JOUR200 | PlanetTerp

Information	Review
Christoph Mergerson JOUR200 Expecting an A Anonymous 11/12/2024	Professor Mergerson is super friendly, nice, and keeps all of us Merrill students at such a high expectation. He gives so many extra credit opportunities that force you to get involved and be “students of the game”. He works hard to give you meaningful connections with significant journalists that visit and tries to get some as guest speakers in class (for example we had Jay Kernis). He grades a little harsh but that’s because he tries to make sure you are the best journalist you can be and everything is accurate before the harder classes. Overall, I really recommend him and make a meaningful connection with him!
Carole Lee JOUR200 Expecting an A Anonymous 07/29/2024	I loved Professor Lee! She was so understanding and is lenient on extensions as long as you tell her beforehand why you need one. She's an extremely sweet lady and I hope to have her again!
Ira Chinoy JOUR200 Expecting an A Anonymous 05/19/2024	Apparently he's leaving, just wanted to write a retroactive review for posterity. He's a super nice guy who's knowledgable about journalism and takes the craft seriously. And that, you have to respect.
Christoph Mergerson JOUR200 Expecting an A+ Anonymous 05/08/2024	I'm surprised that this professor doesn't have more reviews because he's absolutely awesome, and everyone in my J200 class loves him. He's a bit corny at times but he's very conversational in his lessons and really tries to keep you engaged. He also tries quite hard to foster connections with each of his students, so try to speak up in this class because he will take notice and will help you so much throughout your time at Merrill--ex: he offered to write me a letter of recommendation this morning without me even asking. Because he's such an engaging professor, he makes his lessons quite interesting, every once in a while he'll host trivia days where you can win extra credit points. He offers extra credit throughout the course as well. In terms of assignments, it's pretty light and he will provide extremely helpful feedback. We had a couple of quizzes, a midterm essay, a final 1000-word research paper, and a media participation project (which involves getting published by an on-campus news org)---all of which he gave plenty of time to do. I absolutely recommend taking this class as Mergerson is a great connection to have at Merrill!!
Christoph Mergerson JOUR200 Expecting an A Anonymous 12/12/2023	Great professor! Professor Mergerson is great with assisting students and making sure that they understand the content prior to large papers being due. He's also very accommodating with extensions so long as you're not always on him about one. Awesome class!
Robin Sundaramoorthy JOUR200 Expecting an A+ Anonymous 12/12/2023	One of the nicest professors I've had so far at UMD. Cares about her students learning but also understands we have other commitments. Always provides an extension on assignments within reason. Keeps class very interactive and enjoyable. Highly recommend.
Ira Chinoy JOUR200 Expecting an A Anonymous 12/09/2023	Although this is his final year teaching, if you have an opportunity to have him as a professor, take it. He is very lenient with due dates and is one of the kindest men I have ever met in my life. Makes the class itself very interesting.
Robin Sundaramoorthy JOUR200 Expecting an A lrfrank7 12/08/2023	Professor Sundaramoorthy is an excellent professor and a kind and genuine soul. She connected with us and was always available to talk after class. She is lenient with deadlines as long as you communicate with her, and she wasn't a harsh grader in general. Initially going into this class, I worried I wouldn't like the content. However, because she was so passionate about the subject, she made lectures engaging and interesting. I was typically focused and wouldn't get bored easily, except for a couple of times we had a guest speaker.
Ira Chinoy JOUR200 Expecting an A- Anonymous 12/07/2023	Only positives from Professor Chinoy. While the JOUR200 class may seem like a lot, Professor Chinoy goes out of his way to explain the curriculum and gives fantastic, caring feedback. He is a genuinely amazing person and is definitely someone to keep in contact over the years.
Robin Sundaramoorthy JOUR200 Expecting an A+ Anonymous 12/07/2023	I absolutely loved Ms. Sundararmoorthy. She is a very kind professor and listens to her students. She is also very knowledgeable and I would highly recommend taking her class.
Carolina Siqueira Paranhos Velloso JOUR200 Expecting an A+ naonic 09/18/2023	She's really nice and a clear lecturer. There's a few very short papers and one long one, but they're not hard to get an A on. She's a really good choice if you need to take a class she teaches.
Bobbie Foster JOUR200 Expecting an A Anonymous 05/23/2023	best professor ever for this class. so understanding especially for those scared freshman. she deserves the world she made me feel so safe and gave good feedback
Carole Lee JOUR200 Expecting an A Anonymous 03/15/2023	Super nice lady. If you follow the guidelines, write well, and turn in your assignments, you will get a good grade. A good variety of assignments: news quizzes, a project, research paper, discussion posts etc. Sometimes lectures can be a bit boring and have lots of detailed information at once.
Merrilee Cox JOUR200 Expecting an A Anonymous 01/24/2023	Amazing professor! Professor Cox knows her stuff and is always understanding when it comes to deadlines and is very responsive with emails and if you need help in the class or an extension on any assignment and even just general journalism advice, professor Cox is always willing to listen. I have her for 201 this semester and I have full faith that she will continue to be an outstanding professor and amazing example of excellence at UMD’s J school
Bobbie Foster JOUR200 Expecting an A+ Anonymous 12/09/2021	The easiest grader you will ever have. So flexible with deadlines. Lectures onlys go for about 30-45 minutes and discussions only go for about 30 minutes. You don’t learn a lot in this class, but it is the easiest A I have ever gotten.
Ira Chinoy JOUR200 Expecting an A+ Anonymous 10/26/2021	I had Chinoy last fall. Best professor I ever had. Kind, caring, and makes the material interesting, even though it's inherently boring. Cried when I learned he wouldn't be teaching anything this year. We miss you, Mr. Chinoy!!!!
Carole Lee JOUR200 Expecting an A+ Anonymous 01/16/2021	Professor Lee is incredible. She tries her best to engage with students and make class interesting with the virtual formate. She's also super understanding with students and not a harsh grader.
Ira Chinoy JOUR200 Expecting an A Anonymous 12/02/2020	I love Mr.Chinoy, he has been such an amazing teacher, especially through the coronavirus pandemic he makes sure that we know he is always there for us and puts his students first. He genuinely makes the class so interesting and is one of the nicest professors.
Ira Chinoy JOUR200 Anonymous 11/19/2020	Professor Chinoy is the best professor I have ever had. He genuinely cares that you succeed and is always checking in. He's super understanding and is a passionate and intelligent teacher who wants to create opportunities for you to grow and learn.
Merrilee Cox JOUR200 Expecting an A+ Anonymous 05/29/2020	One of my favorite professors! She is so nice and very helpful. She is straight to the point when it comes to the assignments and her expectations and she wants you to do well. She is very knowledgeable about journalism and always willing to help if you need it.
Carole Lee JOUR200 Expecting an A Anonymous 12/03/2019	I really liked this professor. She worked in the field for a long time and can teach the material well. If you follow the guidelines and write well she'll give you a good grade. Nice lady too
Krishnan Vasudevan JOUR200 Expecting an A Anonymous 12/16/2018	Professor V is definitely one of the best professors I've had. He explains everything and answers all questions to the best of his ability. Unlike most professors, he is genuinely interested in how his students are doing and makes sure every once in a while that his students are feeling good about everything that's going on. He is extremely helpful in terms of providing feedback on any assignment he gives and honestly wants to see his students succeed and improve. His exams are fairly doable and not at all confusing or challenging -- if you go over all his slides and pay attention in class, you will get through this class in a breeze.
Ira Chinoy JOUR200 Expecting an A- Anonymous 03/25/2018	best professor i have ever had. genuinely wants his students to do well and stays in touch with them after the semester ends. he is so passionate about journalism and his students and will do everything he can to help them in class and in the real world. he is kind, smart and accomplished and has engaging lectures and class assignments.
Carl Stepp JOUR200 Expecting a B+ Anonymous 11/19/2013	Stepp is a baller. Cool dude. Cool accent. Class was meh. But take Stepp!
Carl Stepp JOUR200 SaoMagnifico 04/15/2009	Really nice guy, very affable and pleasant. If you know how to proofread or are lucky enough to have a friend who aspires to copy-editing for the Wall Street Journal, the papers aren't a big deal, and he never tests on anything unreasonable. A surprisingly interesting class and certainly a great step up (no pun intended) from the waste of time known as Deborah Nelson's JOUR100.

Christoph Mergerson
JOUR200

Expecting an A
Anonymous
11/12/2024

Professor Mergerson is super friendly, nice, and keeps all of us Merrill students at such a high expectation. He gives so many extra credit opportunities that force you to get involved and be “students of the game”. He works hard to give you meaningful connections with significant journalists that visit and tries to get some as guest speakers in class (for example we had Jay Kernis). He grades a little harsh but that’s because he tries to make sure you are the best journalist you can be and everything is accurate before the harder classes. Overall, I really recommend him and make a meaningful connection with him!

Carole Lee
JOUR200

Expecting an A
Anonymous
07/29/2024

I loved Professor Lee! She was so understanding and is lenient on extensions as long as you tell her beforehand why you need one. She's an extremely sweet lady and I hope to have her again!

Ira Chinoy
JOUR200

Expecting an A
Anonymous
05/19/2024

Apparently he's leaving, just wanted to write a retroactive review for posterity. He's a super nice guy who's knowledgable about journalism and takes the craft seriously. And that, you have to respect.

Christoph Mergerson
JOUR200

Expecting an A+
Anonymous
05/08/2024

I'm surprised that this professor doesn't have more reviews because he's absolutely awesome, and everyone in my J200 class loves him. He's a bit corny at times but he's very conversational in his lessons and really tries to keep you engaged. He also tries quite hard to foster connections with each of his students, so try to speak up in this class because he will take notice and will help you so much throughout your time at Merrill--ex: he offered to write me a letter of recommendation this morning without me even asking. Because he's such an engaging professor, he makes his lessons quite interesting, every once in a while he'll host trivia days where you can win extra credit points. He offers extra credit throughout the course as well. In terms of assignments, it's pretty light and he will provide extremely helpful feedback. We had a couple of quizzes, a midterm essay, a final 1000-word research paper, and a media participation project (which involves getting published by an on-campus news org)---all of which he gave plenty of time to do. I absolutely recommend taking this class as Mergerson is a great connection to have at Merrill!!

Christoph Mergerson
JOUR200

Expecting an A
Anonymous
12/12/2023

Great professor! Professor Mergerson is great with assisting students and making sure that they understand the content prior to large papers being due. He's also very accommodating with extensions so long as you're not always on him about one. Awesome class!

Robin Sundaramoorthy
JOUR200

Expecting an A+
Anonymous
12/12/2023

One of the nicest professors I've had so far at UMD. Cares about her students learning but also understands we have other commitments. Always provides an extension on assignments within reason. Keeps class very interactive and enjoyable. Highly recommend.

Ira Chinoy
JOUR200

Expecting an A
Anonymous
12/09/2023

Although this is his final year teaching, if you have an opportunity to have him as a professor, take it. He is very lenient with due dates and is one of the kindest men I have ever met in my life. Makes the class itself very interesting.

Robin Sundaramoorthy
JOUR200

Expecting an A
lrfrank7
12/08/2023

Professor Sundaramoorthy is an excellent professor and a kind and genuine soul. She connected with us and was always available to talk after class. She is lenient with deadlines as long as you communicate with her, and she wasn't a harsh grader in general. Initially going into this class, I worried I wouldn't like the content. However, because she was so passionate about the subject, she made lectures engaging and interesting. I was typically focused and wouldn't get bored easily, except for a couple of times we had a guest speaker.

Ira Chinoy
JOUR200

Expecting an A-
Anonymous
12/07/2023

Only positives from Professor Chinoy. While the JOUR200 class may seem like a lot, Professor Chinoy goes out of his way to explain the curriculum and gives fantastic, caring feedback. He is a genuinely amazing person and is definitely someone to keep in contact over the years.

Robin Sundaramoorthy
JOUR200

Expecting an A+
Anonymous
12/07/2023

I absolutely loved Ms. Sundararmoorthy. She is a very kind professor and listens to her students. She is also very knowledgeable and I would highly recommend taking her class.

Carolina Siqueira Paranhos Velloso
JOUR200

Expecting an A+
naonic
09/18/2023

She's really nice and a clear lecturer. There's a few very short papers and one long one, but they're not hard to get an A on. She's a really good choice if you need to take a class she teaches.

Bobbie Foster
JOUR200

Expecting an A
Anonymous
05/23/2023

best professor ever for this class. so understanding especially for those scared freshman. she deserves the world she made me feel so safe and gave good feedback

Carole Lee
JOUR200

Expecting an A
Anonymous
03/15/2023

Super nice lady. If you follow the guidelines, write well, and turn in your assignments, you will get a good grade. A good variety of assignments: news quizzes, a project, research paper, discussion posts etc. Sometimes lectures can be a bit boring and have lots of detailed information at once.

Merrilee Cox
JOUR200

Expecting an A
Anonymous
01/24/2023

Amazing professor! Professor Cox knows her stuff and is always understanding when it comes to deadlines and is very responsive with emails and if you need help in the class or an extension on any assignment and even just general journalism advice, professor Cox is always willing to listen. I have her for 201 this semester and I have full faith that she will continue to be an outstanding professor and amazing example of excellence at UMD’s J school

Bobbie Foster
JOUR200

Expecting an A+
Anonymous
12/09/2021

The easiest grader you will ever have. So flexible with deadlines. Lectures onlys go for about 30-45 minutes and discussions only go for about 30 minutes. You don’t learn a lot in this class, but it is the easiest A I have ever gotten.

Ira Chinoy
JOUR200

Expecting an A+
Anonymous
10/26/2021

I had Chinoy last fall. Best professor I ever had. Kind, caring, and makes the material interesting, even though it's inherently boring. Cried when I learned he wouldn't be teaching anything this year. We miss you, Mr. Chinoy!!!!

Carole Lee
JOUR200

Expecting an A+
Anonymous
01/16/2021

Professor Lee is incredible. She tries her best to engage with students and make class interesting with the virtual formate. She's also super understanding with students and not a harsh grader.

Ira Chinoy
JOUR200

Expecting an A
Anonymous
12/02/2020

I love Mr.Chinoy, he has been such an amazing teacher, especially through the coronavirus pandemic he makes sure that we know he is always there for us and puts his students first. He genuinely makes the class so interesting and is one of the nicest professors.

Ira Chinoy
JOUR200

Anonymous
11/19/2020

Professor Chinoy is the best professor I have ever had. He genuinely cares that you succeed and is always checking in. He's super understanding and is a passionate and intelligent teacher who wants to create opportunities for you to grow and learn.

Merrilee Cox
JOUR200

Expecting an A+
Anonymous
05/29/2020

One of my favorite professors! She is so nice and very helpful. She is straight to the point when it comes to the assignments and her expectations and she wants you to do well. She is very knowledgeable about journalism and always willing to help if you need it.

Carole Lee
JOUR200

Expecting an A
Anonymous
12/03/2019

I really liked this professor. She worked in the field for a long time and can teach the material well. If you follow the guidelines and write well she'll give you a good grade. Nice lady too

Krishnan Vasudevan
JOUR200

Expecting an A
Anonymous
12/16/2018

Professor V is definitely one of the best professors I've had. He explains everything and answers all questions to the best of his ability. Unlike most professors, he is genuinely interested in how his students are doing and makes sure every once in a while that his students are feeling good about everything that's going on. He is extremely helpful in terms of providing feedback on any assignment he gives and honestly wants to see his students succeed and improve. His exams are fairly doable and not at all confusing or challenging -- if you go over all his slides and pay attention in class, you will get through this class in a breeze.

Ira Chinoy
JOUR200

Expecting an A-
Anonymous
03/25/2018

best professor i have ever had. genuinely wants his students to do well and stays in touch with them after the semester ends. he is so passionate about journalism and his students and will do everything he can to help them in class and in the real world. he is kind, smart and accomplished and has engaging lectures and class assignments.

Carl Stepp
JOUR200

Expecting a B+
Anonymous
11/19/2013

Stepp is a baller. Cool dude. Cool accent. Class was meh. But take Stepp!

Carl Stepp
JOUR200

SaoMagnifico
04/15/2009

Really nice guy, very affable and pleasant. If you know how to proofread or are lucky enough to have a friend who aspires to copy-editing for the Wall Street Journal, the papers aren't a big deal, and he never tests on anything unreasonable. A surprisingly interesting class and certainly a great step up (no pun intended) from the waste of time known as Deborah Nelson's JOUR100.

Reviews for JOUR200