2.6
Quality4.3
Difficulty12%
Would Retake247
Reviews12%
Would Retake
247
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
247 total ratings5
61
4
28
3
23
2
41
1
94
What Students Say
“yeah well, I feel like, hypothetically, he'd be the teacher to suggest it in the first place”
101ONLINE - 2.0 rating“Save yourself the fail, worst English teacher ever”
ENG101 - 1.0 ratingClass Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
66%
Textbook Required
67%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
C
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-1.75 avg changeRatings by Course
ENG250
5.0
(1)ENG107
5.0
(2)LIT202
5.0
(1)ENGL102
5.0
(1)ENG105
5.0
(1)Difficulty by Course
104
5.0
ENGLISH104
5.0
ENGLISH108
5.0
ENGLI102
5.0
ENGL101
4.7
Reviews (246)
No Comments
gives lots of homework. grades hard. not very sympathetic. could careless about his students. stubborn, if things dont go his way, he'll punish everyone. dont take his class!!!!
he knows his material, but overall hard grader when it comes to papers. in my class on one paper, no one got an A, 2B's, 4C's, 16D's, and 7E's.
Whoever wrote most students will do well , obviously never finished the class before writing the review. He is extremely anal about his papers. Take any other teacher instead. He is far too strict of a grader for you to learn anything. Take his 101 only.
Worst class I've ever taken. He's too stubborn and anal. He punishes the entire class for 1 persons mistake. He gives no A's, regardless of effort. Will fail papers for 1 single minor mistake. Totally boring classes, teacher holds grudges and is a grinch.
I have never disliked a course or a professor quite this bad. It was truly horrible. I will never take another class he teaches or recommend him to anyone. Stubborn, cranky, and a ridiculous grader.
in two words, he sucks! stay away from this class, all he talks about is his ph.d, so what, who cares and he gives out too many d's and f's.
I thought he was a fantastic teacher, very wise and made a long 3 1/2 hour summer class fun. You have to study and read and you'll be fine. But isn't that what english is all about? No class should be easy.
No Comments
Think you're good at writing? WRONG! This guy will give you one good scare. This is like a crash course in research, literary interpreation, and how to BS. I learned more from this class than any other english class to date. I feel like thanking him,
Too many people want easy grades and dodn't want to work. Dr. Fichtel is hard, but you learn a lot if you work for it. Offers lots of extra help, too. He cares about students, but he needs them to care back!!
very wishy washy on syllabus, big ego his interpretations always right,grading hard because not interpretated his way, favoritism to select students in class
Kiss his butt and you'll pass. Not your thing? Good luck.
Quite an intelligent fellow, actually.
I feel that I'm an excellent writer but this guy totally shot down every piece of paper I shoved in his face. He's really funny though, his classes and discussions were amusing but he grades WAY too hard. He's a cool guy though.
one of the only teachers who actually teaches. many students only take a class to get a grade. take his class to learn because you will only get the grade if you actually learn. and he has earned the right to be proud of his ph.d.
No Comments
He's funny.
No Comments
He is a very insightful teacher, but he expects a lot. He can be a bit of an egoist at times, but underneath, he is a very caring person willing to help if you ask.
He is an awesome teacher. He made english a subject that I actually looked forward to. I think he was very funny and his grading methods helped me become a better essay writer.
if you dont agree with his views or dont laugh at his stupid jokes you will end up failing his class only gives good grades to those who get on there knees and kiss his butt worst teacher i had at jjc
A FAIR grader. Everyone says he grades too hard, but you get what you put into it. As long as you ASK for help, he will be more than happy to oblige. Take advantage of this and the writing center, and you'll be set.
Horrid
No Comments
During the first day of this class I thought I was in real trouble. He has the class read Gertrude Stein right off to bat. At first he is a very itimidating and very arroagant teacher. After the first paper and first test, I realized he pushed me the way I needed to be pushed. He keeps his lectures energetic and insightful. I enjoyed his class
I will never take an English class again because of this man.
No Comments
Dr. Fichtel is incredibly amusing. He definately keeps you entertained. He is a stickler for detail so pay attention! I thought he was fabulous!
This was a very good class. I'd have to say that it is as fun as it could be with only 8 students. Definitely for anyone that enjoys Shakespeare.
The only reason people think his class is hard is because they're a bunch of whiny babies. Dr. Fichtel is an excellent professor who is very easy to identify with. The required reading for the class is relevant but also interesting. The papers are easy (compared to my high school honors classes). Fichtel is challenging, but never unfair.
People may think he's hard, but Dr. Fichtel's only FAIR. Pay attention, read what you're supposed to, and take advantage of him. He is always available during office hours, and very accessable through e-mail. If you ask for help, and do what you're supposed to, he's a great teacher and you'll do fine during his class.
Challenging teacher, because he actually demands that students read the material. Humorous and EXTREMELY down-to-earth. One of the best teachers I've ever had.
do not take unless you are an english major. Grades extremely hard. I took my paper to him and the writing center and still recieved a low c- almost D. Needs to get off his high horse.
No Comments
I came from an AP class in high school straight to 102.Fitchel is one of the best.The stories we read are interesting and entertaining. He has a great sense of humor.I haven't had to write a paper yet but I am sure they will be stimulating and ill have to work hard for my grade and i respect that with in a teacher.Not an easy A class!
dude sucks, hard as hell. doesnt give out any extra credit but is funny at times but thats about the only good thing about him.
Don't waste your time with this guy. I've never met anyone so full of himself. You teach at a junior college for a reason - and that reason is because you are terrible.
Fun class really didn't do to much. i didn't pass but thats ok. He is a great teacher even though he just made the final up over the weekend and didn't tell us much to study for but if you keep up on the reading it will be no problem. And he talks about ratemyprofessor in class about his arrogance and discussesnew posts. P.S he hates his futon
WARNING: Taking this class could stimulate your prefrontal cortex. Do not take this class if you are not willing to actually work for your grade. Dr. Fichtel is an excellent and highly qualified professor who will challenge you to learn. You will receive a quality education from him if you're willing to put in the effort. Thanks, Dr. Fichtel!
Fichtel is a great professor, and he's got a funny sense of humor which makes things fun in class. He is a hard grader though - He always found something to nitpick about on assignments. Other than that though, I liked his class a lot.
Dr. Fichtel is the greatest professor I have every had. He is so intellegent. He's hilarious and keeps my interest throughout the entire class. Class discussion is great. He's the most interesting human I have ever had the pleasure of coming in contact with. I would definately recommend him!
very difficult grader, not helpful. He will grade extremely hard no matter how hard you tried or how much help you asked for. Do not take this course unless you are a Eng. major
Ok I am going to be honest...he is funny and nice, but an extremly picky prick when it comes to the essay part of the class. If your going to take it beware he is a grammer freak and a perfectionist!
If you take this class you might actually learn to write an exemplary essay. I'm sure many of the students who take his class are no Shakespere. You may learn what standards are required in the real world. You will work hard, but you will have fun, especially in class. He's sarcastic and funny!
He isn't as hard as everyone says if you actually listen to his directions and read his handouts. He chooses interesting material to write and read about, and the discussions can be just as interesting.
You better read every single story he tells you to read. Read them two or three times; his tests are so detailed you will want to scream. Very hard grader on papers. Doesn't say much in lectures. Loves to ramble; especially about Tori Amos.
horrible
No Comments
Wow. What a ridiculous class, it will make your other classes suffer. Dr. Fichtel makes rules up as he goes along and is an incredibly tough grader. Be prepared to watch musicals in an English class also, lame ones at that. Do NOT take this instructor, he is absolutely ridiculous.
the worst teacher i have ever had... do not take this class
People who don't like him don't like him because he expects them to work. More than willing to help outside of class. Always tells students to come for help, then tells us no one comes. I went and my grade went up from a D to a B. You have to WORK...why else are you in college? Whiners make me tired.
He was a really good teacher. He is very intelligent and he knows his material. You need to work hard to get a good grade. Do the work and write a good paper and you will do just fine. There is alot of reading involved in english 101 but it is all interesting material. I looked forward to the class discussions.
stay away.
I am still scarred from my experience with this professor. He took his sweet time at the beginning of the semester and crammed all that was left in the second part. He made me feel insuffient and lame. This class beat me down and made me nervous about my writing, not confident. If you want an A, do not take this man as a teacher!
very hard. you can never write to please him. He thinks because JJC is named junior the students takes it to be a very easy school and so makes it didfficult for students to pass. He loves giving D's or F's. Never tkae him, you will be wasting your money and time in class.
This is a person who should not be teaching. He is intelligent, but enjoys using his knowledge to make students appear stupid, he is very egotistical. I am a straight A student and I received a C in his class. My class began with 36 students, only 11 completed the course, and out of that 11 only 8 got a C or better!
No Comments
He grades harsh and participation is a must. He barely even teaches you how to write an essay. All you do is talk about what u read for homework. the class is more about "expressing your point of view" then writing. i hated it
Awesome teacher, very funny and laidback. All around great teacher.
WOW! This teacher is terrible! He should not even be teching! All he does is wast like the first hour in class talking about stupid**** that doesnt even pertain to the class, then, we only get a 5 minuite break.....this is a 3 1/2 hour class! He is a conceided **** and he should not be allowed to teach!
No Comments
Awesome teacher,he expects his students to apply thought and work up to college standards. He knows what he's talking about and he helps his class to work through their ideas so they eventually know what they're talking about as well. He doesn't teach out of a text book but teaches the students how to think, like you have to in real life.
Dr. Fichtel seems to really know his stuff unfortunatly he tries way to hard to be funny but usually comes across crude. Grades VERY VERY hard! Hands back papers at the end of class and will not discuss them until next class which in night school is next week usually when the next paper is due which is not very helpful.
If you don't want to learn do not study under this prof. Critical Thinking is crucial. He is fun, has a great sense of humor and is extremely intelligent. He is fair. You are in college and he expects you to act like it. If you do the work, you will do well.
Great teacher, really helpful. Don't spell his last name fishtail!
Has no soul.
Personifies what a professor should be.
His focus is more about meeting his standards,and not to help students. Very inconsiderate, unreasonable. Horrible in giving grades.
Go to class, read the material, and participate. Try to think out of the box and appreciate a different point of view. Just ask for help if you start to struggle. Very smart, he wants you to do your best and perhaps learn about literature and yourself. Very cool guy.
Dr. Fichtel is the most challenging professor I've ever had, but he is also the best. I learned more from him in one semester than I learned in all of my English classes prior to this combined. It's not an easy class but the discussions are a lot of fun and the reading selections are actually interesting. Great instructor, who makes you think.
Dr. Fichtel is one of the highest quality professors at this college. The literature selections are fun to read,and the insight he provides allows for a broader understanding of the themes within the story. I've always loved books,and I now feel I get more from my reading. Pay attention,and what you take from this class will stay with you for good.
TAKE ENGLISH WITH HIM. It is a good amount of work and he is a little tough but he is awesome. A very entertaining professor for my class. My friends said he was good in 104 also.
He was pretty awesome. He entertained our class and made the content fun. Some people didn't like that he could make fun of them without them knowing. Very clever and interesting teacher. Taking him as much as possible this year!
He is a very HARD GRADER so if you are not strong in English when it comes to writing DO NOT take him. He wasn't rude to me but he can be very heartless to his students. He can make an A student an F student so that shows he isn't concerned with a student's rep. He can be funny at times and give good conversation but make no mistake he's HARD.
This is my favorite class. "Dr" Fichtel is extremely intelligent and I love that the class is based on you and your opinion. We're only on our fist essay and I am excited to write it.
Just do the work, and you'll be fine.
Dr. Fichtel is a hard grader, but he is very fair about how he grades. Class discussions are always interesting and fun and he himself is quite funny. Don't take Dr. Fichtel if you are not willing to put 100% effort into the class. If you do take the class and give it your all and take the advice he gives you then you should do just fine.
He must be pretending to be in Princeton or Yale when he steps into a JJC classroom, Asked him a quick question when I saw him walking down the hall and he just kept walking. If you have a life outside of school don't take this class or you'll waste your time.
If you have one conservative bone in your body do not take this class. He fed kool-aid to the students about Guliani having a fundraiser where everyone gave $9.11. This wasn't true and I challenged him. I simply stated that one reason we went to war was preemption, (didn't i say i supported it) he told me to go serve in iraq.
"Dr" fictel is a very difficult grader. He is very specific and you must follow the guidelines according to the jjc english dept. standards of writing. Also, he loves to be nit-picky on grammar, never turn in a paper without him proofreading it first or else you will fail.
great teacher
Dr. Fichtel is so funny i love going to this class. He is an extremely hard grader but its all worth it i love him and i recomend ppl take his class you will learn alot and enjoy it at the same time.
He is a very fun teacher. He is very strict thought with his grading. Any little grammar or spelling mistake he will take points off for. If your not good at english or writing I would highly recommend not taking him.
He is one of the best teachers I have ever had the privilege of having. He's smart, funny, and very helpful. The only problem with his classes is that it is sometimes very easy to get off subject.
he's funny and one of the cutest bald men ever :P
Dr. Fichtel is a hard grader but he gives fair criticism, and he'll even give you a break if he thinks you deserve it (i.e. if you show up put in effort, he'll give you a break, if not...well...) He could care less if you show up but I would just because what he covers is important for the essays. his class felt like a college class.
FIchtel is an amazing teacher, but a hard grader. He's probably reading these now and giving F's out for grammar errors in these criticisms. I digress, his classes are interesting, and he pretty much gives you the answers for the midterm and finals. Make sure you work hard on the work assigned because there only like 5 assignments overall.
worst teacher ever very hard grader would not advise to take if your not good in english...classes are interesting but wouldnt take him again
I loved Dr. Fichtel! He was a great teacher, & hilarious. He made class fun and got the class in good discussions. We had a lot of papers, and he graded kind of hard though. But he's always willing to help. I always looked forward to his class!
never... again... will i take an english class in my life because of this man.
Dr. Fichtel is a teacher that does NOT care whether or not his students pass the class, or understand the material. He is mean to his own coworkers (saying they are stupid) and makes his students feel worthless and unintelligent too. He is TERRIBLE. He should get reported for how mean and inadequate of a teacher he really is. Don't take him!!
Fichtel has a great sense of humor and really knows his stuff. One of the (maybe few) instructors at JJC who you don't sneer at the idea of calling 'professor'. Would take more of his classes if I was an Eng major. Don't take his classes if you want to blow it off, but don't think it's impossible to do well, it's not.
I enjoyed this class. The professor was very funny and the class discussions were very interesting. This class is not hard if you read the material - that's it. Not a lot of writing, except for a paper or two. Make sure you turn in papers for his review before finalizing and watch out for a pop quiz!!
Avoid Avoid Avoid!!!! Thats all I can say. Picky over every sentence. I am typically an A and B student when it comes to English, but this guy is just ridiculous. Avoid him especially for ENG 101, he treats it like it's a second year graduate course. On the plus side, however, your writing will greatly improve, but at the cost of dealing with him.
I took his class TWO YEARS ago HOWEVER I noticed some students on here making him sound fair and a "good teacher"..If he likes you and if u share close opinions then you will be fine BUT for the restof the 22 ppl DO NOT TAKE HIM! He makesEnglish feel like Arabic! He bullies STudents Discussions are interesting but not enoughto hv your gpa suffer!
Definitely. Do not take. online class. Take all the commonly-occurring negative opinions here, and intensify them by 3. That's what you get when you put this snobbish, unfair and bitter academic in charge of an on online class where he can exercise his God complex sans face to face accountability. You've been warned.
Dr. Fichtel can be a tough grader. Your writing will improve alot. If you do the work and utilize his office hours there is no reason you should fail. He is always more than willing to help. Just take the notes, dont start your paper at 3am the night before its due and ask for help and you will be fine.
TALK ABOUT A POWER TRIP. Do not take his online class. This man is clearly the kid who was bullied his whole life and wants nothing more than to exercise his power by ruining students' GPAs. His criticism is far from constructive and his grading policies are unfair. AVOID FICHTEL AT ALL COSTS! YOU WILL END UP DROPPING!
There is no doubt that you will improve your writing with this class but one poor grade is mathematically impossible to recover from. In order to earn an A or B, you have to already have all the skills the class is designed to teach. And walking into the class with all the skills you need kinda defeats the purpose, don't you think?
This professor is a very difficult grader. I went to the writing center for help, him for help and took all of their suggestions, yet he still gave me poor marks. Also, over 50% of the class dropped. Don't take him
Dr. Fichtel is an awesome teacher. I took his English 101 Rhetoric class and although it was challenging at times, I learned a lot. I admit he is a hard grader but his class will most definitely improve your writing. Make sure you show up to class, pay attention, and turn in your papers and you'll be set :)
Dr. Fichtel is funny, is an expert of the English language, and a great teacher. He's always willing to answer questions and always gives great feedback on papers. The people who do poorly in his class are the people who didn't learn how to write properly in high school. People still making gramatical mistakes in college should expect to fail.
Dr. Fichtel has reasonable expectations of his students. He expects they should be able to read, write, think and formulate an argument. He is extremely helpful if you take the time to ask questions on anything you are unclear about. His class might be challenging, but you will improve because of it.
I took him for Eng 101 and he was absolutely impossible! I got to the point of frustration where I had two friends who have their master?s degree and are qualified to teach this class checking my work and still could not even pull a C!I have always been an A student in English. My best advice to anyone considering this class is don?t walk, RUN!!!
This guy is impossible!!! I have never gotten anthing below a B on an essay before and now I'm getting Fs!!!!!! wtf?! don't take him, he is a jerk!
his class is impossible to pass unless you are an english major and have a lot of writing experience. half of the class dropped before mid semester. he is very closed minded and rude. asked for help with the class and he blew me off. dont take his class if you want to pass!!
Jason Fichtel is essentially impossible to please. I have taken every writing class in my high school and never got below a B. But my papers translate to nothing but failures in his eyes. Even with help from former teachers i couldn't get past a D. Fichtel offers little to no help with his students. if you can... STAY AWAY
Dr. Fichtel is a fair teacher. He is very helpful if you take your time to ask questions. Although it is difficult to pass his class I don't believe it to be impossible. The people who quit are the ones who believe he is a "bad teacher." This is only because they didn't have faith in themselves, not because of his "poor" teaching techniques.
What a great professor. Seriously one of the best English teachers I've had in a long time. He makes the class interesting and is so hilarious. I seriously don't know how anyone in their right mind would have a problem with him. If you're not an idiot and actually study and do homework, the class is super easy.
Class is based on like 4 papers. bad grader. hated the class
Fichtel is quite sarcastic and humorous. His class is an absolute blast. However, his teaching style is not. He is very harsh when it comes to grading and unclear about what he wants. He offers help through email,but is very vague in pointing out your mistakes and refuses to inform you on how to better your writing. Basically, you're on your own.
He is a hard grader and some may call him mean. Overall I think he is a good english teacher. I am not the best at english but i still managed to get a B in his class because I worked hard. He rewards hard workers and punishes the lazy ones. That is why the lazy people will label him as a bad teacher. If you want to float by, dont take this class.
If you're not good at writing don't take this class. I'm an awful writer & I have to retake the class. Dr. Fichtel is a great teacher! & he does try to bring the best out of everyone. If he's called mean it's probably because he's a very hard grader but it's for your own good! He's also EXTREMELY sarcastic, which I loved <3
Dr F. is a very sarcastic teacher, but very funny. I had trouble in his class but I passed. If you are trying to skate by in his class, it won't happen. He is extremely smart and shows you this. I found him to be pretty helpful at times but other time he seems to get frustrated and not want to help. Although, I did learn a lot from him. Good Luck!!
Very smart professor yet I did not feel that he graded fairly when every other teacher has told me I was a good writer, he gave me C's and D's. Helpful yet very critical. Dropped his 8 week online course. I was so stressed from his expectations I could not handle my other classes.
He is a very good teacher, however he is very uptight about his english. You will learn how to write well in the class or you will simply fail. He checks your papers if you ask, and he has office hours that you can always ask for help in. Overall a great teacher but his class is hard.
He is a very helpful teacher. However, he is a very tough at grading. His expectations are very high. Almost everyone gets a C on a paper or lower.
Each paper I wrote received a worse grade than the one prior. Never understood what he wanted, impossible. I would have a 4.0 if it weren't for this class, but well, so much for that goal. If you don't want someone nit-picking your every word, I would definitely choose a different teacher.
Funny, witty, and very intelligent teacher. He knows his stuff! Tests are based on your knowledge of the reading, which are often thoroughly discussed in class. Easy class to pass if you pay attention and put the time in. Fichtel is constantly offering any help he can to his students, even reading full papers. One of my favorite professors at JJC!
Very intelligent and knows his material, although he definitely criticizes every word you use on your papers. Very challenging to even recieve a B in this class. All my papers received D's, even though I had several people revise my papers and they said they were all good. Best to find a different teacher than this one, if you want to pass.
Awesome teacher, hilarious!
Great teacher, I looked forward to going to class every day. Although he is not an easy grader, I learned a lot and I feel more confident in my writing.
Nice and fun teacher, but really tough grader. Your papers need to be perfect, and still won't get graded well. Hard to know what he wants. Tests based on knowledge of the text and it is mediocre-hard.
I take this class online and he is very nice in emails but HORRIBLE when it comes to grading. He acts as if we are in our 3rd year of English and we should know the work. I think he needs to focus on us learning more information like the summary says instead of focusing on culture.
This professor was fun in class. But discussion usually seemed unrelatable to class topic. Very tough grader. Relentless. The class seemed to have no substance. After his course I feel as if I learned very little.
He really is a relentless grader. However, I worked my extremely hard and did very well in his class. Be prepared to spend a lot of time and you will do well.
Not for the returning student. Very hard grader. Make sure you like to argue because that is all you will be writing essays for, arguing!
Good guy with an awesome sense of humor. Class was fun and interesting. Tough grader, but he will go out of his way to help you. Not an easy class to get an A in, but it will make you a much better writer if you put in the effort.
STAY AWAY!!!He grades way too hard for an english 101 class.. Best I could pull was a C, yet in my English 102 Im getting high B's all the time.. QUIT GRADING SO HARD IN A FIRST YEAR ENGLISH CLASS.. WE DONT ALL HAVE MASTERS IN ENGLISH
Very poor teacher. Simply avoid at all costs. Not worth the time put into his class for the education or grade you will receive. Just simply horrible. Not enough space to appropriately express my dislike for Dr. Fichtel's teaching. No reason to take him. He will punish you for the smallest reason. Better teachers are plentiful, take someone else.
Great for teaching majors in english, by no means belongs teaching a gen ed that is required, doesnt understand that people have to work and cant make 5 page essay every week, on top of 3- 1 page discussions. have had an F since the first assignment now 5 weeks in, still F. beyond hard on grading needs to lighten the reigns on first years.
I took an online course and he only gave us 3 lectures (audio only) the whole semester! Each lecture was 7 minutes long. He grades very hard and doesn't provide any additional information about the topics we have to write about. Besides the little bit that's on the syllabus. He never left comments on my weekly writing assignments. Terrible! !!
If you take his online 6 week summer class be prepared to spend your summer doing a ton of reading from the textbook, and a lot of assignments. For me on top of work it was like being in school full time, and this was the only class I took. He is a very tough grader! Often was not clear on expectations for assignments.
Do not take this professor. He is very unclear on assignments and due dates. I am a usual A student in English and I struggled to get a C. He is one of the toughest graders and he didn't even give suggestions to improvements. He would also comment on my essay saying my opinions were wrong. I encourage you to not take his class.
I am usually an A or B English student, but I struggled allot in this course and could not pass it. He is an incredibly hard graded, and will take off points without an explanation on assignments and essays. Terrible teacher DO NOT TAKE!
Good English teacher! He's really funny & laid back as long as you're prepared for class. Very nice. A bit of a tough grader but is willing to help you. I went to his office hours to get help on a paper & he was extremely helpful. Must actually put on the time & effort to write his papers. can't just do them the night before & expect to pass
As a person he is hilarious! I loved his personality. However, his grading is sooo hard. Coming from high school english to this was very hard. overall he is a good teacher, you just really need to put time into the class and your papers.
He is very helpful when you want your essays to be looked at before the actual due date. He will literally go through every sentence and correct it. Use his office hours and your grades will go way up. Just do the essays on time and as the rubric says and you can pass. He will help with everything. Pay attention and take notes and you will pass.
All in all Professor F was a pretty cool guy. He can be a little snarky and condescending at times but as long as you can take a joke you'll have a good time. He is an extremely hard grader though. I'm always an A student when it comes to English courses but this class I was lucky to pass with a mid B. READ EVERYTHING and REREAD for the midtermfinal
One of the toughest graders in the entire world. There's barely any tests, which is a blessing and a curse because it means each test is weighed incredibly heavy. But man, when it comes to papers, that's a whole different thing. He will grade those things VERY harshly, so MULTIPLE proofreads of your material is an absolute must. Wouldn't recommend.
Tough teacher. His feedback is not clear; it took three weeks to understand one thing he wanted. Few lectures and only two tests. But the essay is very long. He will pick apart your citations and nitpick through your paper. Not a hard class, but it could have been better.
DO NOT TAKE HIM EVER!!!!!!!! He is horrible. Absolutely nothing is good enough for this guy. He is the type of teacher that probably never gives his students an A. He would take half of the points off of a CORRECT answer that met all of the criteria just because it wasn't exactly what he would have said. He's a know-it-all.
Would not take again. Did everything I could to scratch by with an 80% and English is my strong point.
Hardest grader I have ever had at JJC. Would not recommend taking this guy. I have an interest in the material (Old English) so grasping is wasn't the issue. He's a know it all and talks down to students (yes it was an online class but he would use multiple exclamation points as if the students were illiterate) and no assignment can be perfect.
Professor Fichtel is extremely helpful if you go to his office hours. Honestly the only way I got my A was by working my butt off on the final paper and asking him to review drafts of my paper. He wants to help his students so darn it y'all let the man help.
He was the rudest teacher I've ever had. I am not the best in English, but all my papers were worked on for long hours and I always had them proofread before I turned them in and I he still gave me a bad grade on all of them, and for the littlest mistakes.
One of the best professors I've ever had. If you go to office hours he will help you SO MUCH. He's sooo funny but very sarcastic so get used to it. People write such bad reviews but it's because they didn't try. He's there to help you improve and will make you laugh everyday. I will definitely never forget him or his class.
Worst English teacher i have ever had. He is very condescending with comments on essays. Expects everything to be perfect.
He's very difficult on grading, and he doesn't really offer much advice or help to correct what he sees wrong. Often times his criticisms are very minor, yet deduct tons of points. He also gives us very little information on what we're meant to be doing, like a very large paper we're meant to be turning in in a month.
I have never been terrible at English, but I was at a constant C for the entire semester. There are 4 essays and those are pretty much the only assignments that he grades. So nothing else can help w/ your grade. The harshest grader I have ever had. He never fully explains what he is looking for. And he can be kind of of rude to his students.
He is a tough grader but he will help with your papers if you ask. He helps you become a better writer because of how he grades. I have taken 2 classes of his and I really wish I had the chance to take him again. Expect very view ways to obtain points. Read everything all the way through and you will make it. I love this professor.
while hes funny, hes a very tough grader that wasn't any help when the entire class was on the edge of failing. one homework assignment was given to help us that actually hurt my grade, and his tests and papers are graded extremely harshly. The only real homework is reading, so theres nothing to soften lower scores. cool guy, tough professor.
English is not my best subject, and this professor made me feel even worse about my writing. Very tough grader and made me feel uncomfortable whenever i had questions about assignments. If English is not your best subject, STAY AWAY!!!!
Not sure how this teacher has a rating of 3.2, should be 1.5 at best. Online class requires discussion forums every week for 10 pts. Even if you read everything you are supposed to and participate in forum, you will not receive 10 pts. He never has a legitimate reason for his grading. Would not recommend taking online for any reason.
He was hilarious! very enjoyable to be apart of his classroom. Grading on the other hand was to difficult. Nearly impossible to pass. The class discussions were always interesting.
I took this teacher in the summer and was excited to get started. Every paper I wrote, he gave criticisms which we all tried to follow and carry out on future papers. Nothing we did was good enough even after the changes. It was almost as if he wanted you to barely pass. If he didn't agree with your point of view on papers, you were graded poorly
Always double check your work before posting and speak with him in advance before writing a paper!
He is overly critical. He will ask you to do one thing and when you comply he will tell you you were wrong. He will talk down to you and be insulting. If you don't care about your GPA and don't want to pass then by all means sign up for his class. If you do care about your GPA and know you are better than his criticism then find another teacher.
DON'T TAKE HIS ENGLISH 102 ONLINE CLASS! I'm normally so good at Engish courses and lowest grade I've ever received on a paper was a B. Worked so hard on papers/assignments and he would always give me a C on everything! Never had a valid reason as to why. So much reading! Midterm was extremely difficult because nothing is ever good enough for him.
he is the worst professor i have ever had. I am an engineering major and he expects everyone to be an english major. Do Not Take this professor if you interested in english, he is horrible. He will give you a hard time and grades extremely hard.
Jason is the worst teacher I have ever had! He made me feel stupid with his feedback and definitely favorites his students. He belittles one's opinions and has no sympathy what so ever.
Dr. Fichtel is a good teacher and is very passionate about what he does, however, the class is not easy. Reading assignments were due for just about every class and pop quizzes were given out on some occasions. There were four papers due during the semester and he's not a super hard grader, but won't shy away from telling you your mistakes.
DON'T EXPECT AN A Took 2 101 classes The first time an F the second time a D Nothing is good enough even with a tutor Rude to students Treats class like everyones an English major Directions contradictory How is he still teaching People don't pass If he does not agree with opinion will state "this is not true" All A's on papers UNTIL HIS CLASS
Dr. Fichtel is a tough grader, but gives good feedback on papers. You have to attend class but his lectures are anything but boring so class goes by pretty fast.
If your not a strong writer I do not recommend taking his class. He is funny but goes off topic a lot. He does give back good feedback on essays but doesn't give ways on how to improve.
Let me start off by saying that I am in his 6 week English 103 course. This is an elective course for many students in the class, yet this guy believes we are all English majors. By all means, take this class if you want to ruin your summer. Two 4 page papers, midterm, final, 10 page paper, and at least 3 hours of discussion work per week Goodluck
Do NOT take his 6 week online course. The work is too much and he grades way too hard for being a summer class, he expects you to know all about American Literature, and it's a waste of your time and summer. Take another teacher in class.
His grading is EXTREMELY subjective. His expectations and the work load are too high for an elective 100 level course. He is not helpful, rude, unclear, and unreasonable. You could not pay me to even think about taking another course with this man. I am completely baffled as to why this person chose to teach in the first place, let alone continue.
I took his online Eng 103 class which is only 6 weeks long - too short for the content we covered. The work load itself was stressful but worse is that he doesn't just expect excellence, but perfection. No extra credit. I love to learn but If I had to take another class that he was the only teacher of, I would take it at another college.
I had to take an english class for a pre req for my major, the only reason I would take this class to begin with. Though I took his online class and never experienced him in person I knew he was subjective and he had a demeaning personality when it came to grading weekly assignments and our two major essays.
Stern,serious, expects alot, and communication with him could have been better on his part (he is the teacher afterall). He is intelligent but can get tough. Doesn't seem like a 101 class. He should be teaching a 102 English Class. He is definitely smart teacher so be ready to learn and not slack off. Ask questions he will not help out otherwise.
Extremely hard grader. First two essays were Ds because my MLA format and works cited was not formatted correctly. Quizzes are full of answers you would not normally think of writing down. Asks questions on who wrote what by giving quotes and asking for author rather than questions on the content that we read. Participation counts as part of grade
I do not want to take this teacher again, he is rude and not understanding. He is a strict grader, even when tutors help you. Do not take this teacher. I feel like he hates some of his students including me.
Do any of you remember that one episode of The Simpsons where the teachers start eating the students? yeah well, I feel like, hypothetically, he'd be the teacher to suggest it in the first place. Basically, what I'm trying to say is, save yourself and don't take him. Btw he reads these comments so I hope he stumbles upon this one and gets pissed.
I find him very fair, when you go to him for help he is willing to help if you ask him questions on what you don't understand. But if you go to help expecting him to give you all the answers then good luck! He is a very hard grader but he is fair. He does expect a lot out of his students but we are in college.
Dr. Fichtel is probably one of the favorite English teachers that I have ever had. The subject matter in class and for the papers was interesting. Writing has always been my least favorite subject but because of Dr. Fichtel I actually really enjoy writing. I highly recommend him for English 101.
He is one of THE worst teachers at JJC. Even if I got extra help for his essay it didn't even help. He is one difficult teacher, also a really tough grader. DON'T TAKE HIS CLASS.
I came into this class expecting to learn and hopefully better my writing skills, I came out with less knowledge than I previously had. He is unclear with his instructions and will continuously complain about our awful writing, yet he does not teach us on how to improve upon our mistakes. Save yourself the fail, worst English teacher ever.
He is VERY strict! Youll also be reading a lot of essays and be sure you do otherwise you may not do very well on quizzes that he says may or may not happen, and they do. And a majority of assignments arent taken for grade, focusing on the essays. All I can is, be a good writer or you aint passing. 4 people dropped with me. Dont take him
I I took his class online, and I can honestly say that I will NEVER take a class with him again. I worked so hard, on every essay, as well as every discussion bored, in which my writing was never good enough. I took his constructive criticism seriously, but I soon realized he was just being a word class jerk. Awful teacher. Not worth your time.
He's not a good teacher at all. Took his online class and barely passed. I'm usually strong in English but he takes off tons of points for even the tiniest mistakes. He's also really condescending when he comments on your work. He's an extremely tough grader and Impossible to please. DO NOT TAKE HIS CLASS!!
If I could rate 0, I would. He was a horrible teacher, and he was very mean. His constructive criticism was more like bashing and tearing you down. He did not grade like a 101 class. If he did not agree with what you were writing about, he would be even harsher with his grading. Definite no on ever taking him again.
By far the worst professor I have ever taken. Super picky about the smallest things. You can ask for help and you get snarky comments in return. I have taken many English classes in the past and passed with A's. He would take points off of my discussion post that he wouldn't for another girl in my class. Would never recommend him to anyone ever!!!!
I've always been good in past English classes, & never feared writing papers. However, when I took this class, I was getting low D's on papers that I really put effort into. My parents urged me to drop which they never would have done, until I described the grading. I'm now in a different ENG101 and passing with flying colors. Wish I checked RMP.
Let me begin by saying that this is one of the worst classes I have ever taken in my 6 years of hardcore schooling. This is not treated as a literature course, he treats it more like an intensive writing course. This professor is extremely picky about EVERYTHING, spelling errors, citation errors, you name it. There is A TON of reading. DO NOT TAKE.
If I had read the reviews on here I would have never decided to be in his class. He grades EXTREMELY harsh. I truly believe he enjoys seeing his students fail. Even when you work as hard as you possibly can, his grading will destroy you. He gives points off if you don't satisfy his word count on discussion posts, but gives writing quizes in 30 mins
Okay this professor is by far the worst Ive ever had. I am taking his online course and he deducts so many points for not citing quotes correctly. You could have a really well written discussion post and he would find something and take off major points for it. I am warning you DO NOT TAKE HIS CLASS. I hope he reads this and adjusts his major tude
He's really funny and very respectful. He is a tough grader, but it's worth the work for the future prep.
HIGHLY RECOMMEND AVOIDING THIS PROFESSOR. I put in hours and hours of work and received hundreds on nearly every weekly assignment, however, the mid-term & final exam ruined me. He gives an egregious amount of work to complete in 2 hours for each exam. His reliance on the test grades & his unhelpful feedback ruined my GPA and my love for English.
Save your GPA! If Fichtel wants to be such a harsh grader he can go teach at Harvard in the English department. Stop making first year college students suffer through your insidious expectations. Massive points off for punctuation and spelling, my god, ENG102 Professors gave me an easier time. He's TOO OPINIONATED and can be very rude. NO!!!!!
At all cost please avoid this teacher. I love writing papers but, in this class be prepared to write 3 page papers each week and not get full credit because everyone sucks in his eyes. by the time of the midterm, you will have a bad grade and the midterms are horrible. you get two hours to take and be asked specific questions no one really knows.
I am begging you to never take this professor.
This semester at JJC was my first semester of college ever. I worked so hard on every one of my essays, only to be told that they were complete garbage. Even though I had SEVERAL people who are also English instructors read the essay telling me that it was worthy of something much higher than a D-. I took advantage of covid, dropping this class.
Prof. Fichtel was easily one of my favorite teachers Ive ever had. Hes extremely kind, funny, and treats each student with the utmost respect. Hes definitely a tough grader when it comes to essays, but if you read the material and know what youre doing then youll be fine. Hes a wonderful teacher and I highly recommend him to anyone at JJC.
Dr. F is the worst teacher Ive ever had. Not only is he condescending and rude, his class is ridiculously difficult. Giving students 30 minutes for an 8 essay quiz, on 50+ pages of material, where youre expected to quote specific parts to support your answer is ridiculous. There is no rubric for papers, and he is an insanely tough grader. Beware!
It is truly impossible to pass his class unless you are normally an A+ writer. He calls every comma a comma splice, even when it is not. There are a lot of papers with controversial topics. And lets just say you better pick the correct side to write about. I took 3 higher English courses after this one, and received an A in each class.
One of the worst teachers i've ever had. He was such a harsh grader, especially with essays. He would always find something wrong and make you feel stupid for it. He would also give you a 60% on the whole essay if you didn't meet the minimum requirements. Everything needs to be perfect. He needs to spend more time teaching rather than critiquing.
Avoid him. im sure hes a lovely man but as a teacher you dont want him unless you LOVE reading way too much. he is a very tough grader on essays especially. His comments on my essay were never helpful and discouraging. If youre taking it online, his due dates can be tricky to understand at first. so pay extra attention. just dont take him.
Hes super nice and helpful and I grew a bunch as a writer. My biggest advice would be to send him your thesis beforehand to get help with that and make sure your MLA Format follows that in the textbook because he will take points off for that. Make sure to do all the homework before its due because he takes off lots of points if its late.
Dr. Fichtel was literally the worst teacher I have ever had. I have always done excellent in English, so the fact that I did not pass his class was shocking to me. He grades extremely hard, especially on essays. He did not teach me anything about how I could improve my essays. I wish he would've taught us how to write so that I could try to improve
I had Dr. Fichtel for English 101 during the fall 2020 semester. He took points off of papers for silly little mistakes and gave stupid comments on essays. DO NOT TAKE A CLASS WITH HIM.
I'm not a hateful person but this guy can catch these hands. Takes off points for the dumbest things and doesn't explain or offer help for you to do better. Do yourself a favor and take someone else's class
Took class online during Covid-19. The class was not too hard. You have to write 1 essay per month and they get longer each time. Also had to do 1 discussion and 1 quiz per week. Make sure to submit the peer review on time. He will take a lot of points off if its late.
AVOID HIM AT ALL COSTS EVEN IF IT MEANS WAITING UNTIL NEXT SEMESTERS CLASSES! Very rude, degrading gives horrible feedback, & CAN NOT take any feedback which questions his "teaching" methods and quizzing. Big mistake! save yourself for someone who actually wants to teach you. Grades very hard on essays & will tell you to go see a tutor & fail you
Worst Professor I've ever had. Very tough grader, you make little mistakes and will fail.
Hes awful. Dont take it. thats all.
In 2020 with Covid I have not been able to see this teacher in person once and it has all been online. And this teacher just puts assignments out and does not actually teach the class. Also when he grades papers he gives feed back on rough drafts you fix them and you still earn a 60 on every paper. Also more than half of my class is failing.
This is by far the worst professor ive ever had. I never rate my professors but this teacher made me have. Its english 101, and he acts like its a eng 3000. I even send in a draft and received his corrections, and made the corrections and turned in the final essay, and he comes up with some stupid reasons to fail you. Over and over again.
I wish I would have checked this professor before signing up for his class. His instructions are unnecessarily long and vague. Poor constructive feedback on assignments and tough grader. Easy to get lost in the sauce. Definitely does not feel like a beginner's course. You have been warned.
Do NOT take this professor. He does not help his students with anything. He will let you fail even when you reach out for help. He will basically tell you figure it out. The midterm exam is a joke and he will take off points because there are better examples you could have used. He will give you a zero on your paper if you mess up anything.
Funny to see that there is good ratings on this teacher. He is extremely rude, he does not conect with his students at all. He will criticize your work with out the slightest realization that if a student is struggling, criticism is not the solution. If you paid to fail then this is the right teacher for you. WARNING DO NOT TAKE THIS CLASS!
I didn't realize that this class would basically be an independent study. He assigned 200 pages of reading a week and had 3 lectures for the entire 6 week course. I didn't receive any feedback on my discussion posts, but then he took off a ton of points on my paper. Class averages on tests&papers were terrible, but he doesn't care. Doesn't round
He is the WORST professor I've ever had in my entire life. He was extremely hard on all of the students and was never helpful. He would never answer any questions anyone had and made it nearly impossible to pass his class. I normally give teachers the benefit of the doubt when I see bad reviews, but heed every warning that is written here.
just sucks in general
Please do not take this class. I wish I would have looked up this Professor before enrolling. He was a very tough grader for an entry level class, and did not seem to care whether his students are successful. For someone who really cares about doing well trying your best will not cut it in this class. Passing seems near impossible.
I would drop out of college before I took a class with this professor again. I barely scored about a 60 on all discussions and never received criticism that would help me improve. Overall a professor who lacks intelligence and is fairly rude when seeking help. He made his entry level class way too difficult. Do yourself a favor and avoid this class
Im still stuck taking him. He is by far the worst teacher i've had in years. So many assignments and there are no examples of what is expected of the class. I have scored 2 D's on my papers because he cant be bothered to give examples. TL;DR: dont take his class just drop it or look the other way.
He is by far the worst teacher Ive ever had. He is a very tough grader that points out every flaw and doesn't offer corrections or examples. He told me that I should see a tutor because he's too lazy to teach. It really shocked me because most teachers offer their time to help their students but he told me to seek help some where else.
WORST TEACHER I HAVE EVER HAD. Makes you read 3+ essays and then gives a timed quiz with specific questions that are impossible to remember. Gives rude comments on essays and will fail you for a simple mistake. Essays are almost impossible to pass. I wish I would've dropped. Finished with a 69 and needed a 70 to pass. Would not round my grade
Makes his classes political. He failed me and then I took another English 101 class the next semester and got an A+. DO NOT TAKE. Grades extremely hard and will fail you for little mistakes. Even students who asked him for help failed and were turned away. Told students who asked for help to find a tutor. He grades like this is an honors class.
This is the hardest class I have ever taken. He grades so incredibly hard for it being a gen-ed class. The amount of work is crazy and he is so specific when it comes to grading. I got a 90 on a paper in another class one week and then next week got a 65 from him after I had a teacher read it and say it was better than the grade he gave me.
I really wish I knew about rate my professor before I signed up for my first year classes because oh my god. He is actually the hardest grading teacher I think Ive ever had. After I fixed the mistakes he corrected, he still would still find a way to give me a bad grade. He is one of the main reasons I decided to change my career path.
One of the rudest professors I have ever had. I misread the instructions on an assignment, and he left many aggressive comments about it, like every time I used the wrong source. Like every single time, he does not leave constructive criticism, he is just rude.
I took ENG101 my first year at JJC and struggled so much with him. I was discouraged and thought it was just me, but when I asked for help I did not get any. I tried so many times to get creative and try new approaches and nothing would work. I thought he was the worst until I had Prof. LaTour (ENG 102)...I've had the worst luck with Eng teachers:/
Just a bad teacher overall does not offer help and is very rude. Will fail you over a few hiccups.
The professor nit picks a lot of tiny mistakes, and takes off many points for it. He also rarely responds to emails and then gets mad at you for asking questions late. This is probably one of the worst teachers I have ever had.
I agree with the other reviews that Fichtel is a hard grader. If you're really good at English or are majoring in it, you will do perfectly fine as long as you keep up. If you're just here for the gen ed credit, you will definitely struggle.
Hard grader, poor instructions given for assignment, highest grade for essay out of our entire class was a 50%. Do not recommend his summer course to anyone.
Horrible teacher. I do not recommend. Find a different English teacher that actually cares for your grade. He is not worth your time or money. Don't ask for help because you are not going to get any.
I have seen a couple negative reviews for this professor, and even though I understand them, I personally think he is a pretty good professor. He gives great feedback on essays, and he is willing to work with you if you are struggling. Dr. Fichtel is also accessible outside of class.
DO NOT TAKE THIS PROFESSOR! He is a hard grader and only grades based on spelling. I took a literature class, and he was awful. Please try to take another professor. Instead of grading on the content that was given. He graded based on spelling and grammar. The class was not even about English. STAY AWAY FROM THIS PROFESSOR! :(
He's a professor who sets you up for success but it's up to you do to do the work. Many resources are provided for the assignments, he's willing to help whenever you need it.
He grades very difficultly, he doesn't help at all if you ask a question he will always just tell you to refer to something he has handed to you. He only give good grades to absolute perfection. He does not like single paragraph responses. Be ready for a lot of homework and readings every week.
Grades entry-level English class assignments as if they're masters courses level, doesn't provide good feedback, and is just overall not a very good learning environment.
I can not stress this enough, find a diff professor. If you ask for help, he won't or will say look at things he has posted online. Which doesn't help at all. He grades everything like a formal essay no matter what it is. He is prob the hardest grader I have ever met. AVOID AT ALL COST! I usually get a B in English classes. He won't help you
As the reviews say, he is a really tough grader and does not help you himself, saying to get a tutor instead. wish I knew about RMP beforehand to save me the stress and emotional problems. I recommend not having him unless you are really passionate about writing or majoring in English.
This professor does not care about his students nor the students work they put into their papers.If you do not use the proper MLA format, your paper will be returned to you with no feedback. Do not take this professor, I can't stress this enough. If you ask for assistance, you will be referred to the tutoring center.
He wasn't necessarily a bad person, but his class was awful. Get ready to read at least 20-30 pages of essays each week in preparation for this class. I have never struggled in an English class in my entire life except for this one. Overall, he just assigns way too much work for an English 101 class. Do not take this class.
If you just need your gen eds done, dont take him. Super though grader and wont really help you, he'll just tell you "go to the tutoring center" and when you do he still gives you a low score. dont recommend
Throughout my fourteen years of education, I can confidently say this is the only "bad" teacher I've had. I think he actually enjoys giving bad grades and offering no means of assistance to make his class as difficult as possible. I wish I would've used RMP before taking his class because based on these other comments I don't know how he's employed
The workload is heavy, but if you stay on top of the readings and use resources like the tutoring center and unstuckstudy ai, you can succeed in this class. The grading is tough, but the professor provides valuable feedback. Not for the faint of heart, but worth it if you're willing to put in the effort.
This professor should not be allowed to teach as he gives slim to no homework or class work for grades which makes your grade solely on essays. He doesn't teach in class and grades like his life depend on it and gives no room for mistakes. I would never recommend this teacher as he has taken away my love for writing
He really is a tough grader and expects things to be his way and follow exactly the things he says on lectures, or his "further considerations" tab, and the book. I am not really an english person, so you can imagine how hard this course was. He is very specific in things, like his exams and even the 2 essays that are required.
Would not recommend this professor. With exams, there isn't enough details as to what he is looking for and will have you guessing what to do. Furthermore, with critical response essays that are due, if the formatting isn't correct he will majorly deduct points. e.g. I didn't format the introduction correctly so he reduced me down to a 70%.
Very hard, MLA has to be on point
Class Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
66%
Textbook Required
67%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
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C
Grade Distribution
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Declining
-1.75 avg changeRatings by Course
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