He's a good teacher. Go to office hours when you need help and you'll get a good grade. The assignments are challenging, but if you can analyze and write you'll be fine.

Cissel has a really fun class though that doesn't mean you don't have to work a bit. His essay assignments can be unclear sometimes, but all in all he is a fair grader. Go to his office hours if you unclear, its that simple. There's no final for RWS100 either. He's a nice guy, relatable professor and you'll learn. He also lets you correct essays

Knows his stuff, spells out what he wants very clearly. Doesn't seem to judge ability, but rather on effort, which is great for this type of class. Just show up and do what he asks, even the stuff not being turned in, and you will be fine. Definitely feel like I improved as a writer.

Awesome professor and class. I definitely learned a lot about how to improve my writing. Essay topics were fairly interesting. He would joke in class and we often discussed current events, which made the class less boring. Good guy, definitely willing to help you!! Relatable, intelligent, good teacher. Would definitely recommend!

Relateable, fair-grader, lets you re-write essays, takes attendance. Recommended.

If you are seeking to improve your writing skills he is most definitely the professor I would recommend. He is super hilarious, chill and intelligent. He would always find a funny video that connects to the readings that we did. His class consisted of 7 quiz but this is no reason to not take him , their fairly easy !!

This class was enjoyable and Cissel tells you exactly what he wants for essays (only 3!). He will even read over your essay before hand and tell you what you can improve before he grades it. He lets you fix grammatical mistakes and make up the points. Occasional quizzes based on the readings but he is a nice easygoing guy. Highly recommended.

He's the best!!!! I never bought the textbook i found all articles online! only a couple easy 5 question quizzes and give extra credit points for random questions. He's funny and chill and shows funny videos every once in a while. Considerate and understanding. Helps you with the essays and lets you redo them for a couple extra points. He's cute ;)

Great Class! SUPER EASY and interesting too. Office hours are really helpful, he will really help you become a better writer. Definitely recommend his class! Attendance is not mandatory but it's helpful if you go.

Really laid-back and down to earth. 3 essays, just follow and answer the prompt and you'll do fine. He walks you through the writing process. There're 5 pt. pop quizzes based on readings, that's about the only thing that brought down grade.

Awesome professor. I actually enjoyed going to his class. He definitely makes you a better writer. All his papers are practical too, such as a personal statement, and a cover letter. Highly recommend taking his class if you can.

Pretty average teacher. Has a very firm grasp on the class's content, but can bore you to death at times. Reading quizzes almost daily. Only 3 big essays, but prompts can be confusing. Medium grader; okay with content but extremely picky with grammar and spelling. Very fun and likes to talk about sports. Would recommend.

Class is ok. Some subjects were boring especially about grammar but it does make you a better writer. Learned a lot from his class on writing. The subjects of our papers were practical and is of good use for real life. It's nice that he does conferences so that he can check your work before you submit your final work. Highly recommended!

He gives a pop quiz about every third reading, and there is reading every night except for when there is a paper due. His classes are interesting for both learning to write better and for learning whatever topic our next paper will be on.

He was a great professor, but all his papers were on economics, which I do not understand at all so it was a struggle for me.

He's a really good teacher. Very personable, funny, and easy to understand. I thought the class was interesting and did pretty well. The papers and readings were mostly about the economy so if you're not into that it can be a difficult class.

Overall, I've liked Cissel as a professor. He's very personable and easy to talk to. I hated that the first half of the class was so focused on the economy. 3 papers, 1 online project, a lot of reading quizzes in class. Go to his office hours and he will edit your whole paper and give feedback. He wants to help you succeed.

He was a cool guy, but sometimes overloads too much information on you. Really did not know what he wanted sometimes out of the essays but ehh its whatever.

Cissel is willing to help as long as you go to office hours and ask for help.

Overall a good professor. He's a little tough on the grading, but it's manageable. One thing I wish I did earlier GO TO HIS OFFICE HOURS. He's extremely helpful during office hours and practically wrote the intro to one of my essays one time.

While he is good at giving advice on essays, writing them can be horrible based on what you need to explain and prove. Otherwise, he is a pretty decent teacher.

He's a friendly professor, but tough at grading. Do take him if you want to improve your writing, but not for an easy A. Each essay is around 15-25% of your grade, and the rest is covered by participation, pop quizzes, and the final. He teaches you about the U.S. economy as well.

Great professor. Funny, respectful, helpful. The essays weren't easy so you really had to bust your butt and ANALYZE. He was always more than happy to help during office hours, however, so take advantage of his time! My papers always averaged in the high 80s, low 90s for my papers thanks to his feedback. Some pop quizzes (readinggrammar,etc.)

He's very knowledgeable and funny. He will tell you exactly how to fix your essays. The class is mostly about economics stuff but he tries to keep the class entertained so it's not boring. His office hours are very helpful. Very fair grader in my opinion. If you need help, seriously go see him. I got a B+ in the class but he rounded it to an A-

He's a teacher that understands the rigors of being a college student so he makes class as helpful and entertaining as he can. There's four papers in total and almost weekly quizzes but its easy stuff if you keep up with the readings. He's a fair grader and gives good feedback, take advantage of office hours and PARTICIPATE IN CLASS DISCUSSIONS

Sean is so professional. He knows this subject well! I took his 3 hour lecture once a week. Daily reading quizzes, 4 papers, 3 short assignments, and participation matters! Funny and informative. Such a respectable teacher. Work diligently and you'll pass! Visit his office hours if u have doubts. Utilize his TA. I got an A- on my first paper!

Prof. Cissel in my opinion was pretty down to earth. I had a few issues outside of school that needed to be dealt with and he was understanding and gave me a little bit more time on a few assignments. He has a fast pace of teaching so you need to pay attention and be on top of what he is saying. He gives lots of small tips that are very useful.

If you go to class you can pass easily and there is no need to get the textbook, I didn't use it once and I still got As and Bs on my papers. He's hilarious and extremely helpful, all you have to do is ask!

He is super funny and real with students. He helps with feedback as long as you go to him.

Professor Cissel is such a good teacher, TAKE HIM! Take advantage of his office hours!! Tough grader, but if you go into his office hours he tells you exactly what needs to be changed, and basically changes it for you. Only 4 essays for the semester and occasional pop quizzes on articles you have to read. Love him. Patient, funny, and cute accent:)

TAKE HIS CLASS. He's so friendly and kind and he makes english super enjoyable. He's super willing to critique your essay before you have to turn it in that if you put in the work you can get the grade you want. Don't be afraid to approach him and go to his office hours because he only wants to see his students succeed. AMAZING teacher!!

Prof Cissel is very helpful if you ask for it so GO to office hours. He's very nice and approachable and is happy to help you edit your papers. He can be pretty funny but his humor is a bit more subtle. He basically tells you when you can expect a "pop quiz" if you go to class.

Cissel showed a passion for his field of study like none I've seen before, and it translated to how enjoyable his class is. He is indeed a tough grader, but is clear on what he wants to see in your writing. Didn't use the textbooks at all. Just notes from his lectures.

He's such a good professor. Super funny and helpful. He does give pop quizzes, but I failed them all and still got a B. He drops the two lowest scores as well. He gives great lectures that are very clear. He is really understanding, if you have a problem with your assignment he will be 100% helpful. 10/10 would recommend.

Prof. Cissel was BY FAR my favorite teacher in my first year at SDSU. Took RWS 100 with him 1st semester, and even took RWS 200 with him 2nd semester! Makes sure his class is enjoyable. Enjoyed his sense of humor. Great analysis on papers. Built a bond with him & are now friends outside class. Not enough words to describe how great a teacher he is!

Absolutely intelligent and passionate about writing, politics, and everyday news! Relates Funny, cracks jokes, and will edit your drafts with great comments and willing to help (take advantage of it). Daily readings that involve pop quizzes but easy if you read! Take him!

So far my favorite class & favorite professor I have had at state. His lectures are all integrating real life examples to help you better understand. When it comes to papers, if you send him a rough draft he will get back to you with all of the edits you need to do to get an A. This was a summer class but I wish it was a full semester. Take him!!

He's a very chill professor

4 papers the entire semester pretty tough grader. Pop quizzes on the reading for homework very easy. Good guy and enjoyable class.

Very helpful guy. He adjust his classes to what is going on in the world so you are writing about current events. Go into his office for help. He will tell you exactly what to fix on essays which is really nice. Had pop quizzes at least once or twice a week, but it's based on the reading and grammar.

Cissel is amazing! he is very specific in class and he truly cares for his students. Office hours were incredibly helpful for me and he tells you exactly what you can improve on. He is super relateable, I would definitely take him again

Take this class. He's amazing. I did all my papers the night before they were due and I got good grades on them. Don't question it, just take him.

One of my favorites at state. He makes everything relevant to today and if you email him your essays he will go out of his way to give you all the feedback you need to receive an A. I've never had a professor write such detailed notes on an essay. I took him for summer and it should have been crazy stressful but he made it seriously enjoyable.

What can I say? This man is brilliant and really has a way of getting his students to think critically about current social/political issues. I learned SO much in this class and feel it will benefit me for the rest of my life (cliche, I know). TAKE HIM! Easy pop quizzes if you do the readings. 5 papers (three of them being super easy). No exams.

I had this professor my first semester of my freshman year and he was wonderful. He is really funny and his work isn't that hard. The secret to passing the essays (there are no exams) is to visit the professor in office hours. It takes a little more out of your day but he isn't vague about what he wants in the essay and will work with you to help.

I liked him a lot, his lectures were relevant to current news and she was clear about what he wanted in his papers.

I really enjoyed Professor Cissel's teaching style. I feel like I took a LOT away from this class and left at the end of the semester feeling more informed about the world around me. He is available to give you tips on how to improve your papers before you turn them in. Genuinely cares about students! No reason to not do well. Take him!

excellent professor who gives straight to the point explanations of how he wants the papers. articles are given to read for class discussion which take minimal effort to read through. go to his office hours!! highly recommended if you want to do well in the class. the page requirement isnt that much, its doable.

Cissel is probably one of my favorite professors I have taken so far. He gives really good feedback and wants the best for his students. If you send him a draft of your essay over email, he will take the time to look through it and help you out. Don't need textbook so that's nice. However, there are pop quizzes randomly on readings but not bad.

Cissel is a bit of a tough grader but you will learn a lot in his class. He gives you lots of feedback and tips to improve your writing. His topics of discussion are interesting and make you think. Don't take the course during the Summer as I did though. There is a lot or reading and papers due weekly.

SUPER helpful if you email him your drafts or attend his office hours. Pop quizzes so make sure you read the articles assigned for class discussion. Funny guy, really relates his class to what is currently going on, makes class interesting. Take him, he is a really caring and great professor.

His lectures are interesting and he often has a funny video to show in class that is actually helpful. Very helpful on papers and basically lays out what the essay should consist of before you write it. Easy to fair grading. You'll actually learn in this class without being bored or stressed.

Professor Cissel was my first RWS professor at State and made me love his class. I was afraid of the extremely long papers that I had to write coming in as a Freshman, but he made the writing process extremely easy. Just talk to him and he'll tell you exactly what he wants from you. Easy to talk to and funny too.

Sean is a super chill guy and his classes go over interesting topics. He isn't too harsh of a grader but make sure to try your best on your papers. He is also really helpful when you have questions. There are short quizzes every once and while to test you on readings but he will give you credit even if you don't get questions right.

one of my favorite professors my first semester of college, gives really good feedback and genuinely wants his students to succeed. Will admit the prompts can be a bit difficult, but going to his office hours to clarify your ideas gets you into the swing of things. He gives you a lot of room to work with and gives really thought provoking prompts.

He is super nice and helpful, but it's not an easy A for this class. My advice is to read the book "Thank you for Arguing" even though we didn't have any quiz on it. This book will help you write a good essay. Also, if you like politic, take this class because that's all we talk about.

Great professor, one of the best Ive seen on campus thus far. Extremely accessible and passionate about making sure his students succeed. His class filled up quickly, so I was forced to take his 8am, but it was absolutely worth it. You wont find a better RWS professor than this.

Professor Cissel gives a lot of pop quizzes on the readings but he usually gives you a heads up before he gives them. He is really nice and make sure to go to his office hours because he really helps out. He gives you chances to get points back on your essay by correcting grammar. Definitly reccoment taking him.

Professor Cissel is as good as it gets when it comes to RWS Gives lectures on what to write on papers and assigns reading every day, some of which can be quite long (1 hour at times) Really as good of an RWS professor as there is He'll give you really good feedback and advice on papers so you're guaranteed a good grade if u go to office hours soGO

Easiest RWS prof around and overall an amazing guy. If you have the opportunity to take one of his RWS classes you HAVE to do it.

This dude is the freaking man. Highly recommend this class to anyone. would take him again

One of the best professors at SDSU! So genuinely nice & cares about your grade. GO TO HIS OFFICE HOURS! Gives great feedback and tells you what to change and write to get a good grade. Gives you articles to read before each class. Will warn you before giving you a reading quiz. All of his papers are extremely helpful for the real world.

Such a caring and funny man! Loved him as a professor. Go to his office hours if you wave questions! He is more than willing to help and cares so much about his students. He even ended the course with helpful tips and useful material on how to pass the WPA!

Easily my favorite professor at state so far. This class is not hard if you do the assigned readings and go to his office hours. Lectures are interesting and relevant to current events. I highly recommend professor Cissel.

Pretty chill professor, he does assign a lot readings that you must do because he randomly gives pop quizzes. Assigns five papers and can sometimes be heavy for a class that isn't a core class.

This is my first review of any professor on this site. What a really good guy! funny, understanding, passionate, happy. It was a pleasure taking this class and I think we all highly recommend him.

PLEASE take Professor Cissel. You will not be disappointed I promise you. I was scared to take an RWS class because I heard they are terrible and so much writing but seriously this guy is the best. You will have a discussion board every other week and 6 papers but short ones. If you email him a draft he will give you so much feedback. TAKE HIM!

Although I spent the beginning of the semester slacking off, once I began to really put in effort, he noticed the difference and really helped me improve my writing more than any teacher I've ever had. His class isnt an easy A but not too hard because the reading is all interesting and relevant. Wish I got into his RWS 200 class.

I was in Cissel's RWS 100 class and surprisingly enough it wasn't boring. He gives good feedback on papers, and it really feels like he is on your side. I wanted to be in his RWS200 class and got in! There is a t i n y bit more reading but it is doable. Overall, a really good professor.

I never imagined such passionate professor. English is my 2nd language so I was freaking out taking this course. I emailed him draft after draft and he gave detailed feedback each paragraphs. Did exactly what he said and boom final grade of 97. Assignments mostly short Disscboard, cover letter, 2 rhetorical, 1 analysis. No test/quizzes.

He made the class interesting and was very passionate. Gives great feedback on papers, shows he really cares about our success. The class consists of a few papers and discussion boards. Overall a great class, would definitely take again with Cissel!

Take Prof. Cissel if you think it's impossible to learn and pass writing class. Send him your drafts including DB before submission. His feedback makes you think- trickles fresh ideas to improve your paper. Follow his suggestions exactly & you'll be shock how your paper turn to Aha! moment. 6 DB, 6 short papers, cover letter, PS, no quizs/exams

Prof. Cissel is one of a kind. Very down to earth - like your next door neighbor. Send him your drafts and you're on your way to be a better writer. Reading topics are current headlines that are easy to relate to. It's not an easy class but if you send your drafts, his feedback makes you see light in the midst of darkness.

Prof. Cissel gives very THOROUGH feedback if you send him your essays. You can tell he LOVES writing. There is a clear political science bias in this class but he mostly did a good job of connecting the material with our chosen majors. Great prof, great guy, you can't go wrong with this one.

Professor cissel is truly one the sweetest professor I had this semester. He really cares about the students. However, he is a tough grader so you cant just procrastinate on his papers. You can write your paper early and send them to him and hell give you feedback on it. Also, there are pop quizzes and the lowest two get dropped.

Cissel is by far my favorite professor. He gives very useful feedback on papers, that helps you succeed on them. The class consisted of 4 essays that are spaced out through the semester and pop quizzes that he tells you that you are going to have. Overall if you go into his office hours and use his feedback you will pass.

Cissel is a cool guy. He can be picky so I sent him a couple drafts before every assignment to get an idea of what he wanted. 6 papers & 6 DB's every other week. Not too bad and his feedback is helpful. He genuinely wants to help. I wrote my last paper about White Claws which was awesome. Solid choice just have to put the work in, not an easy A

The best professor I could have asked for. He was engaging and you can tell he really cares about the subject matter. I feel that his class helped me improve significantly as a college-level writer. I wish I could have gotten him for RWS 200. He allows you to earn back points on your essays so there's always a chance to improve your score.

Weekly discussion boards of 250 words and a 50-word response 2 days later. 1-4 page paper due every 2-3 weeks. No other homework or exams. No final. I never watched an online lecture the whole semester and got a B. If you half pay attention you should be able to get an A. Recommend if looking for an easy RWS professor.

Truly an amazing professor! He really wants you to succeed and gives really good feedback on your essay. 10/10 would recommend!

4 papers in total. Requires to meet w TA w an outline but is an easy boost to grade. He didnt give feedback& got behind on grading once online, but it's very understandable. If u show him ur paper at least a day before due he'll give good feedback&listen to his tips for papers u can get an easy B+ on it. Asking questions abt ur paper helps a ton.

Cissel is the first English teacher I've had that really helped me to see how to write college level papers. I've struggled with writing for a long time and he helped make it much easier. Always ask for his feedback, because it will normally bring your paper up a grade level. Awesome Professor!

Great guy and professor. He was very clear in what he wants, and spent days on end explaining what was needed for every detail in every paper. He made the "staring at a blank page" non existent, because I always knew what to write about when the time came. Many free points just by attending meetings etc. Only thing I dont understand is the B I got.

English has always been my worst subject but Professor Cissel does a really good job teaching/explaining everything. It is very clear what he wants from his students and he is extremely flexible. I wasn't sure how the professors would handle online but Cissel was so caring, easy going, and detailed in the work. I 100% recommend Professor Cissel.

Fairly easy class but he does not grade quickly at all. It is the end of the semester and I have no idea what my grade is. If you're like me and get stressed when unaware of how you're doing in a class, I do not know that I would recommend his class. However, he is a great guy and very understanding especially during this online school period.

Took his class online and wasn't that difficult . We had to read articles weekly and do a group discussion every other week. 4 papers throughout the semester, all the rubrics and subjects were easy to understand. Would defiantly take his class again

Prof. Cissel was great. Very enthusiastic lectures and genuinely wants you to do well. Insightful articles but sometimes could be long. Only thing is that he takes a long time to grade. Wasn't stressed until there were 2 weeks left and half of my grades were missing. Overall charismatic, fair, helpful guy and very understanding of online learning.

Super great class! Ask for feedback on papers and it's an easy A. I'm not a great writer and most of my papers were at a B or A- before I received feedback. He keeps all topics super relevant (politics, news, pop culture, etc.) and you can write about anything as long as it is somewhat relevant to class. He makes RWS easy to understand!

Very approachable. Easy summer course: bi-weekly discussion post/2 comments, weekly paper (professional papers like cover letters and such). Thats it. You read some articles every week and write your discussion based on those topics. He is very helpful with draft feedback; you can send as many drafts as you want. Easy A if you send drafts.

A good teacher but an even better person. The class can get boring but he makes it enjoyable with the way he connects with everyone in the class.

Professor Cisssel was very kind and understanding. I did pretty good in the class throughout the semsester, and it was helpful to attend class becuase more of the material was given verbally. Always ask for feeback before you turn in an essay, because he will tell you what you need for a good grade.

Prof Cissel's class was the only one I enjoyed during my first semester at San Diego State. Attendance isn't mandatory, but I recommend it if you want to do well on your papers. Grading is based on a few papers done throughout the semester, no assignments other than that. He provides great feedback and is very understanding when you reach out.

Took his class Fall2021, hes a really nice Professor, overall grade is based on graded discussions and a few papers. He gives amazing feedback so take advantage of his office hrs/appointments :)

He is the best RWS professor.Attend class/pay attention to what he wants and you will do good. Get feedback from him to get As on paper. The only teacher I have ever had that lets you email him your paper and he will actually help you. The workload is super light, you do 1 discussion post like every 2 months and write 4 short essays.

Professor Cissel was a great teacher as well as great person. Attendance is not mandatory, but if you want an A then I highly recommend that you go. There are 4 papers and 4 discussion boards throughout the semester. Before turning in each assignment send him drafts of your work, as he gives you really good feedback to get a good grade.

Cissel is a fantastic prof who makes RWS pretty interesting, because his lectures revolve around a lot of pop culture and current events. There's a paper about every month and a half and a corresponding discussion board post. If you email him your rough drafts, he gives great feedback, and his office hours are worth visiting. 100% recommend!

Best teacher for RWS 305W. He doesn't grade super hard like most teachers. If you need help, just email him. Take this class over summer, it is way easier than during the school year. Some of the essays are hard to write, and have confusing prompts but just go to him and look at the sample essays.

Prof. Cissel is by far the best teacher/professor I have ever had. He is the most genuine guy who knows how to keep a group of students engaged and interested while also teaching the topic. Take him for any class you see his name for it, he is so unbelievably helpful and kind. Cannot recommend him enough. His music taste is also crazy impressive.

Professor Cissel is the best guy. I highly highly recommend taking him. Show up to class, which are actually fun because he always plays music at the start of class. Loves the city girls. Wants you to do well but learn writing at the same time. Awesome guy, don't expect to slide by but promise he will help you if you put in effort.

Professor Cissel was by far my favorite professor this year at SDSU. I had him for both RWS 100 and RWS 200. His class wasn't easy, but if you participate - use the tools he provides, like readings, lecture power presentations, and sample papers - you should do well. I can honestly say I learned from him. Great teacher. Great guy.

Super engaging and interesting lectures. Extremely caring and friendly professor. The only work for the class is 4 canvas discussions and 4 essays but make sure to devote a lot of effort to these and follow his guidelines exactly because he is a relatively strict grader. Super cool guy overall though and definitely the best professor I've had

I had him for RWS 100&200. He's definitely one of the better professors in the RWS department. Attendance wasn't required for 100 but was for 200 when I took him. Overall great guy, fun topics to write on, but imo a tough grader. I got a B in both classes

Clearly a nice guy just very strict attendance policy. He allows 4 absences for the semester which may seem lenient, but for a MWF class in the morning it can be a struggle and I ended up having to go in sick when I absolutely would've stayed home otherwise. But if you don't struggle with attendance it's a good class just sometimes tough on essays.

Overall a great professor, very kind and caring for his students. He is a strict grader though. You have to write three essays that aren't too bad but going to his office hours for feedback really helps. There are also three group presentations that are AI based so they aren't that hard. Sometimes his lectures get a bit boring.

A great English class to take! His use of pop culture helps us understand and apply the information we learn in real life. There are three group projects, but they're easy. Take advantage of his office hours; he gives great feedback on essays and ideas if you feel lost.

Grade is made up of three small group projects + presentations, three discussion board posts, and three essays. Geared class content towards real life situations and topics that would interest us (election, music videos) Overall interesting class, would definitely take him again, but is a detailed grader.

Professor Cissel's RWS200 class is a great choice. With engaging lectures, helpful feedback, and an attendance policy that encourages participation, it's a challenging but rewarding experience. The assignments can be tough, but using resources like Unstuck ai alongside the class materials really helps

He tries to make the class entertaining and relevant for the students, and you can tell he cares about his job and the students. He gives good feedback and help if you ask, and the class isn't very difficult.

I absolutely love this man. I took him for every single RWS class i've ever had (100, 200, 305w). He is extremely knowledgable, caring, funny, and has allowed me to think about rhetoric in new and fascinating ways that I will never forget. His lectures are interesting and the essays are worth working hard for. Take prof cissel. He's the best!

TAKE HIS CLASS!! So nice and helps you a lot if you are struggling. Was one of the only professors I felt like I could talk to. Work was chill just some papers he gave a good amount of time to do and offered so much help.

Before taking his class I wasn't much of a big fan of writing, but now that I've taken it I have improved so much. His classes were so interesting and the things we talk about don't make his class boring at all.