awesome teacher. challenging but you learn a lot. you'll do well if you keep up on your homework. good teacher to take if you enjoy writing.

He resembles Humphrey Bogart and is as cool as him also . He is a fantastic professor. He is a natural born educator like Linda Rillorta. If you decide to take him leave all your fears at home. He makes taking English 1a fun. Real cool !!!!!!

Mr Alvarez is pretty easy.He doesn't take attendance but its important that you go to class because you will miss a lot of information. He grades pretty hard on essays but allows you to rewrite all of them for a better grade. Hes a really nice guy. highly reccommend!

Very Very awesome teacher! Prof. Alvarez is amazing and extremely clear on the intentions of his lessons. not very many extensive lectures. Grades extremely HARD on essay's but allows re-writes which is extremely helpful when creating a paper. MUST HAVE TEXTBOOK! awesome readings and awesome teacher! HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

I should admit that he is a great teacher, really really helpful. I learned a lot of in his class. Really easy to pass, but super hard to get an A in his class. He likes people to attend office hour. The grammar tests are easy but he is very strict about essays. Very very hard to get A. But the good thing is that he let you rewrite all the papers.

He is a great professor. he allows students to use cheat notes on grammar exams.Assignments are very easy. I recommend this professor to everyone.

This professor can be a little hard. But really, he is out to make you better thinkers and better writers. If you want to learn, he's got the goods just come ready. This professor is good! I really enjoyed him.

Great teacher. You must come to this class ready to work hard. Mr. A's class is not for lazy people. At first he seems very intimidating, but he turns out to be quite nice, very reasonable and willing to work with his students. I highly recommend his class.

hes extremely cool but it is true that his grading is tough. although i failed (which was my fault) i still recommend him! (: his fancy suits and ties were different everyday!grammar tests were tricky so becareful! he likes it when you visit him at his office, it makes this "little warm fuzzy feeling inside his hear" hahahahahaha

Great Prof, I took him last year and he gave me everything I need to get the grade I wanted. You will have to work for a good grade but the work really helps you grow, I know it did for me

At first, I thought he was very sexy. ;)with all his suits and tie and height. Anyway, this professor will push you to the limits,you have to show WORK and you have to be determined if you want an A in the class.Take him if you're up for the challenge,otherwise if you want to remain inept in writing,forget it. Difficult,but the class is worth it.

Great professor, it really does help you expand your critical thinking skills...The best professor at Mt. Sac

Mr. A is a very Hottt :) i like the way he dresses. the readings may be quite tough to understand but he does a goood job on explainning it. hes very helpful when it comes to essays nd i fully recommend for u to take him

the class was pretty difficult. if you fail its probably because ur not giving it enough effort. he explains everything and tried to be as helpful as possible. i probably should have gotten a D and he passed me with a C. nive lookin teacherr ;] haha. hes chill but you gotta deff work for ur grade.

he dresses really nice... really hotttt when he comes all dressed up. he helps you if you need help on your essays.but the readings are really hard to understand.you need your book.he expalins good.

Mr. A is a professional and fun professor. He teaches with great perfection and actually cares about his students. Not the easiest A in the world but he does allow a make-up paper and if you follow his directions he will help you. Also you could visit his office hours and he will help you with you paper just take a rough draft in.

Great Professor. Takes time for students, and is very helpful. The only thing was I wish he relaxed a bit more. He knows his stuff, but i feel like he's a bit timid. He does have a nice wardrobe though!

This is one of the best professor I've ever had while at MT SAC. If you majoring in English this is the guy you should take, although his essays are extremely complex; however, if you try in all of them at the end of the semester your not going to regret it..

Really great professor, so far this is one of the best professors I've ever taken at MT SAC. However, his essays are really complex to develop, but if you try and do your best an A is guaranteed. Best professor!!!

This has to be one of my favorite teacher's here at mt. sac. His essays are complex and can be challenging, but he is a great teacher and helps you along the way. You don't need a textbook he provides all the readings online. Highly recommended professor!

Alvarez is very helpful, and his class is challenging. He provides the readings for you so you don't have to buy the book which is a plus. Go to his office hours it really helps. He does offer some extra credit. English is torture for me but taking his class actually made me a more confident person when it comes to writing essays. Take him.

I failed cus I was lazy, but this is a fun & easy class =`)

Mr. Alvarez is a really chill teacher. Very laid back environment. Most class days involve sitting in a giant circle and talking about the readings. The books are so-so and Mr. Alvarez is obviously way smarter than everyone else so it's a little off-putting when everything you say is obviously sub-par to him. Easy B. Impossible A.

classes are laid back for the most part gives you most of the readings online overall if you follow his guidelines, read the material, and do the work you'll pass he also assigns time for you to visit his office for any help you need on the essay. also if you're a procrastinator don't take his class, he doesn't accept any late work. just a warning.

A good teacher. He doesn't teach in a sense of telling you what's right or wrong. His teaching are more for an individual growth and learning. It's up to you if you want to exceed and learn from what you payed for and the grade you want, and when you do decide and need assistance, he'll be there. I learned, had fun, and succeeded his challenges.

I took him for Eng 1C and I felt I really let him down by not completing the class. The subject is critical thinking and it really is critical. Your essay topics will make you think like never before and the text is the most complicated readings I have ever read, but I enjoyed it. I wish I could've retook him and made it up to him. Great professor

Both 1A and 1C were a challenge, but extremely rewarding. He's a tough grader (but in reality is remarkably judicious), very relaxed, and has *extremely* dry humor. The class is mainly essay based so here's a few tips about them: always make sure you have a strong thesis, don't rely on cliches, and always double check your MLA.

Ok let's keep this quick. Took him in fall 2013 ENG 1A 8 week class. Very very hard teacher homework almost every day. His was very clear and you will learn in his class.(gives u a new perspective on life) coming from a student who hates school. Should have got a D, but I got a C final was almost free points to help your grade. Be ready to work.

Took professor alvarez for winter ( 6 weeks)...i gave his class all my effort and got a B+....picky grader, strict on MLA...assignments were back to back...overall i still loved his class..i learned a lot...he's not as intimidating once you get to know him

I took English 1A and I barley passed however, at the same time I was taking 4 other classes. So when I took this class I was worried about failing because I suck in English classes! But this class was awesome!!! If you just read the books and stop complaining about the books being long you'll be fine. this class isn't easy but it's rewarding!

Professor Alvarez' class is a pretty good reflection of English classes at a UC level. I took Humanities 1 at UCSD and completed my Hum 2 requirement by taking his class. I managed to pull an 89.3% in Professor Alvarez' class which I'm sure would've been a C if I took it at UCSD. If you want to be prepared for your UC English classes, def take him.

Worth the struggle. He seems a little discouraged trying to shake students out of their mindlessness. He wont give it to you without making you sweat for it first, but he's highlighting weaknesses in order to help you work out kinks and ultimately succeed. Don't take his sarcasm personally, he's just amusing himself. Try hard and you'll grow.

Students need to take the time and effort in order to pass this class. Take advantage of his office hours and you will be set

The comments about professor Alvarez is quite amusing I must say. His 8 week class last Fall was philosophical and challenging. You must have a sense of humor, be creative, love a challenge, and realistic to understand the context given throughout his teachings. Overall, he's a true English professor and pretty damn cool.

Superb English Professor! Although the class requires active participation and genuine effort, the charismatic teacher makes it worth while. You will most definitely grow as a writer (and person)! Hands down, favorite class (and prof) thus far!

Took this prof for the 8 week 1 A and 8 week 1 C and the person below me is dumb, he is super tough on grading essays sure but just stop being lazy and put in the effort you should for any class you will pass. This is college not high school. you need to put in the work it is not gonna be handed to you. Def left a way better writer.

If you dislike writing then do not take him. He has about four different books he wants you to read, you have to write a precis and counter argument towards them. He is challenging. 4 essays and 1 7-10 page research paper. I suggest to go to the writing center as much as possible and his office hours as well for feedback.

Very very tough grader on your essays. No text book, no quizzes, only essays.

PARTICIPATION: just read whatever and 5% extra credit. PAPERS: not that much but so HARD! GRADING: even my BF says his grading criteria is a big NO. (he took engl68 with a diff prof). he is a fun teacher but the way he grades the papers ugh! imagine this: students that are smarter than u, only has a C as a higher grade. LAST WORDS: dont take him.

You read three articles and watch three movies, one for each article.

professor Hansel was such a wonderful professor. Super easy to talk to and he is super funny and you will get along with him. His essays were easy and the class is super simple. Honestly, just write your essays and understand the material and you will get a good grade. Plus, he is super cute.

Hansel is an awesome teacher, very dry, dark sense of humor. He does NOT give you answers. He wants you to find them yourself. He makes you think for yourself. if you are someone who argues your opinions avidly, he will make you realize how dumb you really sound. He teaches you that right or wrong is subjective. Very existential.

really makes you think on your own. would take him again. he has dry humor but great teacher. he's a tough grader but only bc he expects the most out of you. class is fairly simple: about 3-4 essays. you read a piece of literature and watch a movie that correlates to it, then write an essay about it. he discusses readings/essay notes in class so go

Prof Alvarez was a really good teacher, not easy by any means but you learn a lot in his class. Hes a really tough grader in his standards an A is if you go completely beyond what is expected, a B is if you do really well, a C is if you do everything he expects you to. This was one of the hardest classes I've ever taken, most students drop out.

This is by far the best Professors I have ever had. Is he hard? Dam right, for me anyways. But, it's because of him that I really started to think on my own. Before, I would read a book and write what the teacher wanted me to write. That does not work for him. I took him for both 1A and 1C. I knew what I was getting into. I'd do it again if I could

If you're looking for an easy A, then this class likely isn't for you. However, if you're searching for a challenge, you happen to be an English major like myself, or you want to learn how to write an exceptionally well written essay, then I would recommend the class; you will definitely be impressed by the inspiration emanating from the texts.

You'll end up loathing his existence or falling in love. Either way, it'll be passionate. Office hours are key and he's quick to reply to emails. I appreciated his "expensive suits" but never heard him speak about his shopping habits as stated below. Don't bother watching the films he assigns though, spoiler alert, everybody dies.

He was a great teacher. He always went over everything the papers was about thoroughly. Though it probably made sense to other students, what he wanted in the papers, it wasn't as clear to me. He did make himself available to meet with students and in the last two papers, and my first paper rewrite, his insight helped me exponentially.

Fun lectures. Interesting readings. Everything is clear and to the point. You have to read and comprehend or you won't pass!! No reading last minuet! Overall a great class.

Taking this course during the winter was the biggest mistake. The theme seemed to be existentialism. He smokes on breaks sometimes, which isn't relevant. Cool sense of humor. Plays jazz music on speaker sometimes. Serious and scary sort of. Can be intimidating. Nice to be on his good side. Very intelligent.

Professor Alvarez is very clear in his grading criteria, as rubrics are provided for each essay and he shows you examples of actual students' previous work to give you a sense of what he's looking for. He's a tough grader, but do all of the pre-writing assignments to boost your grade. Don't miss lectures - they are key & go to office hours!

Almost dropped! Thankfully I didn't because he became my favorite professor. He answers emails back quickly. His office hours are a must so definitely take advantage of those you will need them! Effort and determination counts he will notice who cares and who doesn't. He may look intimidating but he is absolutely sweet once you get to know him.

A respectable professor and helpful. Make sure you go to the office hours to get feedback. The paper topics are based off films that are thought provoking. There are also trips to art museums.

To start off English is my worst subject and if i could pass so can you, Will it be easy? Hell no, He is a really strict grader and when i say strict I MEAN STRICT. He gives you 3 essays and allows you to rewrite 2 of the 3. He is an intimidating guy but once you start talking to him he is surprisingly likable.

Professor Alvarez doesn't feed answers... he guides students through the analysis of the texts and fosters independent thought. I took him for both 1A and 1C and really enjoyed the texts & movies he chose. He takes the time to read students' essays - he leaves 35 plus comments on essays, and that feedback is invaluable in becoming a better writer.

Honestly, Professor Alavarez is very hot. I dropped his class because it was too much for me(I had 4 other classes) It's a stressful class because he's a tough grader. I admired his style and music taste. He's a cool individual. If you're up for a challenge, then take him. Go to office hours!

Professor Hansel is an awesome professor. Yes, his class is extremely hard, but if you work for it, you will receive a good grade. He is a hard grader, so make sure to make use of his office hours. Participation is also mandatory. I found his dry sense of humor very amusing. Take this class if you are up for a challenge.

This class is tough but Mr. Alvarez is a great professor. If youre lazy or you tend to procrastinate a lot, get it together. My writing was terrible but it has imporoved so much. He doesnt give you the answers, he makes you think for yourself. Hes available. Hes intimidating but put your big boy/girl pants on and go to his office hours!

Great professor to learn from. The class is not hard if you pay attention to the syllabus and listen to him when he is explaining everything.

MR ALVAREZ WILL DEFINITELY MAKE YOU WORK FOR A GOOD GRADE BUT HES A GOOD TEACHER. HE GENUINELY CARES ABOUT HIS STUDENTS SUCEEDING. HE WILL WORK WITH YOU IF HE SEES YOUR PUTTING IN EFFORT. YOU WILL HAVE TO DEFINENTLY HAVE TO DO ALL YOUR HOMEWORK AND ASSIGMENTS IF YOU WANT TO HAVE A DECENT GRADE.

He grades very fairly and he definitely makes you work for your grade. Professor Alvarez states on the first class meeting that if you miss 2 consecutive days of his course without emailing him, he will drop you as a student. He really means it, he cares about each student and his office hours are really helpful.

I took this class just like everyone else had too. Professor Alvarez is not as bad as you think. Yes he gives you reading material and essays, but what English class doesn't. This class was a little difficult for me in the beginning because he challenges his students to think about more of the implicit part of the argument. Would take again!

Honestly, I don't understand why Professor Alvarez has such a low score. He's an absolute delight. He has a great sense of humor & replies to messages very quickly. He definitely makes you work for your grade but he doesn't grade unfairly. Gives great feedback too! Would definitely recommend if you're up for a challenge!

Very good professor, clearly tells you what to work on and inspires you to be better. Lightens up class with jokes, makes it very welcoming.

I personally had a fantastic experience in my English 1A course with Professor Alvarez. His syllabus is extremely clear on his expectations of what is needed to pass the course. As long as you do your work, participate and utilize your resources you'll do good. Oh by the way, he is extremely funny! I enjoyed his online course.

Great professor! Its a simple class as long as you put effort and read DIRECTIONS. Quick to respond to questions. Heavy on reading, but its absolutely necessary otherwise you wont approach the essay right. Very particular on essay topic, and how its written.16-week, 3 essays, average 1 assignment a week. Interesting topics, not boring!

I have to say Mr. Alvarez is a character and he does come off as intimidating but if you get passed that and meet with him on student hours you have a high chance of understanding his expectations of you as a writer. He is very anal about what he asks from you, follow the rubric to the T. Also, ask questions if you are lost, he responds quickly.

Taking this course over a six week semester was tough, there was an essay due every other week along with a new reading and movie. His required readings in comparison to the movies are very abstract and make you think but are also really enjoyable. As long as you do the discussion boards and at least try on the essays you should get a good grade.

Great professor- I was given plenty of really helpful advice on each assignment. Very personable, even through the online course, I wish I had gone to him personally to talk more about a few of the papers. Each topic was more intriguing than the last, the readings and fims are worth consuming many times over, each topic was so eye-opening. Amazing.

Everything is looked at as oppression. Hybrid class that required 3 readings and 3 movies for each. You also had to get yourself to the Getty Museum (carries a hefty chunk of points). His feedback is vague, as is his guidance. But funny and understanding if you're transparent. Getting a perfect paper is impossible. Abstract connections.

He was a great professor and was encouraging. He has many open office hours and is up to help you if you reach out. If you put in the work and effort you get the grade that you deserve.

Loved this class.

I enjoyed his choices of text and film aswell as his great feedback on essays.

This is a very tough professor but you can achieve an A if you do all of the work &/or extra credit. He is very by the book & follows the rubrics exactly so will deduct points for what's missing but He offers feedback on all writing submissions &reads work carefully. I learned a lot in his class more than most & it pushed me in order to get an A.

I'm not sure why others think he is difficult in grading, but he is an ENGLISH professor. Based off the grammar alone in some posts I have read, he isn't harsh. It's the reality of being concise, and knowing the basics of grammar. He is literally prepping you for higher division composition, stop taking easy routes. His class is easy, do the work.