James Holstun

Professor in the English department

at University at Buffalo (SUNY Buffalo), Buffalo, NY

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Percentage excludes ratings added prior to 05/25/16.

Overall Quality

3.5

Would Take Again

67%

Level of Difficulty

4.1

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See how other students describe this professor.

Get ready to read (7) Tough grader (6) Gives good feedback (6) Skip class? You won't pass. (3) So many papers (2) Inspirational (2) Amazing lectures (1) Participation matters (1) Caring (1)

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48 Student Ratings

Rating: All All Ratings Good Average Poor	Class All Classes ENG301 ENG383 ENG352 ENG315 ENGXXX ENG UGC211 SHAKESPEARE PROLETARIANLIT MULTIPLE MILTON HONORSSEM GRADSEMINAR GRADSCHOOL ENGSECT ENGMULT ENGLISH ENGGRAD ENG580 ENG342 ENG330 ENG300 ENG222 END301 383	Comment
05/09/2018 awesome 5.0 Overall Quality 4.0 Level of Difficulty	ENG301 For Credit: Yes Attendance: Mandatory Textbook Used: Yes Would Take Again: Yes Grade Received: A	GET READY TO READ TOUGH GRADER GIVES GOOD FEEDBACK I took his class years ago; he made us work hard, but he loved the material and was fully engaged with his students. I was better student and writer for having taken his class. It's funny to read the "participation trophy generation's" comments on a professor who expects them to earn a grade. 2 people found this useful 3 people did not find this useful report this rating
08/02/2017 awesome 5.0 Overall Quality 4.0 Level of Difficulty	ENG580 For Credit: Yes Attendance: Mandatory Textbook Used: Yes Would Take Again: Yes Grade Received: A	SKIP CLASS? YOU WON'T PASS. INSPIRATIONAL GET READY TO READ Jim is one of the best professors I've ever had. People who complain about him aren't doing their work. If you want an easy gen. ed. don't take his class. 6 people found this useful 6 people did not find this useful report this rating
03/18/2017 poor 2.0 Overall Quality 4.0 Level of Difficulty	ENG199 For Credit: Yes Attendance: Mandatory Textbook Used: Yes Would Take Again: No Grade Received: N/A	TOUGH GRADER GET READY TO READ GIVES GOOD FEEDBACK If you are ready to write and work more , then you are fine otherwise it's tough. 1 person found this useful 0 people did not find this useful report this rating
03/18/2017 poor 2.0 Overall Quality 4.0 Level of Difficulty	ENG199 For Credit: Yes Attendance: Mandatory Textbook Used: Yes Would Take Again: No Grade Received: N/A	GIVES GOOD FEEDBACK GET READY TO READ TOUGH GRADER Take his class if you are ready to work hard. 0 people found this useful 0 people did not find this useful report this rating
02/20/2017 awesome 5.0 Overall Quality 5.0 Level of Difficulty	ENG301 For Credit: Yes Attendance: N/A Textbook Used: Yes Would Take Again: Yes Grade Received: B+	TOUGH GRADER AMAZING LECTURES GIVES GOOD FEEDBACK Professor Holstun is not easy. He will challenge you. You will read. You will write. You will be smarter for it. I am the laziest person I know, and God knows, I don't always want to work so hard, but I didn't go to school to stay stupid. If you want an easy class where the professor isn't reading what your write anyway, this isn't the class. 6 people found this useful 1 person did not find this useful report this rating
Check out similar Professors in the English Department Compare with Similar Professors Mitts, Adam 5.00 Ramia, Amanda 5.00 Coulter, Andi 5.00
05/27/2016 awesome 5.0 Overall Quality 3.0 Level of Difficulty	ENG352 For Credit: Yes Attendance: Not Mandatory Textbook Used: Yes Would Take Again: Yes Grade Received: N/A	Prof. Holstun is one of the most energetic faculty in the English department. He holds a fairly high standard to student work, but he measures up to that standard himself. He's one of the most generous professors I have had. 2 people found this useful 2 people did not find this useful report this rating

05/25/2016 average 2.5 Overall Quality 4.0 Level of Difficulty	UGC211 For Credit: Yes Attendance: Mandatory Textbook Used: Yes Would Take Again: N/A Grade Received: B+	TOUGH GRADER GET READY TO READ SO MANY PAPERS This class had an excessive amount of work for a general education course. This guy truly must believe that his class matters more than those that actually count towards your major. Also, he will blatantly tell you that you are wrong and is constantly interrupting students, as well as making rude/offensive remarks. Stay away if you can. 4 people found this useful 5 people did not find this useful report this rating
03/05/2016 poor 1.5 Overall Quality 4.0 Level of Difficulty	UGC211 For Credit: Yes Attendance: Mandatory Textbook Used: Yes Would Take Again: N/A Grade Received: N/A	TOUGH GRADER SO MANY PAPERS GET READY TO READ Do yourself a favor- don't take this class. He comes off as thinking he is above anyone who has a differing opinion than him, and will be sure to take it out on your grade. You could have to different people hand him two of the same papers and he would grade them differently. He also assigns long papers and gives an extremely short amount of time. 4 people found this useful 3 people did not find this useful report this rating

12/24/2015 average 3.0 Overall Quality 3.0 Level of Difficulty	UGC211 For Credit: Yes Attendance: Mandatory Textbook Used: Yes Would Take Again: N/A Grade Received: N/A	GET READY TO READ PARTICIPATION MATTERS GIVES GOOD FEEDBACK He has a lot of interesting things to say, however your grade is solely based on the two papers you are required to write. Every class you are expected to read between 45-100 pages from the required novels. Be prepared for in class discussions and lots of writing. He is friendly, and is willing to help you if you need it. 1 person found this useful 0 people did not find this useful report this rating
05/06/2015 awesome 4.5 Overall Quality 4.0 Level of Difficulty	ENG352 For Credit: Yes Attendance: Mandatory Textbook Used: Yes Would Take Again: N/A Grade Received: A	Incredibly Intelligent, and always willing to help. He will however make you work for it. He can be critical, but states in this syllabus he WILL be critical, and would like for nothing more than for you to prove him wrong, and inspires you and tries to give you the tools to do so. Those looking for an "easy A" aren't worth this man's time. 3 people found this useful 8 people did not find this useful report this rating
Check out similar Professors in the English Department Compare with Similar Professors Mitts, Adam 5.00 Ramia, Amanda 5.00 Coulter, Andi 5.00
02/07/2015 awesome 4.5 Overall Quality 4.0 Level of Difficulty	GRADSEMINAR For Credit: Yes Attendance: Mandatory Textbook Used: Yes Would Take Again: N/A Grade Received: N/A	INSPIRATIONAL SKIP CLASS? YOU WON'T PASS. GIVES GOOD FEEDBACK not for the grade inflation generation or the lazy college students, or the mediocre. 2 people found this useful 8 people did not find this useful report this rating
01/18/2015 awesome 4.5 Overall Quality 4.0 Level of Difficulty	ENG383 For Credit: Yes Attendance: Not Mandatory Textbook Used: Yes Would Take Again: Yes Grade Received: B	CARING SKIP CLASS? YOU WON'T PASS. Pros: Reasonable course load, very nice, always offering office hours to help students out. Cons: not recommended for freshmansophomores. He expects your papers to be fine-tuned, and critiques tiny mistakes. He also teaches as if you have a standing background in the cultural aspect of the works you read. 0 people found this useful 0 people did not find this useful report this rating
10/20/2014 awful 1.0 Overall Quality 5.0 Level of Difficulty	GRADSCHOOL For Credit: Yes Attendance: N/A Textbook Used: Yes Would Take Again: N/A Grade Received: N/A	Holds people to standards he doesn't hold to himself. Very vindictive, smug, and nasty. Unhelpfully critical. Easily one of the meanest professors at UB. 8 people found this useful 4 people did not find this useful report this rating

05/17/2013 average 3.0 Overall Quality 3.0 Level of Difficulty	UGC211 For Credit: N/A Attendance: N/A Textbook Used: No Would Take Again: N/A Grade Received: N/A	He is a okay teacher. He wants everyone to follow his ways of thinking. 0 people found this useful 0 people did not find this useful report this rating
12/26/2012 awesome 4.5 Overall Quality 3.0 Level of Difficulty	ENG301 For Credit: N/A Attendance: N/A Textbook Used: Yes Would Take Again: N/A Grade Received: N/A	A marvelous professor!!! He will teach you a lot! You will work very hard in the class, but it will all pay off. You will learn a lot and Dr. Holstun is an excellent professor. He explains very well, and he is immensely helpful. Great mentor, I learned a lot about E.A. Poe, literary criticism and various research methods. TAKE HIM! HE IS EXCELLENT! 5 people found this useful 0 people did not find this useful report this rating
Check out similar Professors in the English Department Compare with Similar Professors Mitts, Adam 5.00 Ramia, Amanda 5.00 Coulter, Andi 5.00
04/23/2012 awesome 5.0 Overall Quality 3.0 Level of Difficulty	ENG383 For Credit: N/A Attendance: N/A Textbook Used: No Would Take Again: N/A Grade Received: N/A	An intelligent, witty, and practical teacher who quite clearly thinks the world of his students. Take a class with him early in your English student career - you won't be sorry. 0 people found this useful 0 people did not find this useful report this rating
04/10/2012 awesome 5.0 Overall Quality 3.0 Level of Difficulty	END301 For Credit: N/A Attendance: N/A Textbook Used: Yes Would Take Again: N/A Grade Received: N/A	HE. IS. AWESOME. Best mentor and the best best English professor at UB. i'm taking my second class with him now and if you have any aspiration of being a good english major student, you should take his class. it might be a bit of work, but it made me a better literature student! 1 person found this useful 2 people did not find this useful report this rating
03/19/2011 poor 1.5 Overall Quality 3.0 Level of Difficulty	ENG301 For Credit: N/A Attendance: N/A Textbook Used: No Would Take Again: N/A Grade Received: N/A	Left Wing to the point of being a Stalinist. Would send you to Siberia if he thought it would please Stalin. That said, he's probably never met a real member of the working class, and, if he did, he's just mock him. 10 people found this useful 4 people did not find this useful report this rating

04/23/2010 awesome 4.5 Overall Quality 5.0 Level of Difficulty	ENG301 For Credit: N/A Attendance: N/A Textbook Used: Yes Would Take Again: N/A Grade Received: N/A	Professor Holstun's class was probably my favorite of all time- as a professor, he is accomodating, accesible, and he holds his students in a high regard. While the reading is demanding, the discussions made it worthwhile. He's become one of my favorite professors at UB, hands down. 1 person found this useful 0 people did not find this useful report this rating
04/07/2010 poor 1.5 Overall Quality 3.0 Level of Difficulty	ENGGRAD For Credit: N/A Attendance: N/A Textbook Used: Yes Would Take Again: N/A Grade Received: N/A	I think enough people have said that Holstun is narrow-minded and excessively, unconstructively critical. My only addition is that he's tactless and intellectually lazy. He can be funny sometimes, though. 9 people found this useful 4 people did not find this useful report this rating
Check out similar Professors in the English Department Compare with Similar Professors Mitts, Adam 5.00 Ramia, Amanda 5.00 Coulter, Andi 5.00

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James Holstun

at University at Buffalo (SUNY Buffalo), Buffalo, NY

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