Russian

The class is very reading heavy, and there are small discussions you have to contribute to before each class, but other than that, it is a very enjoyable class to take. The professor is very kind, very accommodating, and her grading style is very fair (even the midterms, though intimidating, are graded very fairly, and there are quizzes each class you only need to get 3/5 to pass). The readings can get a little overwhelming, but I feel that most have a decent amount of time allotted to the analyzing of them. Good discussions. Would recommend to anyone interested in Russian literature.

The class is very reading heavy, and there are small discussions you have to contribute to before each class, but other than that, it is a very enjoyable class to take. The professor is very kind, very accommodating, and her grading style is very fair (even the midterms, though intimidating, are graded very fairly, and there are quiz …Read more

Sasha Portice is a wonderful teacher and works hard to make the discussions captivating and accessible to all. I found myself looking forward to her classes (when I had completed the readings and felt that I had a good understanding of what was going on) because they were fun, lighthearted, and were often quite thought-provoking. Just know, however, that there is a lot of reading for this course. At its peak, we were reading well over 150+ pages per class and finishing long novels (which we had to write about) in very short periods. If you are a fast reader, which I am not, you will be fine. Overall, it is a worthwhile course.

Sasha Portice is a wonderful teacher and works hard to make the discussions captivating and accessible to all. I found myself looking forward to her classes (when I had completed the readings and felt that I had a good understanding of what was going on) because they were fun, lighthearted, and were often quite thought-provoking. Jus …Read more

Starting out, there was an insane amount of reading and films for homework but Professor Walker was extremely accommodating and quickly decreased the volume when he found out it was too much. He's friendly, fair, cares about his students being engaged in the subject, and his excitement for the topics help make the class interesting. He's very passionate and informed but can sometimes go off on tangents or cover seemingly irrelevant information. I think this class is great if you're interested in Putin and Russian Culture but imagine it would seem disorganized and boring if you weren't. There is quite a decent amount of readings and Russian movies (with subtitles) you have to watch but I found that it remained consistent and you could get into a rhythm with completing the work. There are take home quizzes and paper assignments with essay questions. He is an easy/fair grader and while I haven't gone to office hours, I imagine he would be excited to continue discussing content outside of class.

Starting out, there was an insane amount of reading and films for homework but Professor Walker was extremely accommodating and quickly decreased the volume when he found out it was too much. He's friendly, fair, cares about his students being engaged in the subject, and his excitement for the topics help make the class interesting. …Read more