Awesome prof...mid to high work load, but fun topics

Great teacher, fun classes, fair grader

Interesting classes and fun assignments... her class was a great experience.

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I took my first English course with Jill Hanifan and eventually went on to become an English teacher. She taught me that a teacher can be very cool.

a phenomenal professor

One of the best professors at SUNY Albany. Not only is she a brilliant person, she is a wonderful teacher.

Best... professor... ever.

she is the most hilarious person... ever. my favorite class.

The best professor SUNY has, bar none. She will challenge your mind, your notions of who and what you are and will push you to excell. A poet, a teacher, a mentor and an invaluable resource to students. Take anything you can with her. Seriously.

The most amazing, brilliant, funny teacher on campus!!! An answered prayr to all english majors

best teacher ever, down to earth, fun, cares more about the artform then the GRADES...she keeps it real, she's funny, knowlegable and awesome!!!!!

Hey, I'm on my way to a Ph.D. because of the gal! Got to come in on a sci-fi class again!!

AMAZING woman! the way she thinks and makes you think about poetry, especially ones that arnt mainstream is unlike any other english teacher i have ever had. i only wish i can work with her on day! take her as much as you can!

She is one of the best teachers here hands down. Her creative writing class is awesome, she puts herself on your level, and her assignments are worthwhile.

Hanifan is the best professor I've ever had. She makes class interesting and exciting. Her projects are the best. She is an amazing professor. If you can take a class with her, do it.

I was pissed if I had to take a writing class, she made me feel better and actually got me interested in the class. I recomend taking this class

She is amazing

She is one of the best professors ever. I actually looked forward to class every day, the assignments were interesting, and she made the entire class interested in poetry, which is a really hard feat. I've never had such a fun class where almost every single student participated on a regular basis.

Jill is a total and complete waste of space at Suny,she's limited in her abilities and is a child emotionally. Outside of the classroom she is a stifled, bitter lesbian that is constantly lamenting the loss of her partner.These personal issues hinder her ability to teach in any productive fashion.

angry, funny, and brilliant. she really makes you think!

Awesome Prof! So funny and extreamly smart. I took this class over the summer and she actually got me excited to go to class. I had a great time and learned a lot too! Def take this class!!!

A great prof. She cares about her students, she knew everyone in my class by name. A lot of work, but never boring. Participate in discussion for a good grade

BEST PROFESSOR EVER. CHANGED MY LIFE.

raises excellent points and questions, good class to take if you want to think your own way and not think about some textbook. good class to take if your an aspiring writer

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i took a required-for-the-writing-track english poetry class with jil, and it was the best poetry class i've ever taken. it was challenging, but in a good way. i later went on to work with her/for her at the writing center. i enjoyed every moment i spent with jil.

she is the best professor i ever had, nice, require u do some work rather than saying "i dunno wt to do", have a great view of life

she's actually very liberal in her views on writing. she cares about her students. but yes, leave your ego at home. and there's a difference between state-mandated documentation for assistive technology/special grading criteria and the disabled student services signing-off on a request for special consideration.

Overall Awesome Professor

She is one of the best professors I have had in a long time!!...Very helpful, and her class is both interseting and engaging.

She is quite brilliant. But she is miserable. If you're bold enough to suggest a definition for "love," then be prepared to be ridiculed until you drop out. Nonetheless, she's a great professor and very accomodating.

Hanifan was an excellent teacher. She helps you to see things through a different perspective. Also was a stickler on attendance. I enjoyed watching her tell it like it was. Generally if she called someone out...it's because they were a pretentious knee biting brown noser. She's fantastic.

Jil is a wonderful professor. She loves to play devil's advocate and some students will become offended by her because she will tell it like it is but I have learned more from her int he classes I had with her than from any other teacher here. She may grade a little on the hard side but if she sees you are really trying you will be okay.

She can cut you down to size and make you cry like a little baby and I love her for it. She tells how it is and she will push your writing to the next level and she doesn't expect less. Hard grader but its worth it in the end, don't fight her teaching method it will all come together in the end. And if she picks on you she likes you so don't worry

Hanifan isn't really that bad. for the people who want an easy A and who do not actually want to learn anything, then don't take her. if you want to be challenged then i suggest you suck it up, leave your ego at home (or bring it with you for brilliant debates like i did) and have a good time, school isn't supposed to be easy

jil is my favorite person ever. i think she argues just for the hell of it, whether or not she really believes in what she's arguing. yes, she's arrogant, but it's all part of her charm. brilliant woman. if you actually try in her class you should do fine.

this woman might as well have ripped out my heart and fed it to me on a daily basis and yet i still find her to be a good professor.do not mention love in that class.

Awesome professor - very open classroom, interesting materials -- you read good scifi books and discuss their themes etc - what's better than that? took this a few years ago, dont remember the name of the class

Professor Hanifan is a sage. She's the kind of teacher that will make you question everything you've ever learned, formulate your own hypothesis, and then have you question that as well. I've never met a better educator in my life. Her courses are tough, but if you stick with it, you'll be happy that you did.

If you want to be a better writer, then prof. hanifan is the professor you want. She will tell you how it is and isn't afraid to tear you down in order to build you back up. I've taken her twice, because I know my work would become better. If you can't handle her, then you don't belong in the English department.

The comments speak for themselves. Jil is an amazing professor and she *will* push you. She believes in her students and wants to see you achieve your best. Stick with her and you will learn a lot. She is an incredible resource and a great professor.

Very intelligent, very opinionated. If you're a wuss and can't take confrontation, don't take a course with her. She urges that you speak your mind, especially when faced with opposition. Love, love, LOVE this professor.

Tells it like it is or at least how she thinks it is. She is extremely intelligent and WILL make you better at writing if you do what she says. Funny and interesting, too. Will confront you and embarrass you if you give her reason to. She is the only professor that ever TRUELY CHALLENGED me. I ended up loving the class. Not for everyone, but great.

You'll never have another professor like Jill Hanifan, for better or worse.

She likes confrontation, for the right reasons. She's butt heads with a lot of students, you just need to know how to approach her. I've defended myself a few times, but she won't hold things against you. She's a GREAT teacher, I've learned more from her in a quarter of a semester than I have in a whole semester with other teachers. Take her.

One of the best professors on campus. Is her class easy? No. She challenges you to write better and to write often. But if you do the work and show her you're doing the work, she will reward you. She's lively and deeply passionate and so much better than the cardboard cutout teachers that are so plentiful. If you like English, take Jill

I had Prof. Hanifan for two classes. To appreciate her, you HAVE to be an English major because she certainly does push you to do your best. You don't want to fill your Gen Ed requirements with her. She is for those of us who are passionate about writing. Very encouraging, life-changing professor.

I really loved having her as a professor. She's tough and picks on you sometimes, but she does it for good reason. My writing improved so much by taking her class. If you're an English major who wants to improve and learn, take her class. It'll definitely help.

Very nice and genuinely cares about her students. She will expect you to work hard, and will become mad if you do not take her class seriously. Do not take her class if you cannot take criticism. She is the director of the writing center, so she knows her stuff. Anyone who is considering grad school might want to take her class.

THE MOST AWESOME

Lots of reading and assignments, but it's a really fun class. She's a little out of the box, but overall she makes you work hard like you would have to in the real world. I really recommend this teacher to anyone who works well with structure. That being said she is flexible and very helpful

Prof. Hanifan is a great teacher. My only complaint is that there are mini-essays due every class period, and to earn full credit, every essay has to go above and beyond. If you complete is satisfactorily, on time, and correctly, you will only get a B. While I love that this makes you work hard, it also stung a little not to get an A.

Is Hanifan intimidating at times? Yes. Does she call people out in class if they mess up? Yes. If you don't want to be pushed to be your absolute best by hard (harsh?) methods, then don't take her class. But if you are looking to be inspired and transformed, in your writing and your life, take her class. Simply put, she changed me for the better.

Dr. Hanifan is tough and critical, but she prepares you for the major and makes you rethink all of your other classes. Sure she is crass, but she is passionate and inspiring if you actually listen to her. She knows what she is talking about and she doesn't put up with excuses. If you want graduate school, you want hanifan.

Not going to lie, when I was actually taking this course I hated everything about it. However, as I am now in my upper level English courses I have grown an appreciation for her. As writers, we sometimes think we can't improve anymore. She will break you down, but only so you could build yourself to be a better writer. I highly recommend taking her

Best Prof ever. We argued like cats and dogs. Took every class ith Dr. H I could.

Beware of the syllabus! There is a required amount of things to submit and the reading/assignment schedule she gives you wont cover them all! Do extra work in the beginning so your not scrambling at the end to make up what you still have to finish.

She is challenging but she makes you try for your grades and is inspiring in how you learn. She does what she can to help you out but makes you do the work.

Professor Hanifan has got to be my favorite English professor ever. Her class seems hard if you don't show up or don't try. My roomate and I would speak to her about everything and anything after class and she would too. There's a real person behind her facade. Just do your work and the class will be a breeze. Finally, don't be afraid to talk.

I have taken two courses with her, and they have been my 2 favorite (not an English major FYI). Do not take this class if you are not willing to be creative or take criticism. Hanifan challenges students and allows you to be your own person while making you realize that there is always room for improvement. Be prepared to write 2-3 times a week.

This professor is not for everyone. However, if you are an English major or minor she is the main character you would write about.

I did not like Dr. H at first. I thought she was blunt and harsh. After a few weeks however she became one of my favorite professors. I appreciated her dry humor and "tell it like it is" attitude. She is definitely a tough love sort of person I think because she wants you to reach the potential that she sees in you. She gives reasonable critiques.

Jill Hanifan taught me more than any professor I have ever had at Albany. I would jump at the chance to take one of her classes again. Her classes are set up in such a way that they are not too difficult but you still end up learning a lot. She is tough, but no one is more knowledgable or honest.

Super fun. I am by no means an English major but she made the class enjoyable. "quizzes" were extra credit, and there was always a way to make up work in a reasonable amount of time. Be sure to engage in the class discussions.

Great class especially if you like Edgar Allan Poe. You'll need the book and its important that you read and complete the homework. Also, be ready to discuss what you wrote about and thought of readings, if you complete all assignments and go to class its a easy A.

If you follow the structure/syllabus she sets out and show up to every class when an assignment is due, you'll get an A. You don't have to be smart. She likes it when you talk and participate. Grades are based on completion; only 1 paper due at end of semester. Is a bit lenient since she gives one week for make ups but don't abuse it too much.