Jocelyn Coates

This professor has taught: WGSS200, WGSS250, WGSS301, WMST200, WMST250

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Jocelyn Coates WGSS250 Expecting an A+ Anonymous 05/07/2025	She is a very thoughtful and understanding professor. She is very helpful in helping people understand the readings during discussions, and does well to create an inclusive environment. This is a class in women, gender, and sexuality studies. If you don't want to take a discussion-based class about those topics, then don't take the class. If you're uncomfortable with the course material or don't want to participate in the class, then don't take it. For the most part, you get what you sign up for, so I'm not sure why people are surprised that the class focuses on the topics that are advertised in the course description. This is a discussion based class with mandatory readings and mandatory attendance. Art analysis happens about 1/3 of the time, and there are a lot of readings. There are open-ended written response "quizzes" based on the readings assigned for that day of class, small group discussions based on the readings, and larger class discussions at the end. The readings were definitely dense and it took time to get through them and understand them, but they overall very interesting and thoughtfully chosen. This is a 200 level course that is an introduction / mandatory course for the WGSS major, not an "easy gen ed." Grading is not harsh, but you do have to put in effort and thoughtfully engage with the course material. The class is challenging and socially conscious. If you care about politics and social justice, the class is very interesting. What you get out of the class is based on the amount of effort and critical thought that you are willing to put in.
Jocelyn Coates WGSS250 Expecting an A+ Anonymous 05/07/2025	Take this class!! I do not know what some people are talking about on here, Professor Coates goes out of their way to make this class easy for us. As someone who was interested in WGSS, I felt like I learned a ton without it being a lot of work on top of my regular STEM classes. There's really no homework, you just have to do readings (which are interesting) and talk to people in class. Attendance is mandatory (which makes sense because the class is basically just discussion), and there's a participation grade, but she bases it on small group and large group discussion (so it's not the end of the world if you aren't super comfortable talking to the whole class). It's clear Professor Coates genuinely cares about her students and wants us to learn, and she is super understanding with extensions/absences if we communicate. There are two papers, but they are not bad at all (about 1500 words each and I don't think they'll be graded harshly). If you're at all interested in this field, I would ABSOLUTELY recommend this class and professor. I'm lowkey sad to be done
Jocelyn Coates WGSS250 Expecting an A Anonymous 04/24/2025	Ridiculous class, if you're taking this for a gen ed just pick something else. Attendance is mandatory and is 50% of your grade (30% for actively talking everyday + 20% in person quiz every day). You have a quiz at the start of every class and can miss 2 of them during the semester. Then, you spend the next hour talking in groups about a 20-40 page reading or two. There are new essays to read every class about random topics relating to women's studies. No, they're not interesting. Yes, they're difficult reads. No, you cannot just skim them. This class was painful and I genuinely had a terrible time in it, regardless of getting an A. We rarely did any art analysis. If this isn't required for your major, don't take it. There's so many other, interesting and fun classes to take here! You will regret taking this class, you've been warned.
Jocelyn Coates WGSS250 Expecting an A Anonymous 03/30/2025	Don't let the bad reviews deter you from taking this course with Prof. Coates. She is very kind, understanding, and there's like barely any assignments. Readings can be lengthy, but it doesn't take too long, and the reading response quizzes are open note anyway. Class is structured as reading response quiz in the first 10-15 min (they are not hard), small group discussion for 30 min, and then class discussion for 30 min. As long as you say something meaningful in class, then your participation grade will be good. Don't be worried or scared of this class!
Jocelyn Coates WGSS250 Anonymous 02/13/2025	"Attendance is basically mandatory" --I don't know why people are so against attending the classes they pay for. I missed twice because I had the flu and it did not count against me at all, she was very understanding. The readings are a bit long at times, but they have a lot of substance, and if you skim them, you can still manage to participate in discussions. The daily reading quiz is often open notes and it is one short discussion question where you share your thoughts on something to do with the reading. For a gen ed with zero exams and hardly any assignments, the ONLY homework outside the two projects is reading. It is a great class and I definitely recommend it. The professor is so kind and allows us to run the discussion to share our thoughts and feelings. Anyone saying that certain groups are her "opposition" could ONLY have caused that by saying something deeply offensive, because there are white men in the class I am in and they contribute valuably and no one has a problem with it, so it seems like that reviewer was the problem in their case! 10/10, would recommend this course for a humanities gen ed if you are okay with reading for an hour or two SOMETIMES in preparation for class.
Jocelyn Coates WGSS250 Expecting an A- Anonymous 12/16/2024	worst class I’ve taken since potty training. basically if you’re not a woman or gay you’re basically an opp to the professor. Absolute hell for straight man. Also the class is basically a discussion after the reading question, like wtf are you doing just standing there then??? Participation grade will depend on who can socialise the most class should be renamed to yap101. 0/10 would not recommend
Jocelyn Coates WGSS250 Expecting a B+ Anonymous 12/13/2024	Too much for a gen ed class. Attendance is pretty much mandatory. Participation is a big part of the class and the content is very heavy and sometimes hard to understand. She is definitely passionate about her work. I expected an art analysis class but instead we spent most classes discussing long readings that were assigned the nights before.
Jocelyn Coates WGSS250 Expecting an A Anonymous 12/10/2024	Professor Coates was an absolutely amazing professor. The course was extremely manageable and time always passed by quickly if you paid attention and engaged in discussions. The course was largely discussion based, so there are more than enough opportunities to participate since she gives us several questions to think about first among small groups. The readings themselves only felt like too much on a few occasions, but they were certainly manageable. At least give an effort to do the readings and pay attention to what others are saying in discussion and you will be fine. The material in this course felt extremely relevant to the world today and I left the course a lot more knowledgeable than when I first stepped in. You get out of this course only what you are willing to put in, but I strongly believe it is both crucial and necessary for everyone to understand the topics covered in this course. Take this course, and listen and learn. You won't regret it.
Jocelyn Coates WGSS250 Expecting an A Anonymous 12/10/2024	Excellent course and professor. She is very knowledgeable about various topics and also very understanding- reach out to her if you need help. Participation is 30 percent. I had class at 9:30 and sometimes struggled with attendance but if you put in an honest effort and contribute in class- you will do fine. Sit with a good group because there are daily discussion questions and the professor will listen in on your discussion in your small groups.
Jocelyn Coates WGSS250 Expecting an A Anonymous 12/10/2024	Very interesting class, manageable (little) coursework, participation is 30%. Sit with a good group of people because you will have discussion questions every class. Coates is an excellent professor who is very knowledgeable about various topics. However, I am someone who has little motivation to go to class early (9:30 section) but she is very understanding. Contribute in class, make an effort, and you will do great.
Jocelyn Coates WGSS250 Expecting an A- Anonymous 12/04/2024	Honestly too much work for a Gen Ed. Heres the run down: - Attendance is mandatory (daily quizzes - 2 drops, so you can miss class twice). - Participation is not based on how much you participate, but the quality of your commentary (very few people get an A in participation from what I've heard) - This is advertised to be an art analysis class (or at least somewhat focused on art), yet we mostly just read long readings before each class then discuss the readings (there have been 5 classes where we look at art, we have an art analysis paper however). - Class structure: first 15 mins is a reading quiz, next 30 mins discussion in small group regarding the reading, last 40 mins discussion with full class regarding the reading. Class never ends early. As a CS major or someone who has interest in art, I don't recommend.
Jocelyn Coates WGSS250 Expecting an A Anonymous 11/20/2024	excellent professor who cares for her students. topics in the class are really interesting. definitely has changed the format of how her class is run compared to other reviews. you have a few readings that you have to do before class and then do a writing quiz for the first 10 minutes, so attendance is pretty much mandatory but she drops 3 of them. class is pretty much discussion based but the topics are very engaging, so i didn't have any problem participating. we had one art analysis and she was so considerate about other classes and would make sure we weren't stressing too much. would take this class again!
Jocelyn Coates WGSS250 Expecting an A rp6788 01/04/2023	Professor Coates is a great professor! She was always super understanding with absences and extensions and she always checked in on how we were doing. Every class is essentially a discussion and you need to read the given readings before class. I did appreciate that we had small discussion groups and then shared as a class. We also had 4 discussion posts and 2 essays (one was the final). Overall, I learned a lot from this class and would highly recommend it!
Jocelyn Coates WGSS250 Expecting an A+ Anonymous 12/08/2022	Absolutely love Professor Coates. She cares so much about the material, is so understanding, and really wants us to learn about different perspectives. You do need to come to most classes and participate. There are 4 discussion posts and 2 papers that are easy to do well on. I would 100% recommend this class.
Jocelyn Coates WGSS250 Expecting an A+ Anonymous 05/17/2022	This was my favorite class by far this semester! As said in the previous reviews, the course load is not bad at all. She frequently allows students to share what's going on in their lives and wants to create an environment where people aren't overwhelmed. She is great with clarifying anything and gives extensions if need be. I also found myself loving the material more in this class because of the in-class discussions and feeling as though I was learning more than in any other class this semester. I 100% recommend.
Jocelyn Coates WGSS250 Expecting an A+ Anonymous 05/09/2022	LOVE this class and this professor. It is a great course that teaches important topics but it won't drown you in work. There are weekly readings, mandatory attendance, and some small participation activities in class but the work is pretty relevant to today's political climate and she is so flexible if you have conflicts or need an extension. There are 2 papers throughout the course and one of them is the final but she explains everything really well and is always ready to provide assistance if you ask. She really just wants her students to succeed. This was a really good class to lighten my course load but also keep me interested and engaged. 10/10 recommend.
Jocelyn Coates Anonymous 05/09/2022	This class is a really good gen-ed to take if you want to learn about important issues but not drown in work. There are weekly readings and 2 papers as well as some other small participation assignments but as long as you put in a little bit of effort, you will be fine. Prof is so kind and sweet and super understanding about any conflicts you might have. She truly just wants every students to do well in her class and I think a lot of the readings we do are super informative in our political climate. 10/10 recommend
Jocelyn Coates WGSS250 Expecting an A Anonymous 01/26/2022	She's probably the most compassionate and kindest teacher I've ever met. I was going through a lot of personal issues during the semester, so I didn't turn in a lot of things on time. However, she was always understanding and willing to grant extensions for the projects (midterm and final essays), and even accepted all late homework assignments with no penalty. She really wants all the students to have a good experience. Even though I took this solely for a gened, I really enjoyed the topics/class discussions and learned a lot.
Jocelyn Coates WMST250 Expecting an A+ Anonymous 12/09/2020	I LOVE her! She's so passionate and knowledgeable about the material and it really motivates you to learn and get excited about the material as well. She's super flexible and chill and the class is really structured to focus on learning instead of the grades. If you're confused about one of the readings she's really good at summarizing and explaining it to you. My favorite professor at UMD so far.
Jocelyn Coates WMST250 Expecting an A+ Anonymous 10/19/2020	Best, kindest, and most understanding professor ever. She’s literally so sweet and classes are like everyday conversations so it’s pretty simple. Just do the readings, they can be long sometimes but discussions help to formulate your thoughts about it especially hearing from others. If oh are confused about something, she will explain it very well and politely.