4.0
Quality3.3
Difficulty67%
Would Retake131
Reviews67%
Would Retake
131
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
5
76
4
22
3
16
2
10
1
7
What Students Say
“Avoid him if you want an A”
ENG112 - 3.0 rating“Very hard assignments and little feedbacks on how to actually improve”
ENGL112 - 3.0 ratingClass Info
Attendance Mandatory
94%
Textbook Required
18%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B+
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-0.24 avg changeRatings by Course
112
5.0
(3)406
5.0
(1)112221
5.0
(1)ENGL112462A
5.0
(1)221462G
5.0
(1)Difficulty by Course
ENGLISH112
5.0
ENGL462F
5.0
ENG204
4.5
462
4.0
112462
4.0
Reviews (131)
Hard marker. Has high expectations but very intelligent.
great readings, interesting lectures, but hard marker
i love the novels he chose! he's very thorough with his lectures and funny too
hard marker, but is a good teacher
brilliant. great choice of books and interesting breadth of discussion
Leads good discussions, hard marker
hard to understand his notes
He's a very tough marker and has vague notes. However, he's very helpful.
No Comments
awesome proff. great class, but yes hard marker.
No Comments
tough but fair
Smart, snappy dresser, and an accent to die for.
No Comments
Great Prof. great lectures, great material. An all around great class to take if he's teaching. He even made the summer class more enjoyable. He's easy on the eyes as well especially when listening to that accent!!!!
Very Cool. Easy to talk to, witty, but he's not bull****ting. I love how he ALSO hated the course and made fun of the textbook!
very friendly...make sure you know the word "abstraction"! i think he's an ok marker...not that bad...
He's a very nice person, and has very good in-class discussions. However, he marks REALLY HARD and keeps on telling the class after every assignment that A LOT OF PEOPLE FAILED!!!!
Funny, witty, down-to-earth. One of my favourite profs this term!
A pretty good prof. Not a very tough marker, although does require you to think. I think he sounds a bit tougher than he really is. Do your work, and you'll do well in his class =)
An excessively harsh marker. Arrogant lecturer because he doesn't accept anyone else's ideas. Very condescending towards students. Also, doesn't give enough time for assignments.
In the course right now... wanna leave... can't... blast it! He's tough and always thinks that he's right. Also sooo repetitive in class. And hard marker too. Move along, you don't want him as your prof. Trust ME!!!
Hard marker? I don't think so. Very easy marker, also gave us a long extension on papers. Extremely interesting to talk to. Fun guy, teaches interesting stuff. Definitly cool for people who don't like the normal stuffy English profs.
very picky, very harsh markerm,"DEPRESSING CLASS". Easy to fail ( no matter how hard u work )
Very repetitive, which makes his lectures boring but he does make sure you know exactly what he wants. Not a bad marker, makes himself sound more harsh than he really is.
Very intimidating but overall great prof. Don't let these other comments discourage you from trying this prof.
a good prof, a harsh marker, makes you think his course is the hardest think you took on earth, but in actuality he is just a good prof and is very willing to help. also, he makes his requirements of the course really clear, and is super helpful.
Teaches clearly; challenges students; stimulates students to think in class; friendly and approachable; considerate of students.
One of the worse teachers in the english department. He cancels several classes at the very last minute. He is quite arrogant and narrow-minded. Also, he so picky and a hypocrite; it’s practically impossible to get a decent mark, even you try your harde
Brutal marking for in-class - I normally get A's or B's but I barely passed his in-class... Still BRUTALLY criticized my term paper (although I got a B+) and like above comments, sort of condescending towards his students. Don't recommend this teacher...
Looks like a mormon (his beard), snobbish, arrogant, harsh marker, obsessed with psychology stuff, not the English material. Doesn't teach the subject, only makes requirements. Awful teacher, in short.
I thought he was a pretty easy marker... dunno what other ppl are talking about. Kept getting A- for everything without any extraordinary effort. Wears the same jacket all the time though. =p
Fair marker, lively and jovial, overall a very good and understanding prof.
A really good teacher, 2.5 hr lectures just flew by. I learned so much from his classes and was never bored. He is a very fair marker, and never throws curve balls in exams. I highly recommend him.
Fairly good teacher. Scares you at first by saying it'll be hard, but it isn't too bad. Exams are exactly as he says they'll be, no suprises. Relatively hard marker though. But not bad.
Oh my god, this guy is the worst teacher (not only in english) you can get at UBC. Fails half the class, class averages around a C-. If you get him, drop right away, its not worth it. Arrogant teacher, only here to make you fail actually.
The worst prof you can ever get. Doesn't tell u how u can improve nor teaches the subj. I norm. gets A's and B's in eng, but i barely passed my inclass. Topic for term paper was not easy. Lectures not helpful. Only tells u the requirements. No guidance.
Failed the first in-class, don't think I've gotten under an A in high school english. Most of the complaints about 112 are from other freshmen who think they are smarter than they really are. He's a good prof, marks fairly. Likes to end class early.
I found the 112 course interesting but much harder than I expected. I find his lecture style hard to follow because he provides almost too much info. Same for 462 except he was much nicer and more jovial in that course. recommended for hard-core English students.
I liked him in ENGL 112 so I was really excited when I found out he was teching a summer course I needed. He's a super nice, friendly guy and a fair marker.
Oh the ups and downs in this class.. started of real low and depressing.. The mood really improves by the end of the term. He is much nicer to his students by the end, and even starts to make a few jokes. Impossible marking standards at first, gets noticely easier by end of term.
Absolutely terrible professor. Compared to other professor's teaching this same class, his standards are far above expected, and his high-and-mighty, swank attitude is a real pain. Many people fail his class, regardless of how well you usually do in English classes.
Tough but fair.
My friend told me about this site, and I think a lot of you are being unfair. This guy listened to me and helped me when I needed it.
worst prof i have had.
Can't believed he got hired. He can't teach at all. Out of the 4 months i had him, he cancelled about 60days of them (half of the cancelled days were because it was "nice outside") He marks extremely inconsistently.
Dr. Mahon is the best professor I have ever had. He is extremely helpful and makes you think "outside the box." Furthermore, unlike many professors, he takes everybody's ideas into consideration, even those that directly contradict his. His 221 course is what compelled me to major in English.
I had fun in these classes. Some interpretations were a bit "out there", but he likes discusssion. Some of what some people have written here borders on libellous.
A tough marker. Nearly half of the class failled the first inclass assignment. Class is enjoyable and he tries to be jovial throughout. Often ends very early (usuallly a full half hour before schedualed). Class requires VERY little work (no readings, no essay discussion, only one home essay).
At first I was excited that he actually integrates theoretical frameworks into his readings (which not many UBC profs do), but then I realized that he's really only interested in psycholanalytic readings, which I'm not. So, that was disappointing.
Mahon is a very interesting, funny prof. His interpretations of novels open up your eyes and make you see the books in a new, albeit often ****ed, way. I would definitly recommend him for any 200+ level class.
Cool guy. Great class. Interested in way more than psychoanalysis.
I think the comments on this board are reflective of a good prof who challenges you and gives back what you put in. I guess that amounts to people either liking him or hating him but one think I know...This was one of the best classes I have taken EVER.Encourages discussion even against him. Friendly, respectful, great great teacher! Amazing class.
A great prof. Brought out some very interesting themes that I had not considered when reading some of the novels before. He also chose a great reading list. He could be a little more open-minded sometimes, but other than that I would definitely recommend taking a course with him.
very very tough marker. he always talks about how hard the course is going to be and just scares the __ out of you all the time. he's pretty considerate and flexible around due dates, etc. but overall, very hard teacher and tends to be very strict in his student's work
Awesome Prof. Recommend anyone taking english to try to take his class. 9 am class, commute from Coquitlam, never missed a class. Very interesting, helpful, and brings very good points. Good lectures, and everything is very structured and on schedule. Best prof so far this year.
Has a great reading list - interesting variety. He made very interesting insights into the novels. a nice, funny guy. Overall great class!
this guy is SO helpful, he makes his in-class essays sound hard but iz actually really easy. i started out w/ a D- and ended up with an A! he's here to help, very approachable, and keep asking him questions and getting him to edit ur paper and he'll do it. super helpful, picky on grammar though, nice buy. even gave us hint on what the final was!
He is a fabulous teacher. Very enthusiastic and succeeds in making his classes interesting. He prepares his students really well for assignments so when you actually write them its not too difficult. He puts his notes on the internet which is good too. Very helpful if you ask him stuff either in person or by email. All round great teacher!!!
Dr. Mahon is very intelligent and offers great insight into the books. Reading list is interesting, short and very accessible. Assigments are well spaced and he is a fair marker. This class is worth taking for the sheer entertainment value.
Excellent and inspiring prof. Themes were well-articulated and supported in each of the four texts. Helpful, approachable, and supportive. The course has pointed me into a direction that I hope to pursue upon completing my undergrad. Plus, he's got an Irish accent, which is just fun.
This guy made me actually learn to enjoy english! There aren't many good eng profs...but i think he's one of them
reasonable marker and just generally a really nice guy. got us to hand in 1 page of essay each week which was awesome for procrastinators like me. and he actually gave me an a+ on my final essay! just make sure you choose a topic that you like + is interesting.
Our own Hagrid!! lol very nice guy, polite and helpful. Doesn't hack and slash your paper but really tries to help you improve. I hate engl courses but ended up with a decent mark in the end. if he sees that you've been trying throughout the term, he'll help you out with your final mark!
Very good prof, definitely knows what he's talking about! He is soo nice and not intimidating in any way. Fair marker and the self-peer editing workshops are very helpful for the final essay. He is also very helpful outside of class.He even improved my mark for an in-class after I talked to him about it later. Made me not dread english.
I enjoyed his class very much last year, very approachable and very nice especially if he knows that you've put in at least some effort into his assignments. Excellent selection of novels. His comments on me are very inspiring. I have to admit he is part of the reason why I decided to major in English. Definitely recommended.
i love peter mahon.
a true inspiration.
Very Aproachable, Extremely nice, patient and understanding. Currently in his class and feel as if English isn't as bad anymore... Essay writings are borken down to 1 page / week. Looking forward to his selected readings.
He was really nice and helpful. Very understanding. His examples for what he expects from the in-class essays were also very helpful.
Very flexible with the paper deadline. Easygoing and funny...not too dry, and he encouraged us to talk.
Best English prof I have ever had. He is the nicest, smartest and most helpful instructor in the English department, he is intellectually challenging but so interesting to listen to and such a lovely person you can't help but show up to his class. Take any course he is teaching - you will not regret it! Also, very fair marker.
His a kind of person who will mark things very hard in the beginning, but he generally beomes very generous. He is very clear, but careful not to give too much information. He is helpful and friendly when you approach him
He's the nicest professor out of all my profs. He's very supportive when you need his help. He isn't the type to tear you appart as a first year student at least.He provides helpful guidanceand provides constructive feedback. I'm so optimistic about English, and you can tell he is very encouraging for the class to do well.
cool guy. not afraid to say anything...i mean anything!
Best Professor I have ever had. Funny and engaging and passion. Brilliant. He really cares about his students and how they do.
I'm sure he's able to teach lower level courses adequately but I didn't learn anything in this class. Some of things he stated as fact were in actuality opinion or incorrect. He put down students who made an effort to present a different standpoint. Many of the English majors in the class dropped out after the first couple lectures.
I really liked class with him. He kept a friendly atmosphere while teaching us new things most of the time. when he wasn't he still had an organized plan. I think my essays in future classes will be better because I tool his class. I say yes :)
well, i loved him. i'm a major and i thought it was way cool.
Dr Mahon is an absolutely fabulous professor. He has a wonderful sense of humor and is very knowledgeable. He's very friendly and pleasant to deal with. However, he is not an easy marker by any means and is a fan of originality.
Very friendly, absolutely knows what he is doing, great with names, fun class overall
mediocre at best. does not compare to the many other wonderful profs in the department. i would consider his class the least useful of my english major, not because of the material but due to his teaching ability. i was simply bored out of my mind.
Yikes! Seriously, AVOID this guy if you can. I thought I liked english until I took this class!
great prof! he's very nice and friendly and actually knows all our names which is impressive for a university prof. He's very clear with what he expects and gives examples and techniques to help with in-class and essay writing.
Peter is one of the best Profs at UBC. I thought his class was one of the most enjoyable classes I've ever taken. I've heard that he is loving referred to as "Hagrid" by students--he is a big, warm teddy bear. The class had four really great novels, which he explained thoroughly. I would highly recommend him!
He offers great interpretations,but mostly based on sexuality and gender. Quite interesting and I had never thought of seeing Frankenstein in that light. He creates a comfortable atmosphere in his class.Like someone said, he's a teddy bear=) He may not be the most knowledgeable prof but he will lead you into learning lots if you apply his teaching
Taking his class was a terrible experience. Sometimes it was fun and games but I worked hard and received still got a mediocre mark.
Although he marks quite hard, his friday "peer review" sessions were really helpful. He made you hand in a page of essay every 2 weeks or so, which was extremely helpful in keeping you on track. Absolutely recommend, will take class again A+++++++++
Avoid at all costs! If you can take this class with any other professor, do so. The assignments weren't worth the effort and weren't helpful at all. He wasn't able to answer my questions, and I had to have another prof help me.
Painful to sit through this guys class. Even though Joyce is his world, it's apparent Mahon doesn't know how to teach. He was not able to make the class relevant or interesting. I was looking forward to this course and he pretty much butchered it.
If you're a first year student he may be a bit beyond you. He is a professor who challenges you to think a little harder and to do so with a sense of humor. I have had the pleasure of being in two of Dr. Mahon's classes and have enjoyed myself immensely. He's not pretentious, is approachable, has a great sense of humor and is a fair marker.
No Comments
Not horrible, but not one of the better classes I've taken. My advice: do some research and find a prof worth listening to. Peter just isn't cut out for upper level instruction.
He was a bit challenging in the beginning but starts to get easier thruout the term. I was so scared before since English is my 2nd language, but I still managed to get a B+ =) Good that he made us write a page of the big essay every week. Follow exactly what he wants. Definitely recommend this class!!!!!!
really awful, just dull and unhelpful. made me hate english. wish i had some warning about what a nightmare this class was going to be.
simply excellent!
Professor Mahon is my favourite English prof at UBC. He makes James Joyce not only fascinating, but as comprehensible and clear as it can possibly be. He is such a lovely person and a very entertaining and knowledgeable lecturer. I would recommend any of his classes - I have learned more from them than any other course at UBC.
Hands down the best prof ever. His lectures may be a little dry sometimes, but he really makes things clear and easy to understand. He is also super nice and super helpful, go to his office hours! Easy course, easy prof.
Fantastic prof. Really cares about his students--memorized everyone's names in the first couple of weeks. Tries hard to make his students happy. Very helpful.
Dr. Mahon is a fantastic prof. He is always open to all viewpoints and ideas. I saw some pretty shoddy presentations, and he was encouraging to the presenters and paid them the utmost respect. On top of that, he is clever and creates a very positive and welcoming class. The work is not necessarily easy; it is challenging, but it is well worth it.
Dr. Mahon was the very best prof I had during my undergrad at UBC. I cannot overstate this man's ability to teach. Despite handling difficult subject matter (Ulysses), he made every single person in the room feel at ease - respected every opinion (even when pointing out their flaws) and flat out made people care. If you get the chance - take him.
He is such a nice guy and makes everything so simple to understand. He is always there to help you out! Notes were very helpful and clear! A 10/10 professor!
LOVED him. It's easy to see that he loves what he does. Extremely knowledgeable and it's obvious that he put a lot of thought into picking the material. Not too difficult of a marker but he wants to feel that you know what you're talking about. Very funny. I would love to take all of my classes with him.
I cannot emphasize this man's ability to teach. He is by far the best professor I have ever had. Take classes with Peter. He will not fail you. We had a long email correspondence through the semester - he was the most helpful prof I've ever had. Funny. Great book selection. Attendance isn't mandatory but you won't ever want to miss class.
This course was incredibly interesting. Not only were the course readings really interesting, but the lectures were as well. As long as you critically think about the text and have the evidence to back up your arguments, then you will be fine. Emphasis on close readings of the text.
Had literally no experience with Joyce beforehand, but Peter was super informative and helpful. Repeated some of his concepts a bit, but it helped! Was willing to accept any single reading of the book as long as you quoted exactly where you got it from and why. Super funny and jovial if you can break down the 'prof professionalism'!
great profesor,very thorough absolute professional
Can't describe how much I love this prof. I've taken a number of classes with him over the years, and while his classes will definitely challenge you, what you'll learn is both immensely valuable and interesting. And his reading lists are always amazing. Just fantastic.
The best English professor I have had, given that I came to university expecting and A since I had always gotten A's in high school in English. I ended up with an A which I was very pleased with. Go to his office hours or ask him for help whenever you can he is very helpful and kind. Be careful of his in-classes though. His accent is the best!
His accent. It's just so soothing, like he could tuck you in and read you a bedtime story, or narrate a nature documentary about whales. And he's pretty chill too. He didn't get mad when I missed a meeting with him, and he has made an effort to genuinely engage and relate with those taking the course all semester.
Very clear, hard marker but gives great feedback.
A really hard marker. I came into this course expecting a good grade after all of the positive feedback. But be aware! He is good at explaining concepts and makes you feel like you are doing well, but when it comes down to the wire, the marks are definitely worse than you expected. Would not recommend.
Peter Mahon is an excellent professor and a great guy. He is attentive to each student's needs and is dedicated to the improvement of each student. His Irish accent and out-of-the-blue quirky jokes make his class entertaining. The only negative thing I have to say about him is he told us to buy two books and we barely used them.
He graded the way I would have expected him to on in class assignments and whatnot, however for the final research paper he was definitely tough, but writing really isn't my thing. Not much coursework during the term. On the final exam he tried to give as many marks as possible which probably saved me. Overall very kind and caring, nice accent :)
Based on the positive feedback Prof. Mahon received on this website, I expected something from this class. After cancelling the first week of lectures, and not truly showing his colours until after the add/drop date, I was stuck. His lectures were dry & repetitive, and the content was boring. If my BFF weren't in the class, I wouldn't have made it.
Professor Mahon was of little help to me in this course. The lectures consisted of him flipping through whatever we were reading and essentially repeating what was written, making obvious connections to the rest of the text. He chose the Matrix script which I think is because he is a fan of it, then found an analysis of it on Wikipedia to work with
Dr. Mahon's lectures had it all: insightful observations, razor-edged analysis, engaging style, interdisciplinary interests, and a great sense of humour. Even on days when he seemed a little frazzled, you could tell that he gave all he had to make his lectures amazing. Don't miss a chance to take a Mahon course, you won't regret it.
Professor Mahon was a real champ. I loved his lectures and the way he would always enter the room, with the same exact phrase every time. He had solid notes assignments weren't all that bad. I do have to say he is on the harder side when it comes to marking, but if you follow his feedback and his rubrics you'll do fine. 10/10 would recommend!
Dr. Mahon was a great prof! I have always struggled with english especially after the first few assignments, I went to see him a couple of times during his office hours to try and remedy the problems I was having and it really helped. There is quite a few opportunities to get easy participation marks which can really help in a course like Engl 110
THE BEST PROF
Dr. Mahon is an amazing professor. If you pay attention in the class, you can easily get a good score. It is easy to pass his class.
So, I had Mahon in the summer. Overall, he is an extremely hard marker. For my in class assignment I managed to do very well 90+ (TA marked) but on my research paper I didnt do so well b/c he marked (low 70's) If you dont want to do much reading he is the prof for you. 2 novels, 1 film and some poems. Take it in the winter as TA's mark.
Dr Mahon was a good and caring English prof who gave interesting lectures. However, he is by far the hardest marker I have ever had. His class averages are usually a few percent lower than others and this year (for both of his sections 60 students) he gave ONE 80 (A-) as the highest mark in both classes combined. Bruh. Avoid him if you want an A.
A really good prof. He is a tough marker but if you pay attention to what he wants you can easily do well in his class. Great lectures and knowledgeable.
If you want to learn how to do academic writing properly, he is the man. However, he grades super freaking hard so if you want a good grade, THINK TWICE.
Very hard assignments and little feedbacks on how to actually improve
Professor Mahon is a very easy-going person. He is really nice and very, very patient. His lectures are very informative, but sometimes not very engaging if you are not interested in the subject matter. He is an easy grader (I got an A+ for my paper) and I feel like I did not put much effort in this class at all.
Professor Mahon is genuinely one of the best profs ever. Not only are his lectures always super interesting, he is genuinely a really nice guy. He's always happy to give advice and is super amicable in class (which is nice because it's always great when you're not terrified of your prof.). The material covered was very well chosen and delivered!!
Good lecturer but not amazing
Worst prof ever... honestly.. so unclear about his grading criteria. On assignments when I thought I did good, I failed. When I thought I failed, I failed even harder than I thought.
I took Mahon's class for my lit requirement and was really impressed. The lectures were fascinating and so were the books he chose. I was in his post humanism class--which I believe is his foremost specialty--and it introduced me to highly compelling books I never would've picked up had it not been for his class. Great guy. Great prof. Take him.
Class Info
Attendance Mandatory
94%
Textbook Required
18%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B+
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-0.24 avg changeRatings by Course
112
5.0
(3)406
5.0
(1)112221
5.0
(1)ENGL112462A
5.0
(1)221462G
5.0
(1)Difficulty by Course
ENGLISH112
5.0
ENGL462F
5.0
ENG204
4.5
462
4.0
112462
4.0