and shows no real interest in discussing, as a group, the subject matter. This is probably because he doesn't want to hear any other opinion other than his. Don't Take! Avoid!
Professor Carter is a little bit harsh at times, and usually a bit boring. Just drink some coffee and record his lecture or take a lot of notes and you'll be good. He grades the midterm and final pretty harshly and expects you to write so much in a short amount of time. The class grade is made up entirely papers, midterm, and final.
Really, really hard professor; really, really smart guy. Have to be very diligent about showing up to class so you don't interpret the book in a way that he doesn't agree with. Most people don't like his class. I loved it, but you have to be very into English in order to enjoy it.
Carter is a nice guy but his lectures are a nightmare. He breezes through material on this mind-tangeant babble, leaving you hovering over the keyboard thinking "wait what". There is zero discussion, barely any room for challenging his personal analyses, and lectures are a long, dry, one-way street of confusion. Avoid.
Carter has been one of my favorite professors at GW this semester. He is really into his material, and demonstrates great passion that really inspired me. He is great, but you gotta commit to the class yourself as well
The tests and papers are easy-- write down exactly what he says, and nothing aside from that, for an easy A. But, because there is no info on BB (as he uses no slides) showing up is essential. Nothing but lectures, which are 75% interesting, 25% tedious. Strangely light on writing for a WID, but heavy on reading.
Is it an intro lecture? Is it a no-participation engineering seminar? No, it's Carter's English class. This guy will on rare occasion open up to questions or comments but shoot all of them down and move on. He's passionate, but that doesn't make a good professor. Papers are long; just parrot him and you're fine
You don't need to go to class, but you should in exchange for doing the readings. I went to his office hours before the midterm, and I was the first student to have gone, so he postponed it for me. He's just mercilessly boring, but you'll get the WID done easily.
Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.... He is a kind, smart, man, but absolutely insufferable. The most boring lecturer I've encountered hands down. We all quickly gave up and he caught on. Everything here you get from 15 minutes of Sparknotes. It's a shame class is required.
I don't know what these other students are talking about i regards to Professor Carter, he is honestly one of the most genuine, kind, and knowledgeable professors I've had the honor of having at GW. He is so brilliant it really make you love the literature, although he may be a bit boring, he is so into English and not a hard grader at all.
Professor Carter loves what he teaches, which makes it much more interesting for the students. He cares and wants his students to do well.
Professor Carter is just boring. I shadowed him in the Spring and almost fell asleep listening to him. Someone literally asked "what if author didn't mean for his work to be analyzed?" and he said that was certainly a possibility. He loves English and the sound of his own voice.
This is a lecture class - literally. There is no dialogue, discussion, or room for your opinion. What he says is to be treated as the gospel. He was also unkind to me in office hours. For some people, his teaching style works perfectly. For me, I hated every minute. However, if you put in the work and attend class, an A is not a difficult feat.
A passionate professor, but a hard grader. He wants very certain, specific things for his papers/tests. One paper, a midterm, and an exam. You must thoroughly analyze and understand the readings and pay attention in class. He gives good feedback on the paper, and explains test criteria well. Not a boring class, just be careful about papers/tests.
Carter is a really nice guy outside of class, but I can't recommend him as a professor. He speaks the entire class (couldn't care less about participation) and accepts only his interpretation of the material. For papers it seems that he doesn't want students to do their own thinking or analysis and would rather they just regurgitate his opinions.
Class Info
Attendance Mandatory
78%
Textbook Required
100%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
A-
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Improving
+0.26 avg changeRatings by Course
120
5.0
(1)13662
5.0
(1)ENGL161
5.0
(1)EN52
5.0
(1)ENG101
5.0
(2)Difficulty by Course
FREUDDOSTSH
5.0
ENG1141
5.0
ENG120
4.0
ENGL161
4.0
EN52
4.0