JOUR150 | PlanetTerp

Information	Review
Edward Alwood JOUR150 Expecting an A Anonymous 12/12/2024	Easy class, but lectures are long and not super engaging, textbook is necessary because everything in lecture is straight from the textbook. Required attendance, no electronics is kind of a pain especially with how long the lectures are.
Mengyuan Chen JOUR150 Expecting an A Anonymous 12/08/2024	A very understanding and caring professor. Take her course and you won't regret it.
Edward Alwood JOUR150 Expecting an A- Anonymous 12/06/2024	Professor Alwood's commitment to his classroom and teaching made for an enjoyable experience for all involved. He effectively tied in real-world issues to our learning material, often incorporating recent news stories into his curriculum. The topics we learned were not only thought-provoking, but extremely useful in an age where trust in media has wavered over the recent years. He treated everyone in the classroom with respect, and I believe all students who showed up on a weekly basis gained valuable insight as to the current media landscape of the world. Although I am a business student, I found that many of the topics he covered directly correlated to the corporate atmosphere of the media world. I genuinely enjoyed going to his class twice a week, and Professor Alwood seemed to share the same eagerness to teach. Not only is he a great teacher, but he is a great man, and his teaching reflects that.
Edward Alwood JOUR150 Expecting an A Anonymous 11/20/2024	I love Prof Alwood! While his classes are lecture heavy, he makes them entertaining by tying in a lot of his own experience with his career in media. I always enjoyed going to his class, he brings his dog in every day too! He's a very sweet and funny guy, and he genuinely cares about each of his students. The only grades in the class however are the 3 exams, so you need to do well on them to get a good grade so showing up to class is important (he also takes attendance). I highly recommend Prof Alwood for this class.
Ho Chun Wong JOUR150 Expecting an A Anonymous 05/17/2024	For a 100 level course, this class demands a lot of effort in the weekly assignments. Assignments come in three forms: discussion posts, which typically have you watch a documentary and do some readings, tests, which require a lockdown browser, and essay-style blog posts. The discussion and website posts are graded very thoroughly, and while Wong gives very specific feedback in a timely manner, sometimes to the point of nitpicking, it can be difficult to obtain full points. This definitely is not an easy A, so if that's what you're looking for in a gen ed, take another class. Using AI is very much not recommended, as Wong is again, very thorough in reading posts. The textbook is not necessary as all the quiz answers can be found online, and the supplementary readings can be skimmed. The videos can't be avoided. but most of the time dedicated the course is in its writing. There is a final group project where group members will need to conduct an interview with someone in the journalism industry and write an essay. The project is painful given the asynchronous nature of the class, and planning for it should be done months in advance. Wong is very inflexible and has no late policy. Overall, if you put the work in, you can get the grade you want in this class, but I would not recommend this professor.
Edward Alwood JOUR150 Expecting an A- Anonymous 05/09/2024	Prof Alwood is a super sweet old guy. He even brings his senior dog to class sometimes. He gives out detailed lectures and then posts the slides after, but you need to go to class because he shows videos in-class that you can’t view if you don’t go in, plus he takes attendance. His class consists of 3 exams and they aren’t too bad.
Ho Chun Wong JOUR150 Expecting an A Anonymous 05/05/2024	Dont get me wrong this class is extremely easy but this professor is so harsh for no reason. The work is mostly busy work and its very simple but he grades so harshly for no reason. If you misspell a word he will take like 5 points off just for that one mistake. I am sure he is a nice guy but he is very harsh when grading. We also have a group project and all of my groupmates say the exact same thing. He will also accuse you of using chat GPT even when you don't so I would say if you do take him, try not to use it or you will get caught. Pretty easy class though I would recommend this class but not this professor
Ho Chun Wong JOUR150 Expecting a B- Anonymous 05/01/2024	Well this class is def a lot of work for a gen ed. No midterms or finals but ig to fix that we have 7 tests thru the semester. Group project and just hope you get good partners, if not just email him and be honest. HARSH grader so please follow rubric. At the moment I have a 82 so definitely will pass with a B-. Hard to get under a B but make sure you use Wix for websites as it’s much easier. Spend 2 hours a week on the assignments and test! Tests are timed and on a lockdown browser.
Ho Chun Wong JOUR150 Expecting an A- Anonymous 04/21/2024	I find it weird why discussion posts are unable to be modified or deleted, it’s incredibly inconvenient. He’s a decent enough professor but this elective I really did expect was gonna be chill. But it’s really not. Blogs and discussion posts are graded so meticulously.
Denitsa Yotova JOUR150 Expecting a B+ Anonymous 04/18/2024	Workload for the class is very heavy I spent usually 6-8 hours a week just viewing the readings/movies, not including the time I spent doing assignments/tests. Tests are closed book and closed notes despite the fact that the questions are extremely specific and random! She grades extremely harshly, even when instructions are vague. Her expectations are ridiculous for a 100-level GenEd. She is quick to respond to emails, but her tone is usually condescending. Most of your grade is based on a group project paper with 5-6 people, which is impossible to do in an online, asynchronous class. Not at all an easy class. If you do poorly on one test, despite the fact that there are 5+, it's impossible to bring up your grade.
Ho Chun Wong JOUR150 Expecting an A- Anonymous 04/15/2024	Buying this textbook (7th edition specifically) is absolutely necessary. Trust me, you’ll give yourself a hard time with discussion posts and tests if you’re not even reading the right chapter of the textbook from earlier editions. Blogs are graded very tediously in this course and so are discussion posts. Not my easiest gen-ed by a long shot. Discussion posts are also graded very meticulously and you cannot edit or delete your post once it’s already out there. I’m going to be honest, the grading of this course really did feel like a 300-400 level but I’m not going to complain too much because the Professor is decent enough—like a 3.5 or 4 out of 5. Like the other commenter said, do not use AI or ChatGPT by any means…as plagiarizing/not citing/using AI appears to be a huge no no with Professor Wong but also more recently of 2024 with any course. So don’t cheat please. In any way. You do not want to take a trip down to the OSC especially if it’s a major assignment. Even the slightest suspicion of AI usage will land you in that office. They’re really cracking students down. But as I said, I cannot wait to get this course out of the way. I’m honestly shocked the grading of this class and the assignments are so tough.
Ho Chun Wong JOUR150 Expecting a B+ Anonymous 03/21/2024	A kind professor, but this class really is a lot of work. Keep in mind do not use AI when taking any of his classes as he stresses that he is very perceptive in viewing suspicious words that sound AI generated. The tests are closed book, and he offers extensions if you have dire circumstances. But be warned, there is quite a lot of reading and answering the prompt correctly is absolutely required. Blog posts also are time consuming and I did not exactly enjoy building a website and creating new pages.
Sara Browning JOUR150 Expecting an A+ Anonymous 03/12/2024	This is a really easy class. The class is pretty boring and the lectures are kind of pointless as you have to read the textbook to answer the homework questions but the quizzes are really easy and the final project is also very easy.
Sara Browning JOUR150 Expecting an A sundriedtomato 12/19/2023	Easyyyy class, no midterm or final exam (final paper instead). Homework is easy, the essays got tad annoying but they're only two pages, and she well prepares you for quizzes. Also responds to emails pretty quick. The graded assignments consist of... 1) reporting on a current event each class (literally about anything you find interesting, music, celebrity drama, inventions, global issues) but its brief I usually just prepare a few bullet points, and you won't have this assignment on a quiz day or day an essay is due. also this is a part of your discussion points. 2) discussion questions on each chapter assigned from the textbook. these are only graded for completion because they're the same questions on the quizzes, and she posts the lecture slides so you can use them to help answer. I used to read some of the chapters because they were interesting, but it's definitely skimmable. 3) three chapter quizzes, usually covering information from 4 chapters in the textbook. on review day we play a fun game where the class is divided into two teams and basically just answer review questions (the same questions on the test), no prize but good review. 4) five media journals-- these are just two page essays about a specific media (ie: newspapers, music, social media). they're easy to knock out in a few hours if you don't mind writing, and they don't really require much, if any, research, since usually they are related to you in some way. on the day the essay is due, people volunteer to read their paper for discussion points (I never volunteered but still got an A for discussion points). 5) the final paper-- 8-10 pages about a specific converged media. I felt like I was kind of rambling and the paper could have been shorter with the given topic, but you can start early if you want because she posts it and introduces it early-mid-semester.
Edward Alwood JOUR150 Expecting an A- Anonymous 12/15/2023	Prof. Alwood genuinely wants the best for all of his students, and clearly has the experience to be teaching this class. He definitely is a little old school (ex. no electronics), and his lectures were not always the most engaging. Additionally, there are only 3 tests that are worth 90% of your grade so you really have to make sure you are attending class and paying attention. But he is a super nice guy and the content isn't super hard to remember. I would recommend if you need a gen-ed
Edward Alwood JOUR150 Expecting an A+ Anonymous 12/11/2023	This class is very well taught and the Professor knows what he's talking about. He's picky about attendance, but only because handfuls of people never show up and expect to do well. If you attend regularly and pay attention in class, this can be a free A just by studying for the three tests (which make up your whole grade in the class aside from participation). Take this if you need an easy gen ed
Denitsa Yotova JOUR150 Expecting an A Anonymous 11/09/2023	she is such a hard grader and seems to have some passive agressiveness. I would not recommend at all. the final project is just overkill as well especially since its a group project. she takes off points for the most outrageous things.
Wei-Ping Li JOUR150 Expecting an A+ Anonymous 05/02/2023	This class is so chill. There are weekly quizzes but she gives you the prompt questions beforehand and you can find most of the answers online too. Besides the quizzes, there's no work except for a reflection at the end of each week. You just write down 3 things you learned and it's due Sunday so plenty of time. There are 4 responses across the semester which are like mini-essays and then there's a final project. You can choose to work in a group or on your own. Great class if you're loaded with others and need a class to do work during lol. Overall really easy and if you're into journalism this is great. Definitely recommend!!
Denitsa Yotova JOUR150 Expecting a B+ Anonymous 03/13/2023	Incredibly unhelpful when reached out to, as she would often not respond. A very strict grader. The course material and assignments were generally interesting, but this class was ruined for me by the vague directions and lack of communication. I am glad that I took it online and was able to get my three credits, but the only thing I gained was more experience in web design, but I wish I just did that on my own time rather than waste my money on JOUR150. Maybe with a different instructor it would be different, but I do not recommend this combination.
Wei-Ping Li JOUR150 Expecting an A+ Anonymous 02/27/2023	SWEETEST PERSON EVER!! This class is so fun and is my favorite class this semester!! Dr.Li is so kind and sweet, and the class is so interesting and chill!
Edward Alwood JOUR150 Expecting an A+ Anonymous 12/17/2022	Prof. Alwood is extremely kind and teaches the course very well. His lectures are engaging and he provides great perspective from his time as a former reporter. The workload for this course is extremely minimal, there is a "required" textbook but everything you need to know for the tests will be covered in class. I never read the textbook and still had an easy time. He is strict in his rule against using phones in the classroom, but the lectures are interesting enough to give your full attention to. I would absolutely recommend him and this course to anyone looking for an easy gen ed!
Md Haque JOUR150 Expecting an A+ Anonymous 12/16/2022	This is an extremely easy A, if you need a GenEd. He is a very easy grader, but the class is extremely boring and so is he. He just lectures the whole time off of the slides. There is a group presentation, individual presentation, final project, media journals, and quizzes; that's it. Quizzes are also very easy and based off the lecture slides. TBH there is no reason to really go to class because the slides are posted online and he does not take attendance. Also, there are no assignments that you need the lecture slides for except the quizzes.
Edward Alwood JOUR150 Expecting an A Anonymous 12/13/2022	Professor Alwood is fantastic! This semester, he did however only have the class be based on 89% exams, 10% participation, and 1% syllabus quiz. It was stressful only having these things to go off of, so unless he changes the structure, this is what you might expect! Not sure if it was just some experimental way to run the class or how he wants to continue it, but I just wanted to let that be known. He is very knowledgeable in this subject matter, and his lectures are usually engaging and relevant. Just be sure to take good notes and attend every session, as in my experience, lectures are not recorded. You will also need to get a textbook for this class, but the reading isn't too dense, so just a nice skim would do. Overall, I had a good experience in this class and would recommend Prof. Alwood! He very much cares about the class and what he does and it shows.
Edward Alwood JOUR150 Expecting a B Anonymous 12/10/2022	Very nice and understanding professor, 3 exams total and those are the only grades so if you don't do that great you can't really bring it up
Edward Alwood JOUR150 Expecting an A Anonymous 12/09/2022	Really sweet guy and an overall pretty interesting class. There are 3 exams that make up 89% of your grade and the rest is participation (coming to class). Exams are fair and you get a study guide for each exam and if you put the terms in a quizlet and get those down you should be able to get an A. It kind of sucked that such a large part of your grade are exams but it is nice not having to worry about this class (besides showing up) other then exam weeks.
Denitsa Yotova JOUR150 Anonymous 12/01/2022	so unhelpful in emails and assignments take hours to complete. also way too strict of a grader for no reason. i wrote 2 pages for an assignment and answered all of the questions and still got so many points taken off that drastically dropped my grade
Edward Alwood JOUR150 Expecting an A- Anonymous 05/03/2022	I love him and this class but I wish we had more things to bring our grade up because I got a B on one test and now I might not be able to get an A unless I do really well on the final.
Wei-Ping Li JOUR150 Expecting an A Anonymous 01/18/2022	Professor Li, was the best teacher. She is very understanding and cares for her students. You can tell she is very knowledgable about the topic. The class was not hard as long as you show up and read the textbook. Each week there would be a 5 question quiz and then she would lecture. I would highly recommend this class even if you are not a journalism major.
Wei-Ping Li JOUR150 Expecting an A+ Anonymous 12/23/2021	I cannot describe how amazing professor Li and the class is. She is very knowledgeable in her topic, plus there is no midterm/final and no tests at all. Her assignments for points that she does give are all straightforward and easy to get full credit on if you put in the work. She gives weekly open note/open-book reading quizzes based on the textbook readings, however, she gives you the prompts beforehand so you know exactly what kinds of questions to expect. She also has weekly 5 point reflections due every Wednesday. However, these aren't busywork, and they take a combined 15 minutes to complete, so you can be getting 10 easy points every week. She is also extremally nice, and understanding. I had to miss class three times this semester on excused absences and she took time out of her day (3 times) to meet with me on zoom to go over everything we did in class. If I was going to be late on some work, she would grant reasonable extensions upon request. I am not a journalism major, so I can personally tell you that this is perfect for anyone interested in some aspect of journalism, history, social media, or anyone who just wants to get a gen ed credit out of the way. Just make sure that you participate a little in class, and you will be fine. I highly recommend this class!
Edward Alwood JOUR150 Expecting an A+ Anonymous 12/20/2021	This is the boy. Super funny and nice. A professor you definitely want to have. Not only is he great but 150 is a piece of cake.
Wei-Ping Li JOUR150 Expecting an A Anonymous 12/14/2021	Amazing professor! She cares about her students very much and is extremely knowledgeable in the field of journalism. I would highly recommend taking this class with Wei-Ping. Even if you are not a journalism major, this is a great course to take because you will gain lots of interesting real-world knowledge.
Edward Alwood JOUR150 Expecting an A+ terpster955 11/05/2021	He is the best teacher ever. Very nice guy, very easy class, and very interesting lectures. The essays are easy as shit and the exams are a breeze if you study a little bit the day before. Overall great class
Denitsa Yotova JOUR150 Expecting an A Anonymous 05/19/2021	Completely online class with no zoom meetings or anything like that. Can't really attest to her teaching but the workload is slightly heavy and gets annoying at times. A discussion/ blog assignment or quiz is usually assigned per week. Group project due at the end of the semester. Its an easy A or B class and please dont pay for the book. I never read it once. Just use google.
Edward Alwood JOUR150 Expecting an A Anonymous 04/29/2021	Very sweet and fun! He tried his best to make lectures interesting. His papers were not difficult or time consuming. The exams were fair and easy. I would VERY MUCH recommend this for an interesting class and easy gen ed!
Sohana Nasrin JOUR150 Anonymous 12/09/2020	Super super nice and understandable. She was consistently checking in on her students to make sure we were doing okay. The course load was light and the material is interesting.
Edward Alwood JOUR150 Expecting an A Anonymous 12/05/2020	very sweet professor - lectures were recorded, but he showed them during a live zoom meeting to stay interactive with students; grades are basically determined off of a couple tests and 3 2-page essays, which honestly are pretty easy; if you put even a bit of effort in this class you will pass with a good grade since everyone else barely puts any effort in
Edward Alwood JOUR150 Expecting an A- Anonymous 05/20/2020	he is a very knowledgable and caring professor. the essays are easy, but you will need to memorize a lot for the exams. overall a great choice for an easy gen-ed
Edward Alwood JOUR150 Expecting an A Anonymous 05/08/2020	If you have the chance to take this professor, do it. He is the most caring, sweet, and understanding man you will ever meet. The workload in this class is extremely minimal, with only 4 essays (that are only a page each), and 3 mid-term exams. The only thing is you have to do somewhat well on those because thats your only grade besides attendance. I wish I could take this class again, I learned so much from him.
Denitsa Yotova JOUR150 Expecting an A Anonymous 12/20/2019	JOUR150 was an online class for me. Yotova graded assignments promptly and fairly, gave good and constructive feedback, and responded to student messages super quickly. Was a good gen-ed class. However, there is a pretty standardized and heavy workload!
Ronald Yaros JOUR150 Expecting an A- Anonymous 05/05/2015	AWESOME CLASS. I know nothing about Journalism and am horrible with technology so it was a very challenging class in my opinion. This being said, Professor Yaros is always willing to help. He wants you to do well and he is very quick at responding to e-mails. He is an incredible professor. Highly recommended
Ronald Yaros JOUR150 Expecting an A Anonymous 04/24/2013	Best class I've taken at Maryland. You get graded on blogging, using Twitter, and shooting video on an iPod which is provided for the course (or you can use your iPhone). No tests, just writing, so if you like to write this class is great. You learn a lot about modern journalism. Take this class and get an easy A.
Ronald Yaros JOUR150 Expecting an A- Anonymous 01/30/2013	I loved class with Yaros, the whole class is general is very much based on technology so be prepared for that! I loved using twitter, blogspot, my phone and laptop specifically for the class. Final project seems like it will be a pain but he grades fairly as long as you do whatever it asks. He lets students borrow macbooks and itouchs to do assignments. Fun time!
Ronald Yaros JOUR150 Expecting an A Anonymous 12/01/2011	Professor Yaros is amazing. He is very knowledgeable in this subject. He really has a passion for what he teaches. He seems to care much more about his students actually learning things opposed to "grades." He grades leniently and fairly. I definitely recommend this class.

Edward Alwood
JOUR150

Expecting an A
Anonymous
12/12/2024

Easy class, but lectures are long and not super engaging, textbook is necessary because everything in lecture is straight from the textbook. Required attendance, no electronics is kind of a pain especially with how long the lectures are.

Mengyuan Chen
JOUR150

Expecting an A
Anonymous
12/08/2024

A very understanding and caring professor. Take her course and you won't regret it.

Edward Alwood
JOUR150

Expecting an A-
Anonymous
12/06/2024

Professor Alwood's commitment to his classroom and teaching made for an enjoyable experience for all involved. He effectively tied in real-world issues to our learning material, often incorporating recent news stories into his curriculum. The topics we learned were not only thought-provoking, but extremely useful in an age where trust in media has wavered over the recent years. He treated everyone in the classroom with respect, and I believe all students who showed up on a weekly basis gained valuable insight as to the current media landscape of the world. Although I am a business student, I found that many of the topics he covered directly correlated to the corporate atmosphere of the media world. I genuinely enjoyed going to his class twice a week, and Professor Alwood seemed to share the same eagerness to teach. Not only is he a great teacher, but he is a great man, and his teaching reflects that.

Edward Alwood
JOUR150

Expecting an A
Anonymous
11/20/2024

I love Prof Alwood! While his classes are lecture heavy, he makes them entertaining by tying in a lot of his own experience with his career in media. I always enjoyed going to his class, he brings his dog in every day too! He's a very sweet and funny guy, and he genuinely cares about each of his students. The only grades in the class however are the 3 exams, so you need to do well on them to get a good grade so showing up to class is important (he also takes attendance). I highly recommend Prof Alwood for this class.

Ho Chun Wong
JOUR150

Expecting an A
Anonymous
05/17/2024

For a 100 level course, this class demands a lot of effort in the weekly assignments. Assignments come in three forms: discussion posts, which typically have you watch a documentary and do some readings, tests, which require a lockdown browser, and essay-style blog posts. The discussion and website posts are graded very thoroughly, and while Wong gives very specific feedback in a timely manner, sometimes to the point of nitpicking, it can be difficult to obtain full points. This definitely is not an easy A, so if that's what you're looking for in a gen ed, take another class. Using AI is very much not recommended, as Wong is again, very thorough in reading posts. The textbook is not necessary as all the quiz answers can be found online, and the supplementary readings can be skimmed. The videos can't be avoided. but most of the time dedicated the course is in its writing. There is a final group project where group members will need to conduct an interview with someone in the journalism industry and write an essay. The project is painful given the asynchronous nature of the class, and planning for it should be done months in advance. Wong is very inflexible and has no late policy. Overall, if you put the work in, you can get the grade you want in this class, but I would not recommend this professor.

Edward Alwood
JOUR150

Expecting an A-
Anonymous
05/09/2024

Prof Alwood is a super sweet old guy. He even brings his senior dog to class sometimes. He gives out detailed lectures and then posts the slides after, but you need to go to class because he shows videos in-class that you can’t view if you don’t go in, plus he takes attendance. His class consists of 3 exams and they aren’t too bad.

Ho Chun Wong
JOUR150

Expecting an A
Anonymous
05/05/2024

Dont get me wrong this class is extremely easy but this professor is so harsh for no reason. The work is mostly busy work and its very simple but he grades so harshly for no reason. If you misspell a word he will take like 5 points off just for that one mistake. I am sure he is a nice guy but he is very harsh when grading. We also have a group project and all of my groupmates say the exact same thing. He will also accuse you of using chat GPT even when you don't so I would say if you do take him, try not to use it or you will get caught. Pretty easy class though I would recommend this class but not this professor

Ho Chun Wong
JOUR150

Expecting a B-
Anonymous
05/01/2024

Well this class is def a lot of work for a gen ed. No midterms or finals but ig to fix that we have 7 tests thru the semester. Group project and just hope you get good partners, if not just email him and be honest. HARSH grader so please follow rubric. At the moment I have a 82 so definitely will pass with a B-. Hard to get under a B but make sure you use Wix for websites as it’s much easier. Spend 2 hours a week on the assignments and test! Tests are timed and on a lockdown browser.

Ho Chun Wong
JOUR150

Expecting an A-
Anonymous
04/21/2024

I find it weird why discussion posts are unable to be modified or deleted, it’s incredibly inconvenient. He’s a decent enough professor but this elective I really did expect was gonna be chill. But it’s really not. Blogs and discussion posts are graded so meticulously.

Denitsa Yotova
JOUR150

Expecting a B+
Anonymous
04/18/2024

Workload for the class is very heavy I spent usually 6-8 hours a week just viewing the readings/movies, not including the time I spent doing assignments/tests. Tests are closed book and closed notes despite the fact that the questions are extremely specific and random! She grades extremely harshly, even when instructions are vague. Her expectations are ridiculous for a 100-level GenEd. She is quick to respond to emails, but her tone is usually condescending. Most of your grade is based on a group project paper with 5-6 people, which is impossible to do in an online, asynchronous class. Not at all an easy class. If you do poorly on one test, despite the fact that there are 5+, it's impossible to bring up your grade.

Ho Chun Wong
JOUR150

Expecting an A-
Anonymous
04/15/2024

Buying this textbook (7th edition specifically) is absolutely necessary. Trust me, you’ll give yourself a hard time with discussion posts and tests if you’re not even reading the right chapter of the textbook from earlier editions. Blogs are graded very tediously in this course and so are discussion posts. Not my easiest gen-ed by a long shot. Discussion posts are also graded very meticulously and you cannot edit or delete your post once it’s already out there. I’m going to be honest, the grading of this course really did feel like a 300-400 level but I’m not going to complain too much because the Professor is decent enough—like a 3.5 or 4 out of 5. Like the other commenter said, do not use AI or ChatGPT by any means…as plagiarizing/not citing/using AI appears to be a huge no no with Professor Wong but also more recently of 2024 with any course. So don’t cheat please. In any way. You do not want to take a trip down to the OSC especially if it’s a major assignment. Even the slightest suspicion of AI usage will land you in that office. They’re really cracking students down. But as I said, I cannot wait to get this course out of the way. I’m honestly shocked the grading of this class and the assignments are so tough.

Ho Chun Wong
JOUR150

Expecting a B+
Anonymous
03/21/2024

A kind professor, but this class really is a lot of work. Keep in mind do not use AI when taking any of his classes as he stresses that he is very perceptive in viewing suspicious words that sound AI generated. The tests are closed book, and he offers extensions if you have dire circumstances. But be warned, there is quite a lot of reading and answering the prompt correctly is absolutely required. Blog posts also are time consuming and I did not exactly enjoy building a website and creating new pages.

Sara Browning
JOUR150

Expecting an A+
Anonymous
03/12/2024

This is a really easy class. The class is pretty boring and the lectures are kind of pointless as you have to read the textbook to answer the homework questions but the quizzes are really easy and the final project is also very easy.

Sara Browning
JOUR150

Expecting an A
sundriedtomato
12/19/2023

Easyyyy class, no midterm or final exam (final paper instead). Homework is easy, the essays got tad annoying but they're only two pages, and she well prepares you for quizzes. Also responds to emails pretty quick. The graded assignments consist of... 1) reporting on a current event each class (literally about anything you find interesting, music, celebrity drama, inventions, global issues) but its brief I usually just prepare a few bullet points, and you won't have this assignment on a quiz day or day an essay is due. also this is a part of your discussion points. 2) discussion questions on each chapter assigned from the textbook. these are only graded for completion because they're the same questions on the quizzes, and she posts the lecture slides so you can use them to help answer. I used to read some of the chapters because they were interesting, but it's definitely skimmable. 3) three chapter quizzes, usually covering information from 4 chapters in the textbook. on review day we play a fun game where the class is divided into two teams and basically just answer review questions (the same questions on the test), no prize but good review. 4) five media journals-- these are just two page essays about a specific media (ie: newspapers, music, social media). they're easy to knock out in a few hours if you don't mind writing, and they don't really require much, if any, research, since usually they are related to you in some way. on the day the essay is due, people volunteer to read their paper for discussion points (I never volunteered but still got an A for discussion points). 5) the final paper-- 8-10 pages about a specific converged media. I felt like I was kind of rambling and the paper could have been shorter with the given topic, but you can start early if you want because she posts it and introduces it early-mid-semester.

Edward Alwood
JOUR150

Expecting an A-
Anonymous
12/15/2023

Prof. Alwood genuinely wants the best for all of his students, and clearly has the experience to be teaching this class. He definitely is a little old school (ex. no electronics), and his lectures were not always the most engaging. Additionally, there are only 3 tests that are worth 90% of your grade so you really have to make sure you are attending class and paying attention. But he is a super nice guy and the content isn't super hard to remember. I would recommend if you need a gen-ed

Edward Alwood
JOUR150

Expecting an A+
Anonymous
12/11/2023

This class is very well taught and the Professor knows what he's talking about. He's picky about attendance, but only because handfuls of people never show up and expect to do well. If you attend regularly and pay attention in class, this can be a free A just by studying for the three tests (which make up your whole grade in the class aside from participation). Take this if you need an easy gen ed

Denitsa Yotova
JOUR150

Expecting an A
Anonymous
11/09/2023

she is such a hard grader and seems to have some passive agressiveness. I would not recommend at all. the final project is just overkill as well especially since its a group project. she takes off points for the most outrageous things.

Wei-Ping Li
JOUR150

Expecting an A+
Anonymous
05/02/2023

This class is so chill. There are weekly quizzes but she gives you the prompt questions beforehand and you can find most of the answers online too. Besides the quizzes, there's no work except for a reflection at the end of each week. You just write down 3 things you learned and it's due Sunday so plenty of time. There are 4 responses across the semester which are like mini-essays and then there's a final project. You can choose to work in a group or on your own. Great class if you're loaded with others and need a class to do work during lol. Overall really easy and if you're into journalism this is great. Definitely recommend!!

Denitsa Yotova
JOUR150

Expecting a B+
Anonymous
03/13/2023

Incredibly unhelpful when reached out to, as she would often not respond. A very strict grader. The course material and assignments were generally interesting, but this class was ruined for me by the vague directions and lack of communication. I am glad that I took it online and was able to get my three credits, but the only thing I gained was more experience in web design, but I wish I just did that on my own time rather than waste my money on JOUR150. Maybe with a different instructor it would be different, but I do not recommend this combination.

Wei-Ping Li
JOUR150

Expecting an A+
Anonymous
02/27/2023

SWEETEST PERSON EVER!! This class is so fun and is my favorite class this semester!! Dr.Li is so kind and sweet, and the class is so interesting and chill!

Edward Alwood
JOUR150

Expecting an A+
Anonymous
12/17/2022

Prof. Alwood is extremely kind and teaches the course very well. His lectures are engaging and he provides great perspective from his time as a former reporter. The workload for this course is extremely minimal, there is a "required" textbook but everything you need to know for the tests will be covered in class. I never read the textbook and still had an easy time. He is strict in his rule against using phones in the classroom, but the lectures are interesting enough to give your full attention to. I would absolutely recommend him and this course to anyone looking for an easy gen ed!

Md Haque
JOUR150

Expecting an A+
Anonymous
12/16/2022

This is an extremely easy A, if you need a GenEd. He is a very easy grader, but the class is extremely boring and so is he. He just lectures the whole time off of the slides. There is a group presentation, individual presentation, final project, media journals, and quizzes; that's it. Quizzes are also very easy and based off the lecture slides. TBH there is no reason to really go to class because the slides are posted online and he does not take attendance. Also, there are no assignments that you need the lecture slides for except the quizzes.

Edward Alwood
JOUR150

Expecting an A
Anonymous
12/13/2022

Professor Alwood is fantastic! This semester, he did however only have the class be based on 89% exams, 10% participation, and 1% syllabus quiz. It was stressful only having these things to go off of, so unless he changes the structure, this is what you might expect! Not sure if it was just some experimental way to run the class or how he wants to continue it, but I just wanted to let that be known. He is very knowledgeable in this subject matter, and his lectures are usually engaging and relevant. Just be sure to take good notes and attend every session, as in my experience, lectures are not recorded. You will also need to get a textbook for this class, but the reading isn't too dense, so just a nice skim would do. Overall, I had a good experience in this class and would recommend Prof. Alwood! He very much cares about the class and what he does and it shows.

Edward Alwood
JOUR150

Expecting a B
Anonymous
12/10/2022

Very nice and understanding professor, 3 exams total and those are the only grades so if you don't do that great you can't really bring it up

Edward Alwood
JOUR150

Expecting an A
Anonymous
12/09/2022

Really sweet guy and an overall pretty interesting class. There are 3 exams that make up 89% of your grade and the rest is participation (coming to class). Exams are fair and you get a study guide for each exam and if you put the terms in a quizlet and get those down you should be able to get an A. It kind of sucked that such a large part of your grade are exams but it is nice not having to worry about this class (besides showing up) other then exam weeks.

Denitsa Yotova
JOUR150

Anonymous
12/01/2022

so unhelpful in emails and assignments take hours to complete. also way too strict of a grader for no reason. i wrote 2 pages for an assignment and answered all of the questions and still got so many points taken off that drastically dropped my grade

Edward Alwood
JOUR150

Expecting an A-
Anonymous
05/03/2022

I love him and this class but I wish we had more things to bring our grade up because I got a B on one test and now I might not be able to get an A unless I do really well on the final.

Wei-Ping Li
JOUR150

Expecting an A
Anonymous
01/18/2022

Professor Li, was the best teacher. She is very understanding and cares for her students. You can tell she is very knowledgable about the topic. The class was not hard as long as you show up and read the textbook. Each week there would be a 5 question quiz and then she would lecture. I would highly recommend this class even if you are not a journalism major.

Wei-Ping Li
JOUR150

Expecting an A+
Anonymous
12/23/2021

I cannot describe how amazing professor Li and the class is. She is very knowledgeable in her topic, plus there is no midterm/final and no tests at all. Her assignments for points that she does give are all straightforward and easy to get full credit on if you put in the work. She gives weekly open note/open-book reading quizzes based on the textbook readings, however, she gives you the prompts beforehand so you know exactly what kinds of questions to expect. She also has weekly 5 point reflections due every Wednesday. However, these aren't busywork, and they take a combined 15 minutes to complete, so you can be getting 10 easy points every week. She is also extremally nice, and understanding. I had to miss class three times this semester on excused absences and she took time out of her day (3 times) to meet with me on zoom to go over everything we did in class. If I was going to be late on some work, she would grant reasonable extensions upon request. I am not a journalism major, so I can personally tell you that this is perfect for anyone interested in some aspect of journalism, history, social media, or anyone who just wants to get a gen ed credit out of the way. Just make sure that you participate a little in class, and you will be fine. I highly recommend this class!

Edward Alwood
JOUR150

Expecting an A+
Anonymous
12/20/2021

This is the boy. Super funny and nice. A professor you definitely want to have. Not only is he great but 150 is a piece of cake.

Wei-Ping Li
JOUR150

Expecting an A
Anonymous
12/14/2021

Amazing professor! She cares about her students very much and is extremely knowledgeable in the field of journalism. I would highly recommend taking this class with Wei-Ping. Even if you are not a journalism major, this is a great course to take because you will gain lots of interesting real-world knowledge.

Edward Alwood
JOUR150

Expecting an A+
terpster955
11/05/2021

He is the best teacher ever. Very nice guy, very easy class, and very interesting lectures. The essays are easy as shit and the exams are a breeze if you study a little bit the day before. Overall great class

Denitsa Yotova
JOUR150

Expecting an A
Anonymous
05/19/2021

Completely online class with no zoom meetings or anything like that. Can't really attest to her teaching but the workload is slightly heavy and gets annoying at times. A discussion/ blog assignment or quiz is usually assigned per week. Group project due at the end of the semester. Its an easy A or B class and please dont pay for the book. I never read it once. Just use google.

Edward Alwood
JOUR150

Expecting an A
Anonymous
04/29/2021

Very sweet and fun! He tried his best to make lectures interesting. His papers were not difficult or time consuming. The exams were fair and easy. I would VERY MUCH recommend this for an interesting class and easy gen ed!

Sohana Nasrin
JOUR150

Anonymous
12/09/2020

Super super nice and understandable. She was consistently checking in on her students to make sure we were doing okay. The course load was light and the material is interesting.

Edward Alwood
JOUR150

Expecting an A
Anonymous
12/05/2020

very sweet professor - lectures were recorded, but he showed them during a live zoom meeting to stay interactive with students; grades are basically determined off of a couple tests and 3 2-page essays, which honestly are pretty easy; if you put even a bit of effort in this class you will pass with a good grade since everyone else barely puts any effort in

Edward Alwood
JOUR150

Expecting an A-
Anonymous
05/20/2020

he is a very knowledgable and caring professor. the essays are easy, but you will need to memorize a lot for the exams. overall a great choice for an easy gen-ed

Edward Alwood
JOUR150

Expecting an A
Anonymous
05/08/2020

If you have the chance to take this professor, do it. He is the most caring, sweet, and understanding man you will ever meet. The workload in this class is extremely minimal, with only 4 essays (that are only a page each), and 3 mid-term exams. The only thing is you have to do somewhat well on those because thats your only grade besides attendance. I wish I could take this class again, I learned so much from him.

Denitsa Yotova
JOUR150

Expecting an A
Anonymous
12/20/2019

JOUR150 was an online class for me. Yotova graded assignments promptly and fairly, gave good and constructive feedback, and responded to student messages super quickly. Was a good gen-ed class. However, there is a pretty standardized and heavy workload!

Ronald Yaros
JOUR150

Expecting an A-
Anonymous
05/05/2015

AWESOME CLASS. I know nothing about Journalism and am horrible with technology so it was a very challenging class in my opinion. This being said, Professor Yaros is always willing to help. He wants you to do well and he is very quick at responding to e-mails. He is an incredible professor. Highly recommended

Ronald Yaros
JOUR150

Expecting an A
Anonymous
04/24/2013

Best class I've taken at Maryland. You get graded on blogging, using Twitter, and shooting video on an iPod which is provided for the course (or you can use your iPhone). No tests, just writing, so if you like to write this class is great. You learn a lot about modern journalism. Take this class and get an easy A.

Ronald Yaros
JOUR150

Expecting an A-
Anonymous
01/30/2013

I loved class with Yaros, the whole class is general is very much based on technology so be prepared for that! I loved using twitter, blogspot, my phone and laptop specifically for the class. Final project seems like it will be a pain but he grades fairly as long as you do whatever it asks. He lets students borrow macbooks and itouchs to do assignments. Fun time!

Ronald Yaros
JOUR150

Expecting an A
Anonymous
12/01/2011

Professor Yaros is amazing. He is very knowledgeable in this subject. He really has a passion for what he teaches. He seems to care much more about his students actually learning things opposed to "grades." He grades leniently and fairly. I definitely recommend this class.

Reviews for JOUR150