2.6
Quality3.5
Difficulty21%
Would Retake103
Reviews21%
Would Retake
103
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
5
18
4
10
3
19
2
33
1
23
What Students Say
“I hate coming to his class”
ENG252 - 3.0 rating“Brevda is a very intelligent man”
ENG252 - 3.0 ratingClass Info
Attendance Mandatory
79%
Textbook Required
25%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B+
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Stable
-0.20 avg changeRatings by Course
ENGLISH254
5.0
(1)ENG112
5.0
(1)ENG323
5.0
(1)GRAD
4.5
(2)ENG334
3.5
(2)Difficulty by Course
HST350
5.0
ENG345
5.0
63
4.5
ENG332
4.5
ENG252WI
4.5
Reviews (103)
Very boring professor! Awful class also
Boring class. Lectures add no help on tests.
Brevda rocks! His tests can be tough, but his lectures are great.
very boring lectures - is it just me, or does he wear the same thing every day&#
Hard tests.if your thought isnt his, your not right
Boring
He is the worst professor I have had at CMU
Could this class be any more boring!?! Seriously - he puts me to sleep! DON'T TAKE IT!
Everything is about God! Nothing else just God. Sometimes the poem is just about a spider trying to find it's Mom.
He took an interesting class and made it boring. I'm still trying to figure out which mail order program he got his degree through.
Strange man
Test can be hard, but lecture is fun if you make it fun. Very smart man, always ready to help. BUt beware, he is kind of strange
Boring lectures, tests are difficult if you dont share his opinion you are not correct.He seems to know his literature but spends a lot of time trying to figure out what he wants to say/how he wants to say it. Avoid this class.
soooooooo boring. and there are only two tests!! :(
Dr. Brevda is great--if you are actually interested in using your brain. His classes are tougher than normal but worth it--you just actually have to study (shocker) Losers should avoid his class like the plague.
Strange man-- if you do agree with his interpertation, you're wrong.... avoid this class
He uses really outdated teaching methods and doesn't allow for student interpretation or expression at all.
Great guy! Funny and interesting, although you have to be interested and attentive in class. Very helpful with assignments and input. The in-class discussions are intriguing and a lot of fun!
HE IS AWESOME!!! he really made the class very interesting... he's not the easiest prof, because he actually makes you think.
very boring, he only gives one grade (C) no matter if you study hard or blow it off. Don't ever take him.
very BORING!! the readings were more interesting than any of the lectures-managed a B somehow-just try to avoid him!!
the most boring man in the world. At least the material was good even if he wasn't. He only gives one grade (C) and you can barely stand to sit in his whole class for an entire period.
I had to stalk this man...a classmate plagiarized my work, and he didn't believe me. So I became his worst nightmare...I wouldn't leave him alone till he gave the grade I earned. In the end, he "compromised" and gave me credit.
Rather stiff & tight lipped
Brevda is pretty cool. His class isn't too difficult if you pay attention and do the reading.
The most boring prof I have every had! Babbles on and on about irrelevant topics. Don't take him!
This is class is torture! He takes attendence so forget about skipping! Plus he is very unclear with explaining the readings! DO NOT TAKE HIM!I wish I would have read his rating before taking him.
SO BORING! Stay away from him if possible. You learn some things in class if you can stay awake to hear it. Takes attendance everyday! One of the worst teachers I have ever had!
Boring. Only gives out C's and always takes attendace. Speaks in a monotone voice.
I took a grad class with Brevda, and am very surprised to read other people's ratings on this site because he was so easygoing. He never took attendance and spoke the whole time -most people got an A. He's probably different in undergrad, but I would definitely recommend him for a grad class.
Brevda is a great prof who really knows his stuff. The reading is great. Don't take him if you don't like to do the work though.
Worst prof. ever. Can't even sit through his class because it is soooo boring. He expects you to know everything before you get to the class. Takes attendance every day and it effects your grade, but I still wouldn't go. That is how bad this guy is!
wild billy brev is the man. i don't know why people think he's boring. if you're not interested in literature and you don't want to learn,t hen don't take the class. simple as that. he's a hip guy, knows what he's talking about and provides great insight.
Brevda was a good prof, but in current time he seems a little off his game. Monotone, but can be interesting at times. Does take attendance and grades pretty fairly. He has gotten a little out there in his lecture and sometimes loses track of the class.
Great instructor.
brevda is the man! a little out there, but in a good way. interesting lectures. dont skip class.
No Comments
If they offered a class called "Watching Paint Dry", I would have taken that instead.
He is so boring but the class was easy.
NO, just no.
wow. I would leave class and feel like I had wasted years of my life. It does give you time to think a lot. The big monkey ring is freaky. He is the most boring person I've ever met. He tries to be funny sometimes, and it's even more boring. Like, I can't describe my level of boredom. If you don't get what he "sees" in the story, you're screwed.No.
Brevda gives us good literature to read and an oppurtunity to discuss good literature in class, and he's friendly and thoughtful. I don't see why he gets bad ratings on here. He's not boring.
The class is far less than exciting, but hes a nice guy and is always willing to help. But, you must keep up on readings.
Ridiculous. Your grade is midterm, final and a journal. Very hard grader, asks ridiculous questions on tests. Extremely hard to prepare for tests. Would not take him again.
not very interesting readings, and he only grades on three things....two tests and a journal...in which he asks rediculous questions and then grades you extreamly hard.
Expert in every way.
He's a smart guy, and knows the subject like an expert, but he's not very sociable. He would walk into class without a glance at us and just begin writing on the board. He was also, regrettably, boring to the point of tears, and stayed on easy subjects for way too long or underexplain something rather difficult. Not recommended for non ENG majors.
I read the material that most students didn't. I got bad grades on all the assignments. He's a joke and very unclear. I don't know why he even teaches.
He often tells his personal opinion or interpretation as fact regarding the literature, other then that he was okay, just don't disagree with him about it - especially if you have a vaild source because he doesn't really care to be corrected. There are only 3 exams and 3 essays.
no... just don't.
Very intellegent man. Very philosophical discussions. You need to be a thinker to do well in this class. You also need to work hard and read everything. Good overall prof.
The most boring class i have ever been in. He's monotone and doesnt make a bit of sense. He grades on like 2 things. BORING
This class will offer you nothing besides monotonous droning on about nothing other than his own point of view. Stay away from this class if you value staying awake.
This teacher is EXTREMELY boring. In order to do well I advise you pay attention in class and listen to his opinion because that's all the tests are over. Oh wait, paying attention is impossible because of the bordem. Your only grade is over the midterm, final, and journals. I skipped class more times then not because nothing was learned there..
Couldn't understand what he was saying 80% of the time: he mumbles almost as if to himself most of the time and he talks about nothing. Class format is so dumb: midterm and final plus reader response journal portfolio. Class isn't mandatory but you should go, and THE READING IS ESSENTIAL!! This guy destroyed my drive to finish out my English major.
Brevda was a wonderful teacher. The class discussions were interesting and served as helpful introductions to writing papers. It is not mandatory that you attend, but it is helpful to do so. Also, you must read the books to succeed in this class!
Prof. Brevda is a nice guy, granted, but he makes a boring subject matter even more so. He walks in everyday without greeting a soul and gets to work. He also utilizes every minute of class. He does, however, listen to his students' opinions, which is nice. He's okay, but not one of my favorites. He also allows rewrites on all essays.
It's possible to go through the motions in this class and get an acceptable grade. There are only five grades for the semester, so that has its good and bad aspects. Brevda isn't a very personable guy, and he seems to be going through the motions during most of the classes. Unless you eat, sleep, and breathe literature, this class will bore you.
Prof. Brevda is a very intelligent man. If you have any interest in his subject matter the class will be very rewarding.
I like Professor Brevda a lot. He is a good teacher and very willing to help the students. I have him for two classes and enjoy each one. He doesn't give homework assignments and your grades come from papers and tests, which really isn't too bad. It's not hard to get a good grade. I would definitely recommend him to anyone.
I created an account on here just so I could warn you about this 'professor'. Every class you have a reading, and instead of learning, he goes up to the front and talks about irrelevant things. I've never had such a terribly and drafty old professor. All discussion is nearly irrelevant to what you have read. AVOID!
He is terribly boring, and I always feel unprepared for everything, and unaware of what is going on. I have heard nothing but negative from my fellow peers about him, and they all have proved to be true. I should've dropped while I had the chance.
English is my world and Brevda actually made it boring. He is a very knowledgeable prof but he is very dull. Every day is exactly the same long, slow, boring lecture. He grades fairly and helps you with your essays, but I needed a Red Bull before every class to make sure I could stay awake.
Should have listened to the warnings. Talks EXTREMELY slow, spends ENTIRE class periods just giving background info about the authors, very monotone, explains things in the most complicated way possible - unless you already know what he's talking about, you'll be lost. Grades papers very difficultly. Doesn't use BlackBoard.
I had no idea what this man was talking about and I was at every class. He is dull, boring, and hard to follow. I never quite knew what he wanted in a paper and even after asking him there was no real response. I hated the class and learned nothing. It was required for my major but i'd avoid this guy because he's only a headache.
Class was way more interestiing than you thought
Class was either sleeping or on online. Seriously, I don't think there's one person who could actually pay attention for more than five minutes. Never read one book and still passed. Easy but stupid, a complete waste of time, energy, and money.
I'm in both 234 and 252 with this professor. He is rather boring, although once in a while he can be interesting. In 252 he takes attendance, but not in 234. I started the semester off by reading everything, but I have stopped that and I still am receiving the same grades. He grades papers a little harder, but over all he is just okay.
Others' warnings completely true! He is very hard to pay attention to, and I sat in the first row! Did allow same people to walk in 15 to 35 minutes late (for a 50 min class?!) every class meeting, much to everyone's annoyance. Bit of a tough grader.
So so so so boring. Dull and monotone. Avoid him like the plague if you can.
He'll allow class discussion if people jump in with questions or comments; if not, he just keeps lecturing. My big issue with him was the lack of variety in the authors. One female, twelve males, no authors of color....seriously?!? In 2011?!? This is supposed to be representative of American literature?
I know quite a few English majors who have complained about Brevda. But if you actually read the texts, you'll find him to be insightful, engaging, and challenging. He is more than willing to help his students and takes their interpretations very seriously. By far one of my favorite professors at CMU.
Nice guy, I wish nothing bad upon him. He has his funny moments but overall not the most exciting man to look forward to on a Friday morning.
Very boring teacher and class. He speaks very slowly and monotoned, most kids were playing on computers/phones/DS the whole class. He is very critical of papers and one sided, but you just have to agree with him to get a good grade. He doesn't use technology except emails, but he is pretty slow to respond there. If you value your GPA, Dont take him
Do your rewrites. He gives you the option to re write ALLL your papers with no deadline. I wish more English teachers did this.
Best professor I ever had. Graduated a while back but I still remember him fondly enough to come back and write a review to his credit. Sticks very closely to the texts, teaches with a quiet passion and humor. A literary purist, an bonafide hidden gem at CMU. I very much hope he's still teaching.
Mr. Brevda is a great guy and you can definitely tell he cares about what he is teaching. The only issue that I personally had was how hard it is to pay attention to his lectures, they are very boring. He also chooses to cover things very slowly which is beneficial for slower paced learners but frustrating for the students that are grasping it.
William Brevda is a very softspoken man who does not generally show a great deal of emotion, and he does have a bit of a monotone at times. That said, he has a wry wit and subtle sense of humor that is easy to miss, and is truly passionate about his subject. He has extensive knowledge of literature, and is set on helping his classes improve. A gem.
His lectures are long and consist of him rambling about the works. He talks very slow which makes it worse. He is very unclear and confusing. The content of the class is interesting but somehow he makes it boring. I hate coming to his class. I'm sure he's a great guy and he's very knowledgeable he's just not a good prof for this class.
I'm finishing the semester off with him in ENG 234 and ENG 252. He's boring but smart, lectures are long but necessary. He marks attendance but its not graded. A lot of books to read, just sparknote them. I had to miss 3 weeks of class for surgery, he was understanding and gave me all the help I could ask for. He's smart but not teaching wise.
I had Professor Brevda's class in the morning and it was honestly extremely difficult for me to be motivated to go to that class. Although he is a very kind man, I could not keep my eyes open or get engaged in the full hour and fifteen minute lecture. He is very understanding and will let you do rewrites on papers if you do not do well-hard grader.
Brevda is a nice professor but his lectures can be long and boring. Papers are short and simple and he lets you choose your own topic. He allows rewrites as many times as you want and gives great feedback. The readings are interesting for the most part and you rarely do anything in class besides listen to him.
He talks very monotone and he takes so long trying to explain things. I have him in a 9:30 class and I'm close to falling asleep everyday. I feel like he would be helpful if you were to ask but, I never do. Make sure you do your reading if you want to pass because you do not read anything in class. Also, make sure you take notes!
Nice guy, just unpredictable in terms of grading. Terribly long lectures. Tough exams that are more extensive than the study guide lets on.
Professor Brevda is traditional in the way he teaches, and follows the syllabus strictly. Ask him questions about when things are due and how long he expects them to be, because he never really discusses the assignments in class, just the reading assigned before that class. If you come to class for lecture and pay attention, its great!!
Brenda was overall a decent professor. Every day in class is a lecture about the book. Read the book before you come to class for the discussion. You get four grades and they are each worth 25% of your grade. journal 1, journal 2, midterm, and final. The journals consist of 4 papers each a page and a half. He gives you topics to choose from.
This is the one Literature class that I have struggled with in my entire life. The long, monotone lectures are not interactive at all, and he does not seem to understand that some people are not auditory learners. The entire grade is based on 4 items, each 25 percent. So if you do bad on one of them youre screwed. Dude needs to improve his lectures
Brevda is knowledgeable, but he rambles A LOT and his lectures are very boring. No clear grading rubric (for our class at least) and seems to only care about due dates 50% of the time.
He's probably the most boring professor I've ever had. He repeats the same thing all class long. He grades the papers pretty hard, but if you use Sparknotes and show up and write what he puts on the board down you don't even need to buy the books, nor read them.
The classes are boring. He talks about the same entry level concepts for multiple class periods, very redundant. He talks and talks about anything and everything until the class period is over. Never expect to get out early he will drag the class out at all costs.
Professor Brevda is incredibly insightful and thoughtful. He lectures every day, and each is extremely informative and in depth. Only downside is that he's not always the most interesting. He does however call out your bull on papers, and pushes you to be a better writer. Sidenote: The man has used blackboard exactly twice, the syllabus and grades.
There is SO much reading, and the lectures are very monotonous and repetitive. This class was incredibly boring for me.
The class wasn't horrible, despite what some other reviews may lead you to believe. There are four essays and two tests, but Brevda gives very strong feedback on the essays and you can rewrite them for a better grade throughout the semester. He may be dry at times, but if you actually talk to him you'll come to find that he's an awesome guy.
Terrible grading
Brevda is super intelligent and really knows what he is talking about. He is the type of prof who has a certain mindset in how he wants you to write which makes it difficult to "Adapt" to the way he likes other to write. Boring lectures. TAKE NOTES. only 7 papers, but you do get a chance to revise and resubmit.
If you can, AVOID THIS CLASS. Mr. Brevda is a very nice man, but he is not a good professor. I have not learned one thing all semester. There are only four assignments: A Midterm, A Final, and 2 journals (each assignment is worth 25% of your grade) so there is not much room for mistakes. Avoid this professor at all costs if you can, wish I did..
Only four papers and two tests, with the option to revise and resubmit. However, he was not clear on what he wanted in his papers. Reading the assigned readings are a must, they come up again on the exams and you must know what goes on in the stories. Lectures are more boring than usual and he talks the entire class period.
I took ENG 337A with Brevda, and when people asked me what the class was about I had to tell them I had no idea. I was confused all semester and his papers were confusing too. He tried to leave them open for creativity, but there weren't guidelines at all. Just "write an interesting paper about the book." He was nice, but not very effective.
The way he explains each topic is barely followable. Notes on the board can barely be read and people literally laughed sometimes. Extreme political bias, which has no effect on the class he just puts it in there just because. Also didnt answer emails sometimes and when he did it was after a day or two.
There were only 4 papers and 2 exams. The lectures were boring and useless. Tough grader on essays, couldn't get above a C. Go to office hours, he might boost your grade if you attend.
I repeat, DO NOT take ENG201 with Brevda. Insanely tough grader, for unreasonable reasons. All you do is write essays, but all he does is read in class during lecture. I have gotten a C on nearly every paper. No rubric or examples. I would love to know what makes him grade the way he does. It makes you feel like he doesn't care about students.
Do not take this class with him, there are much better professors at CMU than him. Grades insanely tough and you get marked down drastically for such minor feedback from him.
He doesn't even use Blackboard. It's finals week and one grade hasn't been put into blackboard. Grades really hard too and only 7 papers that determine your grade.
Class Info
Attendance Mandatory
79%
Textbook Required
25%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B+
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Stable
-0.20 avg changeRatings by Course
ENGLISH254
5.0
(1)ENG112
5.0
(1)ENG323
5.0
(1)GRAD
4.5
(2)ENG334
3.5
(2)Difficulty by Course
HST350
5.0
ENG345
5.0
63
4.5
ENG332
4.5
ENG252WI
4.5