2.7
Quality3.5
Difficulty21%
Would Retake110
Reviews21%
Would Retake
110
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
5
16
4
25
3
18
2
21
1
30
What Students Say
“Worst teacher I have ever encountered at Loyola University”
CLST273 - 2.0 rating“Avoid if possible, use caution if not”
UCLR100 - 2.0 ratingClass Info
Attendance Mandatory
80%
Textbook Required
50%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B+
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-0.56 avg changeRatings by Course
CLST283
5.0
(1)PETRONIUS
5.0
(1)MANYLATN
5.0
(1)MYTHOLOGY
4.5
(4)CLASSICS
4.5
(2)Difficulty by Course
275
5.0
280
5.0
SATIRE
5.0
COMEDY
5.0
LATN288
5.0
Reviews (110)
No Comments
Alright teacher, poorly orginazed, didnt realize tell halfway though the semester that the book he choose lacked enough practice for the work, tends to forget what he says is going to be on a test and puts stuff on it he said wouldnt be
This class is very entertaining and so is the reading material (its about classical raunchy sex novels and poems). Every week, the professor does dramatic readings of some of the assigned readings. Paper assignments are very do-able.
He is extremely insensitive!As a teacher he is horrible and as a person he is even worse. He does not care about his students, he is totally self involved.Exams are hard, and his grading is unfair.You couldn't pay me to take another class with this guy.
This guy sucks. His exams arent hard per se but he just takes off points for no reason. He will not justify taking half off a question for either no reason or a extremly minor reason. This class sucks.
I Love Dr. Makowski! He's hot for an old guy. I'd totally get with him! His Latin class was fun, and he's a good professor.
I agree that Dr. Makowski is hot. His classes are difficult. I got a C, but so what? I say "take a bite out of the big Mak."
I took his golden age of rome class last summer and loved it. I learned so much and got an A. Take this class if you can!
No Comments
RUN AWAY SCREAMING. i hated the class. he was not helpful at all and always giggles at the sex scenes in the book. he makes me uncomfortable.
Kind of critial about papers. Shows a lot of movies. He is an attractive older man, and I would love to explore all sorts of erotic fantasies with him..maybe it's his enthusiasm for Ancient Greek and Roman Latino studies.
Dr. Makowski enjoys racy Latin literature, like all good Latinists. He is harmless: the nicest man on earth. I feel quite comfortable with him. If you want an easy A, you ought to look elsewhere, but don't smear a good man.
Not necessarily easy, but not difficult either if you try. It's true that if you want an easy A you should look elsewhere, but if you're willing to try he's good. Word to the wise, if you are trying to avoid tough exams, take him writing intensive!
I got an A. And I only studied like 2 days before the midterm and final exam. 2 papers (2 pages each) were not bad. He gives chance to rewrite 1st paper 2 get a bettr grade.I think he's sexy as hell. I'd totally makeout w/ him.I know he's old but he's ho
He is perhaps the worst teacher I've had at Loyola. Boring, laughs at all the dirty parts of the book, doesn't really teach because of this, kind of creepy, kind of condescending for some unknown reason. definately loves the latin, but makes you hate it.
VERY good teacher, not difficult lectures, very fun guy, really knows his stuff. Papers are challenging to do wel on, but not impossible. Easy exams and quizes very engaging, take him
Interesting material but he has the worst grading. Not a writing intensive class but graded like it is. Even if you have the right content in his mini-essays, you can still wind up with a C for a writing style that isn't like his. Tests are really easy though. And lots of movies. But hard grading.
Although this class was not a writing intensive class, he grades papers as if it was an intensive class. He expects his students to write clearly but he himself can not speak clearly. He is neurotic and is the most aggravating teacher I have EVER had. Avoid him like a plauge!
No Comments
This was a movie class.We read the play and then watched the corrresponding movie.We had to do film journals about how closely the movie follows the play.Midterm was not that horrible, though quote sections of his tests are not easy. Midterm,Journal,and Final are your grades.He stutters,be warned.
very annoying with how he rubs his belly and says "umm" in every single sentence. seems to be unsure of his own sexuality when he talks about how he feels about books. treats class like writing intensive but it's not. puts crazy stuff on his tests (he calls them quizzes that are worth 100 pts.).
Dr. Makowski is very helpful. He is a tough grader on papers but all you need to do is give him a draft and he will gladly look over it. As far as his exams, they are very easy. As long as you read the stories and somewhat pay attention in class, then you will do well on the tests.
His class would be a hell of a lot better if he did not laugh at the sexual contents contain in the play. If you are good at writing,then he loves you. Even though there are writing assignments, just write about what you want to. He is an exremely hard grader. The best writers still have problems.
This teacher is just plain crap. If you don't mind working your tail off for a class than take him. Period!!!!
Psychotic-looking bunny. Accused me of plagarism on the 1st paper (English honors maj) bc didnt think I could write "that well." Tests ok if you know the info, papers follow his comments.
Insulting and irritating teacher. Although the topic is interesting, he is a HORRIBLE grader. Even many of the students who write well have a horrible time trying to get good grades in this class... especially on the essays! Not helpful on revisions at all, unclear on what he wants and is rude in saying how good of a writer you are. dont take.
at times hard to follow and says umm like nobody's business, but nice and encouraging. cute in an old man sort of way..has very corny jokes that mostly no one understands. very knowledgable in his field
One of the worst professors at LUC. He is rude to students. He can't form a clear thought, but he can grade extremely difficult on papers? He tells you to change things in your paper, and you still get a bad grade. 50% of your grade from each of the 3 exams comes from quotes, which are difficult, and he grades hard on this and has no justification.
MAKOWSKI ROCKS...DEFINITELY ONE OF THE BEST PROFESSORS AT LUC. I don't know what everyone else is talking about because Makowski genuinely cares about his students and would do anything to help them...plus he's definitely an easy A, I never read for the class and got high As on all the tests and in the class. take him!
His lectures are boring, but very clear and give all the detail you need without reading. Bad movies (often fro mthe 1960s). Tests are find if you know your stuff, but essays are impossible. Without changin my writing style, I got an A on one and B- on another. He'll look at drafts, but it is very unclear what he wants!!!
He is such a bad professor. I wish I had have dropped the class, is what alot of people in the class now think. He is very unclear and contradictory. He seems to have favorites "A level writers" of the class. I only took it because it was a core writiing intensive, take my advice and save yourself the headache DO NOT TAKE CLASSES from this guy!!
Makowski isn't an easy A, but I give him credit for really critiquing his students' work and spending LOTS of time out of class to help us. He really wants his students to be good writers. If you actually want to learn (with some interesting cinema on the side), take him. If you're a lazy ass who came to college to just get an MRS., then don't.
Tough for writing intensive. Tests are ok. be eloborate for the essay portions cuz you are competing for best answer in class fyi quizes are really exams worth 300 pts. verbal pauses for 50% of lecture avoid at all cost
As you can see, this professor has mixed reviews. If you are taking this class to satisfy a requirement and your career goals do not include creating a best seller, his criticism regarding your writing is unwaranted. He is indecisive. Asking for a clearer definition of what he expects- useless. This class was a waist of time and money. BEWARE
I hate this professor. He is condescending and an extremely hard grader on papers. I would not reccomend this class. RUN!!! And for someone who prides himself on grammer should really think about taking a speech class! UMMMM
HORRIBLE Possibly the WORSE professor EVER. He is so rude and makes students feel like crap if they do not write like him. Does not allow any imaginative thinking.....absolutley HORRIBLE!!!!
It takes a bit to get used to his style of lecture, but once you get to know his style of humor and talking (he says ummm alot) you can pick things up quite easily. His grading on writing is tough but once you understand what he wants it gets easier to get good grades. I'd suggest taking the course, and don't get stressed from the syllabus.
He is def. a character. A bit odd, but harmless...lectures are sometimes akward as he likes bringing up sexual things but has trouble talking about them. Courseload is very fair, and he's intelligent and has a lot of knowledge. He is particular though abou this writing and what he wants from you. I think some of the ratings are too harsh.
Second class with him confirms that his mind and his class are both a cluster f***.He is all over the place sometimes.Tests are far from easy though calling them impossible is unfair.He is narrow minded in his expectations for essays but you figure it out fairly quickly if you pay any attention.Goes out of his way to help.Smart but needs some work.
wow, what an easy class. he shows movies for the 2nd half of the class (after spring break) and his tests are ridiculously easy. he gives a study guide a week before the test and it basically spoon feeds you all the material. i dont see how you can get less than an A in this class. took him while taking 22 hours and barely studied, pulling an A
He is ****ing hard..His tests are kinda easy. But he expects A LOT in his papers. He gives you a sheet of grammar check list but never explains anything. Take him if you write really well.
He's a very knowledgable man but I think he can use some help in teaching. Latin is a really confusing language to learn and he has a hard time answering questions and clearing things up in class. He goes through the book quickly but his quizzes and tests are easy. The grading scale is really low, so an idiot can even score an A. He's alriiiiiiite
He gives you a study guide before the test that tells you everything thats gonna be on it but he takes points off of essays for no reason at all. His lectures just summarize the book.
Dr. Makowski is hilarious, I honestly looked forward to class every week just to see what antics he would get up to. He is obsessed with sex, grammar, and Rome (in that order). I gave a presentation instead of writing the papers. I would suggest that everyone do the same because he is generous in grading if you show enthusiasm.
His expectations for papers are ridiculous. His quizzes aren't that hard, they're decent. His classes are boring, says UMMM 24/7.
dr. makowski, is so easy, instead of writing 4 papers you can do a presentation and he loves quality powerpoint presentations so it is easy to get a good grade. T he makes you watch a lot of movies which actually helps. He also gives an extensive study guide before the 1 quiz, 1 midterm and 1 final. interesting material, easy a
It is hard to know what he wants on his papers. Never really explains that part. There is also an enormous amount of reading that you have to do every single week. Not a good class to take.
Class is okay. He is very knowledgeable in this area. Never understood what he wanted to write in film journals. Study good for midterm and final. Recommend the class, but the teacher.
hes funny and class is usually entertaining.he feeds u chocolate too. who knows what he wants on papers! thats the hardest part of the class. took AP english and apparently he hates my writing style. tests easy when u go to class and take notes on everything. nothing cumulative. instead of final long paper option of ppt which he def grades easier
Nice prof. Likes to say "um" a million times. Goes a little too fast for my taste; Latin is not that easy. Easy grader.
I have had this guy for 3 classes!!! I LOVE this man! If you go to class, listen, and actually read you WILL get an A. If he doesn't like your writing style just go and ask for help!
"ummm" and "mmmkay" will become part of your vocabulary for the semester. Good teacher tends to ramble on. Read and participate and you will get a good grade. If you do well on the last paper you won't have to take the last test.
The reading is informative and the lectures are really pretty funny; I have so many great quotes from his classes. He assigns several 1 page essays during the course, but each is held to a high standard. He's one of the few profs who emphasizes concision in papers; follow his guidelines and you will become a better writer. Here's to the Big Mac.
says mkuay way too much. definitely an interesting man. keeps class going, everything on the tests will be discussed in class or on handouts. text is fun. minimal papers, easy. i failed the class but because i skipped too much and read too little. i wish id tried harder because it made me think about switching majors it was that fun
Class is interesting. I took him for a Monday night class so it tended to drag on, but he went over the readings a lot, and he gives a good idea to you of what is on the test. You kinda have to go to class, but its not that bad. Plays a lot of movies, a few one page papers, midterm, and final. Not bad at all.. great for core!
surprisingly funny on occasion. difficult grader on his 1 page papers. u wont get above a94 on them b/c you have to write better then him to get that grade. class is worth takin if you have nothing else. he's a good guy. avg amount of work load lots of readin. he shows movies in class which is a +. hard midterm too need to know ur stuff to do good
He was a decent teacher, genuinely interested in the subject matter. If you're looking for a discussion leader for HONR 101, Makowski is the lesser of four evils.
He's a great teacher and suprisingly funny. The class requires a lot of reading but it's not difficult material. His papers are hard but not impossible and the tests can be very detail oriented. Overall a great class but not for those who just want an easy A.
Great professor. He makes class interesting, is very helpful and caring, and I feel like I've learned a lot from his class. Plus, he's hilarious.
This teacher was less than interesting in class. Has a tendency to stumble when trying to speak, which makes it hard to pay attention.
He is arrogant and grades your essays at his whim and not really on your effort. You can skate by pretty easily, but the stories are pretty interesting and hard to not like. If he got off his high horse it'd be better.
Every other word is 'um' super annoying! No grading scale on papers and super hard tests. Ok for core engl. class: 3 1-page papers & can turn final paper (6pages) into ppt project. He is really interested in the ancient romance novel. Picks favorites. Know major Greek myths and stories before. Some of his comments are incorporate about the books.
If he got off his high horse maybe would be a better class. He grades according to favorites and does not offer any guidance when it comes to grades. He's pretty hard to like. Material is very interesting, so this class would be amazing with another teacher. Do not take unless you want to damage your gpa a bit.
Text and material was interesting. Teacher plain old HORRIBLE.
Difficult teacher, but if you want to improve your writing, there is none better. Be prepared to work hard, attend class regularly, and read the material if you want a good grade. The class was more interesting than I thought it would be, too.
AVOID! He is the most condescending, useless professor I've ever had. The subject is awesome, however. So, take another professor if you can!
I LOVE THIS MAN! He is wonderful and so helpful. He is very funny and loves participation. I had him for the honors seminar freshman year, and still love him! He is great.
GREAT prof! I learned a lot of latin in a short amount of time. He's always willing to help students and is easy to talk to during office hours, so be sure to take advantage of it! He expects a lot from students (half the class dropped out) but all the work is well worth it. I feel extremely prepared for 102. Would highly recommend for latin 101!
Latin is a tough language, and Dr. Makowski will expect a lot out of you. Not the greatest lecturer (lots of um-ing and trailing off in the middle of sentences), but the man clearly loves Latin. Also has a thing for English grammar so you may want to brush up before class. Lots of HW and brief quizzes. Difficult class but I'd take it again.
Only good things about this course were the readings. With that out of the way, AVOID HIM, unless you like to see your GPA plummet. He's arrogant and inconsiderate. Worst teacher I have ever had. No grading scale when it comes down to the papers, just throws out grades. It's very clear that he does not want his students to succeed.
Worst teacher I have ever encountered at Loyola University.... correction: Worst professor ever. He comes off as laid back and helpful, but when it comes down to it, he is stubborn, a hard grader, and going to his office for help is useless. After telling me to redo a paper with his corrections...he gave me a worse grade! How is that possible?!
Avoid at all costs. Seriously.
Umm, umm, umm on a personal level, he's a funny, crazy, entertaining guy! Tests are in-depth and thorough, but do-able. Go to/pay attention in lectures! They seem pointless but contain many minor details which can equate to about 15% of test material. He's HARD to please on papers >:( . Do not get behind on reading! Approach class with caution 8(
This professor grades on impression. Basically, do well on your first essay and he'll go easy on you with papers for the rest of the semester. His tests are really hard and you have to know pretty much all of the terminology.
WORST PROFESSOR EVER!!!! AVOID HIM AT ALL COSTS!! If you don't make a good impression on him the first few classes, you will not pass his course.
Revels in his own eccentricity, Dr. Makowski expects a lot from his students. However, his tests are easy enough if you study, and he makes them fairly predictable. If you show up and pay attention, especially when he expresses personal interest in or emphasizes a particular concept, this class is not difficult.
Hard class for core. Very hard grader on writing assignments, and tests could be tricky too. Obviously loves classical myth and connecting it to other mediums.Showed lots of movie clips and photos of myth inspired works. Take if you're interested in the subject. Want an easy A, look elsewhere.
Dr. Makowski is a knowledgeable, albeit unorganized professor who loves the classics. This capstone is the second semester (Rome) and is a combination of history and literature. He grades hard on papers, but only if you make silly mistakes. His exams are tricky, but doable. He may seem intimidating, but is very approachable and considerate.
Professor Makowski is wonderful teacher. He is strict, but you will learn a lot. He makes this class so interesting as he is great orator. In fact, there is a lot of material to cover and a lot of reading, but his papers and tests are easy. You have to study, but he provides a study guide. No surprises. I would highly recommend him.
Says uuuummmm almost after every word making him hard to understand and follow. Expects to much for a core class, the class is very reading intensive. There are 4 tests during the semester along with a series of graded and ungraded short papers. He is an extremely tough grader! do not even consider unless your writing top notch quality.
HE IS THE WORST GRADER IN THE WORLD! If you're not good at writing papers, AVOID HIM AT ALL COSTS. Impressions is all he goes off of. If you do bad on your first paper, you'll get that same grade for the rest of your papers. Even with the help of the writing center, you'll still end up with a horrible grade. Tests aren't bad. Papers are impossible
This teacher is unhelpful, unorganized, chauvinistic and creepy. Far too much work for a core class, very difficult to talk to, expects a lot out of essays and doesn't leave clear critique. Make sure you do the reading, watch out when you try to answer questions because most of the time they're rhetorical. Avoid if possible, use caution if not.
This professor is creepy. Most of the comments that he made were offensive. He tried way too hard to be funny. He expected too much for a core class! He was unclear with what he wanted for essays and I found myself trying to adapt to a new style of writing just to make him happy. This is the worst class that I've taken at Loyola!
Worst teacher I've ever had, hands down and I've attended three colleges. Says "umm" every other word, no clear expectations, no clear grading scale, way too much work for a core class.
Studders at every word. What he expects is unclear. Had 3 books, were expected to know entire quotes, not given to us before hand, for tests. Grading is unclear and not stable. Worst teacher I've ever had. DO NOT TAKE
Hard of hearing, but be patient with him. He's strict about grammar and pronunciation but it makes you better. Brush up on your SAT vocab, though. He will lord his superior vocabulary above your head. XD You'll learn, and it'll be good.
He is a classics professor and thus only chooses classic novels, epics, etc to read. He pauses a lot and often can't find words to say what he means and also holds you accountable for things that were never in the reading or class notes. He portrays himself as laid back and easy going, but he's a considerably tough grader.
He isn't a particularly hard paper grader so long as you follow his rubric. As a Latin teacher he moves very quickly and holds your hand through the translation, so that you end up learning less overall. Still an easy A though. He did expect us to know Roman history we weren't taught, though (just use Wikipedia for that).
Latin with Dr. Makowski is both good and bad. It's great if you're an intermediate student because the textbooks are perfect for that level and he really helps you through the translations. It's too easy if you're advanced, though. Assignments include lots of translation, 2 short essays, 3 translation exams, and a history exam.
Do not take! I took latin 101, my first time taking latin, and i was completely lost as he taught the class as if we already knew the material. He will call on students at random to translate text so you always have to be ready and translating ahead of time as he talks to be prepared. He is unclear, hard to understand and and cannot stay on track
Professor Makowski is a great Latinist and instructor. He is laid back and very receptive to complaints; one of the most easy-going professors I've had. He can be unclear at times and some beginners might be frustrated, but that is the unfortunate consequence of being forced to cram 3 levels of Latin in 1 classroom. If you work hard, you'll do well
I took UCLR core with this professor (eventually with drawled). He was very tough on all of the papers he graded and made me feel like I had no idea what I was doing and told some students in class to "sue their high schools". In his lectures he reads right off of the powerpoint. Also is insincere. I would avoid him at all cost.
Save yourself the headache and stress and refrain from signing up for this course. Every test he gives feels like a final. I went to him for help on papers and he was of no help at all. He spent more time criticizing, rather than being helpful. He expects way too much. Definitely the worst class I've taken in my 2 years of college.
I have not met anyone that has struggled in UCLR100 as much as my classmates and I did in Makowski's section. His lectures are long and boring, he doesn't seem to care, and he is a really tough grader. He knew the whole class was struggling, and instead of helping me when I emailed him and tried to better my grade, he just told me the drop date.
Makowski is one of the toughest graders I have ever had as a student. His requirements for papers are absolutely ridiculous. You can have him edit the rough draft and make all the necessary corrections and still get a D. I really hate the way he prints out people's papers and critiques them in front of the class.
He acts like he knows more than you. Don't get me wrong, he was a pretty good lecturer but his exams are a lot of short answer. He also expects a lot out of you and his expectations are not really clear
Prof Makowski is a pretty good teacher. He is not as tough of a grader as some of these people make him out to. He is kind of funny, but overall the class is not great. In fact it is extremely boring. The tests are kind of hard, but he gives you nearly all the information you need in order to do well on them. 6/10
I had Makowski for a UCLR 100 class. He loves the material, and there are some kids that seem to respond well to him. However, he's one of the most arbitrary graders I've ever taken a course from. He won't clarify his expectations. He's also incredibly arrogant and some of his statements make me uncomfortable. Very difficult to work with.
Its not so much the professor thats tough, its the language. Be prepared to do a fair amount of boring memorizing for grammar. Makowski is very willing to help and even not count quizzes you do poorly on, but you must clearly show that you are trying. Latins not easy, but if you are willing to put the work in hes an excellent teacher.
Dr. Makowski is great. He is hard of hearing but overall he really cares a lot, teaches very effectively, and is willing to discuss any difficulties in and out of class. He knows the material very well and his method of teaching is helpful and insightful if you can still with him in the beginning.
DO NOT take him!! is very picky when it comes to grading . Has extremely high expectations for everyone ... makes the class uncomfortable . does not explain well what he wants from assignments . expects you to remember material word for word when it comes to tests or quizzes .
Makowski is simply not a good teacher. Lectures are boring and incoherent. Assigns homework the night before it is due. Only grades for the semester are a quiz, 2 essays, 2 tests and 1 final. Very tough grader. Only thing he is good at is making the class uncomfortable during lecture. Just don't take this prof if you don't absolutely have to
Professor Makowski really wants his students to succeed. Do the readings and understand them, go to class and pay attention youll do well on the tests. He has you write one paper in the middle of semester and grades really hard, only because he wants you to improve, but you get to rewrite it for your grade. Weirdly obsessed with sex.
Extremely tough grader. Also extremely opinionated; doesnt allow for individual options about text. If its not his option it not correct.
Makowski is an incredibly hard grader and is very particular with what you say. If your opinion doesn't align with his, he will mark it wrong. He lectures the whole class and never makes sense with what he is saying. A nice guy I guess but I would not suggest this class to anyone. He also talks about sex way too much.
For a level 100 class it was incredibly difficult. He's probably the most picky grader I've ever had and will take points off if your opinions don't match his. His comments made in class were borderline insulting when you disagreed with his opinion like he told this kid in my class "well you're wrong because I have a phD and you don't"
Wow. thats all I can say about this man. I've never been so lost in a class and DEFINITELY have never had a teacher be so rude to me. His lectures are long, they're boring and quite frankly incoherent. Its a scary thing entering that classroom and after this semester- I will never be in a room with him again. Save yourself, your time and money.
The worst professor I have ever had. He was never specific on anything, and could never properly teach a class. Nothing we did had any reason to it, and the grading scale was horrible. Save yourself from this class.
Do not take this professor. He puts things on the test that you never talk about in class. Highly do not reccomend.
Worst Professor at Loyola. I don't think he realizes this is a core class. Much of the material on the tests was never discussed and and he does not give you any feedback. Also extremely unhelpful and uncommunicative during the pandemic. He's rude to students and the whole class is about sex, Sign up early for classes so you don't have to take him
Class Info
Attendance Mandatory
80%
Textbook Required
50%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B+
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-0.56 avg changeRatings by Course
CLST283
5.0
(1)PETRONIUS
5.0
(1)MANYLATN
5.0
(1)MYTHOLOGY
4.5
(4)CLASSICS
4.5
(2)Difficulty by Course
275
5.0
280
5.0
SATIRE
5.0
COMEDY
5.0
LATN288
5.0