2.9
Quality4.2
Difficulty34%
Would Retake112
Reviews34%
Would Retake
112
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
5
36
4
13
3
10
2
14
1
39
What Students Say
“DO NOT TAKE HIS CLASS”
ARW350 - 1.0 rating“It's a very traditional university based class”
ARW250ARW350 - 3.0 ratingClass Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
63%
Textbook Required
10%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-1.44 avg changeRatings by Course
ARW450
5.0
(2)EACYA
5.0
(1)ARW200
5.0
(1)ARW
4.5
(4)EAC500
4.0
(1)Difficulty by Course
ENGLISH
5.0
ARW1
5.0
YKL100
5.0
ARW450
4.5
ARW250ARW350
4.4
Reviews (112)
HE IS A HARD TEACHER BUT GREAT OVER ALL...AS LONG AS HE SEES THAT U R COMMITED TO YOUR WORK...HE WILL TRY HIS BEST TO HELP U PASS THE CLASS... *HEADS-UP* ALOTTTTTTTT OF WRITING!!!!
hard marker.
Great teacher, youll read some interesting stuff.
Smith is a very hard marker, he also tends to put students on the spot in class, he's not really interesting cuz he just blahbles on and on...makes us read stupid stories and expects you to know them inside out...he doesnt even help if u go after class and ask him. He smiles a lot as if he's nice...
Hardest teacher ever, can't write notes on the board, hard marker, and doesn't help at all.
No Comments
Take this class if you love reading very hard stuff!!,and he is pretty hard marker!!
Fair game but hard to accept though.Make sure u take it seriously cuz it will get u if u think it's gonna be easy.No excepitons n don't think it's goona be spoonfed for grades.Serious work with serious writing but overall, pretty good experience for english.
VERY hard marker. Although highly skilled, but only in terms of knowledge, not teaching skill. Though if you extremely like writing and reading, I recommend this class, otherwise you'll think he's talking full of nonsense.
If you're not very good at writing essays I don't recommend his class. He marks really hard and doesn't give very good direction
BORING, This guy must be the worst prof in the college . He actually maneged to put me to sleep once with his monotone voice. The hradest marker i've ever come across , get out while you can .
No Comments
Do not choose this teacher. He teaches nothing and his writing is terrible. You can even read one word. In addition, he is a hard marker. you will fail if you choose his course.
If you're looking to learn something, improve your english.. anything of that nature... do yourself a huge favor and SWITCH SECTIONS. He doesn't really teach much. He makes you read and then discusses the story with you but doesn't tell you how to write. He tells you to read checkmate.. even though you're paying him to teach.
well. this is one person who can fail u. makes it really hard for u. he scares u by saying iam very strick about thing. he will always laugh but dont go on that becasue u dont knw the person behind that laugh. he is one person who simply does not know how to teach and will fail u easily. so u better change ur sections or take other teacher
ok yes he might be a tough marker but as long as you show up to class and read the stories it won't be too difficult to pass - it's only english. he really goes in depth with the stories and checkmate teaches you how to build a proper essay.
Are you guys serious? You are angry and rate him like that cause what? You expected to be treated like you were in high school? Winston was a good teacher and as much as I hated those weekly essays, I am a much better student because of him. You are the only one who can fail yourself. You probably didn't do the work and now blame him.
Welll...Winston, you're quite alright in my books. Although you burn my a** on my sloppy work, I couldn't have gotten an A in your class without working hard. Cheers.
worst proff ever!! BORING, unclear and hard marker. You will fall asleep in his class, thats if u show up again after the first class.
Tough teacher, but very helpful and effective
The teacher is awsome!He's friendly & realy understands & cares about his students& tries to help them out if necessary. The Class is tough and so is his marking, but he only does that to help prepare u for univ. & trust me,i learnt aLOT.I highly recomend him to all those who love to learn how to write a decent essay/proposal.
One of the most challenging classes I've ever taken. Winston challenges you, pushes you and makes you want to hate him more than anything. But in the end, when the work is done and finished, he'll give you a good mark if you show that you poured out sweat and blood for him, . It pays off, because you look at the finished product and say I DID IT! a
Lots of people rating this guy unfairly. Honestly, DO THE WORK and SHOW UP TO CLASS and Winston will prepare you for the next 5 semesters of your college life. Very intelligent, perceptive and helpful.
got murked with work in his class, and i almost dropped out of articulation because of it. Nevertheless, he's a brilliant prof, with a deadly vocabulary and knows just a little bit about everything
winston is a really good teacher...dont let the theatrics scare u, he acts like a really tough marker in order to weed out the people who want to do well from the people just messing around...do ur work, show some interest and he will help u as much as he can
One of the most infuriating men i have ever met - also one of the most brilliant and interesting. knows a little something about everything, and willing to have a chat with you anytime he's available, for as long as you can handle. if not for Winston, I would not be getting straight A's at York right now. Amazing Prof overall.
Getting Winston as a professor for this course will be the best thing that will ever happen to you. If you intend on going to university there is no better person than this one man to help you to succeed there. He will make you work for your grade and it will frustrate the hell out of you but in the end you will be a better student because of him.
A very wise, funny and articulate professor, if you go to his classes he will push you to be the best you can be. You wont realize how much he has taught you till the class is over. Best university preparation you'll get! Winstons the best
Winston is by far one of the most helpful teachers on campus. His class by no means is easy but in the end you learn a lot. He will get you prepared for university whether you like it or not.
If you do not take school seriously, you will fail his course. It is impossible to get by in his course. 70% of the class dropped or failed. The people who stayed will be trained for university life and will not have any fears regarding their future academic pursuits. But if you will not REALLY put in the effort, dont take his class
Winston really pushes you to actually work hard on assignments. He expects a lot and doesn't let crappy work slide by. You will learn a lot in his class and it will be good for you in the end. Just stick with it
Winston is an excellent professor. I had only a vague idea about blues music from listening to recordings, but he expanded my horizons. We read some killer books, and his lectures were funny and informative. It's not the easiest elective, but you'll learn a lot.
Winston is a really good professor. When I first had him for ARW250 he scared me, but he pushed me to become a better writer and he wouldn't give up on me. Iv'e had him for ARW350 and now Hum418 and I want to thank you for pushing me to be the best I can be. Some of the comments people wrote about him are ridiculous. He is anything but boring.
He spends more time talking about how hard the class is than actually teaching. He expects students to already be at a professional level of writing and research, but does not actually do anything to help the students get there. Seems to be more interested in scare tactics and making himself seem superior than anything else.
He is just sweet!I like talking to him as he us very intelligent
He was both a prof and a friend to me.He will use his scare tactics in class, but when you go to see him in his office you will have a great conversation and good laugh. It will be the most challenging learning experience you will have at College,but totally worth it when you get to uni. Essays will be much easier for you.. Thanks Winston!
Put in the time, follow the instructions, do the work and EDIT and you will be fine. Quaiity Effort equals Results with Winston
One of the most difficult, time-consuming, tedious, arduous experiences of my academic career, yet ultimately also one of the most rewarding. Winston will push you but you'll thank yourself for getting all the way to the end.
He is a very good teacher that really cares about his students. He often times uses scare tactics to filter out students from his class,however is a vey helpful teacher if you put the time in. overall he has really help me in improving my writing, and would recommend him to anyone that would like to genuinely improve themselves.
Winston inspired me to go above and beyond. Every student requires a challenge and the power to express themselves in a creative way. Winston taught me how to write with an academic formula, even though english is my second language. Thank god he was tough, it isn't easy being perfect but it is rewarding to be a good listener.
Winston is a very intelligent and knowledgeable man. Unfortunately, he expects students to have a similar level of expertise. He uses an extensive vocabulary and speaks in a fashion, though poetic, not appropriate for college students. He gives no direction on what to do, nor his expectations and gives unclear feedback. I suggest avoid if you can.
Winston Smith is the best Professor at Seneca College! Although he makes you work for your grades, that's why I like re-taking his classes. You actually learn something and feel accomplished when you get the grade you want. Although he's a tough marker his grading criteria is always clear. Learning about post colonialism can be fun with Winston!
Best professor at S@Y! Though many students tend to complain that he is a "tough marker," this is simply because they are lazy and do not put in enough time and effort into doing proper research. He is also very nice to talk to and is always willing to help. I highly recommend him if you want to better your writing! But you must put in the effort.
Winston is a great professor. He taught several of my classes when I was at Seneca in 2008 (when they still had ARW 450 and we had to write a 30 page research paper - suck it up kids) and I attribute much of my academic/career success to him. He's a very smart guy and throughout the years, I always try and stop by his office for a chat.
Super hard marker and has high expectations. A really good person and is willing to help if you seek it
Prof. Winston is extremely knowledgeable and prepares you well for Universities/Grad school. Beware however, 1 of his ARW 2 seneca courses, in terms of workload. I feel he is too educated and skilled to be a college prof. He should be teaching in Universities.
Tough but prepares you well for university if that's your final destination. You'll learn a lot and its worth it.
I had never thought much about race, gender, and other areas of identity politics before his class, but he taught me some really interesting things. And he is a very open and funny guy.
in all honesty, the hardest prof I've ever had. makes everything so difficult and complicated. but to be completely honest, he's the only prof that really cares about his students. my writing improved greatly after having Winston as a prof. although he was tough, it all paid off in the end.
Amazing prof, yet very hard - it is worth it though!
Hardest thing i've ever done. Winston is definitely one of the toughest graders in the program!
He makes you work for it but at the end of the day, it benefits who? I started realizing this after finishing two ARW courses with him - all the current papers in which I'm writing - they are full of superb citations and I'm totally conscious about plagiarism as I move along. It's worth it if you're up for a real learning challenge!
One of the few profs at Seneca that I would love to have a beer with one day. You're the best sir!
Best professor at Seneca. Definitely go to class! He may be a hard marker but as you move from 250 to 350 you'll see yourself progress. I enjoyed listening to his scare tactics and seeing everyones reaction.
Tough but hands down one of the best profs as Seneca. You learn to realize the value of his class and his scare tactics after you've taken a class or two with him. Very intelligent and caring prof.
He's a good professor, gives great feedback, and is very approachable. The only issue is that i believe he's too qualified to teach at the college level. He'd be an amazing university professor.
Should be a uni prof than college, as his material has no correlation to improving a students writing. Majority of class is based on in-class essays, where prep material is uploaded on a Sunday with little time to prepare. Feedback on in-class essays are illegible, and does nothing to increase students proficiency in writing. Don't recommend.
For the amount of reading that's done for the class I would've hoped for more classroom discussions. He's a very knowledgeable professor but he doesn't let the classroom have discussions. It's a very traditional university based class. He talks and that's it. He's extremely unreliable outside of class.
That 25 page essay, I will never forget it. If it wasn't for Winston I would not be getting B's and A's in university, that much I can guarantee. This professor changed my entire outlook on academics. Take every class you can w/ him and get all the feedback on your work, you will take it with you to every class in uni and succeed because of it.
About the worst teacher at seneca. You will learn abunch of useless stuff about random readings that will never be of any use in your life or career. All the while Winston talks ambiguous over the top bs for 3 hours a week. Avoid at all cost.
This guy is so unprofessional, after the strike hit he had us do an in class essay, which normally I'm okay with. Except I had lost my reading, and it was posted no where on blackboard or on the email. So not only did he not post anything for this in class essay, when I confronted him he called me a liar in front of the class. I dropped it same day
Be prepared to be confused. He has awful writing and cant read it himself. Is not accessible outside of class especially in reference to emails. His lectures are extremely boring and he does nothing about it. He could be a better professor but he chooses to be rigid.
Very hard marker. Knows what hes talking about. Very hard quizzes where he tests you on terms throughout the book and doesnt specify which hes going to test you on. I got a c and c + in his class and tried very hard while in my other classes I got bs. would not recommend
I had him for ARW for world literature. You have to read and understand what you're reading. That means, you cant just speed read like other memorization classes. My best advice, GO TO HIS OFFICE HOURS. He's very helpful and funny. People fail because they don't (actually)read, and they are entitled. If you don't like him, you're not ready for uni.
DO NOT TAKE HIS CLASS. I've never worked so hard in my life and still managed to get only a B. He definitely expects a lot from his students (because it is a university level course) however, i think he should be more understanding. He acts as though it's the only course we're taking.
You won't be able to read his handwriting or learn anything in general from him. Wondering why he's not kicked out yet.
Always late for at least half an hour, illegible handwriting, no feedbacks given, unapproachable and inaccessible, the grades given are always 20-30% less than what you deserve. At least I wish that I have learned something from him but...
Winston has his own way of teaching, yes he is absolutely a tough grader but teaches you so much. I am very thankful i took him and did not listen to the negativity because my writing has gotten so much better from him specifically.
I've noticed that many students aren't too happy with Winston! All I can say is that he is truly one of the best professors at Seneca because he pushes you to do better, and doesn't hand out good marks for free. If you do poorly in his class, most likely your grades in Uni will suffer. He is actually a very friendly person and is so easy to talk to
Failed 350. 0 ARW course objectives, 0 work feedback. His philosophy is hard work pays off. But it only pays if there's guidance/framework to improve your skills. No focus on the ARW objective: to improve your writing/research. Instead, its a remarketed YKL colonial lit class. Take pierre's S@Y, got A+ & learned real research and writing structure.
The worst prof i ever had. Do not take his class.
If you're an international student and not yet comfortable with the language, I recommend not to take his class. I tried so hard for this course, read all the materials, never skipped class, listened to whatever he said, and got a C+. I might not be good enough for him. But let me tell you, he has no empathy and does not see others' improvement.
He put in 0 effort. Put up a 20 minute video lecture some weeks, other weeks he just linked a couple of opinion pieces about racism, wouldn't respond to emails, etc. This course was about learning to research and write academic papers, he spent about 2-3 minutes talking about that at the end of his 20 minute lectures about racism.
HONESTLY, Winston Smith is the worst prof I've ever had. He's never pleased and gives unclear feedback. He thinks he's so sophisticated, but without direction its almost impossible to learn anything. I've never been criticized so much, yet not given any advice on how to improve. I would highly recommend trying to switch out of his class.
I was really looking forward to this ARW (Academic Research and Writing) as I felt it would leave me with valuable skills for a career in the sciences. Instead we got lectured to about how racism is bad. Would give summarizing, paraphrasing, etc. assignments, but the lecture would consist of a 20 minute video about racism, Should teach Sociology.
I tried to have an open mind when I took his course after seeing all the bad reviews he has but turned out to be worse than I imagined. Very rude and condescending, doesn't give helpful feedback, no lectures, no explanations for assignments, he just gives you readings and expects you to come up with a well-written paper in 2 hours.
Didn't explain anything about the structure of what's require for the essays and gives really bad grades even though the context is well written. Definitely don't recommend.
I think because everything went online it just exacerbated the problem. He didn't start the course until a month into the school year and when classes did happen he just read from the text that we already read without explaining. Then when it came to essays he didn't explain what he wanted, on top of that is a tough grader without good feedback.
Give students 30 pages to read in 5 days, take the test a week after, no marks, no comments, and feedback until the end of the semester. In the end, the students suddenly surprise with grades C OR D and few comments that argue "you didn't focus well or didn't go deep" we invest our time and money in our education, not deserve such a poor service.
Winston Smith was by far the best prof I've ever had, his classes aren't easy but they prepare you for University and really teach you how to critically think and write. Thank you again Winston.
Talks down to students. Does not return assignments quickly, does not actually teach in lectures, Drop this class if he is your teacher
All around horrid and online learning makes him worse. I want to be generous and say he's unfamiliar with the tech, still it's possible he just chooses to not put any effort into organizing the course. I put attendance as mandatory, not that you'll actually learn anything, but it's the only way you'll have any idea on what you're supposed to do.
Mr. Smith is very intelligent but can be disorganized at times. He is very knowledgable and well-versed but a very very very tough marker. If you want to work your but off for an A but still end up with a C-, Mr. Smith is your guy. That being said, his course will thoroughly prepare you for University and other courses in the programs.
he's hilarious since he is a garbage teacher. he never gives assignments back so we do not know if we are doing good in the course. his instructions are always unclear. he is a rude person and a trash teacher i wish i could give him a 0. no. he deserves negatives he is that bad drop this course if you get him please
He is the WORST. Never likes any assignment that I've done. While my grades from other courses are like 80-90%, I never got more than 55% from him. He's obsessed with race issues, never gives us any different topic. It sucks to write a 2000 word essay knowing that you'll get a max of 60%. I am praying to pass the course now. Miserable.
Cancelled over half of our classes last minute. Incredibly unclear and disorganized. Very tough marker and doesn't really give much guidance in terms of writing well. The upshot is that I am now better prepared to deal with subpar profs. I didn't mind the level of difficulty in this course, but I think Winston needs to go back to the drawing board.
Doing the garbage unorganized work makes me physically and mentally sick, when I start doing the papers he assigns I feel like throwing up I would take any teacher over him if you get this teacher drop the class
Lessons don't make sense if I am being honest, tried taking notes and I was LOST. You know those people that use big words and are saying a lot of nothing.... yeah. Dropped his ykl class and avoided him as a professor when it was time to take it.
Im finishing this class with a C+ but that doesn't mean that Winston Smith is a bad teacher, It just means that i have to get better as a student, This was a learning experience, I received an A+ in com101 but i didn't even know how to write a strong thesis starting this course which is upsetting, Com101 should prepare students for ARW250,
Cons: - Takes long to grade - Very hard marker - A lot of English jargon (confusing if English isn't your first language) - Very bad w/ tech - Assignments always include jargon that confuses you, very long instructions. Pros: - Very intelligent - Interesting speaker - gives 4+ hours to do test - Great for University prep!!!!
very good professor, probably the best at seneca. i did poorly at his class at first but eventually finished my last semester is a b+. if you go here, take him for your first semester. i recommend arw250 and general arts.
He doesn't have clear grading criteria and doesn't learn a lot in class. Boring and lack of energy of teaching power, only tell you to do research. Extremely boring and sleepy, he just read the lecture and no interaction between him and the students. Thus, there are barely any students willing to come.JUST DONT TAKE HIS CLASS!
The only difficult thing about his class is that you have to work super hard but trust me he helps! My favorite thing about his class was that he gave crystal clear instructions and feedback. I wish I had professor Smith for the whole semester! I had Shiraz Sheikh for the first half and his marking was shallow and illogical. Hence, I got a B.
Honestly, I do not remember learning anything from his classes because his internet was so bad that he would sound like a transformer half the time. He wasn't audible at all and yet expects his class to be able to completely understand his lectures or pep talk, because we don't really learn anything. This guy is unbelievably bad. Please avoid him.
A lot of readings from the literature books, and he expects a lot in the in-class essays and discussion boards, so its best to attend all the classes and take good notes because he wants thing his way or the highway.
He alway expects us to understand the readings without telling us how to. Atrocious teaching method, Impossible to get good grades under his marking.
I took his class in winter 2022 and got a c+, i gave him the benefit of the doubt but now reflecting on my time in his class and having got an A+ in ARW350 with Shiraz, i conclude that this man is indeed a very bad professor. He is overly critical and gives out terrible marks, He's a professor that will prepare you for UofT and low marks
Winston was always available to chat after class in his office, and sometimes it would be hard to get away from the conversation. He was always receptive to my concerns over my grade and helped me improve my writing and my essay. ARW was one of the few times in my academic experiences where working hard led to a good mark. I am very grateful.
He's a nice guy but he wants too much detail in the exams/essays and his expectation level is so high, it's really hard to reach.
he gave us tons of readying
I recommend taking him only if you averaged 90 or above in ARW the previous semester because his course is more suited for independent learners with excellent writing skills (keyword here is excellent, not average or good), which wasn't the case with me, so I guess it's a skill issue on my end. Anyway, his course is TOUGH, good luck.
sure his class will make you cry, but hes so cute he looks like the sleepy time tea bear. all you need to do to get a good grade is get some smart people/people you can trust in your group project. all im gonna say is that all of these negative reviews are cuz they are mad that they got a bad grade. also his hand writting is in a hieroglyphs btw :)
do not take his class. do not. he's a very nice man but unless you're actually the reincarnation of William Shakespear himself do not take this class. Its the hardest class I've ever taken in my life. I don't know what he wants from me. Heed my warning or you will live to regret it
Look, it's a very difficult course. If you're not interested in working hard to improve your writing and want an easy A, this is not the course for you and you should get a different prof. But, if you are willing to put in a lot of work (and I mean a lot), Winston has very valuable advice and will really assist you in becoming a better writer.
If u are in the lat program you should take smiths classes, they actually push u and properly prepares you for uni. The only reason y'all like Shiraz is because u don't have to do none to get marks. Maybe u did bad in smiths class because u are a bad student, who can't listen or read. Just because u have no work ethic doesn't mean smith is bad.
Super fun to hangout with after class, but a horrible professor. Extremely harsh on grading and sticks to certain topics. Gives vague grading criteria and feedback. He encourages us to analyze the "underlying message" of texts, but he rarely gives any analyzation other than "agile" and "there's an underlying message in here".
Winston's class is tough, but if you're willing to put in the work, he'll really help you improve as a writer. The lectures can be boring, but unstuck study and the free textbook make study prep a breeze.
Yes, Winston was a hard marker but that is not necessarily bad. His critiques of my assignments/essays allowed my writing to vastly improve. Yes, his lectures can be a bore, but attendance is crucial for getting a good grade. He outlines exactly what is expected for the assignments, and prepares you well for examinations.
Hardheaded Talks nonstop for the entire 2h class Classes were more about him than about the students.. Literally the whole course is on 1 topic: racism, which i find to be highly biased No break for the whole class Illegible handwriting for feedbacks Always late to class Too many rules (no academic freedom) Quite egocentric in my opinion AVOID!!
He's very kind but tough as a teacher. He knows if you come to class and will mark based on your attendance. He says to use class notes, but will still cut marks on the words and vocabulary he used in class. His handwriting is the biggest thing, you can't properly read what he says in the feedback. I had a great gpa until i ended up in his class.
He's nicer than you may think. Good class for uni prep. Sit at the front bc he talks quietly sometimes. Good luck trying to read his handwriting (though he will clarify what he wrote if you ask). If you're a strong writer you'll pass easily. You need to know the readings well and take notes/engage in them. We did discussion posts + in class essays.
Really bad scorer, he gives tests late which is crucial to learn what mistakes I made, his writing is unreadable, you can't understand a single word he writes
Class Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
63%
Textbook Required
10%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-1.44 avg changeRatings by Course
ARW450
5.0
(2)EACYA
5.0
(1)ARW200
5.0
(1)ARW
4.5
(4)EAC500
4.0
(1)Difficulty by Course
ENGLISH
5.0
ARW1
5.0
YKL100
5.0
ARW450
4.5
ARW250ARW350
4.4