Awesome teacher. The topic for the class was focusing on urban conditions, so going to UIC, I could relate to that, and the subject was interesting. If you turn stuff in late he's pretty understanding about things, so usually he doesn't mind. If you do ur work, you can get an A.

took forever to get papers back, but hes cool and understanding. thumbs up

A great teacher. You can turn pretty much anything in late and still get full credit. An easy A as long as you do all your work and participate in class.

EASY CLASS. You will get an A if you participate in class and do the work.

I really liked him. He had so many amusing anecdotes and this really dry sense of humor, which made going to class a less painful experience. Class discussions were very interesting and he didn't just focus on the readings, he made the discussions relevant. Great taste in music, too.

He's great, he truly wants to teach you the stuff, and his passion for it all gets you intrested as well. the papers are a little bit of a pain in the butt, but hes always avilable to help, and his classes are interesting.

He is so funny! This class is very easy except the papers are annoying. His grading is inconsistent. One draft he'll say something is good so you'll keep it but by the next draft he'll mark it up and say that "good" part needs a lot of work. Hard to keep up but he's very helpful and SO funny. A know-it-all. It's amusing

His class was useful not as bad as I expected. Workload is pretty light; there's a lot of time to do papers. He also offers a lot of time out of class, which is helpful. He does expect a lot of work, and tries his best to keep to an everyday schedule. I'm an Art student, not an English major, but overall the class was enjoyable.

Professor Newirth's course proved to be quite helpful in further developing writing skills. He was always there when help or guidance was needed for an assignment, and he was lenient if deadlines could not be met. I def. recommend taking him, it will be useful to you and it is not a hard class...he actually made english interesting.

Readings are interesting and relevant, understanding about extensions and stuff, and grades fairly. The people below probably didn't do their work and magically expected an A/bitter freshmen who don't understand how college works/or both. Sometimes I forgot I was in a class and felt like it was an informal discussion on everything under the sun.

If you come to his office for help or just to talk he will help you out because he knows you care about the class. Talks about current events alot which was very interesting. He chose intersting topics for us to write about. Cool guy, good teacher.

Really nice guy and very smart. The class could get a little boring sometimes but all in all not so bad. He's really easy going and flexible with times which was a big help because workload sometimes can get overwhelming.

real dry sense of humor, receptive to questions and opinions, always helpful/supportive. basically a music snob, knows a good amount; if you have good taste in music, he'll like you and that's that. the class is mainly a discussion on music/current events/politics, and he keeps it interesting with his wit. best prof i've had at UIC.

teacher is extrememly helpful, and is always available and dependable.

If you're interested in Creative Nonfiction in any way whatsoever, you'll be very happy taking this workshop. The instructor focuses on keeping the readings well-rounded and up to date while making sure to provide context and background for the genre. As long as you attend and make an effort in your writing, you should be able to get a good grade.

While his topic is not the most interesting one in the english department, he is one of the most helpful professors I've had this semester. He can be a wise-ass sometimes, but its all in good fun.

Overall, I had a good time. He is easy-going and really helpful with the material. If you are interested in good conversation on culture and media, check it out. You won't be upset.

He's not an easy teacher and you won't ever get a chance to slack off in this class. BUT, his class was entertaining and very useful. All the intellectual, as well as (relevant) pop cult references, still help out (it's been a year). You had to just work really hard, but it paid off in the end because of how extremely resourceful he is.

the people giving low ratings must have been*****y students. just like any other professor, if you work hard, you'll do good and he'll like you. hes an intelligent teacher and although he talks a little too much he's a good professor who helps his students.

his class is verrrrry boring. i never wanted to go. he talks the entire time and most of the time would let us out 5 mins late. never finishes on time. he is pretty helpful but i wouldn't take him again.

hard workers will do well

the ppl who gave him a bad rating are simply dumb. he's not biased at all, u get the grade u deserve. I admit his class is extremely boring but that's no reason to get a bad grade. i never visited his office hours, but did work tremendously hard on my papers. I got an A in the class. I admit his personality isnt the best but he's a good professor!

just write good papers, that's all I can give for advice. u can't slack in his class. if you work hard, there will be no reason for him to give u a bad grade. personally i do think hes a bit arrogant but hes a good professor and hes not biased as said earlier. just do all the work n u'll succeed.

I think this professor is tough but fair. If you show up to class, do the work and ask for help if you need it, then you will do just fine. I like his cultural references in class.

He made it pretty darn clear what kind of writing was good, and what wasn't. He's not the easiest guy to talk to, and he gets off topic easily, but other than that, if you want a somewhat challenging (I do use the term challenging loosely here) professor where you actually have to EARN an A, he's pretty good.

He really is great and he made me laugh. He's fiercely intelligent, entertaining and receptive in discussion. If you have no sense of humor or intellectual curiosity you probably won't like his class. If you apply yourself, he's passionate about what he does and he'll teach you how to become a better writer. The best professor I've had at UIC.

I thought he was really helpful and my writing did honestly improve by taking him. He was not an easy teacher where you can slack off and still get an A. You had to work for that A, but through that work you ultimately increased your writing ability. The subject was interesting and he tried to make everything fun, but it all depends on you.

Although his intellectual attributes are no where to be question, his teaching methods and personality traits are major factors why many students do not consider him to be an A+ professor.

Mr. Newirth was a good teacher. Some cons about him was he was confusing, difficult at first, and very specific, but some pros about him are he's very organized, has great office hours, and has a dry sense of humor, which i found very amusing.

Prof newirth seems like a pretty cool guy, but the fact that he makes himself seem like a bad guy on the very first day of class, and the fact that he digresses so much makes him a very difficult person to understand during class. he's not very specific on what exactly the homework is, and all of his acronym usage is very frustrating.

Going into his class I was worried because of these negative ratings. Although he can be intimidating, as long as you take notes and pretend to be interested he'll like you. Make sure you show up on time, don't miss class and don't ask him questions during class-he'll roll his eyes at you. He has a dry sense of humor talks a lot, but verypassionate

I was worried when I learned that he was my professor for the fall term, but he isn't as bad as he is portrayed. He is very lenient when turning in assignments asking as you speak with him beforehand. The work is difficult, but he is always willing to help.

Prof. Newirth was one my favorite professors. He wants nothing but the best for his students. Some students receive poor grades because they write a BS paper (which he can spot from a mile away). Take his class seriously and it will pay off. He's very reasonable and made me a better writer! He may be disorganized but, somehow, his methods work!

Newirth may be a hard teacher who gives a lot of work, but he sure does not cheat you out of an education like some teachers do. I put more work into this class than all of my other classes combined, but I do feel like I have become a better writer, as a result. If you want a challenging class with interesting subject matter, then take this one.

As a teacher, he's not bad at all. All he asks is that you go above and beyond. The only way to get an A in his class is to write 8 pages when the min is 5. Participation is huge as well as attendance. I'll admit that he is rude if you bother him at a bad time.

Rambles on and on and on and lectures are very boring. But he definitely is helpful if you actually take the extra effort to learn. He is also very lenient in terms of due dates of essays and such if you actually make use of office hours. Interesting, smart guy. But if he's in a bad mood, he shows it and doesn't do a very good job of hiding it

He does expect a lot from you in this course, and he tells you that from day one. You really need to read and analyze the material fully and write a thorough paper to get by in this class. It really did make me a better writer though. He does have an attitude, but he's still very helpful at office hours. Get on his good side! An A is possible!

I took him for creative writing and i'm so glad I did! His class was small so you must engage in the text, but the texts are all short stories and only three short stories to write. It's so easy!

His grading criteria is personalized based on whether or not you made changes on your rough draft which makes it easy to get an A. If you have a talent for writing, though, Newirth will draw it out of you. I've learned more in the last 3 months than I have in 20 years about the art of writing. My grade: A- Effort applied: 3 hours every two wks.

His lectures are extremely long and kind of boring, but if you write it all down, it's extremely helpful for writing the 3 essays for the class. He is really accessible outside of class and very helpful and actually cares about you and your work. If you go see him for 15 minutes in his office and complete the drafts for each paper, an easy A.

The lectures are boring, but he provides valuable discussion points that I found myself using in the major assignments. He always kept students informed about office hours/any class changes. His writing might be hard to read and he might pick on you during discussion (be prepared/attentive), but it's part of the effort you have to place to pass.

Prof. Newirth truly cares for every student that put effort into the class. If you contribute in discussions and listen to his feedback, you will be set! I always thought my writing was good, but this course refined it. I recommend going to his office hours even if it isn't related to class! You'll learn and have a great conversation, guaranteed.

I thought Mr. Newirth was a hard-ass but he was also hilarious and genuinely cared about his work. I wouldn't recommend him to someone just trying to "get by" but if you truly want to get better at writing papers and analyzing arguments, he's your guy.

He clearly is passionate about the topic that he's teaching, and he is very esteemed and established since he's a book reviewer. Though, he does require you follow his outline and schedule, but understands outside concerns and stresses.

I took his class 4 years ago and still have PTSD from it. He can be insufferable, but he pushes his students to be better writers. I'm in a master's program now and I can easily write papers on a whim. I think back and owe it to the strain this man put on me. VERY tough professor, but you will grow! (Coming from someone who HATES English class)

The class was very difficult and there were a lot of essays assigned, but overall if you do the readings and go to his office hours you will pass. The class is very lecture heavy and he keeps track of participation so you have to pay attention and write notes. You will notice your writing will start to improve if you take his class.

He's a tough professor, but you can take a lot from this class. I would take it again to learn the fundamentals of writing papers. This class is super useful if you want to get better at writing but prepare to do a lot of work. These skills will carry on when creating your LinkedIn account, graduate school essays, and emails to job opportunities.

Professor Newirth is a wonderful professor. He is passionate about what he does, and if you attend his office hours and communicate with him, he'll help. He is understanding, really caring about you as a person. He concluded the class by saying that as far as he concerned, he is always our teacher. He really wants everyone to succeed, and shows it.

This man... what can I say. He was my favorite professor this semester. I know a lot of people dislike him, but if you just listen to his feedback, communicate with him outside of classtime, and in general look past him being slightly rough around the edges, you will end up enjoying the class. He is passionate about what he does, and seeks to help.

I could gush about how great Professor Newirth is, but instead, I'll keep it short and sweet. He is a very accomplished professor, but he is also self-aware. Not only does he recognize that other people may disagree with and dislike him, but he also differs from many people I interacted with this semester. He doesn't try to preach to the choir.

ENG161 with Professor Newirth is tough, but you'll improve as a writer. The workload is heavy, but Unstuck ai was a lifesaver for practice. Engage with the course materials and you'll see progress.

Getting an “A” took alot of effort, but I have to admit, he gives great advice and really did improve my writing. He's also very passionate about what he does. However, his class does need much better organization since it was very hard to keep up with the workload. I suggest to decrease the amount of work assigned so it's easier to keep up.

Newirth is a great professor if you want someone who is engaging and fast paced but expects a very high level of commitment and skill. People often talk about how he doesn't return papers back on time, but he is very vocal about how if you go to his office hours, he will look at your papers then. He is incredibly kind as long as you communicate.

Newirth has experience editing in the book publishing industry and has lots of good feedback despite the heavy workload. If you would rather challenge yourself, I would take this course because professional writing skills are useful in any career field. It took a lot of work as an A student to earn a B, but I feel that my writing skills improved.