very helpful and clear so your notes follow the book exactly, made it fun

Made a class great that could have been awful! Totally recommed her!!!

Very knowledgeable in her field, examples are great, tests taken from notes...excellant professor

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I had a horrible prof. for 201, but she was amazing for Eng. Words (205). There were a lot of morphemes to memorize, but she made quizzes and tests very managable. She's beyond helpful and understanding. Very nice woman.

the last person was wrong - morpheme quizzes are easy but Karen is THE SWEETEST person EVER! and English Words is SOO much better to take than Ling 201... so.. TAKE LING205 with her!~ you wont regret it!

Had her in a large lecture. VERY nice, clear and helpful. It's a tough class and she takes it step-by-step. I would take her again.

Karen is a good professor. I don't really think that I will ever apply to teaching first grade much that I learned, but she is a nice lady. LING is a dumb requirement for Elem. Ed. Lang Arts majors. I don't think i'll need to know about tongue height.

Everyone told me what a horrible class Ling was gonna be, but in all honesty she made it bearable, she takes things slow so you can keep up....assuming you go to class

Karen is a great teacher and knows her stuff. She taught a 200+ lecture and kept our attention the whole time. Slowed down when needed, but was clear enough as to not confuse anyone. Recommended!

Had her for both Eng Words and Intro Ling. I'm a Linguistics major, so the love was already there. Karen is an excellent professor who has no trouble providing the extension for the nerds and the necessities for those fulfilling a requirement. Great!

Linguistics is a horrible subject, but Karen makes it understandable and is always willing to help and answer questions. I recommend taking the class in a small class. Her tests are tough, and you have to work VERY hard to get a decent grade in there.

Karen is a great professor. She explains everything thouroughly. While I understand that Linguistics might not be the greatest subject, you can't pass if you don't go to class. If you don't go to class that isn't Karen's fault!

Karen is the absolute best professor I've had. She explains a hard subject very well. I really liked Ling. 201. I Recommend taking the small section.

she was hot and...

Karen is one of the best professors that I have ever had. She is very aproachable, and helpful. She makes a difficult subject simple and clear. Tests were fairly difficult, but definately fair. I would reccomend Karen to anyone who needs to take LING.

You'd better go to this class everyday! Karen is a great prof, she loves linguistics (which can be kind of cheesy). Bottom line: study lots, go to class, ask questions. Just 4 exams, 25% each... I wish I had gone to class more now...

Karen Dykstra is the best professor I had this semester. She is always in her office hours, she is beyond prepared for class each day, and she generates interest in the subject. The class was filled everyday because everyone liked it so much.

She is a very helpful professor who is eager to answer any and all questions. she has been very understanding with personal tragedies in my situation and even if I do not pass this class, it wouldnt be her fault. She gets back to emails promptly and is always available for help.

Dykstra is a nice lady and a good teacher. She does a good job of making the class interactive even with 200 people in the lecture hall. Make sure you keep up with the reading AND make sure you go to class and take notes. She is fair and her tests are average in difficulty/.

Linguistics is not the most exciting subject, but Karen made it much more bearable. If you go to every class and use the study guide to prepare for the tests, getting an A is pretty easy.

really great prof and she knows what she's talking about. tests can be hard, but nothing that's impossible.

Karen Dykstra is a great professor. She makes Linguitsics fascinating. I took LING 205 also just to have her again.

I thought for sure this was going to be a boring class, but it is actually pretty intersting. She has made me look at words in a whole new way. You must go to class every day though or you will have problems.

Definitely not blowoff classes, but interesting.

Best teacher I've ever had.

Not a blowoff class at all. Interesting to a point, but there are only so many topics to discuss about Cultural Linguistics before the topic gets exhausted. Pretty good teacher.

Karen loves what she teaches and it rubs off on the class (or at least me). The class is not all that difficult especially if you go to class and pay attention like a good student. Dykstra will not only willing but enthusiastic to help you out with any problems you have with the material. So far the best prof i've had at Eastern

Very helpful and understanding. Her classes are also very interesting. I highly recommend taking her.

She's pretty cool. She has a lot of enthusiasm for her subject. The class isn't too hard.

Great professor. Easy to follow and keeps the lectures interesting.

I've had her for three classes so far. She's just brilliant and very clear.

I just wanted to give her a pepper. Also, she's a great teacher.

I had her for LING 201 and 340. Loved her to pieces! Amazing professor! Her classes aren't hard, but I have learned so much from her that I'm actually thinking of persuing my graduate degree in Linguistics. If you have to take 201, take her if you can!

I have taken three of her LING classes, those being 201, 205 and 401. She is amazing. Her lectures kept me interested and so long as you take good notes you'll do fine on the exams. I usually hate teachers that pass out homework but I never felt like the homework she required was unnecessary or busywork. I learned a lot from her!

Extremely nice and helpful.

I love Prof. Dykstra this was my least favorite course of hers (I've taken three others with her). Discussion-based class with writing assignments and a final paper and short presentation. You will use the book a lot but there are also readings on e-reserves. I wish she would have handed them out instead of having us read them on the computer.

Excellent instructor who explains the (difficult) material very well. She really cares about her students and wants them to succeed. However, a downside to the class is that your grade is based on 4 EXAMS, so if you're not a good test-taker, you may be in trouble; the margin-of-error was too slim, but overall she is a good instructor.

A wonderful, clear professor-the only problem I had with her was her tests. They were extremely long (every single person in the class turned in an unfinished test)and more activity based. She did grade them accordingly and made the final extra credit to make up for it though.

Such a sweet, funny, kind lady. She LOVES her job, is hilariously awkward, and really knows her stuff.If you do bad on a test, talk to her and go over it, and she'll remember at the end of the term, if you're teetering on a grade, she'll probably give you a higher one if you work hard and show up. Come to class because notes are vital!

What a TREAT this professor is!!! I've had her for 3 classes now, and she is one of the nicest, funniest, most together profs I've EVER had!!! This course was a lot of fun, and I really learned a lot! If you have the chance to take her, DO IT!!!

Possibly one of the most interesting classes I have ever taken. The professor teaches extremely well, is very accessible after class, and is an overall nice person. Tests and quizzes were often but easy. Definitely my favorite class this semester

Very "mousy" person, but very easy to get along with. Very interesting class and she makes sure that everyone is involved in the class. I only used the textbook to finish the homework that we had weeks to finish before the exams (which were incredibly simple). I got an A in the class without a lot of effort.

She is a very friendly person. A teacher who actually employs a teaching approach that help students understand the material. Even with an easy class like this there are IPod-type students who don't participate in the discussion. Participate, read, study notes, then get good grade. This class should be mandatory.

Karen is an excellent lecturer, go to class and take a fair amount of notes, the book comes in handy when studying but you can get by without having it.Grading scale is pretty standard and Karen succeeds in creating a desirable open-discussion lecture environment

great prof. very easy. just go to class and take notes. also, watch out for those letters from belgium.

Offers a clear introduction to the major concepts in Linguistics. Don't worry about the book - she keeps copies on reserve at the library (and if you go to class and take notes, you'll be fine on the exams without the book). Very approachable - she manages to breakdown the "lecture" format and engage much of the class in conversation.

Boring, but you have to go to class to get the notes. Lectures are simpler than what is actually on the exam so get the book, study in advance to get a good grade. Nice woman.

You dont need the book but it is nice to study with. She does a great job explaining the material. Grades based on 3 exams only - no homework. Encourages meetings outside of class - very helpful.

SO BORING. If you are a good test taker you will do fine. Lectures put you to sleep, I did fine w/ studying with the book the night before an exam. Nice woman, lets students look over and negociate test grades during her office hours. If this wasn't a required course, I would have never taken it! ZzZzZzZz...

Karen's a pretty good professor but the course work is harder than you think. I got a D on the Midterm but still pulled a B out of the class since she gives so much hw. Study for the midterm (it WILL come back to haunt you), do all the work (she'll drop your lowest grade if you do), and if you do well in the class the Final is OPTIONAL!

My only issue with this class was the class itself -- it had nothing to do with Karen at all, besides the fact that she's so boring (she even once apologized to our class for half of us being asleep). She really is a nice woman though and honest -- all of the tests come right from her lectures. Grade is solely on 4 exams (1 final & 1 midterm).

Dykstra was extremely clear and helpful. I knew nothing about linguistics, and she made it very interesting and understandable. She's friendly, approachable, and willing to answer questions. I would definitely take a class with her again!

Karen is a real nice and funny teacher. The class was kinda boring but if you have talkative classmates it can be fun. I would suggest you attend every lecture because the book is hard to follow. Tests were easy. Not a bad class

Class not mandatory, but it's hard to catch up if you miss. Grade is based on 4 tests. Optional cumulative final at the end. She's very clear and has really good examples. She's funny and nice too. I highly recommend taking her class, you won't be disappointed! She offers extra credit and puts the textbook on reserve at the library. Very helpful!

Very good at explaining the material. I dropped out of a previous Ling class because it was super confusing, but she made it pretty easy to follow the logic. Tests are hard, so take good notes. Class is only based on 4 tests, no homework.

She is a great teacher! She promotes class discussion, and works hard to help students understand. Attendance is not mandatory, but it is difficult to catch up if an absence occurs. She has plenty of time she's available to help, and takes questions before and after class. Take a class with her; you won't regret it!

She's a nice person, the class was pretty hard for me. But if you have trouble understanding the material she has study sessions before every test and you can go over it during her office hours. Class was pretty hard for me, but it was fun at times.

I loved this class. Some of the material is tricky and will require more effort, but overall it is interesting and Karen makes it completely bearable! The study sessions before every test are incredibly useful. Read specific sections she outlines. Overall, thumbs up!

I am good student, that attends class on a regular basis and I got a low B in the class. She's very nice-but...The tests are based on lectures that are hard to sit through and material in the book that is also confusing.A little extra credit or other assignments would be nice because your grade is based on 3 exams ONLY

Very helpful, fun to listen to, and keeps the class interested. A lecture hall class, so attendance not mandatory, but I'd highly suggest making an effort to be there. Loved this class!

I want to stress to people that are giving this teacher a low score that in college YOU need to do some of the actual work to succeed. College isn't high school, and you will not be spoon fed information for tests. That said, her classes are fair, interesting, and useful.

The lectures were interesting, and I do recommend making the effort to go to them. The tests were difficult for me and there are only three exams. I would have preferred a little more graded homework or quizzes, but despite my decent grade, I did enjoy the class. I would have preferred a study guide too. Take class if you're a good test taker.

She's really an exemplary instructor. I missed a lot of lectures (hence my C) and I really wish I hadn't. The tests aren't difficult if you engage with the class. Also, she picks apart all of the chapters so you only have to read about a sixth of each chapter.

Very easy-going, sweet lady. She makes class fun and interesting. You have to do the work, but it's not overwhelming. I learned a lot from Karen and I cannot wait to take her again next fall. I highly recommend her.

This has been one of my favorite classes I've ever taken. You can tell that Karen really has a passion for what she teaches. I came to class every day knowing I would learn something interesting. Any homework assignments were extra credit; only a few tests based on lectures; you don't need a book, but it might help. I never bought the book.

Karen is great! Made a boring subject interesting. Gave us an option on whether we wanted to be graded on homework (textbook is a must if you choose HW) or just three tests (including the final). Tests weren't hard at all if you attended every lecture and took notes; there were no trick questions or anything. I would most definitely recommend her.

I had a great time in Prof. Dykstra's class. She is very entertaining and covers the material excellently.

I took Intro to Linguistics. It was a really interesting class, and Professor Dykstra is really knowledgeable about the subject matter. There are several small quizzes and three big tests.

I'm not sure why there are so many poor ratings for Professor Dykstra, because she is an excellent teacher. She gives clear, thorough explanations, implores students to come to her for study sessions, or to communicate via email. Group study sessions are held before every exam. Yes, if you want an A in this class you MUST study and come to class

This class is hard for someone who knows nothing about linguistics. You have to take good notes in class because the textbook is way too confusing to follow. You have only 3 exams so that can make or break your grade. Studying is a must and you must apply your knowledge of linguistics cumulatively throughout the semester. She will help if you ask.

I had professor Dykstra many years ago when I was doing my undergrad. Her clas got me interested in linguistics and I ended up majoring in it, and loved it. I took all of the classes she taught and always found them very useful, and she was a wonderful instructor and person. I learned a lot there.

Professor Dykstra was my favorite in her department. I had no issues in her course because I took good notes, paid attention in class, and did what I was told to do. I'm not sure what others are complaining about except the material is hard to understand for those who've never studied it before. Compared to her colleagues, she's a real gem.