Great class if you want to learn about ancient greek and roman literature. Reading is a little demanding, but worth it. Calkins is a little flamboyant, but very funny. Great class for Segment III. Group discussion is great for filling in the gaps.

a real class with a teacher that cares and still enjoys what he is doing. A lot of reading but i recommend him as a teacher.

He made the class very easy.. his lectures were often boring, but sort of essential for quizzes. He quizzes on stuff from his lectures and plot points. Assigns one project that's ungraded. Works with "weekly discussion groups." Pretty cute though. I liked him.

this class was kind of boring, and he made us do a lot of work, but it's real easy stuff and should be an easy A!

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I like the guy but he gives out too much damned work and his essays are hard. Luckliy, he lets you rewrite them. If he didn't I would fail.

Interesting, but dont take it if you are looking for an easy A...If you are good at contemplating literature and doing homework every night then take the class. Homework IS important, but it can be a bit challenging. He is bizare, but what can u expect from a phil teacher? It was entertaining tho, and thought provoking hw!

Gives good explanations of texts, daily HW assignments, very thought-provoking material, very knowledgeable of the whole breadth of critical theory, lots of group work. We cover a lot of essays in this class... Calkins seems to like Coleridge and Foucault in particular.

The best lit history teacher ever! The class was extremely enjoyable to go to and the work was not that difficult (essays weren't that long) and it was fun. I'm a Civil Engineering major who absolutely loathes English and Ancient Lit but Calkins made the class come alive and made me look forward to coming to class. Snazzy dresser to boot.

He's fairly a good teacher. He gives very small lectures that are swift and easy to pick up. Don't miss class!!! I stress on this because his quizzes are based on his lectures and group work is a big part of your grade. Enjoy.

Dr. Calkins is one of those professors you should encounter at least once in college. He's funny and laid back, and if you take notes during his short lectures, you should pass the class with a breeze. We had our final online with a large time limit, so you could use your notes and research online if you didn't take notes.

very laid back teacher who loves what he assigns students to read. The class basically consists of doing group work for the assigned reading and going to the next class day to discuss it with your group members. At times he will have lectures in the begining of class which he will eventually qz you on. Easy class - just do your work

Easy class. very short lectures , group work at least once a week and ALWAYS get out super early. quizzes are extremely easy. get to take the online final twice. just read the material and do the group work

very fun class. there's lots of group work, but it's graded in such a way that slackers in the group don't bring you down. he's very funny, and has great facial expressions and a sense of humor. all tests/quizzes are online, which is very convenient.

one of the best classes i've taken so far. it's never boring, and you actually learn something. work is done in small groups, with occasional short lectures. the work isn't difficult at all, you've just got to do it. i'm hoping to take another one of his classes in the future.

CALKINS is cool. he likes to joke around and is very relaxed. you do lots of group work but its really simple. mid terms are easy too. he makes sure you know what is up on the mid term and class ends early too.

Myths was not at all as interesting as it sounds. Lots of boring, miserable reading after every class. Hmwk due each class in form of obnoxious group work that is simple but tedious and pointless. 3 midterms and a final, gives study guides. Doesn't take roll, and almost always lets class out early. Cancels class a few times, so check email freq.

OMG, I loved Intro. to World Literature. Well, there are a lot of readings, but since this is an introductory class, there were no quizzes at all except for two midterms, one paper and a final. Not hard at all, the group works are helpful especially if you want to get acquainted with other people. Very funny and approachable.looks like McDreamy!!!

The greatest teacher i have ever had. He is way laid back and its always fun to go to class. He canceled class like 6 times because he just didnt want to come I recommend him for any class. The midterms and final are super easy he emails them to you and you have to print them out and bring them and you get a 3x5 card papers are only 400-800 words!

This class was the best class i have taken at SF State. I was hesitant because i actually hated world literature. He made every day fun, and he made me enjoy the subject. I NEVER thought that would happen. He is an amazing teacher, he makes sure everyone passes if they put just enough effort in. He is just amazing!

calkins is awesome! i had a nightmare-ish experience with my previous 214 professor so i had to retake. calkins is concise with his material and extremely helpful. it's not an easy A, but he'll do as much as he can to help you pass the class with the best grade possible. cancels class sometimes, which is cool.

Extremely neat class. I learned a lot and he makes it very interesting. A lot of group work, like every class, but not too bad. I would take him again!

great guy made class and subject fun! very easy too all exams are take home! + he's a good lookin gay. u can remake midterms if u get a low grade! take this class =)

Cool professor.. very chill class. All midterms are take home, as well as the final. There's alot of group work involved on the books we had to read.. to be honest.. i never read anyyyything. and i passed the class with a B+. would reccommend this teacher! although the class is boring at times..

The best class I has this semester. Midterms and the Final were all online. IF you attend all the lectures then you basically have the answers for the test. There is groupwork in the class with a group presentation at the end which is super easy. He is hella funny and not uptight. Definatley introduced me to interesting texts to read

BEST TEACHER I HAD SO FAR. He is an amazing teacher and really cares about the students. It is a lot of reading but it is so worth it. Go to class and take good notes and you are good to go. The tests and papers are take home. He is willing to help you. I took world literature and it inspired me. plus hes a total babe

I liked his class but he was extremely flaky at times, once didn't show up for a whole week and then canceled the last 2 weeks of class. We didn't always spend as much time talking about the reading as we talked about poltics and other stuff however. If you do the reading and the work, it's pretty easy.

He assigns a ton of reading and there was quite a bit of work due each class, but it was all manageable. As long as you really take the time to complete the work, you'll get the grade. He could be a bit of jerk at times but it was all in good fun and he made the class very entertaining. Plus he's super cute.

Calkins is a nice teacher and tries to get you genuinely interested in the material. Every class is a lecture. Homework assigned about every other week. Two or three essays. ALOT of reading involved but he grades very easily. Very much like a hippie teacher, as long as you show up and try, you should be fine.

My favorite class by far this semester. He is hilarious and presents the material in such an interesting way. There is quite a handful of reading, which i kept up with in the beginning, then slowly fell behind but it did not affect my work at all. Great class, highly recommend!

super cool teacher. hes funny, makes the class laugh all the time. there is alooot of readings, but its OBVIOUS! its lit classes common!! hes a hard grader on the essays.. but ask for help or just talk to him about it if ur having a hard time and he'll boost ur grades up. true story.

The readings were very interesting, and Calkins had much to say about them which was worthwhile to listen to. I didn't go to class about half of the time, and I got an A- in the course. Do the readings and you're fine. There are assignments assigned weekly and about 4 essays. A little challenging, but he will always help if asked.

Calkins has a very lively teaching style--despite not being too fond of the classics, lectures were very enjoyable! Calkins is very clear and if you take notes you can get away without reading a thing because the main points are right in his notes!--though he does assign a lot. Read only two of the assigned texts but got a B+ in the class! Take him

This guy really knows how to deal with college students. He uses examples that we all know, and makes comparisons that we can all understand. As long as you pay attention, do the reading and know how to write a good paper, you're all set for an A!

Calkins is a cool guy. Although I found the lectures to be kind of boring at times, he has a great personality to make up for it. Enjoyed going to class, loved his sarcasm, and actually did well with only having read one of the assigned readings. Get to know him and you will enjoy the class.

IT ISNT AN EXTREMELY HARD COURSE, BUT IT ISNT THE EASIEST AS WELL. TAKE THE COURSE, ATTEND CLASS MEETINGS, TAKE NOTES, DO THE ASSIGNMENTS AND YOU WILL PASS WITH A 'B' OR BETTER. I ENJOYED HIS CLASS, THOUGH LECTURES WERE BORING AT TIMES, IT STILL WORTH IT.

this class was a challenge! it was a little tough but I managed to get though fine, there are a lot of books needed but try not to buy them, borrow or rent is better.hes a good prof. and if you do your work, you do well.personally, he did get a little harder from fall09 =(

This class was not easy. I must admit, it was a challenge and afraid that i was gonna get a C- or worse fail the class therefore i worked my assoff and it paid off. I received a "B". Attendance is not mandatory, but will help you in the long run, especially if you are not keeping up w/ the readings. Overall Dr. Calkins is awesome, but can be boring

I would take anything Calkins would offer to teach. He is an authority in his area and is reasonable in his expectations. As long as you read or read most of the material required for the day, the rest is layed out. Go to class, pay attention, READ, and he'll respect you too.

Calkins got a bit of a bad rep last semester after a number of his students plagiarized. He's not unfair, and he's not a difficult man to get along with -- DO THE READING, and make some actual effort when it comes time for a paper. If you care about what you write, he will care enough to give you a grade that you deserve.

Great professor. At first i didn't really get his humor, but yes he IS being sarcastic in case you wonder. haha. He is really cool with papers he'll let you have an extension if needed. Homework is just to write about what you read then there's class discussions. He's funny and he'll probably win "Best Dressed" category in SFSU had one :P

Dr. Calkins is a really easy going guy. He will let you have extensions on papers, and cancels class when they are due ( there due online that night). The reading isnt too heavy and the discussions are interesting. However, he doesnt give feed back on papers so its hard to know what to improve on.

Really interesting teacher. Cracks jokes and runs through material with ease. Essay midterms and final.

great guy. At first i thought it was gonna be hard reading all the books he assigns and pages. But truth is the only book I read was The Odyssey. Everything else I never touched and i still got a B! a few group assignments. (3) and he cancels class last minute thru email.Funny guy. Easy grade but you dont learn alot. just somethings.Take his class

EASY CLASS! Read, do your questions, online assignments, paper, show up to class, do your midterm easy stuff. Really nice guy and down to earth. Easy class if you actually do your work (read,online assignments, take notes) Midterm questions are based off the notes in class. Not hard at all.

Class is almost entirely driven by lecture. Not especially interesting, but it was relatively easy. I went to Calkins with some issues and he was accommodating.

I love this teacher. He is adorable and so down to earth. His lectures are very entertaining and the class is fairly easy if you read and take notes.

He is amazing!!! He cusses and had no tests and didnt require you to show up. if you take notes and do the hw, you are fine :) Doesn't hurt that he isn't bad looking either. Plus he has shown both the Wizard of Oz, and Beauty and the Beast in class

Calkins is awesome. He's funny and a cool guy. Attendance is not mandatory, but there would be days in which we would meet in discussion groups and write down who was there and who wasn't. A lot of reading, but we go over it the next day in class. Kind of a hard grader, hard to get over a B in a lot of things. Would recommend

I love Fables & Tales class with Calkins! There is a fair share of reading, but no final and midterm, and very few assignments. Taking notes and submitting them by Sunday night, 2 short papers, and an art/analysis assignment due at the end of the semester. Prof. made it easy to understand, went over readings, and made class enjoyable. Recommended.

Plenty of notes but will be VERY helpful on his take home exams. Nice teacher makes difficult things to understand very easy. If you talk to him about your grade, he's very helpful even gives you another chance to make up the test. Great teacher, its kinda difficult but Its okay.

He is an awesome teacher. There was a lot of reading, but his lectures make it easy to understand plus they are pretty interesting. Will let you extend deadlines if you need to. I highly recommend this class.

He is definitely an awesome teacher. He is a hard grader and expects you to write very well on his exams. He gives BIWEEKLY exams, BUT no midterm OR final (awesome) A LOT of reading homework. For people who don't go to class THIS IS NOT FOR YOU! You HAVE TO go to class because you absolutely need the notes for the exams! I definitely recommend him

Mark is one of the most incredible professors i've had. He really made me enjoy mythology. Funny, engaging, and has a great sense of style. I would take his class again and again.

Easy to get a B, ridiculously difficult to get an A. or maybe that's just because I don't like to put a lot of effort into my GE courses...I got a B+, which is awesome since I read none of the books. Just show up and listen, he's funny, so it's not bad.

Funny guy, hard to see him as a teacher but he is definitely well-read and good at lecturing (he lets his opinion get the best of him sometimes, however, and it can be off-putting). I did every assignment, most of the readings, and got an A.

There is a lot of reading that may be challenging if you are not already studying in the humanities. Otherwise, it's pretty basic material and Calkins has a straightforward and fair approach to the course and grading.

A fair amount of reading, not excessive. Nice enough teacher, and easy class overall. He doesn't seem to have any interest in Fables or Mythology and seems out of place teaching either. Rants too much about politics also. If you want an easy grade, he's your teacher. If you love fables or myths, you will be disappointed.

Dr. Calkins is so adorable, he's a funny guy and very smart. There's a lot of little assignments for this course, but as long as you keep up with them you will do well. He posts assignments on ILearn so class attendance is not mandatory, if you need an extension for an assignment he gladly gives it to you. Take this class.

Loved this guy. Took both CWL250/260. He is sarcastic and very clear during class discussions, never bored during class. There are a lot of little assignments for both but they aren't that hard. You do have to keep up with the reading, but if you don't he goes over it pretty well the next day. Cancels class often. Take them both though. Loved them.

Easy peasy class if you go to class, take notes, and do the readings. He explains everything and is very clear. Take home midterms and final and online quizzes. Would take his class again.

Easy and fun class to take. Get to watch movies like, lion king, beauty in the beast, the wizard of oz. 2 take home midterms a final and group project. A lot of reading but they're entertaining and fun to read. A lot of fairy tale stories !Great professor.

He is a very hard grader. Calkins looks for very specific stuff in your answers. For me, I answered every part of his questions and provided a bunch of analysis. Yet he still gave me either A-, B+, or B on those assignments/tests. The thing that will save you if you want an A is the EXTRA CREDIT it. Very fun guy, assigns great readings, but tough.

He's super awesome and made the class very interesting and fun! The midterms were always take home and he offered extra credit which was super helpful. You won't regret taking his class.

Pretty easy

This class is really easy. The only homework we had was just to read. The tests are all take home and there's one group project at the end. Just take notes when he's lecturing and you'll do fine.

He is pretty funny sometimes, the assigned books are pretty good, and he's pretty clear in lectures. TAKE NOTES! you'll most likely need them for homework or anything else for that matter.

Loved his class, his readingsand lectures were all interesting. He would give us Q's based on what we read for homework, but they are all straight-foward Q's. Make sure you read the books he assigns or don't bother taking his class at all. One essay as midterm, and Q's about the books for final. Take his class for an easy A.

Read about 4 books and discussed as a class. End of semester group presentation about a myth. Participation is important if you want an A. Gives two tries on the midterm and final (both online).

His really funny and calls on people in class. He gives two tests, midterm and final, both online. The tests can be retaken for the highest grade for the midterm and final the average if taken more then once. On the final presentation he keep insisting for it not to be packed with information but rather easy to follow, he likes it if ones funny.

Easy class to pass. I never attended class, the midterm and final were online and you get 2 chances to take them (it gives you the answers after the first attempt) the hardest part was the group project. I never read either and I got an A

15% short paper, 35% midterm, 15% presentation, 35% portfolio (roughly 16 or so assignments). Dr. Calkins provided an opportunity to re-write a short paper and offered extra credit. Interesting class. Make sure you show up to get notes for the midterm (midterm was online, open notes, multiple choice on iLearn you can take up to 3 times. Easy A.

If I could take this class again, I would. I loved it and Professor Calkins was 100% the reason for that. Attendance isn't mandatory but it makes it easier and the classes are really fun. We watched about 4 different movies in the span of the semester including The Wizard of Oz and The Lion King. This class is definitely worth taking!!

Fables and Tales was such a interesting class and Dr. Calkins did a wonderful teaching it. His energy and excitement made the class so fun and interesting. I would highly recommend this class. One of the best professors at SFSU.

I took professor Mark Calkins for his Fables and Tales class (GREAT CLASS) which made me want to take him CWL214. He is funny, understanding, caring and his assignments are simple and easy for both classes (lots of writing freedom). He is very critical and tough grader but he doesnt like to give Fs so he is very helpful.

I absolutely loved Calkins. He is fun, smart, and very understanding. There is an adequate amount of homework, pretty easy to manage, and the responses to homework aren't graded too strictly, he is interested in personal responses and opinions, as long as there is obvious effort and thought. Taking him again next semester for CWL420!

He's a funny teacher. I like him and his lectures are interesting. It's an easy class

He was amazing and I really enjoyed his class. Hes the most helpful professor Ive ever had in that hed use class period as office hours before large assignments since there are few he uses for grading and also shows films in class for assignments he has rather than having you but it. Very clear and not attendance heavy! Missed all Fridays

Mark's class is easy. He offers extra credit opportunities that are straight forward. Make sure you get to know people in the class as you will be required to work in groups from time to time. It makes a difference and his exams are take home exams online. Take this class!!! It can get boring but he doesn't require much from students.

Dr. Calkins is a great professor loved his class and his humor! I do find that this class does have a lighter workload. You watch movies, do group work and take online quizzes that are super easy. He is a bit of a hard grader so just make sure to ask questions about his grading criteria when it comes to the 2 essays and the final project.

I think Dr. C is misunderstood, a lot. I very much align with his teaching style and understand his super dry humor. His lectures are very clear, instructions and due dates are made clear, and he provides ample time for very constructive feedback on large assignments. He's that no bullsh*t professor that you always wanted.

Mr. C is great and I would take his classes over and over again if I could. He is accepting of personal problems and will help you out however he can as long as you COMMUNICATE!! His content is easy (just make sure to keep a comprehensive list of every ATU you learn. Just do it.)

This was a req course. Didn't want to be writing about folktales or essays that I didn't care about and didn't relate to my major but he made the class bearable by being clear, not giving too much hw, and being understanding. If I needed to take another req course I didn't care about, this is the one. He is super friendly and you can tell he cares.

I enjoyed Dr. C's class. At first, I thought it was tough but the only thing you really need to do is listen and take notes. I missed a couple of classes but he records his lectures, which I appreciated. The material was really interesting and, if more of his courses were within the scope of my major, I'd take them.

I loved Dr. C! He obviously loves what he does and spends a lot of time and care into his work. Lots of reading and writing, but it never was impossible. If you listen to his feedback, of which he provides a lot of, you should float.

Professor C is passionate about the material, but the workload can be heavy. Staying on top of the readings and assignments is key. I found the unstuck study tool helpful for study prep - definitely saved me some time.