4.4
Quality2.3
Difficulty89%
Would Retake105
Reviews89%
Would Retake
105
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
5
79
4
10
3
6
2
4
1
6
What Students Say
“She is such an amazing professor and so inspirational”
MSOCIO125 - 5.0 rating“You should read the book, it helps on tests”
SOCIO - 3.0 ratingClass Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
68%
Textbook Required
34%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
A-
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-0.29 avg changeRatings by Course
SOCIO4132
5.0
(1)SOCIOLOGY101
5.0
(2)SOCIO101150
5.0
(4)SOC125
4.9
(13)SOCIO125
4.8
(15)Difficulty by Course
125
4.0
SOCIO4132
4.0
SOCIO
3.0
SOCOFFAMILY
3.0
SOCIO150
3.0
Reviews (105)
Absolutely Fabulous!
A waste of time. I ended up dropping the class because she's a leftist loon who quotes Lenin and loves to praise the greatness of "feminist education." I wanted to learn about sociology, not leftist political views on the family and society.
Melanie is awesome! She not only teaches well, but she really cares about all of us students. She's a dynamic and passionate speaker, and she approaches teaching in a really fresh way. Definitely a passable class as long as you do your work. Recommend =).
Her teaching style took a bit of getting used to but that is because not many teach the way she does.Some of the material may come off as her being a feminist but, if you read the book, the class itself revolves around that way of thinking. It was a wonderful class to take during the summer because it wasn't a huge work load. I would recommend her!
Great professor. Made class very interesting and the material you learn in class will actually help you in your life. Very easy class. Don't really need the textbook. Definitely recommend her.
Melanie is very passionate about sociology, more so than teaching. You should read the book, it helps on tests.rarely used. Homework is nonexistent. plan on taking notes the entire class. She's nice, pleasant and fun, but her tests are about what you should have read. And her lectures are more her personal diatribe supporting feminists. Way left!
Melanie is a good lecturer. She is energetic, and she makes for an interesting class. However, she is extremely disorganized and unreliable. Does not update blackboard, does not follow through with her responsibilities as an educator, and does no respond to emails. At all. I only scraped by because I am an obsessive studier.
I love her!!! She is one of the best professors out there. She is very passionate about sociology and she makes the class super fun. I always looked forward in attending her class. Super easy, shes straightforward, the test are easy. Read over the notes and the book. Attend class!
Miss Melanie was an amazing instructor! Her approach to teaching really got to me! She is clear and willing to answer all questions! There was rarely any homework. Do be prepared to take notes. If you show up everyday, take notes, and study your fine!
She is very open and respectful. Her lecturing style is awesome! The class passes by really fast.
Extremely intelligent professor. Her explanations are from her own life experiences so you know how to connect them to your life. I never wanted to miss class. You won't be sorry taking her.
Melanie is a great instructor. She uses real life examples and even some of her own personal stories to make it easier to understand the material. She really relates to her students and is really passionate about sociology. She actually inspired me to major in sociology. If youre going to take sociology, take it with her.
Melanie is a great teacher who's teaching style is very animated and she makes it all easy to understand through examples. She is really a great woman and her class was by far my favorite one that I have taken in my 3 years at MJC.
Great teacher, but very very liberal. She is a sweetheart and very passionate. Liked her a lot.
Absolutely incredible. If you need any kind of help, she's there for you. Easily the best teacher at MJC.
Learned a lot in this class. talks about her own issues a lot. have to do group presentation at the end of the semester. study guides helped a lot. do the extra credit paper she offers!
Really nice woman, very Liberal. I respect both sides and find great things about each, but if your conservative at all, you may need to take another class. I wanted to bash my brain in sometimes over the MANY times she talked about how corrupt the prison system was and racism. OK, we've talked about 3 classes in a row already, can we move on -_-'
Tough on her test, but learned so much. A lot of her lectures I could put into my own life and how I can improve. Maline is inspirational. If I had the extra time I would retake this class. Do the extra credit that's offered. Any questions or concerns are answered in a timely manner. Take this class won't be disappointed
I was planning to take Sociology online, but taking it with Mrs Berru was the best decision. She is really passionate about her class, and is willing to help you no matter what. Test are not difficult, but you really need to study to know the correct definitions or examples.
best teacher here hands down. funny, energetic, inspirational, and definately there for you. she makes it easy to be interested in anything she says. never a boring class. there was a group presentaion, super easy. she LOVES pot lucks. and it makes it easier to present.
Her lectures are amazing and will always keep you interested. She gives great advice if you need it and will always try to understand you. I would definitely recommend taking this class to anyone even if you they didn't need to take it.
I find sociology fascinating but Melanie managed to make it a big chore. Disorganized, Belittling, Politically driven. I felt as if I could't express myself during discussions. I agree in part with her politics but I didn't feel like she was effective in communicating sociology of the family half the time. She shares her personal past more.
She doesn't sugar coat anything, shes's very passionate about Sociology, and she cares for her students. Some students might see her as too offensive, but HELLO if you're a Sociology major, you should understand that there are real issues on this world and we really need to look at it through critical lenses.
Melanie Is a great teacher, willing to do whatever it takes to help students pass. Extremely passionate about socio. She sees students as equal to her. Only 4 scheduled tests and recently started Revel for quizzes that are also scheduled. Not a lot of possible points to do the work as scheduled and you'll be fine. Hardly any hw. Take her!!
One of the best teachers at the school! Class was interesting she really gets into her lectures. Do all the assignments and you'll pass, group project is super easy. and she's really hot!
Thought I would like her class. Ended up really disappointed. Assigned assignments out of no where.
Berru is one of the best professors I've had so far. Her lectures are long but very interesting. She gave us 4 quizzes, and three tests one including the final. I received an A in the class, it's also essential to show up to class because some lectures aren't from info in the book. Didn't really use the book but some test questions are in it.
I took Melanie twice and am in love with her class. Definitely i great class to take. She is great at what she does, can't complain.
Took a summer class with her and LOVED it she is very caring and super understanding .... Best and sweetest person ever
Melanie is such a great instructor, I wish she could teach all of my classes. She is so passionate about her work and she uses real life examples to help you relate to the material she is teaching. She will truly introduce her love for sociology to you and you will not be disappointed.
Most inspirational professor at MJC. She is not afraid to teach her students even if it puts her job on the line. Time flies by in the class because of the material and how she teaches. She doesn't lecture. She has open discussions with the class. I highly recommend taking Sociology 150 with her. There's a midterm with a few video responses.
Our final was organizing an event that the students put together. The class had a family bond going. Conversations are real, and can be awkward. Take this if you actually want to grow as a person. Melanie is a friend; she is fair, and truly listens to her students with heart. She is a ray of freakin' light. We remain FB friends.
Melanie is the most inspirational instructor I've ever had. Because of her I switched from a Psychology major to a Sociology major. She made me desire to go to class every day. She's very big on presentations and working together and it's fun. You'll pass the class as long as you do the little bit of hw she assigns and you participate in class.
I am taking Sociology 150 with Berru and she is an amazing professor. This class is all about race and racial issues, which can be very uncomfortable, but I have learned a lot. This is the first class that I have ever taken that has taught history through a non-European perspective, which can be difficult, but I think it is very relevant.
She is seriously the best teacher out of MJC hands down! I promise you will NOT regret taking her class. Her class is so insightful and this class really makes you learn so much. I'm a genuinely much happier person by taking her class. She has a way of speaking that makes you learn and really makes you think! Would take her all over again!
Melanie Berru is such an amazing professor. Her lectures are so fascinating and she has so much charisma. She makes sociology fun, and her tests are not hard at all if you study. She's very open about her life as well as she has an amazing sense of humor. She's also there if you need to talk to her or anything!
She is so sweet and caring about everyone also passionate about what she teaches so she lectures very well She does have mandatory presentations in her courses so heads up Berru keeps is so real and an amazing teacher I recommend her
Her class is awesome and she is ver inspiring! But the way her quizes are set up don't make sense. There are not many assignments so study your notes for quizes. no h.w. no text.
I was very scared in the beginning to take this class but after the weeks went by, I am so happy I decided to stay. She is one of the realest teachers I have met. Her tests are difficult but just study and go to class! She is so passionate about Sociology and I was very amazed. I learned a lot and I would love to take another class by her!
Ms. Berru has been one of my favorite teachers so far. Great lectures, loves her job, incredibly inspirational, all around great person. Text is free online for soc101. I'd advise to not miss class because her lectures are the basis of tests. Homework is rare so do it all. Get every possible point in her class!
Melanie Berru is a really good sociology professor and she is also my mentor. She is passionte about what she teaches and it's always a good lecture. The information you recieve in class is easily applied outside of class. Berru is also more than willing to help you in and outside of class. I would definitely take her again.
I took her during summer so it was a five week course but i wish i would've taken her during fall or spring to have more time with her. She is such an amazing professor and so inspirational. Her lectures were amazing and she holds your attention the entire time. Your thoughts matter in her class. Attend her class, focus, and you'll pass.
melanie really cares about everyone in her class. she makes you look deeper into not only others lives but your own life as well!
She was my favorite professor this semester. She is so passionate about what she teachers that going to her lectures was a pleasure. A lot of people had trouble with her tests, but I thought they were pretty straight forward. She stated switching to testing online so that you don't have to pay for scantrons. I would take her again in a heartbeat.
Melanie is an amazing professor; she's really passionate about Sociology. There's not a lot of homework so make sure you do the homework she does assign! Gives great feedback, and she's easily approachable. Her teaching style isn't for everyone and she knows it, she'll tell you herself. Great person in and out of the classroom.
One group project with an oral presentation, but she gives you enough time to work on it. Her quizzes are on canvas. She allows the class to choose what kind of final format they want. Overall, it's evident that she's passionate about what she does and she's great with her students and everyone. She's a great professor I recommend her for socio
Her class is so easy, it almost seems like you don't have to attend class but if you don't make sure you read the textbook on the subject the calendar says were on for that week...I got by with just going with notes but I missed a lot of class due to health issues anyways make sure you attend more than I did and you'll get an easy A she's a great!
Did not like this professors style she's offensive and not inclusive enough. Could not stand to sit thorough any more lectures due to the fact she makes very hostile assumptions , that may offend some. I felt like this professor was trying to teach me what to think instead of how to think. just be aware of propaganda in her lectures.
Professor Berru is passionate about social issues. You will have to think critically and open to discussions. This class will have you moved and engaged. She gives amazing, passionate lectures. She is intelligent, funny, and helpful. She truly cares about her students. Always show up, do all of the assignments since there isn't much and you'll pass
There isn't a better sociology professor better than her at MJC, possibly anywhere.
Best Sociology professor!!!!
Berru was one of the first instructors I had at MJC. She's a nice lady and really cares about reaching the students that come from a similar background as her. She is passionate about her culture and talks alot about race, so her lectures could get uncomfortable. She should be less bias since she's a total Liberal but overall a good instructor.
Ive never had a professor like her. She really cares about her students and never turns away a struggling student. Super down to earth teacher, her class opened my eyes and she really helped me get a jump start on my journey to self work. This class changed my life in so many positive ways. Youll leave her class everyday feeling empowered.
This class was great! Everything she taught, was with passion and very comprehendible. She makes sure that everyone is grasping the lecture and that we all remain considerate of others when sharing personal things pertaining to the lecture. I love her and she's really laid back!
Easy Class to Pass with an A , Must do work.
One of the best at MJC, plus free text online!! makes lectures fun, easy A as long as you do all the work. Shes not a hard grader either. She cares about your input and offers extra credit. I learned a lot from her and she connects personal stories to help better understand things she teaches. awesome teacher overall
The best professor I have had at MJC so far. Melanie is an amazing instructor and her lectures will leave you very inspired. Her class has made me view my life and the world around me so differently. Anybody who has a problem with her lectures simply cannot handle the truth. Don't skip class and do all the work! Easy A and you'll learn so much.
She is a very kind professor I took her for two courses she is very understanding and a great listener her classes are easy but she does make you do a group project and another small presentation in them so be aware but it's not bad at all she is a great person but she is bias and it does show other than that her class es are a breeze
Absolutely adore Melanie. She is amazing, caring, funny, and inspirational. She gives the most incredible lectures and makes you feel connected to your community and society. She changed my life and got me interested in Sociology.
I could go on for days about Berru. I would take her classes for fun. Little homework, easy tests. She is there for you with personal issues. She is very involved in the community. Demands Respect, Gives Respect. Caring, understanding. You can be yourself and dont have to be afraid to speak. She shares her life too.
By far my favorite professor at MJC. She genuinely loves teaching and it shows. She's very animated and brings her own personal experiences to teach socio in a life-applicable way rather than just by the book. Plus she's pretty funny too. Very little homework, the tests were not cumulative, and when she offers extra credit, do it.
Took SOC156 Mexican Culture in America and it was amazing. I learned a lot about the Mexican background that I did not know about. I gained new interests due to this class. Lots of group work but not hard at all.
Berru is such an amazing professor she enjoys what she does. Every day she walks into class with fire on her face. Trust me when I say her lectures are truly amazing! Her assignments are straight and forward just make sure you take notes because her quizzes are exactly what she talks about in class.
Minimal homework when actually assigned. Offers extra credit. This class includes a project and 8 hours required of community service (which you are told about months in advance.) Her lectures are passionate and inspiring. She succeeds in making her students feel engaged and involved.
Melanie is very passionate. She teaches her lectures so clearly. She gives out a lot of homework but it is super easy if you attend every class and pay attention. I took her for sociology 101 and 125. highly recommend.
Burre is undoubtably the best teacher I have ever had. Not only does she deliver the content of the class clearly; she is passionate about sociology and you will not want to miss a single day. She empowers her students to be their genuine self and she is a great listener. I cant say enough how wonderful she is. On a scale from 1-10 shes 1000
One of the best professors. Laid back style. Only 1 group presentation(5-8 minute speaking per person). Great classroom discussions. Take Melanie if you aren't afraid to speak up in class.
Berru Is An Amazing Professor. She Loves Socio And She Is Proud Of Her Roots And Being A CHICANA. Lectures Were Easy To Understand, Quizes And Test On Canvas But Final In Class. Book Not Necessary To Purchase, Free Access Online. Her Test Are Based On Lecture Slides Unless She Mentions Its On Book. She Got Funny Stories To Tell Pertaining To SOCIO
I love Berru. She is inspirational, and she is one of the reasons why i switched my major to sociology. Easy class as well, as long you try you will pass.
Amazing Prof; definitely will take her sociology101.
One of the most caring and inspirational professors at mjc, she is truly a hidden gem. Take her class, even if sociology isnt you major, youll love her.
The best professor I've ever had! Her lectures are amazing and real. She's very understanding and will work with you if you're not sure about something. Definitely take her class if you're interested in sociology or just need it for credits.
Miss Berru is an excellent professor. You can tell how passionate she is about sociology through her lectures. She was very interactive with the class during lectures and made it easy to follow along. When we switched to remote learning due to COVID she was accommodating and compassionate. She gave extra credit and responded to emails quickly.
I LOVE HER!!!!! She is seriously so amazing. She really cares about her students and social issues. She instantly became an inspiration to me and still is 3 semesters later. Easy work because 125 is about family and your personal experiences matter to her. Loved this class, wish I took her for my other soc classes.
Melanie is one of the most amazing professors I ever had at mjc. She cares about her students, makes sure that her class is not boring and that everyone is understanding her lectures. Melanie is not one of those professors who think they're better than anyone or takes advantage of the power she can have, she treats you as if you were her friend.
She is an alright teacher. Online learning was okay but you can find most of the quizzes on quizlet but I won't promise you that you'll find all the answers. She is really strict in my opinion and there was so much assignments within a week. Be prepared to read a lot because she goes off by what's in the book.
She was nice and had good lectures if you want an informative easy class take her. I had statistics and biology while taking her and maintained good grades her class was like a breath of fresh air compared to my other ones.
Professor Berru is hands-down the most amazing professor I've ever had, and her classes are amazing. Her lectures are educational and inspirational. We write a lot, and quizzes are based off of lectures and chapter content. But, it's worth it because you learn through her experiences and her ideas.
It was an easy A; however, if there was a late assignment it was an automatic zero even if with a valid reason. There was a lot of work as well as she pushed her political views upon her class. Other than that it was an educational experience and she responds quickly.
Professor Berru is such a loving professor. She is really passionate about her job and wants her students to succeed. I took her class before covid and I took Sociology of Family with her as well. I will continue to take any sociology class she has to offer. It is an amazing experience. I highly recommend taking her class.
Prof Berru was amazing during these confusing online classes. She was very thoughtful and would give us an extra day to finish assignments or just to take a "mental health" day. Less homework than your average 3-credit class.
I've had Melanie Berru for a few classes and she's by far the most amazing, caring, compassionate, and inspirating professor/teacher I've ever had before. She's the person who inspired me to switch my major to Sociology. She's been nothing but kind and helpful towards me and others. She's understanding of students mental health. Would take again!
Best professor I have ever had, Professor Berru is an extremely understanding, empathetic, and compassionate professor who wants to see you succeed. Lectures were always inspirational, thought-provoking, and I would definitely take another class offered by her. Make sure to get the textbooks and show up to class though as attendance is important.
Melanie is THE BEST. I highly recommend taking any one of her courses.
Professor Berru is extremely passionate about the topics she chooses and picks great sources/videos that are actually engaging. Her assignments aren't too hard, but they are thought & discussion provoking. I am looking forward to taking other classes of hers in the future.
Somebody need to put this professor in check. She really bashes white people a whole lot instead of being focused on teaching the class and the topic. I'm Mexican and just watched as she would trash talk white people. We are here to learn on the subject not trash talk anyone.
Overall great professor, very understanding if unable to complete work-gave extra time to complete task. She's kind of a tough grader when it comes to discussions and wanting a lot of information and very picky with APA formatting. Other than that, she provides a lot of content for discussions and papers. highly recommend!
I took her class for my first semester and got an A+
Mrs.Berru was great and I would take her class again. You do have a textbook but it is online and she puts the chapters on canvas for you. She is available to talk after class and doesn't give out many assignments. Her class is an easy A as long as you go to the lectures and read the readings you are given.
Professor Berru was a good instructor. All the assignments and quizzes were explained well. Both courses Socio156 and Socio150 were easy, although it included heavy writing. Overall, 9/10
Ms. Berru is an amazing person and makes passing the class extremely easy! She made me look forward to attending lectures as they were always interesting and very engaging! Would 100% take any class she taught :)
This teacher was very easy, and the online course was structured very well. But she was very intense, she is very intensely feminist, and it comes out in her lectures. She has all the right intentions and makes mostly good points but the way she lectures is unproffessional, and she tries to force her opinions about her political views.
Likes to harmcolonized and traumatized neuro divergent male student(s). She is incredibly contradicting to her beliefs and likes go out of her way to make others aware. Won't respect truths that point out the flaws in her beliefs. Has helped jeopardized the safety of colonized traumatized low income M.O.C.
By far the BEST teacher at MJC. She speaks with so much passion and wants to create a relationship with all of her students. She makes sure every student is heard and appreciated. She will do break days where you sit outside and just reflect on the semester that you are doing.
Just amazing. I don't feel like she pushed her agenda on me like some of these reviews. Her lectures are amazing, and I looked forward to her class.
She is one of the best teachers I ever had. I recommend everyone to take her classes.
Melanie Berru is the kind of professor that makes you want to become a professor yourself. Her class is very informative and accessible. I highly recommend her class to anyone and everyone.
She's passionate about what she's teaching and helped me to discover a little bit more about my background than I originally thought I would. Her assignments really have you thinking and thinking for yourself. I wish though she would be more understanding of students who are struggling as she does NOT accept late work.
Professor Berru's class is engaging and accessible. While she has strong views, her lectures are worthwhile if you're open-minded. Using unstuck study helped me prepare effectively.
The reviews saying this professor is biased are not true. She never mentions political beliefs. She is feminist but she also had a huge lesson on how the patriarchy hurts men too, she opened my eyes to my own biases. You can tell she loves to teach. I look forward to every class.
professor berru is a great professor and she loves what she teaches so she teaches it very clearly. Shes kind and passionate
Berru is very passionate about the subject, so if this bothers you, don't take it. Shes nice, and her modules were easy to access. Some instructions can be a little tricky to understand and when I had messaged her she didn't get back to me. I wouldn't take her again not because she was bad but because her teaching style didn't mesh with mine.
Constantly on rants not relevant to sociology for half the classes. Made The class difficult to sit through
An alright professor gives a lot of readings and videos. Far grading takes a while to respond to emails.
Very interesting class with very good content. The class work is not very hard and you will pass if you keep up with it. She does a great job with communicating with her students. Would highly recommend taking this class.
Class Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
68%
Textbook Required
34%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
A-
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-0.29 avg changeRatings by Course
SOCIO4132
5.0
(1)SOCIOLOGY101
5.0
(2)SOCIO101150
5.0
(4)SOC125
4.9
(13)SOCIO125
4.8
(15)Difficulty by Course
125
4.0
SOCIO4132
4.0
SOCIO
3.0
SOCOFFAMILY
3.0
SOCIO150
3.0