It's hard to learn much from the course because Sean uses most of the class time for student presentations and class discussion. However, he is very intelligent, and what he says is insightful, precise, significant and grounded by historical facts. So be sure to hang around for his office hours!

Great teacher, very passionate about his subject. His tests are pretty hard and do require a good amount of studying. But he gives you a very informative study guide which helps alot. Overall hes a great teacher. Good enough for me to want to take 122 from him.

I really enjoyed going to class, Sean is engaging, and VERY passionate about the discussions and books. He is funny and extremely intelligent. I am not that into liberal studies, but he made the class a lot better than i thought it would be.

A really good prof. This guy really knows what he is talking about and is energetic in his lectures. He made the texts exciting to learn about. Test are tough, study a lot (they are essay tests).

I learned more in this class than in possibly any other college class I have ever taken. Sean Murphy teaches you how to construct strong arguments, think critically, thoroughly, and really analyze literature. He's unlike any professor I've ever had.

He was a great professor, but the tests were a bit long. Make sure you study a lot for the tests and know the ins and outs of all the books. The presentation did take away from teaching at times, but it was nice to just discuss and debate the books instead of listening to him talk. I will definetly take a class from him again! He is very helpful.

A mentally challenging class, he forces you tear books apart piece by piece to find all the possible meanings. But he's a very nice guy who gets to know his class. Presentations help to broaden the ideas presented, but make sure you study HARD for the tests and prepare your answers beforehand.

Amazing professor. The class is definitely a challenge, and you HAVE to study for the tests (prepare answers ahead of time!), but it is worth it. Murphy is skilled at guiding classroom discussions, and goes off on some interesting and hilarious tangents. I would love to take another class taught by him.

Professor Murphy is funny, interesting, and he truly appreciates the opinions and ideas suggested by students in class. Don't be afraid to speak up in class; he might challenge you but he won't be intimidating. His tests are detailed, but his tendency to be perhaps overly detail-oriented should be clear to anyone who goes to class. Great guy!

If you can stand reading boring old poetry, this class can be very engaging. Did the sequence and am pulling off a C average. Mid-terms and finals require a lot of prep. But again if you are interested in arguing about themes in a book this class can be engaging.

He encourages you how to think critically.

His lectures are always interesting, energetic and class discussions are lively. He encourages students' interpretations & participation. Prep for tests is intense & challenging. You feel like you're not just learning, but being included in the learning process (never talked at). Great guy, no question.

Sean is pretty cool guy. His class is generally very laid back and he goes of on slight tangents every now and then. Participation in class discussions is key, he loves participation.

One of my favorite teachers at Western

You'll not go away from any of his classes without the ability to crtically read a text.Lectures are mixed with discussion & class is never boring.Tests are all essay & require careful study of your interpretations, but so much is discussed in class, it's easier to prepare for exams.Sean's respectful to all students & their interpretations/opinions

He is sooo great. I loved the class and I hate reading. He makes you get inside the books and really study the themes and meanings and discover the autors themselves. But, it's a really hard class - lots of reading, a presentation, a paper and two huge tests. I would recommend it though - most challenging and rewarding class i've taken.

hes really attractive!

Sean is a young prof, and can easily relate to a class full of students. Extremely laid back and always wants to know what you have to say wether it's right or wrong. the only thing i didn't like is the amount you have to read: A LOT! If youre a slow reader, I suggest looking into another class or sacrificing a lot of your free time!

Seminar class for majors. As always, he pushes students & expects a lot. 2 half hr. oral presentations w/an 8-10pg paper on each, in-depth annotated bibliography, final 15-20pg paper. Lots o' readin'-n-writin'. Try to take basket weaving or gingerbread house-making classes with this one, if you can.

Sean's an excellent professor and is extremely willing to help with anything you have a question about. Students are expected to be actively engaged in class discussion and prepared everyday, after all, this is college. He is very energetic about the subject matter and life in general. Be ready to provide evidence for your arguments to get an A.

He is an amazing teacher. Funny and witty. Not an easy A for a gur so you must be prepared to read the material, but he will help you if you need it. He is my favorite teacher so far. If you have an opinion about something be prepared to give and example from the text. That is what the class is about! Great class.

Murphy is very easy to communicate with both in seminar, and in office hours. He is very intelligent and knows what he is doing. However, he expects the highest quality of work, with no exceptions. Use all his suggestions, and you'll be fine.

If you are interested in the subject, I can't imagine a better teacher. After this class I switched to a Liberal Studies major.

Definitely a great professor - I had him for my honors class, and discussions were always lively and interesting. It's not easy in the sense that you can do nothing and get away with it, but if you're interested, you won't get a bad grade.

LOVED this class! After seeing Murphy's insight I learned what it really meant to analyze literature. Overall, great class and great discussions. I felt my IQ raising every time I entered the room! Definitely not an easy class, but if learning is your main objective then DEFINITELY take his class, it is extremely worthwhile!

Incredibly challenging course. I somehow managed an A-, but that required about twenty hours of studying for the final. I would say he is a fair grader because I got a C on the midterm and he weighted our grades more heavily for the final. Btw, 72% was the midterm average. Murphy is brilliant and expects you to be as well. Don't take for filler!

I took this class as filler and I ended up loving it! The discussions are interesting if you engage. The midterm was tough I didn't study right, I earned a C. But ended up with a high B in the class. Excellent teacher! I switched to a Humanities Major because of him! If you are a lazy student don't bother though

Great guy, had a lot of enthusiasm for what he taught. I took the class to fulfill a GUR but it was a good class. He was really helpful when answering questions and polite when it came to correcting students. There is a ton of reading and the tests require a lot of studying. And you should probably show up every day if you want to do well.

Grrrrreat teacher. Probably the best I've had at Western. Be careful though. This class requires a LOT of reading and studying for the exams. I recommend taking some easy ones along with this one. That said, do yourself a favor and take this class. If you have any interest in ancient literature/thought you will love this course.

If you get an A in this class,or any of his classes, you've just gained bragging rights for the rest of your college career. Murphy is amazingly smart and very helpful when it comes to assignments, but be prepared to work harder than you've ever worked before.

I entered the class as a GUR not knowing what to expect and loved his class, this professor is down to earth and brilliant. That being said, prepare to completely engage yourself in thorough readings and hours of studying. You will get more out of this class than a simple grade, worth it for the insight and experience but a tough class altogether.

Professor Murphy is INCREDIBLE. Do whatever you can to take a class from him. Don't get me wrong the class was challenging and a lot of work but Sean makes you want to do well. He is very qualified, funny, engaging, and inspirational. Best teacher I've had so far.

This class was a challenge, but definitely teaches you a lot. Sean is one of the best professors I have had at wwu, Take this class if you want a tough time, but new knowledge about liberal studies.

Best professor ever! He inspired me to become a Humanities major. He is brilliant, really knows what he's talking about. It's a lot of reading, and it's analytical reading so be ready. Take notes, because the points he brings up in class are what he thinks are most important, and that's what you'll be tested on. His expectations are very clear too!

Dr. Murphy definitely knows what he is talking about. He requires a lot of work for his class. Lots of reading. Studying for the test takes up the whole week before it. He gives out study guides, which helps. His class is do-able, but tough. He's extremely nice. I definitely recommend taking it. I am not into liberal studies and enjoyed it.

Sean Murphy is AMAZING. He is engaging, consistent, brilliant and enthusiastic as he clearly loves what he does. His courses are not for the faint of heart though. You need to be ready to work harder than you ever have before. He wants to see you succeed and is very willing to help, but you have to seek it out. Come ready to work and not to sleep.

Participation is 15% of the final grade. There's two exams and one paper for this class. His exams are tough, be ready to write til the last minute of class on exam day because multiple choice is not your friend in this class. If you don't read the books and study the study guide extensively you're screwed. So basically tough class but he's nice.

Sean Murphy is one of the best professors I've had so far at WWU. At first I had absolutely no interest in the texts assigned and didn't even want to take the class. However Sean makes this class more entertaining and fun to the point where I actually wanted to go to class plus he goes over the assigned reading in full detail during class.

Murphy's class is difficult but interesting. In-class discussions were amazing (be prepared to participate). Murphy gives students the chance to lead discussions but he brings in a ton of really good information. Throughout the quarter, there isn't much homework (other than a lot of reading), but the midterm and final exam are really intense.

sean murphy is an amazing prof!! as a student he is so passionate about the topics that he discusses in class and makes the lectures worth going too! Although the class can be time consuming only because there is a lot of reading so be warned but the material is interesting. 100% would take this class again just take good notes, read, participate

Dr Murphy is freaking fantastic professor! He's full of energy and authentically excited about class material, which is infectious. He uses every second of class lecture well. He a genius with high standards, so if you're ready to be challenged, to sharpen your argumentation skills, and to reach farther in academia, take a class with this Prof!

I needed some Humanities GUR credits, and I thought I was going to hate this class. Turns out, this is one of the best classes I have ever taken. Murphy is dope. He makes ancient books so entertaining, and tells good stories. Office Hours are so useful. It's a challenging class in all the best ways. Work hard and apply yourself and you'll love him!

A difficult class, by all means, you really have to meet him at his level if you want to do well. If you don't go to class every day, you'll never understand what he wants from your papers and you'll fail, but if you show up and try you'll do well. Participation, 2 papers, 1 presentation on the same topic as one of the papers, and the final.

This prof holds people accountable and I think it pisses people off and they don't give the class a chance. Once you adjust to the work load it becomes a really cool class. He inspired me to actually participate in class. He doesn't use technology, and I was annoyed at first but it actually became a really nice break from canvas.

Imagine going to college and complain about having to read. Dr. Murphy's classes are difficult, and that's the point. You're in college. The point is to learn and be challenged, not to be coddled like a child. Dr. Murphy pushes you to think and make strong evidence-based arguments. You're going to learn a lot and gain valuable skills in his class.

There's a lot of reading but it's all literature instead of nonfiction textbooks. You wrote two papers and have two presentation that your papers usually are about and then a final decision exam where you write short essays. If you pay attention during class it usually will help you immensely towards both your presentation and your paper.

It's heavy reading but it is worth it. It's easy readings. It's not like it's academic textbooks, it's books that are story based. No technology allowed which I actually prefer because that way it's your own analysis without other people's ideas shaping how you read the text.

An amazing professor who is passionate, knowledgable, respectful, and funny. Do what reading you can and actively listen and you will learn a lot! Super engaging and clear grading instructions. Doesn't use Canvas which is a great break and makes everything way more straight forward.

Man loves his history, be prepared to dive deep into the contextualization and meanings of your sources. I loved the course but it is very much a high effort course.

Sean presents ancient and medieval readings in such an engaging and thought-provoking way! His lectures are interesting and he's hilarious! He's also very caring and willing to help if you go to office hours. I took several classes with him and loved them all! But get ready to READ, WRITE, and PRESENT.

Make sure you come to class! Make sure you also read the books before and take notes during class. Doing these two things is extremely important to do well on the tests. I studied 15+ hours for each. He is super helpful if you have any questions and provides good explanations. I think this course was too rigorous to be a 100-level class though.

An academic in the style of the time periods you will study, which is to say intense but excellent. If you don't match that energy, your motivation likely won't be enough to achieve excellence. Tons of reading, and participation matters a lot. Office hours are super helpful if you're struggling, don't be intimidated!

For a 100 level, Dr Murphy is brutal. He doesn't go easy, so read reviews for 300 level classes if you wanna know what that's like for people who care about the material. If you're just in it for a GUR, you may wanna look elsewhere. Big papers, tons of reading, difficult essay-based exams, etc. If you're into it he's the best professor you'll have.