3.4

Yuki McPhail

Foreign Languages - Mt. San Antonio College

3.4
Quality
2.7
Difficulty
N/A
Would Retake
89
Reviews
3.4
Quality
2.7
Difficulty
3.5
Helpful
3.3
Clarity

N/A

Would Retake

89

Reviews

Rating Distribution
Official

5

35

4

18

3

9

2

10

1

17

What Students Say

Hardest japanese teacher I have ever taken

JAPN3 - 2.0 rating

One of the most horrible prof in mt sac

J2 - 1.0 rating
Class Info

Attendance Mandatory

100%

Textbook Required

100%

Grade Predictor

Your expected effort level

LowHigh

Predicted Grade

B+

71% confidence
Based on 7 grades
Most common grades:
A (4)
Not_Sure_Yet (2)
Rather_Not_Say (2)
Grade Distribution
A(4)B(1)C(1)D(2)F(0)A-/B+(1)
Based on 16 reported grades
A: 4
Not_Sure_Yet: 2
Rather_Not_Say: 2
Drop/Withdrawal: 2
Rating Trend

Declining

-0.70 avg change
Nov
Dec
Jan
Feb
Mar
Jun
Last 6 months
Ratings by Course

JAPN345

5.0

(1)

J34

5.0

(1)

JAPN

5.0

(1)

JAPANESE34

5.0

(1)

JAPN12

5.0

(1)
+30 more courses
Difficulty by Course

40327

5.0

41811

5.0

JAPANESE

5.0

J2

5.0

41369

4.0

Reviews (89)
4.0
2.0
JAPN2
Grade: Not_Sure_Yet
Jun 6, 2001

She gives you a lot of chances for EC.

4.0
2.0
JAPN2
Aug 14, 2003

She's a really energetic Japanese teacher. Extremely 'genki'. She's helpful, and although sometimes she expects you to understand more than you'd probably pick up, she makes up for it by giving many chances for extra credit.

4.0
3.0
JAPN4
Dec 9, 2003

She's very hyper, very nice but a little forgetful. Gives quizes every class day and sometimes a quiz and a test. Quizes are simple if you pay attention in class. Good teacher overall

2.0
3.0
JAPN4
Feb 16, 2004

Since she combined JAPN 4 and 5 into one class, she let her tutor teach J4's students. She has never taken care of her J4 student. And the tutor is hardly understand English and every question student ask and doesn't know how to teach any grammar.

2.0
4.0
JAP1
Apr 27, 2004

really hyper. expects way too much from her students. moves fast and for someone who is first being introduced to the Japanese language it is very taxing. She makes the class difficult but gives lots of extra credit so it's not so hard

5.0
4.0
JAPN345
May 12, 2004

I'm not Asian and had very little to no previous exposure to Asian languages, but still found her class to be prefectly fair. As for the tutor, I thought that it was the perfect opportunity to converse with a native speaker.

5.0
4.0
JAPN2
Jul 8, 2004

She's so hyper it's funny. Usually repeats her jokes because she forgets she already told them. Very clear, might be a little intimidating at first, but just follow directions. She knows her stuff. Very trustworthy

4.0
3.0
JAPN1
Jul 17, 2004

Really nice teacher, she gave a lota extra credits. She also gave a lota quizes too, but the they aren't that hard. I worked pretty hard and got a B, but I didn't do any of the extra credits.

4.0
3.0
JP2
Jul 22, 2004

she is kinda hyper sometimes, but u'll get used to it, n she is very helpful n nice n "kawaii". atashi wa sensei ga daisuki da yo~ ^_^

3.0
2.0
JAP1
Jul 28, 2004

Expect alot of work but she's really nice and helps in whatever way she can.

2.0
3.0
J3
Oct 14, 2004

No Comments

5.0
2.0
J34
Grade: Rather_Not_Say
Oct 31, 2004

She is an excellent teacher who cares about her students.She is cute and alot of fun.

5.0
1.0
JAPN
Grade: B-
Dec 3, 2004

Very yasashii sensei! I don't get it why a lot of people are scared of her (maybe because of her quizzes everyday) but she is really very kind! She cares about everybody and will help you if you go to her office. Japanese is fun with Yuki sensei!

4.0
1.0
JAP14
Jan 14, 2005

In general I think she is a good teacher, she has very good english, and is easy to understand, however many students have a problem with her, because sometimes her explanations are limited, but i have no problems with that at all, main problem I have had is having too many abscences.

4.0
2.0
J4
Feb 18, 2005

i had a really good time with her

4.0
2.0
JAPAN2
Grade: Fail
May 23, 2005

yuki sensei is really nice & her class isn't boring.however she assigns lots of hw & for each class u miss she subtracts 10 points.but there r lots of ex credit opportunities & the tests arent that bad.quizzes everyday so be prepared.the book sucks & doesnt make any sense so take good notes. overall id recommend her if you dont mind doing the work.

1.0
4.0
JAP3
May 25, 2005

She's a horrible teacher. Whenever i asked for help, she would tell me that its not her job to help her, and if i needed assistance, i should ask the help of the tutors (even in class). She made me feel as if i was no capable of learning japanese at all. I retook the class with Minekawa, and everything was so easier to understand. Steer clear.

5.0
1.0
JAP3
May 29, 2005

Great and caring teacher. I should take her class earlier so that I could learn more of Japanese. Best Japanese teacher I ever taken.

5.0
1.0
JAPANESE34
May 29, 2005

She is the best Japanese teacher I ever taken. She cares about each every student of hers. she knows her stuff. I recomment her very highly.

1.0
3.0
JAPN2
Jun 5, 2005

TERRIBLE TEACHER!!!!!!!!!!!!!

1.0
3.0
JAP3
Jun 7, 2005

horrible. absolutely unhelpful in every aspect.

5.0
2.0
JAPN12
Jun 9, 2005

Really take the time to make you understand the stuff, learned a lot from her class that I still retain after some yrs. Super funny, she use to be a tourist guid, so the class isn't all that dull. But a daily attendance is a must!!!

5.0
1.0
J13
Jun 13, 2005

She is the kindest teacher I every had. She goes out her way to help students. She spent all of her office hours one week to help her students. No professors does that except Yukisensei. She is an excellent teacher who I recomment.

5.0
1.0
JAPANESE12
Jun 19, 2005

Very nice teacher.She knows her stuff. Very caring and helpful, but strict. A lot of extra credit. I recommend her for your Sensei.

4.0
1.0
JAPN3
Jun 21, 2005

if you are slow in understanding grammar and/or sentence structure, i won't recommend her. she knows her stuff, but she doesn't explain the "why" and "how" really well. overall, she is a very nice and helpful teacher.

4.0
3.0
JAPN1
Jul 30, 2005

Beware, she quizzes daily on 'daily phrases' and vocabulary, make sure you memorize all vocabulary, daily phrases, and hiragana. Lectures are very interesting. Study and memorize, and you will pass.

5.0
2.0
JAPANESE35
Aug 24, 2005

Yuki sensei = ****

1.0
5.0
JAPANESE
Aug 31, 2005

Terrible, terrible woman. I took three other professors in Japanese before her, and I got all A's in their classes, but McPhail failed me on every single test I took in her class. She grades unfairly, and is cruel to students who aren't her favorites.

5.0
1.0
J24
Sep 12, 2005

Yukisensei is the kindest teacher at Mt.SAC. She is very fair and open to every students. Very helpful.I took two of other Japanese teachers' classes before, but Yukisensei is the best Japanese teacher I ever had. She seems alway happy and her classes are fun.

5.0
1.0
JAPN23
Oct 29, 2005

Yukisensei is an excellent and the best Japanese professor at Mt.SAC. She is nice and kind person. Her classes are fun and lively. She is strict but if you do what she tells you to study, you will get an A easly. I highly recommend her claases.

4.0
3.0
JAPANESE3
Grade: A
Dec 2, 2005

Yuki sensei is sweet, but she gives quizzes everyday you meet. The quizzes are english sentences which you have to translate into japanese. Work is required for sure and it's not easy to get an A. She runs out of time and therefore has to rush on her lectures, but i rated her as hot because she is challenging and helped me converse more.

3.0
2.0
JAP2
Apr 20, 2006

like said before, she gives quizzes every meeting. but for some reason, i found her quite confusing, a bit disorganized, and most of her lectures lacked detail. kinda had to do some self study to earn back some points. but..she gives krazy e.c.

4.0
4.0
JAPANESE1
May 31, 2006

Great teacher, gives lots of homework. If you do all the homework you will easily get an A in the class. Their is lots of chances for extra credit. Plus she has lots of tutors so use them. She is very busy so she can't help everyone but that is why she has tutors and tell you to use them. She has a quiz every class, don't be intimidated though.

4.0
3.0
JAP4
Jul 28, 2006

She is very friendly fun and active. Many students like her and they are friendly to her, too. Her lecture is a little fast... Since I had 4 different Jap professors, she has totally different standards of grading with the other. For example chapter test or grammar quiz were the most important in other classes, but kanzi tests in her class.

3.0
5.0
JAP3
Dec 7, 2006

She sucks.Spents all the time joking, talking nonsense/irrelavent, teach/or say read the txbk in the last 5 min , always finishes class late. quiz everyday before u know the concept well coz she dosent lecture much.hv kanji tests but no credit for writing kanji in normal quiz. dosent care about u if u r not her favourite student, tough grading, bad

5.0
1.0
JAPN003
Dec 16, 2006

Excellent teacher and I like her alot. she cares about her studetns and very fair to everyone. Just study what she tells you to do, then you get an A easilly. she is fun and knows the stuff well. I recommend her!!!

5.0
1.0
JAPN3
Dec 21, 2006

She is good. Her tests, quizzes and exams are hard, but itz the way that makes you learn. Plus she offers tons of extra credits. Students may get low grades on tests and exams, but on the other hand, extra credits are easy enough to help you get an A. If students failed in her class, they might not do extra credits.

5.0
1.0
JAPN1
Jan 9, 2007

Excellent sensei! I like her teaching style.She is fun and very helpful. Quizzes are easy. On the first day, she memorizes everyone's name and is very personable. Fun class. Take her!

5.0
1.0
JAPN1
Jan 10, 2007

Excellent sensei! I like her teaching style.She is fun and very helpful. Quizzes are easy. On the first day, she memorizes everyone's name and is very personable. Fun class. Take her!

5.0
1.0
JAPAN4
Mar 30, 2007

Yuki is a very good teacher. She is very personable and caring. She is busy but she takes time for us. I appreciate her teaching very much because her class is nice and fun.

5.0
1.0
JAPN3
Nov 4, 2007

Sensei is HOT. She is always Genki, lots of energy & fun. Very helpful teacher. Alot of extra points! if you do the extra work, you will get an easy A.

1.0
3.0
JAPN2
Apr 3, 2008

This professor is really confusing...I don't recommend her at all. She reads through the vocabulary QUICKLY in class once and expects you to remember all of them and gives quiz the next session. She also gives homeworks, but she only says it once and doesn't reinforce what she said. She's also strict about tardiness...-5 per tardy.

1.0
4.0
JPN1
Jun 4, 2008

Cant adapt to different learning styles. Very dictatived in teaching style. Very unorganized. If you have her, constantly check your grade because she inputs things in wrong a lot. Also, ignores you if you have lots of questions. Not a good learning environment. Wish she wasn't head of department.

5.0
2.0
JAPN1
Jun 13, 2008

Sensei yuki is an excellent educator. I learned alot from her class and I will keep studying Japanese. Sensei is very caring and helpful. Fun class, I recommentd it!

5.0
1.0
JAPN1
Jul 12, 2008

Great teacher.Sne is caring and helpful. Fun class & I learned alot of Japanese language and culture.I recomment her classes.

2.0
5.0
JAPN5
Jul 16, 2008

I don't recommend her. She is nice and very enthusiastic, but she is picky. It is hard to get an "A" unless you are a native speaker or something. There are two exams, but quizes are everyday.

5.0
1.0
JAPN1
Dec 15, 2008

Great Teacher! I just finished taking Sensei Yuki's J-1 class and it was the best class out of all the classes I ever took at Mt.SAC. She is very fun and kind. She goes out of her way to help her students. I already sign up for her J-2 class. I strongly recommend her class!

5.0
1.0
JAPN1
Jan 12, 2009

Great teacher!! Fun class.Caring & helpfil.Yuki sensei is always "GENKI=cheerful & happy" Sensei gives lots of extra points that is the biggest reason that I got an A easy. Take her and you will learn the language and you will not regret.

5.0
1.0
JAPN2
Jan 28, 2010

Hey, If you are looking for a great Japanese class, take Yuki's Sensei class. she is FUN and nice who has a good heart. You will learn the lanugage & culture. I guarantee you!!

1.0
3.0
JAPN3
Jan 29, 2010

I think all the good comments about Yuki were typed by herself. She is the worst Japanese teacher. There's so many other JAPN Professor around Mt. Sac. DO NOT TAKE HER if u have a choice.

3.0
3.0
JAPN3
Jan 30, 2010

She's the worst Japanese teacher I've ever had. She doesn't know how to teach. Her laugh is extremely noisy and hurts my ear.

5.0
1.0
JAPN1
Apr 13, 2010

I took her class last fall and did great! She is a great teacher and is very helpful. I dont know what the comments below me are talking about becuase she is great. They probably failed because they are ignorant. If you pay attention and participate you will do fine. She has a lot of experience and will do what she can to help you. GREAT teacher!

4.0
3.0
JAP2
Jun 3, 2010

Good teacher but she is not organized. I lost track of what she was saying so many times. Jumps back and forth with lessons a lot but you'll get used to it. Love her stories though. She's a very adorable japanese lady. I'm probably going to take her again for Jap 3!

5.0
3.0
JAPN1
Oct 26, 2010

She's really funny! Sensei McPhail is one of the best Japanese teachers I've ever had in my life. However, she is strict when it comes to cell phones ringing during class and expects you to do the work thoroughly. Her quizzes and exams are not difficult, but you still need to study hard to pass them.

5.0
3.0
JAP1
Nov 27, 2010

She is mean, but she knows what she is doing!!!! I never would have had the career in Japan if it wasn't for her class. She is a very strict teacher but if you pay attention, do the lessons and assignments she gives your Japanese will be untouchable. I was young when I first took her class, but I have learned so much from her.

1.0
3.0
JAPN2
Jan 10, 2011

She was so far the worst professor I have taken in Mt. Sac... She was lazy and expect you to do everything yourself... Take any other JAPN teacher but her!!!

4.0
3.0
JAP4
Jan 21, 2011

This teacher is fun but it is also very hard if u miss any class

5.0
1.0
JAPN1
Apr 26, 2011

Great teacher. Easy A if you study and do the homework. However she can talk very fast and can be difficult to understand sometimes. Luckily she gives an absurd amount of extra credit on a daily basis and the tests are a joke if you read the material. Excellent Japanese 1 teacher. Highly recommended.

1.0
2.0
JAPN2
Jun 20, 2011

She is the worst professor. Really hate her. I got an A but not because of how she teaches well. Any good comments on her must be post by her friend or students she loved. Play favorites among students. Feel kinda stupid as she always talk about her husband and how she likes younger guys. Avoid her if you can. You will hate JAPN after taking her.

5.0
2.0
JAPN5
Aug 1, 2011

Excellent educator. She is helpful, fair, warm, & most of all she is FUN.I took her advanced Japanese classes and I am going to Japan to learn more Japanese & teach English. Great thanks to her. Try her class and you will love the language and her.

3.0
2.0
JAPN5
Dec 6, 2011

Yuki sensei was a very good teacher in Japanese 3 and 4, but in Japanese 5 she suddenly develops impossibly high standards about how much you should know and be able to do, and she stops telling you half the assignments because she assumes you remember from previous semesters. Unfortunate end to my Japanese class experience at Mt SAC.

5.0
2.0
JPN1
Jan 5, 2012

I loved Yuki Sensei's class! She is a very good teacher and her class is slow paced, so she's especially good for people with no prior exposure to Japanese.Be sure to take advantage of all the extra credit she gives! She's also very easy to talk to, so don't hesitate to ask questions about anything having to do with Japanese or Japan.

2.0
3.0
JAP4
May 17, 2012

My goal is to learning Japanese so i can use it like my first language. however, after taking McPhail's Japanese 4, i didnt continue to take J5. McPhail is terrible at explaining grammar, all she did is asking the student taking terms to read the textbook in class. after taking J4, i feel my japanese lvl still stays at J3 lvl...her class is useless

5.0
1.0
JAPN1
Jul 31, 2012

McPhail Sensei is one of the best professors at Mt.SAC. She is Kind and helpful. Her class is always fun and lively. She teaches you what you need to learn. It is all up to you to study or not.

1.0
5.0
40327
Jul 19, 2013

hrdest teacher ever would never take her again

2.0
4.0
JAP2
Aug 15, 2013

basically had to teach myself everything in order to pass. She hates having to re-explain the material if a student doesn't understand and picks on students who have a hard time. handouts don't help either. Do not take her!

1.0
5.0
JAPANESE3
Oct 16, 2013

she is the most suck professor, you have to study hard to pass her each meeting test. dont take her class. do take her

1.0
4.0
JAP1
Oct 28, 2013

I lived in Japan for two years and speak the language fairly well. She is from a part of Japan with their own language and dialect far different from the rest of Japan. She does not have a grasp of the English language making understanding difficult. Please heed my wanring and take a different professor. Immature, vague, pretenious, scatterbrained.

3.0
3.0
JAPN1
Nov 19, 2013

She has this somewhat heavy Jap accent, she sometimes says some jap terms that you might have nvr heard of if u r new to this language Quizzes and tests everytime u go, offers decent amout of EX-CREDIT. Overall, have to study to pass, and have some knowledge to this language prior takin this class.

5.0
1.0
JAPN1
Dec 2, 2013

Great teachers! I am currently taking her class and she is very informative and helpful. Quizzes are straightforward and the homework is easy. She also offers a lot of extra credit. The class isn't very easy but it's definitely passable. I recommend taking her!!

5.0
1.0
JAPN3
Dec 5, 2013

Great teacher. Fun and energetic! Good sense of humor and very helpful with the concepts and homework. Ive taken her twice now and recommend her class.

1.0
5.0
41811
Grade: Drop/Withdrawal
Apr 3, 2014

DO NOT TAKE HER CLASS!! She does not take suggestions and does not love to answer questions. Once I asked something about my homework, it's about Japanese letters. And she started to be very picky on everything I write. Her English is hard to understand, and she expect you can learn everything by yourself.

1.0
5.0
JAP4
Grade: Drop/Withdrawal
Apr 19, 2014

Because of her, I lost interest in Japanese 1) She doesn't follow her schedule in the syllabus. different quizzes and assignments 2) She is poor at explaining Japanese grammar, did she study Japanese or linguistics in the university or graduate school? Other better teachers should teach higher level of Japanese classes. She is not professional.

2.0
5.0
JAPN2
May 14, 2014

She is picky and strict. She makes you confuse with the grammar which she does not spend much time on. She wastes your time to correct quiz and tests which have to be done at her home. If you want to get an A-->no absence, no late, do special project, small project, go to tutor, etc. It's really a hard work. I don't recommend her.

2.0
5.0
JAP2
May 30, 2014

Her grading is unreasonable, she often test things not in the textbook, she only say it once during class. I had a friend who came from japan and speak japanese fluently, but only got a C+ in her class. I tried my best in her class and did all extra credits, and only got a B in the end. Don't waste ur time and ruin ur interest in japanese.

1.0
5.0
JAP4
Grade: Not_Sure_Yet
Jun 12, 2014

Not interesting class at all. She is offensive to the students.

5.0
2.0
JAPN4
Grade: A
Aug 15, 2014

I found the course to be challenging but fulfilling. The professor is extremely knowledgeable, kind and funny. This is not an "easy A" class but you learn the language and culture. She is also very good at finding students that cheat. I think in some ways she is too kind to those she catches. Good class and would have her as a professor again.

1.0
3.0
JAPN4
Aug 19, 2014

I think she couldn't explain grammar well. I think another good professor can teach Japanese 4 better. Also, she was always mad at some students. I am sure her behavior discouraged them to study Japanese.

2.0
5.0
JAP1
Grade: Rather_Not_Say
Aug 26, 2014

Horrible teacher!DONT'T TAKE HER CLASS!This is the worst class.Lecture was boring,too much homework,difficult test.Just don't choose her!

4.0
3.0
JAP1
Sep 16, 2014

great teacher Fun class its a lot of work but definitely passable.

5.0
2.0
JAPN1
Sep 19, 2014

She really wants you to learn Japanese not just sit in class to pass. You get out of the class like any other class what you put into it. She has a real caring for the students and gives you opportunities for extra credit. Look forward to being in her class in the future.

2.0
4.0
JAPN3
Grade: Rather not say
Oct 8, 2014

Hardest japanese teacher I have ever taken. She wastes lots of time during the class. Native Japanese speakers can barely gets a good grade in her class. Do everything she wants you to do even she is wrong, you will get a better grade. She just wants to make sure in her class she is the boss.

5.0
3.0
JAPN1
Nov 18, 2014

great teacher, Tough class. She is very helpful and will help if you ask. But this is definitely a tough course. I recommend her!

4.0
2.0
JAPN3
Grade: B+
Dec 29, 2014

Prof Mcphail is a great teacher. You can tell she really cares about her students and will do whatever it takes to help them. The class is not easy but she is there to help.

1.0
5.0
J2
Grade: C-
Jan 11, 2015

One of the most horrible prof in mt sac. She doesn't really teach stuff. She only go over homework during class and read books. She expect you to study by yourself and know everything she talked about in class, even if it only mentioned once, it might be on the test, and you won't find it in the textbook. She just ruined my interest of Japanese.

3.0
4.0
41369
Jan 18, 2015

She gives homework every class session to train people discipline, especially for studying. She's funny and nice. Her class was the most fun class I have ever taken from last semester. I recommend this professor to take Japanese class.

3.0
4.0
JAPN3
Grade: A
Feb 24, 2015

She is not a easy Professor, too many quizs ,and they are not easy . Very picky on Kanji . Do the extra will help getting a good grade.

4.0
4.0
JAPN34
Grade: Not sure yet
Mar 31, 2015

Yuki sensei is a good teacher, her class is interesting. Her tests are not that easy, and she is very strict on kanji,but she makes me work for it. Because of her I practiced kanji a lot, I think my chinese writing have improved a lot lol.

3.0
4.0
JPN1
Grade: A
Jun 8, 2015

She tends to rush the class through. I took her JPN 1 class twice and can say if I hadn't taken it the 1st time I don't think I would have gotten the good grade I did the 2nd time. Unfortunately she doesn't write the HW on the board and she doesn' follow the syllabus so you really got to pay attention or you'll do the wrong pages. good luck.

Class Info

Attendance Mandatory

100%

Textbook Required

100%

Grade Predictor

Your expected effort level

LowHigh

Predicted Grade

B+

71% confidence
Based on 7 grades
Most common grades:
A (4)
Not_Sure_Yet (2)
Rather_Not_Say (2)
Grade Distribution
A(4)B(1)C(1)D(2)F(0)A-/B+(1)
Based on 16 reported grades
A: 4
Not_Sure_Yet: 2
Rather_Not_Say: 2
Drop/Withdrawal: 2
Rating Trend

Declining

-0.70 avg change
Nov
Dec
Jan
Feb
Mar
Jun
Last 6 months
Ratings by Course

JAPN345

5.0

(1)

J34

5.0

(1)

JAPN

5.0

(1)

JAPANESE34

5.0

(1)

JAPN12

5.0

(1)
+30 more courses
Difficulty by Course

40327

5.0

41811

5.0

JAPANESE

5.0

J2

5.0

41369

4.0

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