Really great guy! He was very helpful an understaning. The readings that he uses are a little dry but overall he is a very good professor.

Awesome prof. Great presentatin of materials, though focused on a more social-historical level than literary criticism. Thoughtful, helpful and understanding.

Great Prof.!!! take his class if you have the chance and actually go to this one because unlike other lectures this guy really says something worth listening to about the subject matter , about life and about you and me.

Great guy, didn't correct my 1st paper I admit it that paper was crap but he suggested me to a tutor and I improved. Only knock on Hess is mad handouts my boy and me called him "Handout Hess"

Super nice guy! There is a ton of reading and he gets frustrated when people don't keep up. Will let you re-write papers for a better grade.

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Very interesting class-I found the reading assignments and discussions very fascinating: so much so that I still have the book.

Brilliant man with a fun, liberal view and a love of Literature and History. Great class.

Humorous; helpful; understanding. His assignments aren't overwhelming. Even if you need more time - - he'll give it to you. If you want a better grade - - he'll let you re-do it! Such a sweet guy. But there are a lot of handouts!! :D

he is a great guy - very supportive and helpful - really funny - take his classes they are awesome and he really keeps your interest!

Very Great Professor...but sometimes can lose his temper if the class does not do the reading. Very easy to bring your grade up. Only four papers and no mid-term or final exam.

Took in summer; assigns a lot of reading. Really enjoys teaching the course, likes students to get involved with participation, and easy course. No midterm or final, just papers. Not a tough grader.

John Hess is the absolute man. This guy is fun and funny in class and he makes the class go by quick by adding his personal life experiences which are crazy and awesome. He is lenient with all the work and is very very understanding of the demands of being a student. Great teacher and class.

Really nice guy, very interesting topics to read, very easy to talk to.

I recommend you take his classes, especially if you're a freshman or sophomore. He'll tell you about personal stories, which will make you think about a lot of stuffs. You'll become a better person.

By far one of the best teachers i have ever had! Such an interesting class, easy and fun assignments. Such a great guy.

ok lets see....Professor Hess is THE best teacher i have EVER had. He was SO helpful and you can tell he loves his students. You can go to him with just about anything, and he is so understanding of his students. if you want a good grade, or need to get your GPA up, this is THE BEST way. He is the BEST TEACHER you will have at UMASS BOSTON!!!! :)

john hess is a great professor. he invites great guest speakers into his class. he is very helpful and very good at getting papers back on time. the discussions in class are very interesting. really loves both teaching and his students.

Readings and discussions are interesting.Bonded really well with students.Gave all the students hugs or high-fives on the way out of our last class. Great professor

John is a great teacher, really cares about the success of his students

Highly recommended

Great Professor. I had no interest in this class prior to taking it. But Hess is such a great professor that this became one of my favorite classes. He is extremely helpful, truly concerned about his students. If possible take a class with Hess.

He is a wonderful teacher with great teeth. He ENJOYS teaching and finds a passion for success with his class AND his students. He really helps students succeed and understand the material. He is highly recommended.

TAKE HIS CLASS!!!!! He is AWESOME. He loves this subject, is willing to help any student get an A, he is understanding and very patient. He loves class discussions. just attend class, do the readings and you will get an A. this is the easiest class ever. He is seriously the best

Easy class, does not stick to due dates so don't worry about getting papers in on time, really nice and helpful... highly recommend! A++

This professor has got to be one of the best instructors I have ever had. He gives us work to do and encourages us to come up with our own perspectives, which we discuss together in class. This is not a strict class and he treats us with the kind of care, respect, and openness that he would his own children. I highly recommend this class.

awesome professor. Super sweet and funny. Just do his reading, turn in all your work and you will do fine. He is very passionate about history.

Didn't realize I was taking a HISTORY class when I signed up for English 102. Such garbage. If I wanted to learn about the Holocaust I would take a course about the Holocaust. Be prepared for Junior year of high school history class if you have him.

John Hess is easily one of the best if not the best Professors i have ever had in my 3 years in college.

One of the best professors at UMB. I had him for ENG102 and AMST206. He helps to improve your writing skills and gives lots of helpful feedback on each assignment. He grades fairly and will reward you for hard work. He is a nice guy, so do not take advantage of him! He cares for students on both an academic and personal level. Highly recommend!

Great professor. Really explains the material in the texts and wants you to learn. Genuinely cares about his students' success. I would absolutely take more classes with him if I could!

He's a great guy, great teacher. His lectures can get boring but then he livens it up with a some crazy story about his life

He's honestly one of the funniest teachers i've ever had. Be prepared by reading the books. And his class consisted of just 3-4 papers, discussions and videos. He's really helpful especially after class and will give you chances if you miss deadlines.

4 papers that are 4 pages long and attendance is worth 10%. Professor Hess does genuinely care about his students and is a good person but he does get frustrated when people don't read. Thought it would be more videos and visual learning but its basically all lecture, not that interesting.

He's the best! Wish I could have him again.

He is the best teacher I have ever had. I took him for my first english class in the honors college and I would love to have him again. If you can take his class, DO IT!

Best teacher at umass. Understanding, great guest speakers, helpful, all around awesome human being

Professor Hess is a wonderful professor. He is always helpful and wants to see all of his students succeed. Take his class!

He was such a wonderful teacher! He was truly passionate about his work. He was so helpful and understanding as well. I would take a class with him again any time! Take his class- you won't regret it! He's one of the best teachers at UMB!

Amazing professor! I just took him for Honors English 102 and I don't think any professor will ever match up to him. He'll assign a lot of homework but if it's too much for you he's fine with you handing assignment in late. He really genuinely cares about his students and their success. Student success is his top priority. Excellent professor.

Loved professor Hess. Was extremely understanding of my late assignments and got back to me quickly on all my emails. Would definitely recommend this class!

I took the Honors section. Professor Hess is a really nice guy, very understanding. He assigns a lot of readings/responses, but never marks you down for late papers. Major papers are a breeze and he's always happy to proof-read before you submit a paper. He lets you re-write papers. Pretty much a review of AP English, and an easy A.

he is soo funny and so nice! not afraid to be real with students and crack inappropriate jokes. Always keeps discussions interesting and makes the 60s seem like a hoot!Not to hard,just papers to turn in.TAKE HIS CLASS!

Best teacher, best person, best everything. You'd be crazy not to take his class! He is by far the best teacher and best person at this campus! Truly loves his students and just being alive! Hess, is more then a teacher he leaves an impression on you! If you have the chance take the class!!!!

GREAT professor. He honestly left a mark on me hugely. hands down all time favorite teach throughout my last 4 yrs in college He shows passion when it comes to his students and teaching. He is a easy A. Just 4 papers no tests or final. I could take this guy over and over again if I can. No words to describe how much I love him

By far the BEST professor at UMB. He really cares about his students and wants everyone to succeed. His class is super easy, all papers. He loves when students sends him drafts. Easy A. I would take more classes with him

John Hess is an amazing teacher, he is very passionate about teaching and really cares for his students. You will often see student hang around just to speak with him, even for small talk. If you participate in class and DO THE READINGS, professor Hess will take a personal interest in you and your studies. Very glad to have taken his course!

Hess is an an absolutely amazing teacher. Not only does he know what he is talking about, he actually takes the time and effort to explain to anyone who doesn't understand. His grading policy is very fair and he's understanding when there is anything wrong. I HIGHLY recommend taking any of his courses if you can!!!

What an amazing professor. Grade consists of 4 papers. Passionate about the subject and cares so much about his students. Gives amazing feedback on papers and allows you to rewrite them until you are satisfied with your grade. Almost too lenient with deadlines because he understands his students are busy. What an asset he is to the University.

It is not possible to have a more kind & engaging professor. I have never recieved such detailed feedback on a paper. He honestly cares about his students and is a great man. If you get the opportunity to take him, do it. Interesting class, great discussions, great professor.

Just take his class if you have a chance. He is like the best in this campus.

Professor Hess is really great at teaching and really knows the material. He makes you forget you are taking a history class and will engage the students, you will learn a lot and also have fun at the same time he is HILARIOUS! He is always there for students to help and make sure you are doing good and understanding the material. LOVE HIM!!

I never read the readings, just really paid attention to his lectures and took good notes. Make sure to write down quotes he mentions to use in your papers. You have a chance to redo all assignments and he proves feedback that basically rewrite your paper for you. Nicest and most sincere professor I've ever had. Would take another class of his.

I was having a bad semester and he gave me extra time to pass in all of my homeworks. It has been two years since I've had his class and he still stops me in the halls to say hi and emails me. He is the best teacher I ever had at UMB. He gives homework but allows you to redo them and goes out of his way to help you do well. Take his class!

Wonderful teacher, truly cares about his students, very understanding. One of the best teachers I have ever had at UMB. John is the man!

LOVE PROFESSOR HESS! He is so smart and enthusiastic. He knows his stuff. Take him, take him. There is a lot of reading. Try to read as much a possible.

He's seriously an amazing person and teacher. I struggled a lot last semester with health and such. If you have an issue he will work with you to make sure you're doing okay. He's great with feedback and discussion. You learn so much in his class not only about English but about life. Highly recommended, he's a terrific professor.

I love this teacher. Dont take his class and just skip and not read because he always discusses all the readings. At least three sixpage papers along with alot of reading.

Hess is the best person alive. Add "there for you" - I was overly stressed and had personal issues about 3 weeks from the end of the semester and didn't pass in a paper and ton of hw assignments on time, but he completely understood and didn't mind waiting for them. Today was our last class and I got a hug, was told to keep smiling. I'll miss him

Loved Professor Hess' class. The things you learn will change your life.

Professor Hess is an amazing professor and you're lucky if you have him!

Professor Hess is the best professor and person at UMB. Willing to go above and beyond to help his students. Class requires students to write 4-5 essays, but his directions are clear and those who put in the effort will receive a good grade.

Such a wonderful professor!!!! Super intelligent and really cares about his students. He assigns a lot of reading with questions but the material is always really interesting. 4-5 essays due for the whole semester and he isn't a tough grader. Every class is discussion based and a wide array of topics are talked about. Easily my favorite professor!!

Professor Hess was an awesome teacher. He demonstrated a wide knowledge of the subject and seemed genuinely interested about what he was teaching. He does require you to bring the large amount of readings to class, so if you don't like reading on a screen, get ready to print. He gives extensive comments on papers which I found very helpful.

Professor Hess is great. Bottom line. He breaks almost every stereotype of the college professor. He's understanding, lenient, and caring. He's also one of the most interesting people I've ever met in my life, listen to him when he talks, you'll learn something new about the world GUARANTEED. Hess proves that not all professors are strict robots.

John Hess is the GOAT. Best prof at UMASS. Keeps you aware of whats going on in the University and is engaging and interesting. He has a high level of respect for all of his students but is not afraid to go there. would take his class again!!!

Amazing teacher. Talks about current events and helps with class works. I've never had a better teacher throughout my whole educational experience!!

He is simply AMAZING! So caring and understanding and a very interesting person to talk to.

Hess is an outstanding professor. He cares deeply for his students, which is refreshing. Make sure that you do every reading assigned (there is a lot). He will go over every aspect and expect you to be prepared to discuss in class. Participation will gain you extra brownie points as long as you have something meaningful to say.

This guy is the best. Hes hilarious, kind, caring towards his students, a fair grader, passionate, and smart. He gives the best feedback Ive ever seen on papers. He actually types out lovely notes to each student. He is a true gem.

If I could give John a 10 I would. Hes the best! His lectures are awesome and hes so funny! He is willing to work with you, so that you get an A.

Quite a bit of assignments, but they're all totally manageable and Hess is really great about letting you turn things in late. He tells anecdotes all the time and keeps the class interesting.

Professor Hess is a wonderful professor to have. He is friendly, understanding, and encourages people to freely speak their minds in class. He's given me more feedback than any other professor. He, does, however assign a lot of essays (three short responses a week plus longer ones every few weeks) and readings. He also can go on tangents sometimes.

One of the greatest professors I've had at UMB.

I enjoyed Professor Hess' class. He's a super caring and flexible teacher, and is always willing to help you in any way possible. I'm not a big history fan and took this for a requirement, but Professor Hess made me not despise a history class for once. 4 papers based on readings and no tests. Super open to help you with papers too!

Professor Hess was an amazing professor. He cares about his students and the University to an incredible degree, and made me love English for the first time since the 5th grade.

This guy is a saint. Hes a brilliant and kind man. His lectures are fantastic. Hes super funny and engaging. He genuinely wants us to all do well.

This teacher is amazing. His lectures are fun and engaging, he tends to talk about other thing that sort of relate to the class but not really. Which is why I personally like the class. Time passes by quick and basically easy A. As long as you complete HWs and Essay assignments.

4 essays and 1 field trip. Theres's a lot of reading! Show up. to class because he analysis what's in the readings which will help you a ton on your essays. He's a really nice guy as well.

John Hess is an amazing professor. He really cares that you learn something as a student, and it shows in his classes.

Professor Hess is awesome. His class is fun, but there was a LOT of reading.

John Hess is an amazing professor who is not only highly academically intelligent, but who also cares greatly about his students as individuals and their opinions and insights. I would definitely recommend taking any class with him, and wish the best for him in the future!

best prof at umb. definitely lots of reading/response but not crazy and super understanding if you tell him you're falling behind. always responds to emails and gives amazing essay feedback. also just super fun to be in class with. be sure to show up because he does a great job explaining the work. you can tell he loves teaching and his students

this class is the highlight of my day. prof Hess is an amazing professor who is not only incredibly smart, caring, and helpful, but such an interesting person with so many stories which makes class interesting as well, someone needs to write a memoir about him like omg. genuinely cares about his students and reminded me why I loved writing so much

this class rekindled my love for writing. I look forward to this class every day and hearing prof Hess' insights into not only the specific readings but the current condition of the world. does an amazing job at making even difficult readings understandable and keeping things current. class assignments are easy to keep up with and so wort it

One of the best English teachers at UMB. He is genuinely nice and caring. He's also well-informed about various social issues, and respects and values everyone's opinions. There's a lot of intensive readings and essays but he provides good feedback and support when needed!

Clear grading criteria, understanding, you have to pay attention to his lectures. Interesting and will ask you to speak about the readings

Hess really cares about his students and give one paper per unit but gives out so many resources, its hard to not write a good paper for him. Only thing that bothered me is he calls black people "blacks" so if thats the kind of thing to urk you, maybe stay away from his courses.

Very passionate about his classes and teaching. He gives a lot of reading for the essays (1 essay per unit) but they help a lot. It's easy to get behind in class with all of the material but he is open to extensions. Can sometimes go off topic during lectures and he appreciates/encourages when students participate. I would recommend him/be prepared

There is a lot of reading but skimming will suffice. There are very few things graded which are essays and attendance. Essays are on the easier side with a sufficent amount of time to get it done but extenstions are given often. Provides lots of feedback on essays with praise and constructive criticism.

Hess is one of the best professors I have had and he cares about how his students are doing. His lectures are very understanding and his answers to questions are truly helpful. He's one of the best for sure.

Such a caring professor and is very smart on what he talks about. He gives reading homework but they're straight forward. The essays are also straight forward and have a lot of resources provided to help.

4 papers, 4 pages each. YOU NEED TO READ!! He's great overall and tells great stories of his past but please read! he gets pissed if no one has anything to say. Prepare to read out loud in class also. he's very caring and will give extensions if needed. Show up to class and read and you'll pass the class.

Professor Hess is awesome. Wicked entertaining, wicked smart, and really makes you think twice about your most basic beliefs. Couldn't recommend more, although, if it's a morning class and you're not a morning person, don't take the class because you will just be boring and ruin it for others because it's better when everyone is involved.

Hess is a good teacher, though he goes on tangents a lot about his life. More than just being a better writer, you can tell he also wants to help you be a better person. He assigns readings and writing HW for every class, which can get to be overwhelming, but he's very flexible as long as you get the essays in on time. He gives good feedback.

John Hess' class was one of the best English classes I have taken. The material is heavy, and there is a lot of reading, so you might have to dedicate more time to this class vs another one, but the topics of the essays were interesting, and he gave great feedback. It's clear that he cares about his students, as well as making changes in the world.

I recommend his class just because of how eccentric he is, greatest stories! An decent grader, will give lots of feedback. HW/readings for every class, most were kinda boring but manageable. Show respect and effort and he will be flexible for due dates. Same goes for overall class grade, he is open to boosting grades if he sees overall improvement.

Sen. Lecturer Hess is a godsend. The amount of passion and care he puts into his course and students is truly noticeable. I took him over the summer, and he made sure to clearly articulate the syllabus and course info. 3 Essays, and homework to do each week. Very clear grader, will let you know what to improve on, and give you time to fix drafts.

Hess was super chill and his classes were great. The lectures were a little on the boring side and he provided a lot of readings to do, but atleast come to class and contribute 1 thing from the readings and you'll be fine. The essays had strict writing guidlines and source uses, but I always showed my draft and he gave feedback before I submitted.

The class was not bad overall. The only issue I had was with how tough of a grader he is. I got a C on essays I wrote that I put my heart and soul into.

He's one of the best professors at UMB and I truly feel blessed that I had him for English 102. I often reminisce about the things we discussed in class, and he's someone who is truly self-aware and analytical when it comes to everything. He often goes on rambles, but they are so informative and insightful. I ALWAYS looked forward to going to class

He is so caring and his class is enjoyable to be in. You can tell he is passionate in what he talks about and is always willing to help you. it is mostly writing in this class but he is clear about what he wants from you. Such a nice guy!!

Ignore every other review, Professor Hess is one of the few professors at this school who genuinely cares about each person. He's extremely vocal and passionate about human prosperity and you can see it in his class he devotes great time to his craft. People say he's opinionated, but aren't we all? Nothing wrong with tough conversations!

amazing professor and so so caring. he's passionate about what he teaches and loves his students. only 3 units and 3 essays, as well as easy daily homework. he gives you the essays a month in advance and is very open to recieving drafts so he can help you edit them. participation matters, but its easy and conversation with him is always great.