2.2
Quality3.9
Difficulty28%
Would Retake88
Reviews28%
Would Retake
88
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
5
11
4
11
3
9
2
17
1
40
What Students Say
“She told me one of the ideas was bad and then took 50% off my grade for that assignment because of the "bad" idea”
CSS301 - 1.0 rating“The mean for midterm in her class is 62”
CSS301 - 1.0 ratingClass Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
88%
Textbook Required
41%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B+
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-1.14 avg changeRatings by Course
TECHA
3.0
(2)CSS290
3.0
(3)CSS421
3.0
(4)CSS301
2.7
(45)CSS161
2.0
(2)Difficulty by Course
CSS421
4.5
BCUSP134
4.3
CSS211
4.2
301
4.1
COMP101
4.0
Reviews (88)
Very clear, helpful, and friendly. Always provides excellent feedback, and is always willing to accept constructive criticism of test and asignment clarity, fairness, etc. Does a good job of teaching writing to a group of people who aren't naturally writers.
Not receptive to criticism, which is troublesome because many of her points are unfounded opinions rather than facts you can rely on. Didn't seem willing to change teaching style to adapt to students, rather it's all cookie cutter, and not very clear at it either. Assignment set up was nice, allowed for easy good grades. Not much learning though.
I've had lots of writing instructors, some were harder graders but exceptional teachers. This one teaches poorly, and pushes bad form. Feedback on assignments is slow. Considering the subjective nature of grading writing assignments, prompt feedback is critical so you can give what she wants.
Argh this professor has very little understanding of the subject matter she is teaching.
oh my god, I hate her class and I hate writing now. I think it's the combination of her voice and subtle attitude that gets to me. She grades fairly though, so I just grit my teeth and do my best until it's over. There is zero creative/critical thinking in her class. It's all about follow templates from a book. Super boring. Time can't go fast enuf
The class was neither fun nor interesting. I learned a bit, but not as much as in other writing courses or my other classes this quarter. She makes a big deal over trivial stuff (e.g., it's an "ethical" requirement to write to write in a politically correct manner). Grades fairly leniently. Nice enough. Lectures boring; textbooks not so helpful.
She is very rude. She picks her favorites in class and if she doesn't like you, she tends to disregard your comments in class. If you are not very literate, she looks at you like you are stupid and calls you out in class. Her lectures are unorganized and she doesn't take critique well if she's wrong. Try to get on her good side.
Very inconsistent grading style. Student's essay is sometimes criticized rather than critiqued. Has a terrible attitude and if she does not agree with a student's opinion she becomes frustrated very easily and does not hold back picking on them. Lectures and due dates were unorganized.
She basically just want you to write 4 essays throughout the quarter. However she grade harshly and didn't teach much in class. Besides her voice is so bored and made me fall sleep......Dont take her class only if u want to fail
She grades the homework very tough unlike most professors I have had where you pretty much get credit for doing it. Not the worst class I've taken, but definitely not the best. Try getting to know her and go the extra mile-that's what I did and she graded my stuff pretty favorably compared to some of my other friends.
Terrible professor. Plays favorites, and calls you out if she doesn't like you. Isn't helpful at all. One essay we had to write an analogy, and instead of saying how to fix my analogy, she simply said "you obviously don't understand the concept of an analogy" and gave me a 2.0. Avoid taking unless there's no other choice
Don't take her class. Just don't. She's picky with her grades and if you don't write an assignment exactly how she wants it, then you're screwed. Do yourself a favor and don't take this class.
Horrible teacher who doesn't have a clue what tech writing is. No email just because it comes by way of technology, is not tech writing. If you aren't a mind reader you won't do well in her class.
Get to know Laurie - I did and it paid off big. Yes she can be judgmental but turn that into a positive by making her like you. Class work is easy if you follow her directions and stay on track. Four essays, a midterm & final. Try scheduling a meeting with her during office hours, even if it's for a simple reason - it helps her get to know you!
Worst professor I've ever had! She plays favorites like no other, and it reflects so much in your final grade. Among my friends in that class, we all came to the conclusion that if you can't write how she would, you'll most likely fail. She has such a closed minded view on how you should write, so unless you're willing to spend ridiculous amounts of time with her, I suggest taking the other professor for this class.
terrible teacher. The one thing I remember her saying is, "listen to me now, or you will NEVER understand this", which is not a very good attitude to have when teaching... Her comments on papers are never helpful, and talking to her doesn't make it any better. Worst professor I've had so far.
Laurie is serious about tech writing. She expects you to give a lot of effort, which is necessary for a good grade. She does her best to explain why something you've done is incorrect, though sometimes I disagree with her comments. The final was different and way more brutal than the midterm. I really dislike writing, but she made it tolerable.
If you take her class you'd better be prepared to write exactly as she does if you want to get decent grades on any assignment. On rough drafts you'd better put effort in because she gives you a "fake" grade showing what grade your paper would get as is. She grades so hard that it's your only shot at a good grade. Lectures are straight off PP
Grading is fair as long as you follow her instructions exactly. Signing up to go to her office hours is HIGHLY encouraged. It could mean the difference between getting a 2.0 and a 3.0. Lectures are dry but tolerable. Get on her good side and she's a nice and helpful lady who really wants to help you out. The final was tough, so be well prepared.
Turn in an actual effort for the rough drafts. Make appointments with her to talk about them. If you pay attention to what she says and make exactly what changes she requests and you will get a good grade on the final draft. Tests are hard, study lectures and readings though and you will do fine.
I changed my entire academic path to avoid her. If I had gone in scared and quiet, I think it could have been OK. Her vision of our language is idiosyncratic and mechanical. Writers can benefit from a unique and critical(narrow) vision. But be prepared. She is the only professor teaching a required class, be cautious and toe the line.
Laurie is an amazing professor. The class is well structured, you will be given a class outline on the first day, so no surprises. You have to read at home, the actual class has non-boring activities. Sign up for appointments, work on papers in multiple iterations, and all the papers will be very highly graded. I wish all teachers were as good!
I turned in an outline for a paper where I asked her for her opinion (in the outline) on two different ways I could go for my writing voice. She told me one of the ideas was bad and then took 50% off my grade for that assignment because of the "bad" idea. That pretty much sums up her teaching style.
A lot of students disliked Dr. Anderson, but I don't understand why. Your responsibilities are clearly stated and Dr. Anderson is the most organized professor I've ever met. The exams were easy as well. Go to office hours to get help with revisions. There's absolutely no reason to get less than a 4.0 in this class.
Very good professor and very passionate about technical writing. Even though I got a 2.6 she is extremely organized and it is entirely on you if you do bad in the class. One of the classes i've learned the most from for real world applications
She is a wonderful teacher. This is not an easy class b/c it does require you to put in a solid amount of work. Most likely, you will be taking this with other two CSS classes so make sure that you set aside some quality time for this class. Also, I would highly recommend to come to her office hours. She is very helpful!
The instructor was very clear and helpful. You don't get good grades only because you didn't pay enough effort. If you have questions, make sure to visit her office hours. She is always happy to help!
Laurie Anderson is always passionate about teaching the material and willing to discuss the topic. I actually visit her office hour a lot and it was very helpful. Also when I asked her some questions through the canvas, she always responds me back quickly.(within few hours usually) It is not easy class, but you can learn important writing skills.
The papers are a lot of of work, but she will work with you after class or in her office hours as much as you need to get perfect scores. Her passion made a potentially dry and arduous subject really engaging and interesting. Her feedback is VERY helpful. If you can take feedback well and put in the effort, you can benefit greatly from this class.
Technical writing isn't easy at all because of numerous guidelines with your format and word usage. Make the best of her office hours to get help improving your papers and really take her feedback seriously when revising your work. She doesn't go easy on anyone but knows how to guide you towards improvement when you really need it.
The mean for midterm in her class is 62.8%, 70% is passing -- do I think you'll learn a lot from her? definitely. Her class is extremely stressful, not just how she grades but how she treats students too. She expects a lot from you, and can take away a huge proportion of your time in CSS342, for an unimportant class.
Not a very good professor, I won't take her class if I have other choice. Don't believe me? Just take her class then, you will see what I mean. Good luck.
Took CSS290, career development. Teacher cared if students learned quite a bit but she could not explain concepts very well. Always eating in the class. Instructions on the homework are not too clear.
She doesn't understand that everyone has different learning style: Some might learn better by trial and error, some might learn better by reading the textbook from top to bottom, etc. If you ask questions that already answered in the pile of documents that she has written, you will get in her nerves. So if you are good at memorization, go for it.
Laurie is the worst teacher I have ever had. She did not teach in her class. You have to do things exactly her way or you get a lot of points off, there was no room for creativity or original thought. She had trouble understanding student questions, and answers and was an extremely unfair grader. DO NOT TAKE....
My all time least favorite teacher, and worst grade I have ever received in a college class even with it being a 200-level course. She has a horrible attitude and cussed the class out on the first day. She is very unprofessional. Grades more harsh than most teachers, and is all around unpleasant. Never taking her again in my life.
She provides clear grading criteria, however, like her exam questions, they can sometimes be vague and unfair, with her already harsh grading. There are lots of writing assignments - the first half of the quarter will be fast-paced and difficult. It seemed like she didn't want students who didn't visit her in office hours to receive an A.
She is awful. if this was taught by someone else it might actually be useful, but she makes you hate it and hate being there. she not accessible at all. I don't know why she teaches if she clearly does not care about any of her students or their success. I got the feeling that she likes failing students. It was an overall awful experience for me
The toughest grader ever. You can answer a question perfectly and she'll hold a grudge because you didn't use the exact wording that she wants. The class is "computers in society" where we compare the ethics of the ways computers are used and their possibilities yet, she doesn't care about the ethics side of it. She wants v technical writing.
She's a tough grader and has a demeaning personality in general. I would recommend going to office hours for help. Don't expect 100% since here grading is very harsh (she also grades drafts like they're the real thing). DO NOT TAKE at all costs; the workload feels like another programming class even though it shouldn't be.
Such a GPA killer. No redeeming qualities to her. Doesn't care about students in any way. Assignments are impossible to understand and she refuses to help at all. Responsible for CSS 301 being so bad. If you're in applied computing as your major, good luck trying to escape her because she's in control of that dept.
So much work every week. Papers are due every week and reading is required before every lecture. This course can eat up so much of your time from CSS342 which is already a hard class itself if you're a transfer student in the CSSE major. Laurie was also a tough grader, and will always try to find something wrong with your paper.
I don't know why she is so harsh and picky about everything. There are lots of reading need to be completed by yourself in a short time and you need to write everything very carefully according to the principle, It is even like a coding process. It is hard to know what she want, so you need to go OH, bu there's still a big chance that you get bad g
Loved having her as a teacher. I took her a while ago (first quarter we had online classes) At first I was worried about the reviews and did horrible on the first writing assignment. If you follow the examples for each of the papers and go to her office hours the papers should be a breeze. She was caring and made the final easier because COVID.
Pretty good prof - nothing if not accommodating! Provided extra credit opportunities for the exams, and for homework. Lots of work though, the paper and presentation drained me (and I took 301 with this class). However she really liked my paper and presentation, so pick a topic you really like. The textbooks a good resource for test prep too.
Her grading criteria is ambiguous and expects very specific answers. Half the class is failing but there are extra credit opportunities. The exams are all also extremely difficult and she won't curve them.
She's a terrible professor, she has no idea how to engage her students, lots of awkward pauses in her lectures. Was in a class where someone else came to speak, she spent the entire talk eating (when everyone else had masks on), and being on her phone inattentive. What kind of impression would that give if any of the students did such behavior.
She is tough grader and she doesn't hesitate to humiliate students.
She is tough grader and she makes fun of students
This is just for Anderson's CSS290 class. Anderson has been well-organized and clear with her instructions. She's also been quite flexible and encouraging to have students speak up about their experiences. Furthermore, she makes questions mandatory and has graduated students interviewed. Very useful, easy class!!
lecture very important but she doesn't record it nor pause for us to take notes. lot of awkward rewording and stumbles. She provides lecture notes without any important details. The questions in the homework were worded so poorly and confusingly that it was impossible to understand. It was awful. can't be expressed in words. Never take her class.
I will say that Anderson is SUPER accommodating and lenient with extensions. If you have a problem or question, never be afraid to text her or DM on discord! Communication and attendance is important to pass this class! A lot of people skipped class in the summer 2022 quarter, so I wouldn't be surprised if grades were lower on the fault of students
Dr. Anderson is an amazing person! 301 is a very demanding class and she did her best to cover all the concepts within the given amount of time. She expects students to show up to class which is very reasonable. A lot of them skipped class so I am not surprised if the class average is low. Go to her office hours and take her if you get a chance.
Do not take this professor. I Repeat. DO NOT TAKE this professor. This professor will put you through hell with tons of pointless assignments just to waste your time. She is an extremely tough grader. Her quizzes are known for curveballs. Make sure you take another professor so that you have enough time for important classes.
Taking this prof is the first letter of her name, an L. She's unclear, penalizes you in PLANNING ASSIGNMENTS, is extremely pedantic, and doesn't answer questions properly. Her assignments are weighted so you can screw up on something worthless and it would tank your grade. DO NOT TAKE THIS PROF.
Do NOT take any class with her.
DO NOT take any class with her Never!!! Ever!!!
Avoid this class. Picky with grades and if you don't write an assignment exactly how she wants it, then you're screwed.
She is a fast grader and harsh grader. Very useful during office hours. Go to office hours to review papers before submitting. Tests are difficult. 2 Grammer quizzes (at home), 2 exams in person, and 4 papers (500-600 words). The papers are a new way of writing so they may take time and often times you need more words. Give yourself time to write.
I took Anderson for CSS290 (Topics in Computing) and CSS421. Taking this course with Anderson is very easy. We had to write multiple letters in this course, read a textbook and do homework for the chapter. I will tell you, it is super easy! Anderson was also caring towards me. I've taken her courses since 2022. If you ever need extra time, ask!!
I have Asperger's, taken CSS211, CSS290, and CSS421 with Anderson. I am just beyond convinced the people rating her bad don't want to do the work. Sure, she doesn't record lectures but you can literally: text her, email her, or sometimes even Discord. She's always there to HELP. If my disadvantaged brain can do it, so can anyone. COMMUNICATION!!
Genuinely the worst teacher I have had. Honestly surprised she has a 2.9 rating on this. She makes fun of religions and overall hates her students and seems like she hates her job. She hovers to make sure you are not talking and are graded for participation even though she doesn't know your name. Hope she loses her job cause its obv she hates it.
DO NOT TAKE HER! her grading is extremely unclear and gives whatever grade she decides to give. she will STOP YOU when you try to leave in front of the whole class and embarrass you. she calls on people with popsicle sticks like we're kids. she will put you ON THE SPOT and expect a correct answer. she obviously hates her students and her job.
WORST PROFESSOR EVER. she is literally the worst person to have as a professor. she hates her job
One of the worst classes and worst Professors I've ever had at UWB. She treats us like actually children. She uses Popsicle sticks to call on people, makes snarky remarks when no one wants to talk and is genuinely really rude. Also her grading is so unclear and it's hard to get full points on her assignments. The class is also VEERRY boring.
The professor wrote the textbook for this class and it is the worst writing I've ever read, and I'm shocked that she's teaching a writing class. Everything is absurdly easy and boring, but she treats students like children, talking down and being rude and misogynistic and generally treating this like a high school class. Seems behind on the times.
Don't feel like an adult in class as she makes it feel like high school. Seems genuinely passionate about her job but could be better in communicating w/ students - can sometimes come across as very condescending. Real picky when grading papers. Attendance is graded and lectures aren't recorded. Take Chini if possible, but not end of world if her.
The forced participation and random name calling was awful. You feel like you're in a warzone constantly on edge. If you weren't an introvert before coming to her class, you will probably leave one. most of the students in her class just stopped showing up unless there was an exam because of this.The one positive is that deadlines are lenient.
For the love of all that is holy, DO NOT TAKE HER CLASS. I ended the quarter with a newfound fear of public speaking and probably an anxiety disorder. You WILL be randomly called on and humiliated if you do not know the correct answer to a question. The workload of this class was worse than my 343 class. She makes technical writing difficult.
Every wonder what it feels like to be in a hostage situation? Take her class, and you will. One by one classmates will be randomly called on using popsicle sticks. You wonder... Will you be next? Or will you be saved by the sweet grace of the metaphorical bell. In all seriousness, don't take her class. You've been warned.
Trust me, this is the worst professor you could ever have :)
AVOID AT ALL COSTS! This class is annoying, unhelpful, painfully boring, and ultimately one of the least enjoyable experiences I have had at UWB. The grading on the papers is all over the place, as is the order in which content is taught. The ONLY way to earn a 4.0 is to show up to office hours and speak in class often.
Don't get me started on the papers, she is something else when it comes to grading the papers. Very biased and will not give you a good grade unless you understand her "knowledge" of the class. I will not let anyone take this class unless you want to suffer the consequences with her. Literally the worst professor I have ever taken. PLEASE FIRE HER!
It's her way or the highway, doesn't allow ANY creative leeway on the topics of papers. Classes in CS should be objective but it seems that her writing processes are subjective to her whims. Worst of all she gives atrocious feedback and explanations in lecture. At all costs do not take this teacher for any course!!!! You've been warned!
She can be unreasonable and argues with students when they disagree with the point she wants them to get. She has conclusions she wants students to come to and when they don't, you can tell she's unimpressed. Lots of boring lectures and strict assignments with very particular rules and details that she grades very closely.
Very condescending, gives unclear instructions for assignments, and grades extremely tough. If you have any other option, do not take Laurie Anderson. Worst professor I've had so far.
Not as bad as I assumed from past reviews, but lectures are dry and her grading criteria is VERY specific. Tests are long and deceptively difficult. Take the time to participate and talk with her during class and it'll be easier to get through. Gives extra credit on homework if she liked your work and at the end of the quarter for exams. Solid 4/10
It's not the end of the world if you take 301 with her. Pros: - Everything besides final drafts & exams is only 5% of the grade (gives you lots of time to implement feedback) - Over 50pts of easy, exam weight extra credit - Helps you improve your writing Cons: - Participation is graded (not heavily, but still) - Some exam questions are subjective
She's tough and requires that you spend a lot more time than you want. But I found if you showed up and put in that time you got more out of her. It felt at times though, that I was doing more than I had to inorder to have a chance to succeed.
I would rather eat a bag of tuna fish cans, thank god its over
I've had her two quarters in a row and she's really not that bad. She teaches you the concepts and gives lots of time to complete assignments (with extra credit too). However, her lectures can get long and her feedback can be vague. Exams are also tough and somewhat subjective. My advice: ask questions in class and really try to learn the content!
She is the worst professor I have ever taken in my entire life. All you learn in that class is how to format Word. I do not know how this class is required. She is a VERY harsh grader, even with her rubrics she just says she "doesn't like" something and gives you points off even if there is nothing wrong with it. Whatever you do, don't take her.
Prof Anderson is one of the hardest and pickiest professors I've taken, if you do not follow her rubrics and directions you will lose points tremendous with no guidance on how to improve. Her lectures are so long to the point people fall asleep in class and she often cuts people off mid sentence. Her class was harder than any of my coding classes
Little to no instruction for assignments, extremely tough grader and talks lectures are extremely irrelevant to the assignments. Avoid at all costs.
Genuinely the worst pro
Genuinely the worst professor I've had in my life. Grading criteria is extremely unclear and picky. She makes you buy her book to succeed in the class. Mind numbing lectures that don't give any insight on how the assignments are graded.
Knowing what I know now, I would've postponed graduation by another quarter in order to avoid taking this class with her.
The basic grading criteria puts a lot of weight on creating and polishing 5 technical writing documents. Make sure you do all the available extra credit because it is easy and applies to the grading categories worth the most points. I feel like it's harsh grading but if you read the textbook and don't skip class it's passable.
Class Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
88%
Textbook Required
41%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B+
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-1.14 avg changeRatings by Course
TECHA
3.0
(2)CSS290
3.0
(3)CSS421
3.0
(4)CSS301
2.7
(45)CSS161
2.0
(2)Difficulty by Course
CSS421
4.5
BCUSP134
4.3
CSS211
4.2
301
4.1
COMP101
4.0