2.7
Quality4.2
Difficulty27%
Would Retake170
Reviews27%
Would Retake
170
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
5
39
4
24
3
20
2
33
1
54
What Students Say
“1) Doesn't post assignments on time (posted the night before they were due THREE times in one semester) 2) Doesn't grade and return assignments in a timely fashion 3) Phrases questions in very convoluted ways that take AGES to figure out 4) Seems to forget that most of us are studying these topics for the first time”
ENG334 - 3.0 rating“Really horrible professor”
ENG201 - 1.0 ratingClass Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
94%
Textbook Required
33%
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Predicted Grade
B+
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234535
5.0
(1)ENG636
5.0
(1)234AND334
5.0
(1)ENG435
5.0
(1)EDU234
4.0
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ENG345
5.0
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5.0
ENG602
5.0
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5.0
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Reviews (170)
MY favorite prof ever! Brilliant man and cute too!
Had him last year, his grading is very random
Great teacher, funny guy,interesting class.
Wants you to agree with him, grading is definitely random!
He does not appreciate his students. Postmodernism is horrible.
Better be sure of yourself, this guy could destroy your confidence
Difficult at times but does give the grade deserved. Sometimes he talks in circles but is very intelligent. Hot in the smart guy sort of way and loves The Simpsons. What more could you ask for?
LOVED HIM! made class a fun workshop atmosphere, open to new ideas. I disagreed with him on some point, but I backed it up on the exam and still got an A...take him!
I think he teaches at too high of a level and likes to make the students feel stupid. He also doesn't realize that we have other classes and other work besides his!! Not worth the stress and agravation!
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He teaches at a level much too high, he only had two tests and a final, his grading is unstable, he keeps students over all the time as if we don't have other classes. He assumes the students know things and you know what happens when you assume.
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...the most caring and intelligent professor I've had. He knows a LOT about philosophy and cultural studies, as well as literature and theory; but he still appreciates the occasional South Park reference! also extended deadlines and revised the syllabus.
Mark knows his stuff. He brings difficult subject matter, such as literary theory, into context. Plus, he is really smart, and has a wealth of knowledge about all things English. If you're a major, you should take one of his classes.
He's a crackpot. How'd someone who can't relate to students at the lower levels get tenured? Is CMU desparate or something? Absolutely terrible, has no clue how to come down to our level so we understand stuff better. Please cancel his tenure.
Mark Freed is the best professor I have ever had. If you aren't doing well in his class, it is your fault, because he does all he can to include and interest students in his largely discussion-based courses. Amazing. My favorite. ever.
Not very helpful.
Mark Freed is the biggest joke of a "teacher" I've ever had. He was completely unhelpful, and actually on one occasion made a girl in the class cry. He will cut you down with no regard. DO NOT take a class with this man; you will regret it.
I LOVED HIM!!!! AWESOME, BRILLIANT, WONDERFUL!
Slackers should avoid Dr. Freed, as should people unwilling to read or do work. Lazy people will hive him bad reviews. He has a gift for explaining difficult subject matter tangibly while retaining its integrity. Best prof I've ever had, hands down.
Wow. This guy is brilliant. Absolutely brilliant. His class was by far the most interesting one I've taken here. Very enthusiastic, and helpful. Makes difficult concepts understandable. A lot of fun. If you are an English major, TAKE HIS CLASS!
It was immensly enjoyable to have class with someone who is so enthused about his profession. Though not for the faint of heart, driven English majors will especially benefit from his ample feedback and theory driven discussions.
Not a fun guy to have to see in his office. I felt like a crack head in front of a judge. One of the few professors I've had here that I really disliked
I think he likes to see people fail.
Ugh, if you don't agree with him, he fails you. Isn't open at all to other views.
Mark Freed is unquestionably the best professor ever!
Mark Freed is a smart smart man. His class is difficult if you don't do your assignments. As long as you try your best and GET INVOLVED WITH DISCUSSION, you should be ok. The subject material is slightly confusing, but he knows that and he's a little lenient because of the fact.
The material in this class sucks. It gets worse as the class goes on. You have to be very dedicated to the readings and assignemts. Mark is willing to help you out yet he will totally call you out if you don't know your stuff in class discussion. Your best bet is to keep quiet and keep up.
Please quit writing Mark Freed is "smart". Hiding behind a mirage of nonsensical sentences, and then pretending students are stupid for not understanding them, is not smart. It's mean. He is a small man, with an even smaller mind. I think he's angry because they don't put his **** on Nova.
Seems like a nice guy, but his class is boring. He speaks real fast, and then acts like it's an inconvenience when he has to restate his position. He appears to be smart, although it borders on pretentious.
Freed is definitely into this subject. It's not very interesting, but he's a fun guy and if you have a good class you'll get into interesting discussion. If you don't like English, don't take this class. I'm an English major and was still pretty bored by the subject matter. He was cool, though.
Mark Freed abides by the philosophy "no sense makes sense".Sounds okay, but that's the same philosophy Charles Manson used. Not that I equate Freed with Manson, although they both enjoy suffering. Mark Freed reminds me of the character on Seinfeld who made everyone call him "Maestro".
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Mark is a wonderful teacher who encourages debate. I got an A in his class, and I often disagreed with him. He is also very easy to talk to about almost anything. I would highly recommend that you take any class that he is teaching.
professor freed's course was the worst course that i've ever taken...his arrogance exceeds his ability to teach and the majority of his course consisted of three hour lectures....he once made the comment in class that people who believed in the possibility of a god were the same people who fly airplanes into the sides of buildings....his close mindness is almost as brilliant as his arrogance, the yield is a class that represents an ego over any solid "teaching" ......also, i got an "a"..
He is a great teacher and although the discussion and the lectures can get a bit confusing and unclear at times, Mark always tries to explain everything as best as possible. GREAT PROF!
I currently have Mark for TWO classes. He isn't easy, but he's a GREAT teacher. He encourages class discussion and wants his students to be happy. Hes so flexable and one of the coolest and nicest profs Ive ever had. Class isnt supposed to be easy, you dont learn that way and in his courses you learn A LOT.. & its actually interesting.HES AWESOME!!
A tough teacher, but obviously enthusiastic about this subject. I thought the readings were a bit over my head, but he was very willing to make the material clear to the class. The discussions are very interesting. I was surprised how willing I was to wake up for this class every morning!
No Comments
The subject of this class, theory, is difficult to understand at times but Mark is able to explain any questions students may have. The subject matter is very interesting. All English majors should take this class with him.
Freed's problem is that he expects more of his students than he does of himself, and he isn't clear about what he expects. He's often rude, and his candor is the cockiest thing I've ever seen, through my undergraduate program and graduate school. Take him if you want theory made difficult. Take Ron Primeau if you want it made approachable.
Lit Theory presents very challenging subjects that would be difficult for anyone to teach. Professor Freed clearly tries to convey the complex subject matter in a clear fashion. Unfortunately he sometimes fails in his attempts. However, he is a witty, entertaining instructor who will do anything in his power to aid students in learning the material
More people spend time in the writing center for his classes, than any other English class
Mark Freed is the Biggest JERK you will ever come across!! His class isn't that hard but his stupid jokes and comments about his kid that I personally didn't pay for take up time in which you could be learning. Don't go tho his office and as for help becuase he will be laugh in your face!! Take my advice and if you see that name wait to take it!
SEXY:) And an amazing teacher who knows what he's talking about.
Genius.
it's not his fault that the material is so dry and intentionally unreadable as to render the class all but mind-numbing. my sense is that he tries, but nobody except the original theorists really understands this stuff.
mmm sexxyy. AND a great teacher and a great guy
Cool prof. Knows theory so well that it's hard for him to "dumb it down" though. I would take a class with him again, but first I'd study lower level lit criticism. Good class.
Pompous. Forget that you have any ideas and you will do fine. He is wicked smart and will let you know that anytime. But at least he looks good. Sweet earring.
This professor demands a lot of you because he knows what you are capable of. He is a fair teacher and more than willing to help those in need. I had him for two classes and would definitely take him again.
One of the best professors that I have ever had. He somehow managed to make literary theory interesting, and he picked some great novels to read for eng262. He's funny, runs the classroom in a laid back discussion format, and you can tell that he really loves his job. Tough grader, but you learn a lot in his classes. I highly recommend him!
HORRIBLE - horrible class and a horrible teacher. He does not help at all, and it's the hardest class I have ever taken. He is an extremely tough grader, and his expectations are ridiculous.
first of all, he's one of the smartest people whom i have ever encountered. but, he knows that he is, and i get the impression that he thinks everyone has the same prior knowledge as him which can make his lectures and assignments cloudy at times. if you're looking for a n extremely challenging course, you definately won't be disappointed.
Mark is an amazing teacher. He is willing to help his students as much as possible, he's funny, smart, and his class is very interesting. He is a tough grader, but very clear on what he is looking for. People who give him a poor rating must be poor students: if you do the work, you get the grade.
Seemed more interested in reaffirming his own self-worth by taking advantage of our lack of prior knowledge in his subject than in what he really should have been doing: teaching us. Yeah, he's funny and cute, but I really think he uses his job to intimidate others to make himself feel better, rather than teach. Classes were totally useless.
He's a nice guy, but his grading scale is impossible. Readings are around 30pgs/week; it might not seem like a lot, but it's hard reading with a small font. I would recommend reading them before AND after his lectures to understand what he wants in the papers. Take only if you want a challenging class/are not afraid to have a 'B' grade or lower.
Reading a must Strict attendance and late work policy very knowledgable and not as arrogant as some make him out to be was a great teacher because he forced you to get to the point and down to the main idea rather then spend wasted time on details tends to incorperate other classes into lesson
Very difficult professor. He is very knowledgable, but it was sometimes difficult to make sense of the complex theories. Attendance a must, and I suggest going to his office at least once--most teachers like this, because it 1)helps them remember you 2)makes it look like you are really trying/interested in the class.
I like him on a personal level...he seems like a nice guy. You end up taking notes the entire class and have to write very quickly to keep up. He could slow down on that. And in my experience it's taken at least two days for him to answer any of my emails. Not the most helpful in my opinion.
He's not a horrible person like some people seem to think, just a horrible teacher. Doesn't seem to understand that we aren't all as smart as him, or the the fact that we haven't spent over 7 years learning about literary theory. Expects you to learn from his level instead of teaching you up to it. Only take if you want a painful experience.
good guy. knows his stuff and is willing to help you learn it. wicked smart. his course is very difficult and demands a lot of time. with that said, people that are harping on him most likely didn't put in the time.
I had him for two classes last semester. I agree with the others, he has a very hard work load that requires a lot of reading. If you are an English major you should go into a class expecting a lot of reading anyways. Chances are you aren't taking 332 as an elective. Do the work and you'll be fine. He teaches very interesting subjects.
Weird...going into 262 would would assume it's an English class...WRONG, its all philosophy and if you dont agree with him when writing papers its going to be a bad grade. Nice guy but the classes are useless but yet...mandatory.
Nice enough person, but kind of considers his opinion to be the only one worth expressing in papers. If you disagree, expect that reflected in your grade.
Freed is a love or hate prof. If you take 262, talk, share your opinion, voice comments and ask questions. He'll remember you and with him that's a good thing. It's a lot of reading, but if you're lucky enough to have a class with people who talk, the class will be easy and fun! Take advantage of his office hours for papers, it really helps a lot!
Mark Freed is a great teacher. Yes his classes are hard. Cultural Theory is an abstract course almost like math. It is not for everybody even though its an introductory course. So the people who took it and give Freed a bad rating simply because they failed the class and think Freed is not helpful at all should take a look at themselves.
worst.professor.ever. Take only if you like to be tortured and feel stupid.
To the person who alluded to Mark Freed being inappropriate with women-- you obviously did not do well in his class, and need something to attack him with. Some of us have been in 5+ classes with him, and never has he acted anything but professioanl. Has high expectations,and if you can't meet them, don't resort to accusing him falsley. Great Prof.
Very engaging and knows how to manage in class discussions well. He expects a lot but it's really a great class to take. If you do the reading you should be fine.
Do not take this class unless you want to learn about philosophy via European literature. This class was quite hard. He assigns books way beyond a 200 level class. 4 papers total and he expects you to be an amazing, deep thinking writer. If you want to take a literature class, take any one but 262.
He is a very engaging teacher. He expects a lot out of you and will push you to think beyond a surface level. He's very helpful with papers and will arrange meeting times outside of class hours to help students brainstorm. He lets you redo the first paper if you need to. It's not an easy A, but there's no reason not to get an A if you do the work.
He is a little puzzling, but he lets you take the class in a direction that you want to. He gives good advice on papers and things and is very fun in class.
I do not recommended this class for everyone. If you don't like going to class or reading, DO NOT TAKE! You have to be in class to understand anything. You really have to pay attention, but if you do, you should do alright. I suggest reading at least one book for each paper, the others at least sparknote. He goes off on some crazy rants be prepared
1) Doesn't post assignments on time (posted the night before they were due THREE times in one semester) 2) Doesn't grade and return assignments in a timely fashion 3) Phrases questions in very convoluted ways that take AGES to figure out 4) Seems to forget that most of us are studying these topics for the first time
does not use blackboard. sticks the the syllabus fairly well. papers are difficult, however he is extremely helpful if you ask him questions. very funny and leads very interesting discussions.
Had him as a guest professor here in Germany. Has high standards but also had high respect for us that we wanted to learn from him in a for us foreign language. Very helpful and patient. Reading about 60 pages per week. Was fun although sometimes brain-twisting.
Wonderful class! Eng 334 will not be easy so don't take it if you're looking for a blow off class. I learned a lot. Dr. Freed is great at lectures. He is very helpful when trying to learn complicated theoretical concepts. I highly recommend this professor.
I came into this class as a senior having written many papers and experienced many teaching styles; he is one of the most frustrating professors I've had. He knows he's smart and it is clear in his tone. If you don't agree with him, don't expect to do well. The lectures have no structure, and he often just assumes you'll figure it out. Good luck.
Absolutely terrible. The material and class are completely confusing; Freed doesn't even know how to explain it himself half of the time. Very unclear with explanations and a very harsh grader. Avoid this class at all costs if you can.
This is the absolute WORST teacher I have ever experienced in my whole life. He is completely unprofessional, often having temper tantrums and leaving the class as if he were a high school boy. He is extremely disrespectful to students. His lectures are painfully boring and he expects a ridiculous amount of reading in a short amount of time.
Horrible professor. Very immature, expects his students to do an insane amount of reading in a short amount of time, doesn't treat students with respect, grades harshly, and throws tantrums when an avid discussion of the reading isn't happening. Avoid him if you can. If not, good luck, and may the curve be ever in your favor.
Very insightful!
The worst professor that I have ever seen. He is a tough grader, and he is really disrespectful. If I were u, I would never take his class !
Really horrible professor. He is rude and not respectful with students at all !
I jumped right from HS to Professor Freed's European Lit class and I loved it. It was ton of reading, and the papers were all 5-7 pages, with the exams being papers totally up to 6+ pages but he was a fair grader and I got 100s on all my papers except one. Fun to have in class, and really nice even if he is a little eccentric. Would take again.
I loved his class, we had some enlightening discussions but after the semester was over he did not emailed me back after I asked for a letter of recommendation. Don't take his class if you're not ready to read 500+ pages in a day.
The rudest and most disrespectful professor I have ever had. I went to his office hours twice for help, and he still would not give me any. Almost impossible to get the answer he wants, even with multiple rewrites and emails. Would not ever recommend taking this professor.
If you think this is going to be an easy class-switch professors while you have the chance. Freed is very knowledgeable but if you do not write the papers in the exact way he expects, you will fail. Even after a couple office hours visits I did not receive much help. This course was very challenging and a big stressor for me this past semester.
This was such a fascinating class to take-even if you aren't on the program that requires you to take the course I would definitely recommend signing up anyway. It gives you a whole new perspective on literature. He is tough but he is 100% willing to help you understand the content/lets you rewrite papers/extends deadlines. Ask for help if needed!
Life changing professor. Incredibly challenging but worth the work. Students that lack humility will not excel in Dr. Freed's class. He can come across as rough around the edges but means well. Lectures are amazing and deeply enrich the learning process. Non-serious students need not apply.
Very opinionated teacher. I would highly advise not taking his class unless you like to read over 200 pages a week and would like to spend your time trying to write papers based on his opinion.
Writing intensive -- 9 papers (between 300-400 words) but you choose when they are due! Freed is extremely accessible for help, but does not give much guidance in terms of studying for his entirely written exams. Participating in class is very important for your understanding of the material, that is where you will do the most learning.
He's a really personable guy in the classroom, but on paper, he'll destroy you w/o hesitation. I have gone to see him COUNTLESS times during office hours, and he'll tell me I'm improving, but continues to fail me on all the weekly assignments. Says he wants to help you, but truly does not care. Clearly favors students w/ more background knowledge.
Took ENG 262 with Mark Freed and hated every second. He requires a lot of reading and writing to be done. He doesnt give clear feedback and expects every person in the room to chyme in every lecture.
The class was a little tricky, you have to read A LOT. Like, A LOT. But if you just read the books and go to class its super straight forward and pretty easy to get a good grade. He's super helpful and available and always gives good lectures! He's really funny too, so solid choice of professor.
This was a really great course, but if you are simply taking it for the WI and have no previous experience thinking about literature analytically you may have some difficulties participating at the level Dr. Freed expects. The lectures were excellent, participate even if you are not sure of an answer, and make an effort and you should do okay.
This class is very thought provoking and the way that it's laid out helps to take it all in considerably. It is a challenging course, so be prepared think. Some classes it is enough to flex your short term memorization skills and pass, this one requires more from you. I highly recommend this course as it will stay with you beyond higher education.
Professor Freed is one of the best professors I have had at CMU. He is very passionate about literature. His class is a lot of reading but it is worth it. He challenges you to think your own thoughts and his lectures were fantastic. I am not a literature major, but I really learned a lot from his class that I will use in my further education.
The worst professor I have had, he is terrible at describing his assignments and spends a majority of classes repeating the same information becuase he does not prepare materials for the class but basically expects the students to teach the class.
Freed really knows what he's talking about, and if you make sure to pay attention and take notes you'll definitely learn a lot from him! Be ready to read and work hard, though, because he's a tough grader. Your entire grade in the class is made up of papers. Participation isn't required.
It's a really hard class, European Literatures, so be prepared to read A LOT and write very difficult papers. You have to show up and you have to do the reading otherwise you are super screwed.
Avoid this professor. His assignments are about stroking his ego and you need to repeat exactly what he says in class to pass the assignments. Your grade is based on papers, so you don't need to participate. Final and midterm are take home, but they are ridiculously hard for a 300 level class. If you had him for 262 it doesn't get any better
He has really in depth lectures over the outside reading as long as you read those carefully you will do fine on the random quizzes he hands out. There was 2 papers the whole semester that he walks you through very well. I wasn't sure about my grade until the final day. The final was not like class at all but didnt impact my grade, I pulled an A.
Freed is an acquired taste. I didn't like him at first but he grew on me. He's a tough grader but it's possible to get good grades if you go into office hours! Lectures are also great
Worst prof at Central. Expects you to understand in depth literature to his skill level and will make you feel dumb if you don't. Awful teacher, relies on students to talk in class because he prepares nothing. Don't try and go to the bathroom during class either bc you'll get yelled at. Expects way to much from students and gives poor feedback
Freed is a very intelligent guy. He really knows what he's talking about, he's just not the best at breaking the information down. Participate and listen in lectures, and if you don't understand let him know and he will help out to the best of his ability! Really wants his students to do well, just challenging criteria he is covering.
Dont. Just don't take him.
One of my top 3 favorite courses. This is a class you give your all to but luckily that does pay off. Learned so much from the lectures mostly because hes very smart and easy on the eyes.
Listen. Im going to give it to you straight. You are going to be confused 9/10 times during this class. Don't get me wrong, he is well knowledge in the subject but he will definitely make you feel unintelligent with the questions he asks. IF you read the book and come to class, you have a higher chance of passing but honestly, I wouldn't recommend.
If you've never had to analyze literature before, do not take this class. I was one of three people who was comfortable participating and the entire class consisted of him asking a question, me answering, and the class writing down that answer. Not a bad guy, he made us snickerdoodles and made the last exam optional.
Prof Freed is an incredibly intelligent guy and super funny. Really cares for his students, but his papers are the hardest thing ever. You need to read multiple times in order to understand any of the commentaries. He is a hard grader but he explains as much as he can in lectures, as long as you read. I enjoyed taking his class.
I think that Freed is my favorite professor that I have had so far in my 3 years. If you take time to get to know him, like my class did, he's a chill guy. I think that also helped us w/ getting him to explain homework & material. IF YOU MISS CLASS YOU WILL MISS A LOT OF INFORMATION. This class was definitely really hard for me, but I learned a lot
By far the worst and most difficult class I have ever taken. His teaching skills are terrible. He makes notes on the whiteboard from his notes he has in his notebook. Whenever a student answered one of his questions from a reading, they were ultimately wrong because they didn't have the same understanding of the text as him. Never take his classes!
Dr. Freed is a interesting guy who is knowledgeable about literature and theory. I enjoyed his class and believe he wanted us to succeed, however, I was annoyed with how elitist he made assignments. The texts are hard enough to interpret, but his essay prompts were also like decoding latin. Get ready to feel like you never know what you're doing!
The dude hasnt written anything in years. What a fraudulent pseudo-intellectual
Professor Freed has interesting lectures and I enjoyed the readings that he assigned but he was not an understanding teacher. I feel that he does stretch you to analyze readings intellectually, however your interpretation is only right if he agrees with it, which affects your grade.
Professor Freed was the worst English teacher Ive had at CMU, and thats saying something... hes pompous and and rude to students. He makes them feel stupid for asking questions or not asking questions. The prompts are just as confusing as the questions he asks in class, and then he gets mad when no one answers. Not and intro class
Gave a 2 instead of a 1 because he'd meet w/ me outside of class, and had to teach during a pandemic in a format he's never done before. But his grading criteria and expectations are impenetrable. As another review says, have fun decoding his prompts. He's elitist, and if you disagree with him expect a bad grade. I'll be lucky to get a B-.
He is a little hard to understand and asks a lot of questions. You must participate in this class or you will get nothing out of it. He may seem a little arrogant at times and always tries to sound sophisticated and complex even when his ideas aren't all that deep. He is good at making you think critically though and I really enjoyed the class.
Often times his grading was all over the place. What was on the rubric may not necessarily be what you got marked down points on. Additionally, he would take months to grade things, and the catch was we only had like 7 grades total. I remember the last day of classes and I was still waiting on two grades from September that were turned in early.
I do my very best to come into every class with a positive attitude and open mind. Mark does everything in his power to absolutely demolish any attempt at positivity. He is monotone and impossible to relate with. He wastes a majority of classes spewing nonsense. All in all, I would not wish Mark Freed upon my worst enemy...
He doesn't email back when you are trying to reach out to him about something. I was super sick and emailed him on 6 separate occasions and didn't hear back. He is very monotone when talked and sometimes, he gets off topic very fast on a topic that has nothing to do with class.
Professor Freed facilitates a "class conversation" on each essay the students read that requires a moderately strong understanding of the text. If you are confused, which is likely, you need to prepare specific questions or he will ask you to grasp for one when you are confused. He eventually tells you what you need for your commentaries/test (8).
Professor Freed will confuse you beyond belief. He will turn the simplest explanations into the most complex thing. Get ready to read a lot and write many papers/summaries. He also tends to be very picky on topics. Watch out for due dates and look at the syllabus all the time because they are very frequent and he will not remind you. Just don't.
He knows his material but cannot translate it in a lecture. Even if you ask questions and do the readings it's not enough for him. His criticisms on your papers will contradict what he's said in class and despite not even being confident in his own ability to teach certain theories, suddenly he becomes an expert when he's grading your work.
Well, if you ever wondered what it takes to get an A, its a 3.85/4, otherwise known as a 96.25%. So, enjoy, really. Despite having a 94%, I was given an A- since his grading scale is out of 4 as he says, so basically his cutoff for an A is 3.85/4 average. Enjoy and good luck!
He grades on a scale of 1-4 so unless your paper is amazing then you won't pass his classes.
He is a nice guy, but he made me cry during one of the times I scheduled a meeting with him. This class is just so many difficult concepts. I would be lucky to get a 3.75/4 for a paper with the rewrites that he allows. Everyone else seemed to love him though. I never want to take another class of his. I only took the honors seminar tho.
It says I can’t claim bias or favoritism but it doesn’t say anything about him purposely failing his students so stay away!!! Worst teacher I have ever had and I’d advise you don’t take him unless you have to. He doesn’t care about all his students, just the ones who share his same views on the world.
Mark Freed is an incredibly talented teacher and one of the most intelligent people I have ever met. That being said, he is a difficult grader and you need to go to class. I have never learned so much from an English class while simultaneously being exhausted.
Y'all if you want to be confused for 16 weeks take this professor. Every time we had an assignment due he would change things last minute or show us the criteria/outlines for assignments like two days before they were due. Even if you go to office hours. Which I did. Many times. He tries to reword things though, he's a reasonable person.
Freed honestly really cares about his students but sometimes his lectures are hard to understand. He also likes things done his way and if you don't do it exactly the way he would he'll mark you down. He tends to change criteria for the assignments at the last minute which is really frustrating.
Full honesty, a very difficult course that really kept me on my toes, and the expectations were sometimes difficult to predict. However, going to his office hours from the beginning was the best decision. I was able to talk to him directly about the assignment and my ideas and work through the deeper meaning, he really challenges you which is great
HONORS STUDENTS. Don't take this course. Seriously. It will bomb your GPA while your classmates have easy courses. Freed is rude. Doesn't really care about your grade. I have basically a 4.0 and I couldn't even get an A. DO NOT DO IT.
This guy is hard to understand. He is one of those people that uses big words to sound smart but not necessarily to get his point across. He'll teach you one thing in a lecture and then the next day says not to do it that way. Very confusing. Also, philosophy is hard. Don't take HON 201 WI if you can avoid it.
Professor Freed is very passionate making the class very hard. He has no regard to mental health since he gave lots of homework like reading 100 pages in 2 days or writing 3 papers in a week. In class he expects deep analysis even though you have to lightly read the material and he has no respect often blatantly telling students that they're wrong.
Not even a month into the class yet but it's really not that hard to figure this guy out. All he really asks for is that students participate in discussions. Also, that helps him remember who you are in class. As long as you speak up in class and do your work on time you'll more than likely do well in his class.
Currently sitting in his class and I am finding it hard to understand what he's saying. I believe that he means good but his teaching is below par. He'll be stating something like an idea and completely change what he said 5 minutes later. Extremely confusing and don't recommend
Mark Freed is a tad pretentious, but overall is a nice man. His class, however, is difficult. We read five decently long novels and several additional research articles, wrote 7-15 page papers on each of them. Very philosophy heavy. Hard grader and the grading scale for the papers was weird. Participate in class and READ THE BOOKS!
Freed seems very pretentious and self-assured. He doesn't allow the use of electronic devices for note-taking in his class so get ready for carpal tunnel; he will make you hand-write notes in every class. He is a harsh grader, if you do not meet his exact expectations, you will not get an A. He has too high of expectations for a 201 class.
-He's very pretentious. -He doesn't allow technology in his class, so all notes have to be handwritten. -Don't even think about getting out of your seat during class, even to use the restroom, unless you want to be interrogated in front of the class. -He obviously picks favorites who he's perfectly nice to, and he's pretty hard on everyone else.
Mark Freed can teach complex material, but he lacks the emotional maturity to make me feel comfortable as a student.
not the best move on my part taking this class
Awful Professor, I wish I had seen his ratings before I signed up for this class. I would not wish it upon my worst enemy to be in his class. He is a very extreme grader, and when I asked about his office hours after class one day, he replied with "check the syllabus" very snobby, instead of simply telling me the time like any nice person would.
At the start I was not a big fan of him, but my advice is that you go see him during his office hours. He is really helpful and provides great feedback, and this class is tough already so it'll be much easier if you do this. Do not under any circumstances fall behind on the readings or you will be struggling big time, especially on the exams.
Tough grader and lots of papers. Don't recommend....
He is pretty rude and picked on students throughout my time in his course. He has no regard for your schedule. I was sick for a while and provided a doctors note for my absence, yet he wasn't understanding at all. I'm a pretty strong English student and always got As but he teaches a 134 level class like it's a 500 level honors philosophy.
Professor Freed has a rigid teaching style, but if you put in the effort - taking handwritten notes and participating in class - you can succeed. I found Unstuck AI helpful for exam prep alongside the free textbook. Overall, a challenging but rewarding course.
Freed is seriously not as bad as everyone in Honors says he is. Do the work, participate in class, and you'll be fine. Get to know him and show up to office hours. Once you understand what he wants to see from you, write like that. The course can feel like a lot at first, but you get used to it.
For someone who wants to challenge themselves and really elevate the quality of their writing, this is the professor for you. If you are a lazy student who is not willing to push yourself, do the reading, and work hard, please don't take a class with this professor and please don't blame him for your bad grade.
Run. This guy went off on tangents, gave either little or zero help. I went to his office hours to see how I could get my grade up in that class, and all he said was "just by doing the work." That is a given. I wish I could warn everyone about him.
This was an extremely difficult course. Typically I don't struggle with English classes because it is up to personal interpretation, but in his class everything had to be his way to be "correct". He gives very open ended questions and thinks about things was to deeply. Most classes seemed pointless and yet were mandated to attend.
On my way to class I always wished I would slip on ice and die so I did not have to go to this class. You will do way more work than 90% of your peers in other ENG201(H) classes. Very hard grader and I found his instructions to be unclear. Can be downright rude to students if you don't understand a concept. Extremely boring and horrible class. Run.
Freed will challenge you as both a reader and a writer and will push you. If you are willing to put in 100% effort, show up for and participate in class, and engage with the material you will do well. But for students who are looking for an easy A or to coast by for being generally good at English, I would avoid and take a different prof.
Freed expected way too much. Freed as shown that he is not evolving with the world around him, given that he continuously gives lectures, expecting the class to follow along as he scribbles cursive writing on the board, as if it weren't removed from the school curriculum over 10 years ago.
This class is heavily analysis-based. You will read a lot over the course of this semester, so be prepared for extended study times. His weekly papers are graded on precise concepts, so make sure you include exactly what he wants. Grades are put in extremely slowly. However, he is a very kind professor and is a good teacher.
Mark is the harshest grader I've ever had. And terrible about actually grading assignments. I did not know I was failing until thanksgiving break. No electronics policy, no late assignments policy (even when he messes up the due date in black board). Went to many office hours just for him to restate my question 20 times. Do not take.
I tried to go into this with an open mind but I have been frustrated and frankly annoyed by this class. I feel like no matter how hard I try, I can't get anything right and I feel dumber in this class. Tougher grader that makes me doubt my ability to write a good paper. Avoid at all costs.
Dr. Freed does not respect people's time or effort. He grades his papers harshly, and expects his students to know all the concepts upon entering the class. He provides no communication and makes reading feel like a chore. Outside of class he seems like a very nice person, but in-class he makes me feel stupid. Take this class with someone else.
mark freed is the worst teacher i've ever taken at cmu, he writes in awful cursive and nobody can use it, he is an awful grader and expects way to much of his students, he doesn't make any sense when he talks, i've never felt more frustrated, dumb and stressed out while taking a class. DO NOT TAKE THIS CLASS W HIM
Very advanced ENG 201 course. Teaches with large vocabulary. Have to be disciplined to take this class. Expected to know vocabulary, formats, and layout of papers. Have a broad imagination and dig deep, lots of critical thinking.
I would not recommend this professor at all. I did everything I could to pass; I participated in discussions, I did the homework and readings, I asked questions and still was not able to pass. His grade criteria is unclear and it seems like he grades based off of how he is feeling at the moment. Lies about when he will finish grading as well.
Freed shows little respect for students. He refused to learn how to say my name, never explains anything if it's in the syllabus, goes over time, never really answers questions, falls behind on lectures, and grades so slowly that you're basically guessing what he wants. And this only part of my issues with Freed...
Do yourself a favor and DO NOT take any class that this teacher teaches. Very arrogant and my least favorite teacher that I've ever had. He takes forever to grade assignments which makes it near impossible to know what your current grade should be instead of what it actually is
Please save yourself and don't take this class if you can't switch get ready for the most work you'll ever do for a useless intro English class.
DO NOT take English 201 with Mark Freed. He is an incredibly harsh grader, and a very arrogant man. Absurdly high workload for a 201 English course.
Would not recommend, worst teacher I have had the displeasure of taking in college so far. Harsh grader, takes forever to grade assignments as well.
The worst professor I've had during my college career. If you ask him for help, he will NOT help you. He is too harsh of a grader for an intro class. If you want to save your sanity DO NOT ENROLL IN A CLASS TAUGHT BY HIM. I fully believe that if he didn't have tenure, he would've been gone a long time ago.
Avoid this man like your life depends on it. Was always stressed out about this class. There was no grading logic, feedback was unhelpful, and in lectures he thought he was the only right one in the room. Hard work and effort does not pay off in this class
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