Professor
Susan Slyomovics
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Most Helpful Review
Fall 2022 - Very interesting content, but the professor is what ruined it for me. Over five different students in the class that I've talked to have complained about the teacher being extremely rude to them. I had this same experience. Lesson is : don't bother asking her for help. It's unfortunate because she seems like the nicest lady but really doesn't seem to care about her students' success. In terms of workload, there are 4 five page essays due every other week and then one 10 minute oral presentation. Not terrible, but the essays are pretty hard and the TA grades harshly without much feedback. Overall, I don't recommend taking this course.
Fall 2022 - Very interesting content, but the professor is what ruined it for me. Over five different students in the class that I've talked to have complained about the teacher being extremely rude to them. I had this same experience. Lesson is : don't bother asking her for help. It's unfortunate because she seems like the nicest lady but really doesn't seem to care about her students' success. In terms of workload, there are 4 five page essays due every other week and then one 10 minute oral presentation. Not terrible, but the essays are pretty hard and the TA grades harshly without much feedback. Overall, I don't recommend taking this course.
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Most Helpful Review
Winter 2023 - I mean this so sincerely: run away. This class was so unnecessarily the difficult. The TA (bless his heart) was helpful, kind, and understanding, but the professor left much to be desired. First, she sets unclear and unrealistic expectations. The first assignment was to analyze a photograph, but we were not allowed to choose a picture somebody else had already chosen-- and we weren't allowed to coordinate amongst ourselves and ensure we were all working on different pictures. A duplicate image was docked 10 points for an assignment worth 15. To not allow any kind of coordination between the students before they put in the time and work on an assignment that they may ultimately have to redo is ridiculous. Second, her guidelines are unclear, even to the TA. Like I said, no hate to the TA, he was great, but her feedback and answers on certain things would directly contradict his. So either she was not communicating how she should, or he was just as confused as us. Third, communicating with her outside of class feels like an impossible task. She will ignore parts of your emails and will forget that you have already covered something with her in an earlier email-- even if it is within the same thread. She also assumes that you have not read any part of the syllabus, attended any class, or have reviewed any assignment before reaching out to her. That being said, fourth, she is incredibly condescending. She has repeatedly mentioned to us in our /mandated office visit/ that we are not anthropologists and our ideas for our projects (which often fall in direct line with her lecture material) are unfounded. She expects the worst in you, and definitely makes that clear in how she communicates with you. Last, her take-home test clocked out at a minimum of 4000 words and took the class at least 8+ hours to finish, there are way too many readings required for each class, and the final project is daunting. There is not a whole lot that you are graded on, but what you are graded on is exhaustingly difficult. If none of these things matter to you, or you've had worse, then the class itself can definitely be interesting. It feels more like a history of photography class than a visual anthropology class, but there is something very cool about the former and you will for sure learn some new stuff. And if you have a project idea that prof loves, you'll enjoy the final project. But, if you can't stand being talked down to, being told one thing by the TA and another by the prof, or her constant contradicting herself, then I would opt for literally any other anthro class that will be more in line with anthropological perspective on, literally, anything.
Winter 2023 - I mean this so sincerely: run away. This class was so unnecessarily the difficult. The TA (bless his heart) was helpful, kind, and understanding, but the professor left much to be desired. First, she sets unclear and unrealistic expectations. The first assignment was to analyze a photograph, but we were not allowed to choose a picture somebody else had already chosen-- and we weren't allowed to coordinate amongst ourselves and ensure we were all working on different pictures. A duplicate image was docked 10 points for an assignment worth 15. To not allow any kind of coordination between the students before they put in the time and work on an assignment that they may ultimately have to redo is ridiculous. Second, her guidelines are unclear, even to the TA. Like I said, no hate to the TA, he was great, but her feedback and answers on certain things would directly contradict his. So either she was not communicating how she should, or he was just as confused as us. Third, communicating with her outside of class feels like an impossible task. She will ignore parts of your emails and will forget that you have already covered something with her in an earlier email-- even if it is within the same thread. She also assumes that you have not read any part of the syllabus, attended any class, or have reviewed any assignment before reaching out to her. That being said, fourth, she is incredibly condescending. She has repeatedly mentioned to us in our /mandated office visit/ that we are not anthropologists and our ideas for our projects (which often fall in direct line with her lecture material) are unfounded. She expects the worst in you, and definitely makes that clear in how she communicates with you. Last, her take-home test clocked out at a minimum of 4000 words and took the class at least 8+ hours to finish, there are way too many readings required for each class, and the final project is daunting. There is not a whole lot that you are graded on, but what you are graded on is exhaustingly difficult. If none of these things matter to you, or you've had worse, then the class itself can definitely be interesting. It feels more like a history of photography class than a visual anthropology class, but there is something very cool about the former and you will for sure learn some new stuff. And if you have a project idea that prof loves, you'll enjoy the final project. But, if you can't stand being talked down to, being told one thing by the TA and another by the prof, or her constant contradicting herself, then I would opt for literally any other anthro class that will be more in line with anthropological perspective on, literally, anything.
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Most Helpful Review
I loved her! I got an A- take her you will learn to respect the Muslim culture. This class was split b/w History 108C/ Anthro.../ Arabic..., I am a history major, and as 6/12 Bruin said, yes alot of DOABLE reading. I loved the T.A. he was not harsh to me I got an A- on mid/ B+ paper 5pgs/ A on the final, I saw him after the class was over and he happen to have the grade book so he was able to give me my grades. Ziad is super cool. Not to mention the midterm/ final- yes no study guide was given, but if you watched the assigned movies, read 2 of the books- half way- then you you can totally create an argument. The only pain for me was the movies are hard to get online and if you don't live on campus-like me, then you got to drive to the media lab to watch them. The midterm/ has a map 20 pts, know Maghrib area, capitals, mountains and berber speaking tribe. The essay part.if you watched the movies you can easily do the essays, and she gives you so many to choose from that your bound to know 3 of them, trust me, the only way you wouldnt is if you missed class, and you wont b/c attendance is taken and 10 percent of your grade.
I loved her! I got an A- take her you will learn to respect the Muslim culture. This class was split b/w History 108C/ Anthro.../ Arabic..., I am a history major, and as 6/12 Bruin said, yes alot of DOABLE reading. I loved the T.A. he was not harsh to me I got an A- on mid/ B+ paper 5pgs/ A on the final, I saw him after the class was over and he happen to have the grade book so he was able to give me my grades. Ziad is super cool. Not to mention the midterm/ final- yes no study guide was given, but if you watched the assigned movies, read 2 of the books- half way- then you you can totally create an argument. The only pain for me was the movies are hard to get online and if you don't live on campus-like me, then you got to drive to the media lab to watch them. The midterm/ has a map 20 pts, know Maghrib area, capitals, mountains and berber speaking tribe. The essay part.if you watched the movies you can easily do the essays, and she gives you so many to choose from that your bound to know 3 of them, trust me, the only way you wouldnt is if you missed class, and you wont b/c attendance is taken and 10 percent of your grade.
Most Helpful Review
Professor Slyomovics is very approachable and a good lecturer. She does not use powerpoints, but she writes most of the important points on the board and puts boxes around most of the important key terms. (Emphasis on MOST. Not all.) She does assign a LOT of reading, and combined with the assigned films it ended up being a lot of work... but the workload was nevertheless doable. The class consisted of a midterm, a paper, a final, and attendance. (The syllabus said participation, but you don't really need to participate. Just come to class every day on time and sign in. She does pass around a sign in sheet.) The paper was cake, I believe it was only 5 pages. As far as the midterm and the final go, we were given absolutely no instruction. She does not believe in study guides, so mainly what you have to go off of are the things she wrote on the board. She will also use concepts from the reading and the films. The grader was very harsh, at least on the midterm. There are specific points that we were supposed to hit on the essays which was difficult because the essay questions were so vague. I don't know whether this was per Slyomovics' instructions, or whether the grader happened to be very harsh. I ended up with an A-.
Professor Slyomovics is very approachable and a good lecturer. She does not use powerpoints, but she writes most of the important points on the board and puts boxes around most of the important key terms. (Emphasis on MOST. Not all.) She does assign a LOT of reading, and combined with the assigned films it ended up being a lot of work... but the workload was nevertheless doable. The class consisted of a midterm, a paper, a final, and attendance. (The syllabus said participation, but you don't really need to participate. Just come to class every day on time and sign in. She does pass around a sign in sheet.) The paper was cake, I believe it was only 5 pages. As far as the midterm and the final go, we were given absolutely no instruction. She does not believe in study guides, so mainly what you have to go off of are the things she wrote on the board. She will also use concepts from the reading and the films. The grader was very harsh, at least on the midterm. There are specific points that we were supposed to hit on the essays which was difficult because the essay questions were so vague. I don't know whether this was per Slyomovics' instructions, or whether the grader happened to be very harsh. I ended up with an A-.
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