Great teacher!! Extremely helpful and nice and really cares a lot about his students doing well and improving their reading and writing skills. He gets really excited when he talks about the material and it makes you want to be your best. I highly recommend Dr. Rankin - there should be more teachers like him.

Dr. Rankin is the most thorough teacher I've ever had. He sends multiple emails a day w/thoughts and info. You can rewrite papers for better grades. He knows his Shakespeare better than Will himself! He's pretty much a genius, but knows how to teach it on any level. Be ready to work, but appreciate him as a very useful teacher who does his part.

Professor Rankin is so great! He's such a nice man and so passionate about the subject he teaches. Really cares about his students. Class consists of readings, discussions and papers. Tough grader on papers but he lets you make revisions to improve your grade. I really enjoyed his class.

He is one of the most helpful professors I have had here at JMU. He's very approachable and will clarify/answer any questions or doubts you may have. The class style is straight up lecture and discussion and he is very open and encouraging to any thoughts and opinions. He lets you revise all your papers for better grades :)

Unlike most JMU professors, Dr. Rankin puts the students first. He is always willing to help. My only critique is that class discussion is often geared completely towards his interests, but he is incredibly knowledgeable and well organized. His grading is fair and very helpful. I highly recommend him for any serious students.

Excellent professor. I've had several classes with him - it's his enthusiasm for the subject matter that keeps me coming back. He truly cares for his students, too. There need to be more teachers like him.

Dr. Rankin is awesome. He is incredibly smart and knows what he is doing. Some of the assignments are hard, but he is always willing to meet with you, help, or negotiate a grade. I'd recommend this class.

Dr. Rankin is an amazing teacher. He genuinely cares about your grade and your ability to learn the material. He is extremely hard but no one would learn this material without a tough teacher. Definitely recommend him if you are willing to put in the time!

This is by far, the hardest gen-ed i have taken so far. I'm an english major and im barely keeping up. The reading isn't that bad but he expects A LOT from your papers, cool guy though

he's a good teacher but sometimes he can be alittle difficult to understand. But he is always willing to talk to you afterwards during his office hours. Its really hard for a gen ed class but the books were interesting. He expects alot out of the papers so don't worry if you don't do well on the first one, you can redo them for a higher grade

Fantastic teacher, really invested in his students education. He isn't interested in whether or not students pass, but whether or not they learn. His classes are difficult, but he always has a rewrite option after he gives feedback. Go to his office hours. He will walk you through you assignments to help you do the best you possibly can

I have mixed feelings about Dr. Rankin. It is true that he cares about his students, and his class is rigorous and refreshingly challenging. However, I do not think he is the best professor to teach this particular class (Teaching Shakespeare). I always seemed to leave his class feeling depressed or hopeless about my future career.

Don't take his class if you're looking for an easy A, but if you have any interest at all in english literature, this is the class to take. His lectures are insightful and very clear, and he's very up front with what he expects from his students. He's also very helpful in office hours. If you do the readings and show up to class you will do fine.

He's clearly interested in what he's teaching and dedicated to helping his students learn. However, the class is very difficult; and you really have to work at it to get an A. If you want to improve your English, this is the class to take

Definitely not an easy class, but it's not impossible. I barely used the book, and I got a decent enough grade. All 5 assignments count the same, and if you fail one it's kind of easy to bring your grade back up. A challenge but at least he cares about what he's teaching.

I took Dr. Rankin for a Tolkien class, and it was really interesting. He's obviously passionate about what he teaches. He's a tough grader, but if you communicate with him about your papers, he's happy to help. Don't take him for an easy A; take him for a professor who cares about his work and challenges you to care as well.

For a GenEd, this class is VERY challenging. Definitely one of the hardest I've ever taken; but Rankin is very passionate about the subject, and after he opens up he's a great guy. Not an easy A; his daily quizzes are too specific sometimes, and the tests are difficult, but if you put in effort it's not impossible. I got a lot from this class.

Dr. Rankin's Eng 235 class was enlightening and enjoyable. Would highly recommend.

Dr. Rankin expects his students to work extremely hard. Yes, he is a difficult grader and it can be extremely frustrating when you receive disappointing grades, but you will learn a lot and become a better writer. Hard class but he is always eager to help and wants you to succeed. Visit office hours and it will help you tremendously!

Good pick. He's super passionate, if you like reading and learning you'll love this class. The lectures are magical, and you haven't lived until you cry on the pages of Beowulf in the Carrier stacks.. This class enhanced my life's education.

Several extra credit opportunities (one is an entire letter grade boost) and there are hundreds of opportunities to talk with him throughout the semester if you need help. Taking advantage of office hours/email is a must. Lots of reading to be done, but none of it feels like busywork. Perfect prof for people who like having to think.

This class has made me a better writer and even if it feels intimidating to only have essays and a test graded, there are so many opportunities to speak with Dr. Rankin about your writing and improving your work. If you're not a fan of long papers, maybe this class isn't for you, but it's definitely worth it for those who are.

This class is not an easy A, but you will definitely learn and become a better writer. He is very forward with his expectations and they may come off as intimidating, but he will help you if you email him or go to his office hours. I think that if you are a non-English major that he'll be difficult, but if you are it will benefit you.

I would like to preface and say that he is passionate about what he teaches and you wont get anything but disappointment if youre not passionate too. Do not take for gen eds. Do take if you really want to improve your writing and understand Shakespeare on an intense level.

Please do not be swayed by some of the other reviews! Dr. Rankin is a phenomenal professor and person who will help you grow tremendously as a critical thinker, researcher, and writer. Visit his office hours, work hard, apply yourself, and you will learn so much. He deeply cares for his students and will help you succeed!

GO TO OFFICE HOURS! I think not doing so is the biggest mistake his . Trust me, he's way less intimidating one-on-one than in a class or over email. He couldn't be more helpful in his office hours. Yes, his classes are very difficult, but an A is so possible if you regularly talk with him about assignments. He'll literally give you sources to use.

He's very passionate about his subjects - if you are not passionate as well, don't take this course. You'll also be doing a lot of reading and writing for this course. You definitely have to be at least decent at writing or you will do poorly in his class. He will answer any questions you have, though, so don't be afraid to ask.

Dr. Rankin's teaching style is definitely not for everyone, but he is not a hard professor. The material can be hard, but he is very open to questions and will help you if you come to him. He clearly loves his work which I appreciate in a professor. There were 3 essays and 2 exams in this class and honestly, the essays were all VERY manageable.

Dr. Rankin has a contagious passion for the material and illustrates his assertations well. He is very personable and easy to talk to, and a tough but fair grader. To succeed in his class, you MUST go to office hours. Be honest about where you are in the assignment so he can help you. Spend time outside of class reading and writing. Best of luck!

Rankin is charismatic and kind, his grading methods being harsh, but they provide immense feedback in hopes of potentially improving your papers. The three papers and annotated bibliographies, along with the final exam, can be difficult, to say the least, but if you attend office hours, you'll pass the class. Take advantage of his brain.

Dr. Rankin is a great professor, and he is very enthusiastic about the content being taught. The poetry itself is difficult yet very interesting, and he does an amazing job at helping students interpret the poems. His exams are near impossible if you do not put in effort. This class is made to make you think deeper, and I enjoyed it!

Dr. Rankin incredibly passionate, something that makes all the difference when it comes to taking a GenEd class. Attendance isn't mandatory, but if you want to do well on the four grades you'll receive (three in-class essays, one exam), you need to be there. My only gripe: the amount of $ I had to spend on books (~$88, and that was via ThriftBooks)

Dr. Rankin is very well-informed on the content he teaches. He is incredibly passionate about studying how Tolkien developed his legendarium, and I admit that this appreciation has somewhat rubbed off on me. This is the only English class I've ever taken that has actually intrigued me, so I applaud Dr. Rankin for his efforts.

Dr Rankin was incredibly informed and passionate about Tolkien's Legendarium. He knows what he's teaching, and he loves it. The lectures were incredible, very few of them felt long and tedious. I will say the grades are based on 3 essays and the final exam. Go to the lectures and read the books and you'll be fine.

Dr. Rankin was an excellent professor. He loves the material and wants you to understand it. In his office hours I was always asked if I felt better than I did before coming in. He is extremely intelligent. The workload was manageable, 50p/class. The grading itself was tricky; however, as there is only 3 50 minute in class essays and one final

Mark Rankin's class exploring the works of Tolkien has been one of my favorite classes at JMU thus far. While it is a challenging class, not an easy A, the work and passion that Rankin puts in makes it worth it! If you show up for lecture and make an effort to understand the material outside of class, it will not go unnoticed! 100% recommend!!

He is a great guy, very friendly and lovable, but also strict when necessary.

Excellent professor, very passionate about bibliography. Wants you to succeed and will work with you to make sure you have what you need to do well. Difficult and rigorous class, but you learn SO much about the content and useful skills. The manuscript assignment is so fun. Do NOT procrastinate on assignments. 100% worth it!

I would probably not recommend this class unless you're an English major or really passionate about Early Modern/Reformation lit. 50pg readings per class, 3 annotated bibliographies, 3 essays, a final exam. Intense and knowledgeable professor. I greatly enjoyed this class, and Dr. Rankin is very passionate.

Dr. Rankin is a great professor. His class is exactly what you would expect from an upper-level English class. As someone who is not an English major, Dr. Rankin makes the content easy to understand, and it is also accessible to answer questions. He is very passionate about what he teaches. You get what you put into it.

He is a great and passionate professor, as long as you take good notes, pay attention, and come to all the lectures you should be good! (Even if you don't do the readings - although I recommend doing them since they are amazing books! If you like mythology this is absolutely for you!!

If you're not an English major, don't take him. With that said, Dr. Rankin is one of my favorite professors. Very passionate about the course content, very traditional prof, and gives great feedback on work. 3 ABs, 3 papers, and a final exam (which is pretty difficult). Readings can be hefty because of the language, but ultimately rewarding.