2.4
Quality4.4
Difficulty21%
Would Retake170
Reviews21%
Would Retake
170
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
5
31
4
23
3
15
2
31
1
70
What Students Say
“Don't give up if you failed the class”
ENG101 - 1.0 rating“I do not recommend anyone to this professor, so choose wisely”
ENG101 - 1.0 ratingClass Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
96%
Textbook Required
44%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
C
Grade Distribution
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-1.21 avg changeRatings by Course
ENGL101103
5.0
(1)ENG6877
5.0
(1)ENG0215
5.0
(1)ENGL49
4.0
(1)ENGLIS101
4.0
(1)Difficulty by Course
ENGLISH50
5.0
ENGL
5.0
ENGLI103
5.0
ENGL49
5.0
ENG161
5.0
Reviews (170)
Great teacher! Very helpful, enthusiastic, clear, and interesting. I actually looked forward to going to class. Furthermore, I feel prepared now to write for any class that requires an essay. I highly recommend this instructor.
op expcts vry mch 4m his studnts, if you dnt attnd evry cls & want the easy wy out ths is nt a cls 4 u.hes a tough grdr & he is a hard ass 4 real.hwevr insensitive he may b he is stl a great tchr.he is hlpful and u lrn soooo mch.hell grw on u but it is def a hrd cls.ths cls is in no wy easy AT ALL!
No Comments
He is a very cool guy. I hate the way he grades everything based more on stupid grammar than content, which he really marked me down for. But he is a person you can talk to and he really makes an effort to get to know you. I would take him agian.
Optimistic and gives detailed explanations. Awesome instructor.
No Comments
tell us when we need to do reading
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Does not follow class sylabas. Tends to be nicer towards girls, does not accept late homeowrk even if you printer runs out of ink. I bought three books for the class and ended up only using one. Worse teacher ever
op is a great person, and relates to his students. i love that he's in a punk rock band, and i wished i took his class that focused on punk instead. i don't like the way he grades his papers. my paper was atleast worth a freakin b and had plenty of sensory details, and everyone who peer edited it was jealous. i put a lot of effort into that damn paper and he gave me a c, yet the one i wrote in 3 hours he gave me a b. so his grading is really weird. if ur always late don't take his class. he hates late ppl.
Ack...what a disapointment. I thought he'd be cool cause he's young. He's too hard, get's all self absorbed in his lectures. Plus, who changes their name to Optimism One?
Op is a great teacher. He's a really cool guy and tries his hardest to relate to the students. Although he is militantly liberal, he allows you to have your own opinion, and even encourages it in class conversations. If you want an easy ride this is not the clas for you: he is a very tough grader with grammar, watch out for coma splices!
No Comments
Op is an AWESOME teacher. He is very interested in his students. A difficult teacher but very helpful. Cool guy. Cool name.
Great teacher! Interesting guy, but he's very liberal. Oh... well... class discussions were great as were the essay topics. Know your grammar and stuff BEFORE you take this class, though. He doesn't mess around. This is really a college class!
The class is really easy; I passed with a B, and I didn't even try. Just make sure you keep up with the reading. The class is very interactive, so appreciate it, because that tends to be rare. Oh, biggest drawback is that he really is a stickler for grammatical errors; it's annoying, but he is an English teacher.
Hands down the best teacher I have had for English. Not easy, but worth the work and makes the effort to get to know his students. Very helpful and knowldegeable. Ardent liberal, but conscious and respectful of the beliefs of others.
Self absorbed and petty, epspecially when it comes to grading. Very anal. You can turn in an A paper and get it back with a B or lower if you missed a comma or two. If you have OCD for proof reading and don't mind an instuctor that likes to play stupid little games because he thinks he's teaching you a lesson, this is the class for you.
If you are looking for a run of the mill class to fill your mandatory English requirement, avoid him like the plague. He is a good teacher for an English major, or a masochist. But he grades too hard for me to recommend him.
Op is a great teacher, but be warned, that doesn't make him easy. He grades strictly on grammar as long as your opinion is coherent or not, liberal or conservative. I'm a hard core conservative and he's an arch-liberal and he was very respectful toward my views. Highly reccomend him.
This class was supposed to be a different, but we had to read the Kite Runner like every other class. Changed the syllabus quite a bit. As a teacher, Op is more close-minded than I would have thought. I was disappointed in the class, but he is helpful and is on his way to possibly being an excellent teacher. Reccommended for English majors.
I took Op for English 50 and 101. He is very strict with grammer, however, is a great teacher. He is an awesome guy too. If you like working alone do not take Op. His class is group oriented.
his class was really hard. I had an A in 101 and in 103 it was ridiculous.
Overall the class is an average class. There wasnt much hw other than reading. I liked how he made due dates for rough drafts first. There was a lot of peer editing in class which was nice. You do need to come to class everyday because sometimes he gives pop quizzes (very easy if you were there) overall Op is a cool guy!
grades very hard. if your not on his good side you might as well leave the class. i found his class to be a waste of time. I dont want to hate on him or anything, but optimism one is a total prick. if your sick and miss an assignment, to bad you cant turn it in. he has no sympathy for others
Op is a cool guy. Just go to class everyday n do all the work. If you want an easy way out then he's probably not for you. Requires a lot of reading just expect a quiz the next day. I got a B in his class, just by attending each class session and doing all the work. I think we wrote about 4 essays. I wrote every one of them the last minute! ha
Op is an excellent professor. He is down to earth and is someone you can relate to. He is inspiring to the english student and goes out of his way to help you. His teaching styles are interesting and the class is never boring. The essays are good promps and the readings are good novels that keep you interested and are comprehendable.
he is great!!!
He makes me so confusing ~~not recommend at all!
I took this professor for English 50. He is a tough grader. He hates students to be late or to talk back. Four essays required and lots of dumb vocabulary. Two novels and QUIZes everytime class meets. WAY to much work for English 50 i got a C+ and in English 101 an A+. Too much work!!
Good Teacher, has a good structure with his teachings. Very hard grader, but he helps you become a better writer. I read 3 novels, they were great books. Had quizes everyday. Thats where my grade went to a C+ because I missed them when my son got sick. But for the most part, I think he is a Great Teacher.
Having an excellent attendance, perticipating in class conversations, completing all assigned home work, not missing any quiz's or test's. was not enough to pass his class. Mr O receives an F on fairnes from this student.
Op! I took him for Eng 49 and it was the best. Hes very helpful and goes wayyy out his way to help you. Very strict with cells so if you like to text during the class the hes not for you. He is also fair and on time everyday, if hes a lil bit late he makes it up to you by not giving you a quiz or something. Quizzes are given everyday on the novels.
Fairly hard but a great teacher. If you need any help or anything, he responds quickly. There isn't a lot of work, but he grades hard. I would recommend him if you plan on learning anything.
Good guy, but not terribly approachable. Only take his Film Appreciation class if you're truly interested in the material. Textbook is used constantly and you will have to have a good understanding of the terms and concepts if you want to pass the weekly essays and the tests. Pretty demanding, but you learn a lot. Be warned: the films are violent.
I chose this professor because this website suggests that he is a good challenge. In reality, he is just a challenge. Unfortunately, he is extremely vague & unclear about what he expects, yet he is extremely specific and harsh in the way he grades. You'll spend the semester trying to figure out what he wants while your grades suffer. I'm not alone.
I was displeased with his teaching style. Did little teaching and expected us to understand his instructions completely with little or no explaination
Took his film app class. He's a nice guy but spends too much time on casual discussions that do NOT pertain to the cirriculum. Unfortunatley because of this grades tend to suffer, and it does not help that the class is ENTIRELY dependant on a textbook that is poorly written and confusing.
I took Op for film appreciation last semester so i decided to take him for english 101, and he is, without a doubt, one of the best teachers i have ever had. he is really cool. some people say he is too strict, but its not that; he just knows what he is looking for, and he pushes u to succeed! i definately reccomend him!
Unless you are an english expert do not take this guy. He does not teach or explain anything, with the the exception of new vocabulary words you must find inside the novels. His grading is the worst I have ever seen from any instructor and the worst person to teach an english class. I do not know why ever received a tenure???
DO NOT TAKE HIM AT ALL...I ATTENDED EVERY CLASS, DID ALL THE ASSIGNMENTS AND STILL DIDNT PASS THE CLASS. OH AND CLASS WAS AT 630AM AND HE DIDNT SHOW 3 TIMES. HE EXPECTED US NEVER TO MISS BUT HE DID AND HE DIDNT EVEN TELL US SO WE WOULD SHOW UP 4 NOTHING!! TOUGH GRADER AND EXPECTS WAY TO MUCH AND DOESNT EVEN EXPLAIN! ALL I CAN SAY IS DO NOT TAKE HIM
Horrible! This Prof is a waste of your time & money. He has us read from a book or two, and then evaluate each other. It's the blind leading the blind. Then when you email asking for help, he gives short answers that leaves you thinking he's to busy to actually teach you. FYI, I am a hard working student who gets good grades!(in every other class!)
Before the final he was proud to say he had failed two students in the previous class.
After receiving a D on my first essay, I went to the writing center for help with my next three essays. The tutors were sure I would receive a good grade on my next papers--I received D's and an F!! If I had known I would be teaching myself, reading the required manuals and interpreting the information on my own, I would have skipped this class!!
This is the worst teacher I have ever had! He was useless as he provided no instruction. He expected us to know how to write at college level before we were taught the first thing about it! He doesn't review your work or offer help. DO NOT TAKE HIM! If you do, you WILL regret wasting your time, energy, and money. He shouldn't be allowed to teach!
You will not pass the class, if he does not believe you are ready for english 50 or english 101. I even got help from the writing and the instructor himself, still failied the class. Do yourself a favor, if English is not your stong subject I would not recommend this class. You are expected to be an English major out of this class. lol
Not clear
Thoroughly read the assigned reading before each class. Entire grade based mainly on essays. Do the work, get the grade. Simple as that.
Don't expect to fly through this class easily. I worked really hard just to obtain a B. I worked with him on every essay and got B's on all of them except the last one, where I got an A. If you want success, go to him for help! The people who get lower than a C, just weren't seeking his guidance. He's an amazing teacher, and I would take him again.
DO NOT TAKE THIS CLASS!!! He is by far the WORST teacher! He doesn't clarify anything and it's such a waste of time to go to class! He loves the fact that he's more intelligent and makes everyone feel really stupid! Such an arrogant jerk! By the end of the semester, the entire class couldn't stand him! Only his favorites will pass! DO NOT TAKE HIM!
I would not recommend him. If you do not see things from his hippie-ish point of view it seems you will receive a lower grade. Comes across as arrogant. The material was fairly easy to read. I spent much time on his essays and his comments would be positive yet he'd assign me a C grade. Very contradicting and misleading.
He is very strict on grading and whenever I asked questions he was gave unclear answers not a very good online class.
ENG103 = crit thinking/advance comp. If you think critically about the textbooks, you will offend the instructor. If you offend the instructor, you will fail the course. I completed all assignments in a timely manner. What feedback was given, was given 5-6 weeks into the semester (after the first major essay was due). Wish I had more room. Bad
I wouldnt recommend this teacher. If you have dont format papers exactly right he automatically docks ten points. I've always been an excellent essay writer and his instruction and critique made me feel like I was at kindergarten level.
Professor One is one of the most authentic professors at MJC. He expects college level work. He also is very welcoming when you go to his office to ask for help. He provides you with everything you need in order to pass the class. The only reason i got a C was because i procrastinated, do the work and you'll be fine. Would highly recommend!
This professor is a joke. I took a film appreciation class! supposed to be easy got a C. His reviews should be worse than what they are.You will regret this dont do it save yourself
The material we read and discussed stayed with me for years. Op's insightful, thoughtful, & purposeful about the source material. he was ridiculously tough at grading but encouraged environ of discussion. we sat in a circle. every voice was heard. expectations are high for the writing. work hard. it's science to write well. it's college folks
I love school. I love my teachers, and because of this, they love me. But this was BY FAR, the WORST teacher/student experience I've ever had. Optimism One believes he is there to EVALUATE you to see if you are worthy of being at the school. He is NOT interested in teaching you anything. NOTE: Check the material before signing up for the class.
I didn't procrastinate with my work. I attended every class. I even went to him for help with my essay's. And he still gave me a D which is essentially a fail. He is not clear about the grading. He will say one thing and do another. He is self absorbed and wants everyone to already know how write like a published author. Don't recommend at all.
I had read other students ratings prior to taking the class. I signed up for the class with much trepidation. Professor Op was very helpful and easy to talk to. He makes you work for your grade, and I appreciate that. He is clear on assignments and expectations and repeatedly lets the class know he is available if help is needed. Loved the class!!
Truth...SAVE YOUR DIGNITY & DO NOT TAKE OPTIMISM ONE! I took this class so I would learn further. All I recieved was Optimism One an Instructor that fails his own English curriculum and the entire class by not being worthy to teach.
I took a hybrid English 101 class with Professor Op. If you're looking for an easy A do not take this class with him because it is a lot of work. However, his instructions are clear and he is happy to help if you ask questions or meet him during office hours. If you work hard, and follow his instructions carefully then you will do well.
Op was a nice teacher and the topics covered in class were all relevant and helpful but he is a very very hard grader. there's essays every week. I did all of the assignments and some how still ended up with a grade that was not passing. His final is also worth 40% of your grade. even he said that not even half of this students pass his class.
Do NOT take him. I just took him for film appreciation and it was horrible. He never lectured about any of the material in the textbook. All we did was watch movies and talk about the films, however the final was literally just the textbook. He grades way too hard. I'd recommend trying someone else!
By far the worst professor I have had in my 3 years of college! He kicked me out of class for having my phone on me when i used the restroom. We're in college not high school.Very ridiculous. He is power hungry and uses his power as a teacher to intimidate his students. He will tell you your paper is great and still give you an F. Do NOT take him!
He's errogant. He grades really hard and doesn't care how much effort you put into your work. It seems as though he grades solely on grammar and not content of your essay. He will say that you have a good essay but still give you D on it. Only take him if you are an english major or are an extremeley good writer otherwise DON'T!!!!!!!!!!
I EARNED a C. I was a President's List entrant for the first 3 semesters before this class. You MUST do the reading, You MUST attend class.You MUST be prepared to write four short essays, 3 long essays, homework everyday, plus reading. He is a nice enough guy, but forget about any prior writing achievements. You will not get out of here with an A.
It's ironic that his grade here is a D+ when that's most likely the average grade his students receive. His comments do not reflect the grade you will receive. "Exactly what I want to see" is equal to a C. His style of grading is one that expects you to read his mind and create the perfect paper. Effort is meaningless. Not good for a film class.
No doubt, Op grades tough, but if you ask him about why you got the grade and how to improve, he will help you. His style is not for everyone, as he expects his students to advocate for themselves. I don't necessarily consider this a bad thing. He just wants his students to act like college students. Work hard, show interest, get the grade.
OP was BRUTAL! I thought I could write until I stepped into his class. It was hell for 16 weeks..I was a savant in my 101 class and was a C student in Op's. But something happened. I walked out a better writer, more cognizant of clarity & focus in my papers. If you're looking for an easy A, look elsewhere. If you want to learn, pick Op. wcaution
Optimism grades based on your willingness to agree with his opinions on the books he assigns. He will blatantly try to embarrass any student who challenges the legitimacy of the readings he assigns. His writing prompts and the grading rubric he uses are unclear. He uses his position to make power plays over his students rather than to guideteach.
He expects almost degreed level work and do not expect actual learning to be done. He assumes we have mastered all advance composition techniques.
One is an expert in his field but the worst teacher I have had. He does not want to teach students, and has his students grade each other. His theme this semester was empathy, yet he doesn't have any. He is also vague on his direction and if you can't guess what he wants from you, your grade suffers. Don't waste your time or money on this teacher.
Op expects his students to come into his class with advanced reading, writing, and critiquing skills. For reading responses and essays, he explains his guidelines and if you follow them exactly, you'll get a good grade. This is a tough class for people who write weak-er essays.
I think Op is a great professor. He actually takes time to interact with his students and has great discussions. You'll walk out of there having learned something. His grading is tough, but it's nothing a hardworking student can't handle and end up with a good grade. +he's funny.
Op was one of my favorite teachers of all time. If you are someone who does not take criticism well, nor do you have a back bone, you should look elsewhere. What I enjoyed most about his class was that he is real with you on all sorts of issues. The class opened me up to different aspects of life, while making me a better writer.
Op is one of the most supportive professors I've ever had -you just have to be willing to ask him. Beyond that, if you do the reading and participate, you'll get an incredible amount out of the class. He really does teach you, but he will not spoon feed you. He's a tough grader, but that just makes it mean even more when you do get an A.
He cusses a lot so if you are sensitive, get a different professor. Also, he is very strict. Don't miss classes. If you forget your books he will send you out of class. He expects a lot and is a tough grader.
My professor, Op, is not for the faint hearted. I can assure you that you will learn plenty in his class. Sure, he is a tough grader, but don't let that discourage you whatsoever.
Op was tough when it came to grading. I think you'll learn a lot from taking his class ,but be aware it is not easy. If you like a challenge, his class is perfect. He will kick you out if you do not have the required books. Also, attendance is VERY important because you will miss a lot. Overall, I liked him.
I really like him as a person and if you are an English major or like English classes you should make sure to take his class. If you are a math person, like myself I would suggest a different professor.
Must read and annotate every page (mandatory) of 3 chapters every week, while at the same time writing 3 different stories for craft exercises, while at the same time reading and annotating classmates' 5 page stories, while at the same time writing your own 5 page story. Might like it more if it was the only class i was taking. He seemed nice tho.
I went in expecting it to be like any other English class and what it turned out to be was group therapy. Every week you do the same routine of reading other people's essays, which are WAY too personal, and having to critique them in class. On top of that you have to do the assigned readings and work on your own essays. Worst class of that semester
One of the toughest classes I've experienced; with that being said, I have never felt more confident in my writing in my entire life. You will learn from his class. His expectations are high, but it is possible to meet them, and in doing so you will become a better student. Optimism is an inspiring person, and a wonderful teacher.
You will learn to write in this class. The one thing that this professor really showed me throughout this course was this: If you want to succeed, you should always ask for help, when needed. If you are not doing so well, ask him for help. He's always willing. Take this professor if you would like to improve yourself as a writer/person.
You better know how to do everything before you take his class. He just makes you annotate and expects you to learn everything from annotating.
Wow! I was honestly very hesitant to take Op's class after reading rate my professor. But, he is one of the best professors I've encountered at MJC. He is very inspirational. You only get two absences or you will be dropped so if you can't handle that then it's not the class for you. Also, be prepared to read. MUST have the books. Great class!
Took him for ENG50/101. You WILL have a lot of homework. When he says he will own your weekends he is serious. The amount of homework is overwhelming not to mention he is a tough grader, but it is worth it in the long run because you learn so much. He will drop you if you don't show up so take this into consideration.
Optimism One is probably one of my least favorite professors. He is a very weird guy but he is well educated and you can learn a lot. It's just the class is super hard and he expects way too much of you. I don't know if he understands that people have a life and can't read and study 24/7 which is what it feels like in this class.
One of the best professors that I have ever had. His personality and past has an amazing meaning to the class. He's tough on grading, but he sure is one hell of a man! He'll teach you and put life events into play.
He's quirky and awesome. The class is challenging due to the amount of work needed, but I have learned more in this one semester than I have in my entire college and high school career. Do NOT take this class if you are looking for an easy grade or have too much on your plate. The positives outweigh the negatives. I am very glad I chose this class.
He is a bad-ass professor. Get ready to read, write, and learn for a change. I'm glad I took his class.
I had him for English 103. Not an easy A; he hammers your writing and encourages you to improve it. A lot of homework, but nothing overwhelming. The class delved into personal issues and Buddhist philosophy. He is pretty liberal but does not impose his views on you. An eccentric but very good instructor; take if you want to improve your writing.
Professor Op, was one of the hardest English classes I have ever taken. He is very blunt and to the point. Expects a lot from you. You almost have to quit your job and only be taking this one class. Very tough grader your papers have to be perfect. He gives a lot of homework. He also expects you to be a tough critic on your peers.
Where do I even start? What an awful professor, very rude and is a ridiculous grader.
You have homework every class and lots of it. He's the toughest grader that I've ever seen. You get 0's on assignments if you use the word "you" at all (which is harder than you'd think). Almost the only thing you do is read and annotate. Doesn't seem like he cares about what else you have going on in your life. Drops you if you miss a few times.
This class was my favorite to go to, the one I laughed the most in, and the one I got to know the most people in. Most of the assignments are about yourself and what you can do to improve your life. It's definitely an introspective class. Assignments include usually 3 annotations, 1 reading response, and 2 ch. to read/annotate due every class.
Probably the toughest class that have taken at MJC, but it was definitely a rewarding one. Op is an interesting personality but he gives great feedback and has helped me become a better writer. He makes the whole class read everybody's papers that they turn in and we all give group feedback on it in class. It's daunting but very beneficial.
Op was one of the best teacher's I have ever had. Anyone who was too lazy to do the work didn't like him. He cares about making you a writer, and as long as you do what he asks, he's a pretty cool dude. I plan on taking him again, if I can.
Do not recommend this professor, there are better options out there. Every class meeting you are expected to turn in a full page on a topic given to you. There is a lot of work to do and he grades you on EVERY little mistake. If you don't correct your mistakes YOU WILL FAIL. There's also a lot of annotating.
This dude grades ridiculous and expects you to write papers perfectly. You do more annotating than writing I wouldn't recommend taking this class unless you know what you're doing.
Hes a funny teacher.. hes really picky on grammar and little stupid things. Always an assignment to do. VERY HARD GRADING.
Great teacher but is super picky on what he grades and does not give u a chance if you screw up he will tell to come to his office and tell you to drop the class the slightest mistake you make even If it's a small error he will call you out for it. But to anyone who is currently talking or will be talking English 101 choose wisely.
This professor is a very tough grader & doesnt give you very helpful feedback. Ive never had an issue with english until this class. He expected our class to write nearly perfect papers in an engl 101 class. I wouldnt recommend this class to anybody. Choose your professors wisely.
The class is challenging, but he is always available to answer questions outside of class. Most of the class time is used to discuss the book(s) we are reading. Overall, I learned a lot. If you take this class, be prepared to work for your grade! If you do your best and ask for help when you need it, you will definitely become a better writer.
If you thought you were good or at least decent in English, you're in for a rude awakening. I'm not going to sugar coat it. the class is hard and would not recommend if you're English is poor, you'll struggle. More than half my class dropped the class. Although Op has been one of the coolest dudes I've had as a professor. Gives you honest feedback.
The standard that he has for his students is not designed to educate students or to encourage them to get better in english, rather his standard in his classes are designed to wash out the students who cant meet them and to discourage the ones who put real effort in the class. I do not recommend anyone to this professor, so choose wisely.
Op is a cool dude and a tough teacher. He can come off as intimidating, but if you put in the work, he will definitely respect you. His assignments aren't too hard, yet he does grade a little harder as the semester goes on. I never felt as though the tough grading was unwarranted, as he was marking off common mistakes towards the end.
I didn't understand how to do annotations what was so confusing about them was the labeling like global or local I didn't even understand what this teacher meant by that. Annotating 3 peoples essays is hard enough to do when you have homework to do as well. People choose wisely their are plenty of teachers to choose from and this teacher isn't it.
This teacher is very strict. You lose points every time youre a second late. He doesnt allow restroom breaks. He swears if you go to him during office hours it will improve your grade, but it only made it worse. Made me insecure as a writer. Not understanding at all. He is way too strict to be teaching an English 101 class.
Grades really hard.
Wasteland of a class. On extreme power trip over his students. Made inappropriate remarks to me. Humiliates his students. Do not take his class. Dont give your money to this sorry cause.
I feel as an adult that I should be able to leave the classroom when I want because I paid for the class. I have bladder issues and it isn't fair for this teacher to stop me from going. This teacher is mean, arrogant,pompous,rude and not understanding.
Hes super rude to his student and doesnt respect any of them.
He likes to mess with his students by giving them assignments in the beginning that are worth basically nothing and then giving them many large essays that are very toughly graded which lead to stressed out students and terrible grades. Avoid this teacher at all means possible.
Failed me at a 69.9%. Never in my life have I ever gotten anything lower than an A in English. I am an English major. Due to guidelines I cant say what I really want to say on here about the inappropriate stuff said to me by him. Seems to disrespect women. Just google his book and youll understand the person he is by what he wrote.
I realized that being educated doesn't make you the best educator and that education can't teach you kindness or manners this teacher made me realize that.
Okay so at first I liked him. But as I move along in class...I can't work with him. He lacks individuality and creative work. He has very specific guild lines even for a paragraph. I would not take him again.
Get ready to get knocked down when you feel good about what you submit. I was optimistic and excited for this class at first, ready for the challenge, but soon realized what I signed up for. This professors expectations of an ENGLISH 101 class are ridiculous, I felt as though I was being treated as an English major. 10/10 would not recommend.
Go into this class expecting nothing better than a 70%. He expects everyone to be a professional writer in an English 101 class. He gives little to no helpful feedback. For your own sanity, DO NOT TAKE THIS CLASS!
I wasn't aware that other classmates would be reading my work, so I did feel very exposed. He is rude, condescending, unforgiving, doesn't go into detail about direction or improvement, leaves open ended questions for you to interpret, and is also a narcissist. I have never been treated so disrespectfully by a professor. DON'T TAKE HIM!!!!!!!
Super nice guy at first, but doesnt allow the students, time and effort to better themselves. Hes the type of teacher who will never let the student succeed or be smarter than him. Very self-centered in his writing + teachings. No room for improvement.
he seemed nice first with the first assignments which did not matter. I don't really rate the professors harshly. But, he gave me tough grading for every single assignment which I take 5-10 hours to do an essay and assignments. He gives a lot of assignments every single week and most of his instructions were very unclear. STAY AWAY!! BE WARNED!!!
Optimism One is a once-in-a-lifetime professor. He is a genuine person who just wants his students to succeed, not just as students, but as people. Very genuine and honest, Op will tell you what you need to hear even if you don't want to hear it. I hope that everyone who has the chance to take his class uses the time wisely and gets to know him.
I would not be surprised if the professor himself has been writing all these "Awesome" reviews. Unfortunately, I can not say much, because I am sure he reads these comments and he will attempt to flag my comment. Don't give up if you failed the class. Just find a professor that doesn't entirely project his own issues on your work and grade.
Yoo I barely passed I had a 78 then I got a 50 on my final essay bc he killed my self esteem on the rough draft. I worked for a whole week straight on it so I could go from an 85 to an 89.5 meaning I could get an A on the final and still get an A but he knocked me down 30% for using "bad" topic sentences that HE GAVE ME. My first grade below A EVER
Op definitely helped improve my writing skills, but I still would recommend you to avoid his classes like the plaque. He asked me inappropriate questions about my religious beliefs and gave me a nic name after I responded. The essay critiques are extremely stressful for students with anxiety, because he makes the entire class comment on your essay.
I think Op is a good person that means well but doesn't understand how truly unrealistic his grading and standards are. He seems to try to weed out people who are 'worthy writers' rather than actually teaching straight out of HS teens. I dropped, and recommend you do too if he's on your educational plan. His class will take the time/effort of 3.
If he genuinely cared for the students, he would find a new profession. He doesn't teach; he marks papers and pathetically tells you to look them up instead of doing what his job profession suggests. Decent personality but lacks everything else to make a great teacher. Optimism just stick to writing; not everyone is meant to be a teacher.
One was hard to communicate with and took days (sometimes weeks) to respond to emails. There were many mandatory books on grammar that you have to work with in the class. He did not give detailed feedback, simply just marking it wrong. I was a high school student when I took his English 101 class and he seemed to have issue with highschool students
Professor Optimism. He is tough grader, but only because he wants you to succeed. He cares about your writing skills and responsibilities. He is a 5 star comedian. There is a decent amount of work and expectation for writing essays and annotating. All these 1 star comments are biased. Come to college to work, not to complain.
Put in time and effort and you'll do well. Is he tough? Yeah. He gives tough love because he wants his students to succeed. Mean? No, not at all. If you're looking for an easy A, look elsewhere. I gave my best effort and got a B+, but I am able to craft better essays because of him. TBH, not a ridiculous amount of reading. History-101 is worse.
Please try and get a different profesor if you can.
He's obviously an interesting person with a lot of passion for writing and literature. However, he can be deeply unkind in a way that verges on unprofessional. Stay far away from him and the kind of people whose insecurity manifests in needing to cut others down. It seems that has very little tolerance for women in positions of authority.
Professor Optimism One is one of the great Professors I have met, in my college journey. His class can be tough, but he gives a lot of supportive feedback, that actually helps students throughout the semester.
Op is without a doubt the worst teacher I have had in my 6 years of college. I have my Master's now and am a Ph.D candidate, yet, I often look back at how awful of a teacher he was for me back when I had just started at MJC. He wants you to write the paper he wants rather than the one YOU want. Puts your work on blast to everyone. Avoid his class!
Please don't take any of his classes. I took ENG101 with him and he constantly told me I was a great writer then failed me. He grades heavily on grammar and for the finals he makes you use a website with no auto-correct. Now I have to retake English thanks to him. He grades as he works at an Ivy not a Junior college. Don't waste your time or money.
This professor's fascination with suicide is quite disturbing. On day one, he mentioned he tried ending his life on multiple occasions and was rehabilitated more than once. He is very insecure and seeks validation from others with low self-esteem. Do not take this class unless you want anxiety hovering over you throughout the semester.
A pretentious guy that builds himself up on making students watch his low-effort unlisted youtube videos, write discussion posts, and spend hours revising several long-winded essays all semester for him to be an overly critical grader and make everyone's college experience worse. As an Honors English straight A student, I learned nothing. AVOID
One of the worst teachers I've ever had up to date.
If you post here, make sure you come back here in a few days to see if your comment hasn't been reported and deleted (not hard to assume who is doing it). I will comment here again and tell everyone here to please avoid this professor at all costs.
Optimism wants to feel like his class changes your life instead of actually teaching you English. You will go over an Amazon lifestyle book and will be expected to act like it has deeply changed your life. If you don't, good look passing this course. He does not grade on actual English as much as he grades on feeling like he has made a change.
This dude is one of the worst professors I've ever had. He is hellbent on applying a lifestyle book to your life and fails to realise that that isnt part of an English curriculum. Joke of a class ran by a joke of a professor. He is also very pleased when informing students of his past drug abuse which is very uncomfortable.
Horrible Professor do not take. We had 5 essays, and I would go to his office to get feedback and he would say that it was good and just a few punctuation errors but when I he would grade me, he would consistently give me bad scores like what. Also, we would do workshops of our essay so the whole class would see them like wtf.
What a nice guy (Sarcasm) of course I'm just being sarcastic he is not nice.
Do not take this professor horrobile
Do not take this class horrobile
Please do not take this lecture class
Meh, he seems like he would be an interesting person to meet outside of school, but I would never take this or another of his classes again. Office hours are meaningless as you mostly get told what's wrong and then go figure it out. Overly strict in grading with the goal of influencing you rather than teaching English.
Don't waste your money on him
The worst grading professor and strict on regards of homework and attendence.
Avoid this class if possible. The professor seems more interested in his own agenda than actually teaching English. Engaging with the material is a struggle, and the grading is unfair. Consider using Unstuckstudy and other online resources instead.
Ridiculous policies for a college course like sitting in Alphabetical order and attendance.
He's a good teacher to have if it's your first semester. He's a tough grader but he cares about his students. It's not obvious at first but if you want to know what college is really like and how hard you need to work then he's your guy. Grading sucks but I felt that I genuinely learned a lot from him and his class, and he helped me quit vaping.
I wish I had looked at the ratings before selecting this professor for my English 101 class. He can be very tough with grading for no reason sometimes, and he gives out sudden pop-quizzes and lacks clarity. (He also gave me and other kids zeros just because we hand-wrote an assignment, but he wants to waste printer paper, I guess?)
Don't take him it's that simple. The mf changed his name to Optimism one 10 plus years ago. Thats a simple input of taking this class. He grades heavy and assigns a different piece of homework every class that doesn't input you on the formula on what you're learning. He expects you to be exemplary in essays and doesn't help with the feedback given.
His teaching isn't helpful, and he always goes back to talking about suicide and his past drug addiction, if you want to save yourself and you're grade don't take him. His goal is to put you on blast with your essays and scold you for 30 minutes instead of helping you out.
my #1 OPP. this man is out to get his students i swear. avoid if you know what's good for you.
I didn't have too many issues with him, but all the other ratings here are mostly accurate. He's a harsh grader and does so based on personal preferences. Many of his critiques are more of his personal stylistic choices rather than genuine feedback (nitpicky, to put it simply). If you think you aren't the best writer, I'd pick another professor.
Mr. One can be a cool person out of school but as a professor that is NO. Don't take this class.
I tried really hard to like this class and the professor but it seemed no matter what I did, I could not get good enough grade. Went into office hours multiple times and while it helped a little bit, it wasn't enough to pass with satisfactory. really bummed on that so I would maybe avoid unless your the almighty of English
Not very understanding of those who are nuro divergent with out accommodation papers.
He was bad.
His class is very challenging and instructions are not always clear. I followed and did everything he would ask for in essays but failed one essay for misusing commas too many times. He teaches off of assignments, but after students turn in their papers, and you still get docked points for ANY mistake. I did learn how to write solid essays though.
Just awful, don't take it
you once were a vegon, but now you will be gone
He was bad, get ready to read a lot. Beware of the pop quizzes.
I dislike this teacher.
This professor grades with exhausting nitpicking that ignores the substance of your work completely and kills motivation. Every assignment feels like a trap for minor flaws instead of a chance to learn. Feedback rarely helps, just criticizes. The grading feels manipulative, used to assert control rather than promote real learning or growth.
Asked for a trauma story essay but would say it isn't good enough.
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