Quarter Taken:
Fall 2020
Submitted Jan. 6, 2021
Grade Received:
A-
When I first signed up for this class, I was excited to have a class that put together history and English because I thought it would be more interesting than other Writing II options, but it wasn't like I thought it would be. I couldn't really enjoy lectures because I knew the information would be important for my papers, and I couldn't just write the papers because I needed to gather useful info from lectures first. This isn't a specific knock against the professor, just something I wish I had realized before I started the class.
They say you don't need prior knowledge, but as someone fairly familiar with the Bible even I struggled to follow the intricate details stressed by the instructors. This class is definitely easier for students who have prior Biblical knowledge (and I felt very bad for those who didn't).
I understand your TA's will be a constant determining factor throughout college, but my TA only offered 15 minute Office Hours, so there was no way for me to go over my papers (or even homework assignments) in depth because he didn't offer more time. This, of course, was very discouraging because your TA is the one grading your papers and when you can't meet with them or understand what they want from you, it makes it extremely hard to know how to improve. I will say, though, that my TA's comments did overall help me on my revised paper even if I couldn't go over it in person.
I felt like the grading was fair, but my main issue was not being given the opportunity to see what an A level paper looks like. We would occasionally see snippets of a "good" thesis or paragraph, but it was a struggle to write a "good" paper when both the TA and Prof never gave you more specific guidance on what "good" looks like.
On a positive note, the final and midterm were very straightforward and the professor did a great job of giving us clear study guides that related directly to the exams we took. He really tried to adapt to online learning, and I am sure the in-person exams would have been harder than the assignments/exams we took (which was much appreciated).
And a neutral note, there is a looooot of homework and assigned reading. I didn't end up reading most of the companion book because for me it was a lower priority than writing the essays and homework, but like any Writing II class there are a LOT of writing assignments.
Overall, it is not an easy class and if you want to improve you really need to find someone outside your class instructors who can help give you feedback on your essays. Prof Smoak is a nice professor, but I struggled to understand what my TA expected from my writing- for those who will take the class, try to understand what your TA expects because it will help you earn the grade you want. I wish the instructors had been more open about showing us what an A paper looks like, but the feedback and grading were (in my opinion) fair. I am grateful for the curve he gave us, but the class was harder and less enjoyable than I thought it would be.
(To anyone who wants to take it, though, I say go for it! Just be prepared for the workload and the extra effort you have to put in to understand what the instructors want from your writing. But don't be scared to take the class, just be prepared when you start it)