2.1
Quality4.3
DifficultyN/A
Would Retake100
ReviewsN/A
Would Retake
100
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
5
14
4
12
3
5
2
17
1
52
What Students Say
“I thought this professor was great, his class was very interesting”
ENGL259 - 4.0 rating“I am not an underachieving student, and I will never take a class with Athey again”
ENGLLIT - 2.0 ratingClass Info
Textbook Required
100%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
A-
Grade Distribution
Rating Trend
Stable
+0.02 avg changeRatings by Course
GRADLEVEL
5.0
(1)BIBLIO601
5.0
(1)ENGLISH460
5.0
(1)SEVERAL
5.0
(1)ENG364
5.0
(1)Difficulty by Course
GRADLEVEL
5.0
EN259
5.0
VICTORIAN
5.0
ENG307
5.0
ENG251
5.0
Reviews (100)
Excellent teacher; one of my favorites
The most feared professor in the English Dept.
I consider this teacher to be the most inconsiderate and biased professor I have ever had. This class was a complete waste of my money. This instructor gives teachers and the english department a very bad name.
I find this instructor to be very unprepared and not knowledgeable in the field he is teaching.
I cannot believe this man got a Ph.D. from a college. He must have received it from online or a correspondence course. He is absolutely is dreadful. I suggest taking another teacher. Someone who is helpful and caring.
I had this professor, and I have to say I have never seen so many students in one class; so frustrated with this professor's unprofessional conduct.
This instructor is the worst I have ever encountered.
He does not care about his students and he is a terrible teacher.
This man loves nothing more than standing in the front of the room and hearing the sound of his own voice. blah blah blah blah blah
Be afraid, be very afraid of this English poet laureate wannabe.
Most apathetic teacher toward students.
yeah, he is very hard and he can lose his patience with students. But often, he is rough on students who are clueless. But, he can also be a student's life saver-especially in grad school. For ONE semester- he helped me prepare for the MA exams!
Even if your comments about the material in his class make perfect sense, this man will find something wrong with them...and don't expect to know what he is looking for in his papers either. Your papers and tests have to be based only on his ideas
athey will be your best friend and then fail you, he is the kind of professor that is difficult, but for english major you need him. He will fine tune your skills but you have to read the material. He is hard, but he is fair.
dr. athey is very tough, but he's not unfair. his critiques of my essays were always just, if a bit exacting. his standards and expectations are high, but remember that different doesn't equal wrong (and it IS possible to get an A in his class).
Hard but fair. To the prior posters: stop whining because you got a D even though you cut and pasted from the web. Study harder next time.
The man is a total buffoon. While I got an A in his class, it is only because I spewed back to him the drivel which he spewed forth. The man definately can't be classified as an intellect.
His research class in grad school was very tough; however, I learned skills imperative for an Engl major. He also helped me w/the MA exam on his own time. If you are a serious student who is willing to work, you will do fine.
opinions don't matter in his class....anything you say or write is just plain wrong because it's not what he says or thinks....so when entering his class, forget about everything you've learned in past english classes.
not recommended.....do not attempt to even try in his class because he will disagree with everything you say.
No Comments
War Crime
He's the worst teacher you'll ever have. Complete a--.
I received an "A" in Dr. Athey's class. I found him to be intimidating, abusive, and very misleading. Never ever argue with this dictator, he is a wannabe "Poet Laureate." What a terrible excuse for a teacher.
He is an intelligent man, but a horrible teacher. He uses his position within the classroom as an opportunity to feed upon his own ego. Far from helpful, his instruction actually causes students to disengage. In short, he has issues.
Simply put, if you see his name on your class schedule, GET OUT WHILE YOU STILL CAN
An impossible class. Very hard to know what he was actually wanting from assignments. A bit mean, but at times a bit witty. Overall, wouldn't recommend.
NO TO ATHEY! Athey is good for making you want to change your major from English. He has a way of making you feel stupid and incompetant. If you cherish your self-esteem Just say NO TO ATHEY!
Athey lacks the ability to teach. He uses his classroom as a means to empowering himself by putting down his students, and coloring all your papers with a red pen and snotty comments. During his "lectures", he speaks of nothing related to the cl
One of the worst professors I've ever had. Very unapproachable and not helpful at all! I changed my major after I had him! Assigns a ton of reading and grades hard. Avoid him at all costs!!
mean guy
knows what he talking about and expects you to instantly know the same
I loved the guy. He is smart and artiulate and easily approachable.
Athey might know a lot in his field. However, doesn't know how to teach. His lectures are very uninviting, dull, and confusing. He has his favorites in every class and he makes it obvious.
Smart, witty, quarky and stimulating. The class is tough and so is he. He expects a lot out of his students but, we ARE graduate students. The research skills that I have learned in his class are incredible and will take me far in my pursuit of a PhD.
Most of the people who don't like Athey are probably those who think that they deserve As for mediocre work. Fortunately, he does not grant such grades for people who desire to slide by. Instead, he challenges students to rise above the often dismisal expectations at CSUN. He's pretty funny too.
I really like Athey. He expects students to work hard and give their best; you will be given the grade you earn. The people who do not like Athey, are typically those students who are underachivers. Only mad dogs and Englishmen can't be successful with Athey.
A thought provoking and wonderful professor. I have learned so much in his classroom. His class is witty and challenging - just as a Grad class should be! Boo for all of you anti-Atheys - it's just because you couldn't hack a bit of hard work.
Don't let his reputation scare you; Dr. Athey is a wonderful professor. If you are looking for an easy "A," he is not the teacher for you. However, anyone who understands the value of hard work and is willing to take responsiblibty for thier education will appreciate his style.
He can't teach at all!!! The grades he assigns are totally unfair and based only on his personal opinion.
No Comments
A true dictator...do not take this professor find a good teacher. As for those who praise him does it count towards your grade? To true English students stay away from his classes....
He is extremely knowledgable in his field so don't try the BS stuff, it simply will not work. But what I remember best about him was that he was willing to help me on other papers for other English classes. Go by this office hour and have him read over your papers, he will offer a lot of help.
Athey is a pretty nice guy but he is one of the worst teachers I have ever met in my life. He does not teach material, but rather expects students to attain information by osmosis. He is very self-centered and prides himself on his ability to recite poetry. I hope he reads these comments so he will know what a bad teacher he is. Nice..not good.
sounds like an easy class: intro to lit. athey is a very hard grader.
After you get over his stammer you'll discover he doesn't complete a sentence. The hardest part of his class is trying to understand what he's saying. He intentionally gives a low grade on the first test. There's 2 exams & 2 papers ~ material not hard, just repeat everything he says in class. He is funny, don't take his insults seriously. Nice man.
a deathly boring and confusing class. athey does not speak clearly, nor does he articulate the guidelines for his assignments: you pay with your grade. not recommended for english majors, or otherwise.
He is a horrible teacher, who is a terrible grader. He grades solely on his personal opinion which is really unfair. DO NOT TAKE THE CLASS OR YOU WILL GET AN AUTOMATIC F, BEFORE YOU EVEN WALK IN THE DOOR!!!!
He is a very nice and funny man. He makes fun of students but don't take it seriously; it's just all for fun. However, he is a very hard grader and doesn't explain things well. He also isn't very helpful; you ask him a question and you leave still confused. It's hard to pass his class and what he expects from you is very unclear. Good man though.
he is very funny, but i would not take his class, especially if english is not your subject. Athey is a hard grader and doest explain the projects clearly. Everyone in the class didn't really like his teaching style. I was doing bad in the class, so I went to his office hours for help, and he didn't really care.
Ah... it's been a long time since I've taken a class with Professor Athey. He was the hardest teacher I ever worked with. But you know what, he cared about high quality writing. He demanded the best from his students. Take him if you want to challenge yourself. Avoid his class if you'd like to take the easy way out.
Worst professor I ever had! He doesn't teach he dictates. If you need a class to graduate and he's the only one teaching it WAIT! You are better off graduating later then taking a class of his.
After receiving a B. A and M. A from CSUN, I have never had a professor worse than Athey. He is rude, obnoxious, and by far the worst professor ever! Because of him I almost changed by major but instead I took much better profs and now I teach English at GCC. Ignore all those who praise Athey; any professor at CSUN is better than him!
i LOVE Athey, he is hard, but you learn, if you a lazy ass dont take his class. if you want to learn then he is for you.
Do not take this man....he shouldn't even be a teacher. He is by far the worst professor I've ever had. He mumbled a lot during his lectures spent much of the time putting people down and could never give a clear set of directions. You'll learn absolutely nothing in his classes except for life isn't fair sometimes.
Athey is great. You need to come to the class willing to engage the subject, not just to be spoon fed the information. It is not easy but it is COLLEGE!! You have to be responsible for your own academic success
He's ****!
Joel Athey is the worst professor I have ever had at CSUN. I swear this man gets off on criticizing people. Don't take him if you can avoid him!
he has issues ... boring and bland
One of the worst teachers I had in CSUN. Here are four things I don't like about him: Doesn't explain anything, doesn't know what he wants (when homework is concerned)before students submit their homeworks, downgrade students, hard to communicate. Only one good thing I can mention that he lets students redo the homework to meet his expectations
Athey is a very smart man, no doubt, and a good man. However, as a professor this man should retire. He does not express his expectations and his writing assignments are unclear. This class is hard only bc you dont know what you're doing, and neither does he! Try your hardest to not take him, you'll waste your money and time.
He is very unclear of what he wants, he is very boring, and he does like to put the students down in his own way. Very hard class to pass...if you are lucky, you can get a C.
Don't expect to get an A no matter what.
Horrible, learned nothing. This man is a bad reflection on the University. Avoid him, he's unclear, unprofessional and should retire.
I emphitatically agree with the opinions expressed. Watch out, his class is extremly difficult. OLD FASHIONED, thinks the world is 1951. Made bad, joking comment on Arabs. very dull and unenlightening. There are much better ENG professors at CSUN, so its pointless to waste your time on this person. I would not take him again, avoid if possible!
Okay people are kinda harsh on this guy. I didn't like him either, but I don't think he strives to be an ass. He is actually pretty funny if you have a sarcastic sense of humor, and don't get offended easily. He grades very very hard, and it's tough to tell exactly what he wants from you. What he thinks is always correct, so just agree to agree
No Comments
Dr. Athey is funny with lots of interesting stories. But he is extremely unclear, talks in incomplete sentenses and grades very hard. He is very smart but is a very bad teacher.
No Comments
Hard Professor. Unclear lectures, hard grader, and expects a lot from students. Don't take him.
I took this class just because it fit in with my schedule. I should have listened to the warnings. He is biased, unclear, does not hand back work in time to make improvements, and he grades VERY hard. He is funny and a GREAT person, but not clear in teaching.
As a person he's great, he always made me laugh. As a teacher though I really disliked him. He takes off a lot of points for little things and you never know what he expects of you. I tried really hard in this class and I got a C- this is by far my lowest grade in any English class I've taken.
I took 3 classes with Dr. Athey, both undergrad and grad and he is still one of my favorite teachers. Sometimes I was extremely frustrated (it's true he can be a bit unclear) but overall I enjoyed his classes and learned a great deal. He was always willing to talk and help you out- just ask him.
All hard work will be paid off in spades; slackers beware!
Positively the worst professor I've ever had! He is unclear in his methods and expectations as well as extremely unhelpful. He doesn't teach. He just assigns pointless assignments and rambles on. Most of the time the class is off topic and is used as a forum to expose his Victorian Poetry Fetish to us like he's some sort of literary exhibitionist.
I think he is very knowledgable and also funny. True, he is not really open to different opinions, but makes ABSOLUTELY clear what he wants in his exams and papers. So its not difficult to get a good grade if you take some notes on what he says.
Athey is funny, wise, cynical, and old. People don't seem to like him because you can't b.s. through the assignments and tests. He's definitely a harsh/picky grader, but he lets you know what he wants. His persona makes it all worth it though.
Athey needs to retire! He is very opinionated and he wants the students to write per his opinion and views, not your own!! He is rude and gives rude comments on papers. he told me to throw my paper away because it was no good! He only read the first page of my paper! Do not take this instructor if you want to pass!
Dr. Athey is the worst English teacher in the department. His lectures come from Wikipedia, and they have serious factual errors. He does not tolerate other points of view, and he will yell at you and throw you out of his office if you challenge him. His standards are also VERY vague. I should have listened to my counselor and never have taken him!
If you like a Challenge and a Character, then this is your class. You get Old-School teaching style from Athey, but nobody is physically abused. Yeah it's both thumbs
He is a pretty hard teacher. He only wants to hear what you have to say if you agree with him. He is almost disrespectful toward students sometimes. He grades hard and seems to not even read everything you write. If you get a bad grade on a paper, argue it with him. Once he gave me 11 more points because he was wrong in his grading. Avoid him!
This professor was the worst professor i have ever had. He is the harshest grader i have ever known and he doesn't accurately explain things. He is confusing and unclear all the time. He doesn't hand back papers until about a month later.I should have checked on here before i registered for him.
He is unpredictable. Mostly nice and funny but then out of the blue he can turn on you. That aside he is a pretty decent and misunderstoof guy. If you put in a little effort you will survive.
He is unpredictable. Mostly nice and funny but then out of the blue he can turn on you. That aside he is a pretty decent and misunderstoof guy. If you put in a little effort you will survive.
He is unpredictable. Mostly nice and funny but then out of the blue he can turn on you. That aside he is a pretty decent and misunderstoof guy. If you put in a little effort you will survive.
This class was terrible, he'll give you a decent grade if you write about his opinions but he doesnt make that very clear during lecture, he takes of ALOT of points for the most bizzare things, i would definately stay away from this guy!
I thought this professor was great, his class was very interesting. He is an extremely hard grader, make sure you pay close attention to his lectures and take notes. This is not a class to wander off in or text message. We had no written homework, except 2 essays...and 3 tests. I worked hard and got an A. Very finny and nice guy.
He's a nice guy, but he didn't know what he was doing in the class, and as a result neither did any of us. It was his first semester teaching it, but the lack of organization and a comprehensive lesson plan made the class torture. I can see where he could be a good professor, but Lit & Film was not his best way to demonstrate it.
No Comments
Always available to give help. Very clear in his teaching.
let me make it clear to you: Do not take his class, unless you have to.
One of the worse teachers i've ever had. Avoid at all costs.
incredibly nice, but thats about it. He marks off ALOT of points for everything, even if you have the answer right you can still fail. Went to talk to him in his office hours and wasw there for 3 hours because he kept talking about things not even relevant to this class!
AVOID. he works you so hard and you still leave his class with a terrible grade. even if you have the right answer, pull all nighters, etc, you will NOT achieve the grade you deserve. he is always available to help, but yes, he WILL talk for 3 hours about nonsense. he is a nice man, but has unrealistic expectations for an undergrad course.
I am not an underachieving student, and I will never take a class with Athey again. He is difficult in every way. HE THREW A STUDENTS PAPER AT THEM AFTER CLASS. He also told me I got a D- on an essay because it was on the bottom of the pile and he was tired. That is not acceptable. I'd say no.
Professor Athey is really a nice guy, maybe a bit misunderstood. Just know that although he runs his classes with a very laid-back attitude, he does not grade tests and papers in this same way. This can take students by surprise when they get there first grades back. If you take the class seriously, you will be fine.
Not surprised that majority of students hate him, the fact that he STILL is employed by CSUN tells you about the school's lack of caring for students. He is unprofessional, irresponsible, and a nasty man. He once gave me a D on an essay only to tell me later it deserved an A, but he wouldn't change. He, and Kathleen Rowlands, are some of the worst
A terrible professor. Notes dont match exams. Grades with favoritism. Avoid. Look how low his score is and how many ratings there are.
I took classes with Dr. Athey as an undergrad and as a graduate student and now, about 10 years out, I STILL think about his classes and what I learned in them. I loved when he called people out for trying to BS or for making idiotic statements. I wish all my professors had had the balls to do it. He IS old-school but in a good way!
Dr. Athey gave very creative assignments which obviously required a lot of work from him to design. That also required a lot of work from the students. But the work was worth it - you learn a lot. Dr. Athey is very helpful, if you ask him for aid. He is very fair and an outstanding teacher.
Class Info
Textbook Required
100%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
A-
Grade Distribution
Rating Trend
Stable
+0.02 avg changeRatings by Course
GRADLEVEL
5.0
(1)BIBLIO601
5.0
(1)ENGLISH460
5.0
(1)SEVERAL
5.0
(1)ENG364
5.0
(1)Difficulty by Course
GRADLEVEL
5.0
EN259
5.0
VICTORIAN
5.0
ENG307
5.0
ENG251
5.0