2.3
Quality3.9
Difficulty26%
Would Retake101
Reviews26%
Would Retake
101
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
101 total ratings5
16
4
12
3
10
2
16
1
47
What Students Say
“The course load is insane”
ENG224 - 1.0 rating“THIS IS NOT AN EASY CLASS OR AN EASY PROF”
ENG224 - 3.0 ratingClass Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
79%
Textbook Required
13%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B+
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-0.72 avg changeRatings by Course
ENGL427
5.0
(1)TPER209
5.0
(1)THEA211
5.0
(1)THEA2
5.0
(1)IRISH398
5.0
(1)Difficulty by Course
AHSC311
4.6
ENGL357
4.5
ENGL224
4.1
ENG227
4.0
ENGL227
4.0
Reviews (100)
Man, like what more can be said than, i had a strong interest BEFORE this class, but she sucked all the creativity right out of me, and a few others. if you think writing can be boiled down to a simple formula then maybe she's for you, but personally i hope her high horse breaks its leg.
Painful. No, worse than painful. Proof once again why most writers shouldn't try and teach. Please retire before you destroy the will to write of another budding author
maybe she is a good stage director, but she is definitely the worst eng teacher I've ever had. She made me want to quit writing. We spent NO time workshopping other people's work, but instead listened to her talk for 3/4 of the yr. Also, she caused a rift in the class between the people who liked her and the people that didn't.
beyond what the others have said i think she is an amazing person. Who challenged me as an artist and as a person. I highly recommend any class she offers. I wish there was more teachers like out there!!!!!
i want to smack her. don't do it to yourself.
dont do it!!!!! Trust me!!!! She comes across as nice and before you know it she is killing any passion you have. Do things her way or get a****ty mark. Not that that matters but she is a nasty person who loves to make young actors feel like crap. DONT DO IT!!!!!
She's tough, but take her class and try not to be a better writer afterwards
Kate will try her hardest to challenge you but in the end you may end up resenting her. She will attack your writing in a way that feels too personal, and she has strict guidelines that are strangely vague and hard to follow. The input from the other students in the workshops is very helpful.
Sweet-talks her class, but criticizes her other classes and students. Extremely arbitrary marker, unrealistic workload, unpredictable, and thinks she's way smarter and original than she actually is. Simplifies everything into a formula. You can get a good mark if you use the formulas, but you won't grow as a writer. Avoid her if you value fairness
Kate is a really wonderful woman who instills in her students a love for acting and drive to improve. Your mark reflects the effort you put in. Kate is able to look at you and know exactly what's up, so you can't pull anything over on her. Work hard and you'll see the results! Lovely woman, really loved every second of this class!
This is the worst teacher I have ever had. She does not help students. Her expectations are totally unrealistic. I am an A average student and I nearly failed. She is impossible to track down, does not attend her office hours. I have never dropped a class in my life but this will be the first one that I do. Don't even consider her class.
This class was a mixture of incoherent lectures and loud noises. If I could only turn back time.. Oh, if only someone would have warned me! Be warned!
Very challenging prof, but also very helpful. She gives every tool for her students to success in her class, although many don't use them. Don't take her classes if you don't want to be too involved or are not the type to attend classes regularly. Her courses are a full-time engagement.
What a witch...she only cares about hearing herself speak. If you value your education, keep your distance from this prof.
What a super frustrated prof. is she? She thinks everybody at Concordia is stupid. She is indeed the most stupid prof. i have ever had.
Guys, If you see her name next to SCRIPT ANALYSIS, TAKE THAT CLASS! She is a passionate woman who loves what she is talking about, and has incredible knowledge of theatre. I recommend!
Hey everyone, when I did this class the professor actually told me to go to writing workshops. I told her I not only knew how to write, but also had completed my college education in English Literature. I have a diploma in English Literature and this lady told me I can't write! She is absolutely full of herself, and is a witch.
TAKE SCRIPT ANAL! This was my favorite class all semester (over studio theatre classes) I learned so much and was blown away by the joy she took in teaching. Im still scared to take her TPER classes though...Ive heard the tales.
Definitely do not take a writing class with this professor. The only way to get a passable grade is to change everything about your writing to suit her. Very uncreative/uncomfortable class environment. Very disappointing for a creative writing class.
This teacher is unlike any other at the school. She believes that she is above every other teacher and is absolutely correct even when she makes absolutely no sense whatsoever. If you would like to avoid a huge headache, pick another class to fill your schedule. If you don't believe me, go ahead and attend her class. It will be your worst mistake!!
Script writing is not an easy feat; however, if you have patience and are willing to let go of your ego for a few hours a week, you may find the experience quite unlike any other writing course. Kate is an honest, passionate teacher, and someone who is willing to work if you are. Such a wonderful class.
She very knowledgeable but yes is true she really believes that she is above all and if you do not understand her class then you are plain stupid. Do not even bother to go ask for help from her or her protégé T.A.. Intelligent but interpersonal skill zero, it was the worse interaction I had with a teacher.
Kate Bligh is one of the best teachers at Concordia University (In the ENGL/IRISH/THEA department). Truly a passionate woman! Hard work is excepted but that is the only way to learn what she is willing to share with her students. She is always available and ready to help in any way possible. Her lectures are always interesting and interactive :)
Kate Bligh thinks very highly of herself, and no matter what you do or say you will not receive a good grade unless you absolutely repeat everything she said in her lectures. In order to receive a great mark in her class you must make her opinion your opinion and her critique your critique. There are some really amazing teachers, avoid this one.
Beware of this teacher. Beware.
Her in-class writing exercises were odd but refreshing from the usual sit-down-and-listen lectures. Be sure to ask her questions on her syllabus and instructions to avoid making mistakes or miss something. Most of the work was done from home, although classes were beneficial to attend. Overall, an insightful and funny teacher!
Awesome teacher! Great class to be a part of!
Very boring class, unclear and most of all portfolio is very vague in what she wants... TIP*** INCLUDE PICTURES AND GLOSSY PAPER
Kate is a very passionate teacher and very energetic. If you are interested and do your work you won't have any problem getting a good grade. However ask her to clarify her grading criteria and don't hesitate to meet her outside. She is quite opiniated and some people can't handle that but she is fair. Work is expected not an lazy elective.
This teacher is great is you're passionate about Creative Writing. You really have to like doing this, and want to do this. It is not a typical class where you just seat and take notes during the lectures. The work load is crazy, but it goes fast if you like writing. It is not a class to take as an easy elective.
I absolutely loved Miss Kate. I took ENGL 224 fall 2016, her class was great. There were 20 readings to do and you'd loose one percent if you didn't post feedback on the reading. 20% was very easy to achieve as long as you kept up. One thing i didn't like was that she never gave homework for in class feedback so i had no idea how i was doing.
I felt like everything that she said wasn't really useful. She's a cool lady, but as a professor I found it hard to take her seriously. She's a bit absent-minded, seems to talk just for the sake of talking, is very unclear with her instructions and doesn't use class time efficiently. Assignments: 2 portfolios, weekly drafts & forum posts.
My favorite teacher so far at Concordia! It's not a prof for the faint of heart. She is rough, smart, slightly snobby but she is clear, well informed and easy to follow. She knows about what she is teaching and she CARES that you learn. It's a lot of work but it actually pays off. Take it.
I loved Kate! She has a very feminist, dry humour that I didn't often appreciate, but she was VERY into her subject matter and cared about creative writing. I took this class as an easy elective to do something I love doing as a hobby and get better at it and I personally loved it.
worst teacher ever, don't take her every. she makes you do this dumb portfolio that is a waste of time. the people in that class are all weird nerdy/art students who have no aspiration for a successful life with money
She can be blunt, even harsh, but she means well. There's A LOT of work. Only take this class if you enjoy creative writing and want to challenge yourself. This isn't an easy elective in the slightest. If you are prepared to work, you will do well. Keep on top of the small assignments (forum posts) and don't leave anything to the last minute.
Kate is hilarious, entertaining... but this course embodies everything I hate about artistic classes: forced sharing of work, forced to write when you're not inspired... The guidelines for assignments are unclear and she's a very difficult grader. I put in a lot of work, didn't slack off, and I got a C on my first portfolio.
Save your time, money and GPA; this professor is not worth it.
THIS IS NOT AN EASY CLASS OR AN EASY PROF! Kate is very blunt but very nice as well. You will definitely learn A LOT in her class to the extent of even changing your perception on writing. You will have to WORK if you want a good grade and this is not the type of class you can leave everything last minute and expect an A. Oh! and shes often unclear
2 portfolios due, forum posts, attendance grade, drafts of work needs to be submitted, group project, and you critique your groups creative pieces twice a week. Theres a lot of work so you CANT procrastinate or youll drown. She clearly defines what she wants and gives examples. Pretty funny too. (Im a science major so this was taken for fun.)
Horrible course. It's honestly SO much work for a 200-level course. Although Kate is enjoyable, the course load is absolutely ridiculous. If you love creative writing, apply for the creative writing program which is much better than this mess. Expect to write at least 60 pp worth of 12pt font single-space work ON TOP of 3 hrs of extra course work!!
The course load is insane. The portfolios are graded way too harshly for an INTRO level course and you work so hard to produce work of substance that you probably won't get a good grade for. I thought this class would help my creativity, however its sucking my passion for writing right outta me instead!
Possibly the WORST class Concordia offers as an elective. ENGL224 requires a total of 75 pages written as a final submission - TENS OF THOUSANDS OF WORDS WRITTEN. She is unclear of her own assignments. Not only do you have an unnatural amount of writing to submit, you are also expected to participate several times a week in discussion posts. DO NOT
Passionate and has built a solid, useful course. Great approach to the creative process and very inspiring readings and projects. However, the work is relentless, heavy and has to be consistent. She is not flexible nor very approachable outside class and is not interested in understanding students' realities or any sort of realistic compromises.
DO NOT TAKE this class. You must complete a 30 + page portfolio for the mid point of the semester and 75+ page portfolio by the end. On top of that you have 2 readings + discussions every week. The teacher is insanely disorganized with her own outline, material, and due dates. And she deducts a full letter of your grade for the slightest of errors.
I am just starting a course under Kate Bligh and its crap. I got so tired and sleepy theres too many literary works to be read.
Concordia university should eradicate ENGL224. It is useless. The course requires so much including at least 3000 words for the portfolio. So Bligh expects you to just yap and yap in your Portfolio. Avoid this class as much as possible!! Unless you want to have your soul sucked out of you.
I took this class as an online elective during the summer and it was TERRIBLE. It felt like the structure of the course was designed to confuse you/make you fail so that people dont think it is an easy elective. Any interest I had in creative writing has been squashed by the arbitrary requirements of this dumb course. AVOID!
Awful. Embarrassingly disorganized and unclear demands for a 'portfolio'. Insane amounts of work and long, boring lectures every week with pointless 'warm up exercises' and 'breathing exercises' as if it's a yoga class. I can't take anything this prof says seriously. There is way too much work, she clearly doesn't realize we have other classes.
Not a great class to take do not recommend it.
I like Kate as a person but this course is absolutely absurd. I wish I had paid attention to the reviews. There is so much work required outside of the actual creative writing portion of the course that it was difficult to find the time and energy to write. Lots of great, insightful readings and interviews but SO much work... Would not take again.
I had Kate for ENGL 224, however it was the summer EC course so I never got to communicate with her myself. Most of the class was delegated by the TA, and so seemed the grading. Her class is easy to pass, but youll have to put in some effort to get an A. What she looks most for is for recognition in the process of self expression as a writer.
25 points for weekly postings on both the reading and up to 4 group members' creative pieces. 6 critiques of writers to do, 2 portfolios inc your creative work and process record. Wouldnt recommend this course with full course load. Dont miss the weekly postings and check the examples for the submissions and should do well. A+ is 96.
Requirements are never clear and it's too hard to understand what she wants or perhaps needs to be satisfied. It's a little bit of a two-faced situation too where she could treat you really well and give appreciation for your work but she'll still give you a bad grade. All in all, she's very hard to satisfy.
Dont take a class with Kate. She is so unclear about her needlessly complex assignments and then gets irritated when her student dont understand. There are so many arbitrary assignments and she really sucks all the fun out of creative writing. Dodge a bullet and dont take creative writing with Kate.
Kate is hands down one of the worst educators i've ever come across. She is clearly self obsessed and incredibly petty/envious of any student with real talent. Long lectures, most of which is she spends talking about herself. This is not a creative class, its a class to entertain a narcissist. Im not joking. She's awful and contributes nothing.
She's funny and knows how to entertain the audience, but she also lacks empathy, from what I've experienced. The class is super unclear, disorganised, files all over the place on Moodle. She also doesn't explain much! She had trouble uploading corrected copies on moodle (which we totally had compassion for) BUT I would expect the same from her!
She seems to be very sweet, and the class is very easy. No exams, just portfolios in which you have to work on every week. Be ready to write a lot, there's a lot of small requirements every week in which you must post on discussion board for portfolio. My only complaint is that she talks too fast and rushes lectures so I have to pause all the time.
Kate gives an unreasonable amount of work. Even if you stay on top of everything, it is still overwhelming. I had more work per week in this 3 cred course than in my 6 cred one. She lacks compassion, is not caring or respectful of her students nor does she treat us as individuals. She insanely rehearsed and selfish. Avoid at all costs!
No assignments except for 2 submissions of a portfolio 1-2 postings on the required reading of that week, and one group project assigned at the beginning of class. Grading felt arbitrary. Too much work for a 200 class Moodle is a disorganized mess. Prof spent 4 whole classes explaining the rubric/portfolio. Not clear on what the expectations are.
An absolutely Kafkaesque experience, trying to understand the prof's expectations. Had to drop with a DSC because I had absolutely no confidence that I was doing the right thing 7 weeks into the course, even after several meetups with the course instructor. The instructor was fantastic and helpful, but the course needs a redesign, to say the least.
Agree with the others about how the criteria was really not clear. Lots of small assignments. The online platform is confusing. The lecture videos are good though. I think the class could really be better organized.
BEWARE. Skip this prof if you can. Penalizes heavily in essays b/c she has own distinct (unrealistic) notion of writing. Creates tasks that aren't graded but penalizes final mark if not done. As a graduating A+ student, found the experience w/her ridiculous & had to speak to the chair for an academic reevaluation to get a 'real' grade. Run away!!!!
Harsh criticism for papers, w/pages of only negative feedback. Friendly & encouraging in class but quick to penalize work. Didn't take kindly to questioning her grading criteria & ignored many emails. Do not take this prof -- you'll spend excessive time on assignments w/o guarantee of fair marks. Many students complained about her to the department
one of the worst professors in the entire country. extremely disorganized grading criteria and students most of the time don't know what to submit one week and what to submit the next. Is extremely rude. If you wanna fail this course and waste money and time and get depression. you should take this professor Good luck
The class isn't too hard to pass but get prepared to spend all your time on it. It is a bit ridiculous how much is assigned and how much is required in the assignments. I spent more time on this one class than i did on my 3 other courses combined. And. it's only an elective. Teacher and TAs barely respond to emails and no one knows whats going on.
although the class was really interesting, it definitely needs to be redone, the grading criteria is not clear at all and we are all confused as to what needs to be done and handed in. the prof seems really nice but the setup and grading criteria need to be changed and more specific
It was worth it, for beginner. A lot of writing about writing, you are describing your creative process, what you wrote, when why. That is useless. In groups we gave each other feedback about our drafts. People wrote poorly, boring stuff and I didn't know how to help them, it should have been the teacher's job, I don't have a Pulitzer in writing.
Class could be interesting but definitely needs to be overhauled. TA's are the ones running the class not her. She didn't seem really approachable. I spent more time/work on this class than my other 3 classes combined. Not worth it for a 3 credit elective. SOOO much due every week on top of a 40 pg midterm project and 75 pg final project
There is a class summary form so I would suggest going to class if you want full marks. If you put in the work you'll get a good grade. You're graded on 2 portfolios, a presentation, and reflections. It's not hard but is time-consuming. Kate is nice and will grant an extension for the portfolios.
i love creative writing and HATED this class - which was really upsetting because i was actually looking forward to it. two weeks in and it was already overwhelming- not because of the difficulty, but because I DIDNT KNOW WTF WAS GOING ON. online class is a mess, you dont know whats assigned and the assignments are a whole other story. NOPE
She is very knowledgeable about the course, however she assigns a lot of work. The grading scheme for the portfolios are very unclear and although it is not difficult to do well in the class, it is very easy to fall behind and do poorly. Her TA's and herself are disorganized as my assignments were misplaced which I did not appreciate.
This class ends up being far below my expectations. The excessive homework and terrible grading (that is mostly caused by contradicting statements) are horrendous. Also, I can concur with the statement on how disorganized this class is.
I would not recommend her at all, she is a very strict professor and is not lenient at all. The class has tons of homework and is very unorganized, it is all over the place. A lot of workload for an elective class and she expects you to become Shakespeare at the end of the course. the TAs do all of the work and is overall an awful professor.
Although I received an A- in this course, by no means is it easy. The difficulty lies mostly in the disorganization and the crazy amount of course load given. Do not take this as a summer elective, it is VERY easy to fall behind. I do no suggest this for people looking for an easy grade, especially since the marking is rather harsh. No one got A+
Good general idea for a course, useful in creative process development, but needs a redesign.Incredibly high workload,grading criteria is generally unclear.Expected to do a ton of your own writing, mandatory readings, lectures and assigned excercises.Take this course online, I got by not watching the lectures and working on my process+quizzes, etc.
professor is a super strict and cant even bend the most arbitrary rules. presents herself as an anarchist yet wont show mercy to students who can't afford to print out their physical assignment of 30+ pages. She will instead tell you your only option is to apply for a INC ($) to extend the semester so you can have more time to print something out.
It is a time-sensitive course. You need to keep on top of the weekly tasks to get the most out of it, and not fall behind. I loved this course, lots of work, but I got so much personal growth, writing skill development, and new techniques from it. The TAs were spectacular. If you want to explore the creative process, I highly recommend this course.
There are weekly readings (1-2 pages) from famous authors that you are to comment on in Moodle. You must also write a draft (1/2 page-1 page) of creative writing each week. You will not be penalized as long as you do it often enough, but you get extra credit for completing all the weeks.
if you care about your mental health, don't take a class with this professor
She is such a kind teacher who is understanding and sweet. I enjoyed her live classes and would take her again.
there are many bad reviews here so I want to shed a different light tough grader and heavy workload but I learned so much in this class about writing and finding my own process. if you are "serious" about writing. and really and truly want to understand it. take her class. if you are looking for easy credit, don't. take it if u want to write well.
This class is not a walk in the park, but it is truly inspirational. She is hands down one of the best teachers I have had the privilege to learn from. There will be a lot of work and one must pay attention to the criteria. But, if you maintain a regular workflow and don't procrastinate, you will do well in this class.
Kate was by far one of my favorite instructors. She is very clear and concise on what is required. This class is not for those who are looking for easy credits. It requires a lot of work, but it is all worth it. It all culminates to developing a decent understanding of ones creative process which in turn motives you to write more.
This class is frankly too difficult to be a 200 level - and I should have dropped it as soon as I realized that. Kate is an engaging lecturer but her class feels like it's working against its students, instead of working with them. Missing a single portion of an assignment will result in deductions of up to 10x the points that section was worth.
The content of this class is very interesting. It's possible to get a good grade as long as you do not fall behind. With the confusing instructions, overload of material, and different grading components it's very difficult to fall behind and not know until it's almost too late. I recommend attending office hours every week to clarify these.
I have a strong distaste for ENGL 224. I thought it was asking way too much from its students for a very little outcome. I once emailed prof Bligh about a question I had, she misread the email and and told me something else, I then had to email her again to correct her, she refused to explain further. Ya I got a A but I don't recommend this class.
Her instructions for the midterm and final project are SO unclear and it is super easy to lose marks. The class in of itself though is easy and the material is cool but there is a LOT of work to do, do not walk into this thinking it will be an easy elective.
If Prof Bligh is ur instructor, be prepared to do plenty of reading. If u are absent for 2 classes, u lose 5% of ur final grade. Every class after, another 5% is docked off. If u are late, 2.5% gets taken off each time as well. Dont procrastinate, be on time with assignments.Otherwise u will end up with a grade u dont like. Very strict guidelines.
Probably the worst teacher I've had in Concordia. AVOID AT ALL COSTS!
You get 75% of your mark from assignments done in the last week of the semester, no chance to make up for it. Attendance policy is insanely strict, 5% per class that you miss. Reading reflections are mandatory but you dont get marks for them, however if you miss a reflection she docks 2% of your grade. I finished with an A but it was not worth it.
Very open-level topics, but the teacher struggles to answer basic questions and gets visibly upset at them. Extra 10,000 words of writing for the entire course vs other teachers. Bases group project on letter grades, so the person with the highest grade in the group will have to do more work or suffer with a worse grade.
I do not know where to begin. Kate's class will require A LOT of writing, far more than any other class I've ever taken in my life. The course content can be interesting - and I'd love to learn more, but she should not be allowed to teach this class. Get ready to hear about how much she despises herself for being white for 9 classes. Stay AWAY!
The course is titled "Creative Writing", but the content of the class feels like anything but. Be prepared to lose any passion you had for writing as you're forced to systematize every little detail, and write a report that conforms exactly to what she expects in her guidelines. They're even snarky about it: "(ironically) dont get creative!" AVOID.
Engaging lectures, but the class can be challenging. Stay on top of assignments and utilize resources like unstuckstudy to excel. Worth the effort for a deeper understanding of the creative process.
Less of a class, more like the military. Advises you to drop the course if you miss up to 3 classes (for medical and non medical reasons), 15% daily penalty for late assignments.
I genuinely beg anyone to avoid taking this class. It provides a beyond unreasonable amount of work. On top of that, weekly forum posts are not counted for. Meaning: you lose grades for when they are not done but do not gain grades if it is done. Please do yourself a favour and avoid this professor.
Run for your life. Too much reading an extra work for nothing. She has white Guilt. All she speaks about is her family her mom who was just put in prison for destroying someone's grave. Run run run run don't blink don't think twice.
I only had Kate for an online class so I did not get to experience her fully but from the very few zoom meetings we had to speak about the upcoming assignments, she is such a helpful and caring person. She explains things thoroughly and does not waste time. I could see how some people may not like her because she is blunt but its kind of nice.
Do not take her online ENGL 224 unless you want to have an unimaginable amount of work every single week and constant headache trying to figure out exactly what is required of you. I am in my fourth year and this the worst class I have ever had to suffer through. It is so pointlessly hard and strict for what should be a "creative" writing class.
Class Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
79%
Textbook Required
13%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B+
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-0.72 avg changeRatings by Course
ENGL427
5.0
(1)TPER209
5.0
(1)THEA211
5.0
(1)THEA2
5.0
(1)IRISH398
5.0
(1)Difficulty by Course
AHSC311
4.6
ENGL357
4.5
ENGL224
4.1
ENG227
4.0
ENGL227
4.0