| Information | Review |
|---|---|
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Eyda Merediz
SPAN361 Expecting an A- Anonymous 12/22/2024 |
While I recognize the effort Professor Merediz puts into this class, I would NOT recommend taking it with her. The amount of work is INSANE. It's hard to keep up with, especially since she speeds through her lectures and doesn't post the power points because they're her intellectual property. I can't express how much stress this class caused me during the semester. I really wanted to enjoy this class, but I genuinely dreaded coming to class. She could be pretty disorganized, and it's frustrating for students who are anxious about their grades. We took the final 11 days ago (the first day of finals week), and we still don't have the grade. It was released then she took the grades back. She still hasn't released grades for two other major assignments that add up to 45% of our grade including the final. The required readings for this class are super time-consuming, long, and dense, and sometimes, we don't even discuss them in class because she goes on tangents about other topics. I was up to my neck in stress in this class, and felt helpless even when I did the readings. I would strongly recommend not taking this class with this professor, or just skipping it all together and taking another class. |
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Eyda Merediz
SPAN361 Anonymous 10/09/2024 |
If this were the first Spanish class I took for my minor, I would have dropped the minor altogether. There is an extensive amount of readings to do per week, which just isn't realistic sometimes. Prof. Merediz does not provide structure to her class at all; she just talks about the readings we do and goes off on tangents making it difficult to determine what material is important. The material is very dense, and learning it for the first time and being expected to remember the names of every Native American God and the periods' different rulers reigned can be extremely difficult while also trying to gain a basic grasp of the difficult readings. She also does not provide any guidance when it comes to grading. For example, I got a 65% on an essay homework assignment but did everything the instructions asked me to do. I am usually a good student and have earned a 4.0 GPA in my past three semesters at UMD, but this will be the class to tank my GPA. I am only taking it because it is required for my minor, otherwise I would advise against it. |
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Eyda Merediz
SPAN361 Expecting an A Anonymous 10/30/2022 |
Great professor, but the readings can really pile up during the week. You can't survive by just skimming the material - you really need to understand and pick apart the text to do well. Hence this isn't a class you can skip readings for and expect to do well. Throughout the semester she made accommodations for us (canceling a quiz on Latin American capital cities, extending an essay deadline). She is a good professor and doesn't pick on you to answer if she senses that you don't want to participate. Overall had a really good time in this class. |
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Eyda Merediz
SPAN303 Expecting an A- Anonymous 08/15/2022 |
Overall, I enjoyed taking Prof Merediz's course. She is funny and knowledgeable. Expect to have quite a few assignments a week (film analysis, literature analysis, or a mix of both). While you could get away with putting minimal effort into them, I suggest taking them seriously, as the questions she asks explore concepts and themes that will be on the midterm and the final. They may feel like busy work (I'd argue that sometimes they are), but they can serve as a good study resource if done well. She teaches based off of slides that contains few words, so sometimes it is challenging to discern what to takes notes on- this is why I'd recommend using the homework assignments to guide your note-taking. During lectures, I just listened and jotted down recurring concepts and terminology. Some materials can be a bit dense if your Spanish skills aren't nearing those of a fluent/native speaker. If you fall into that category, don't worry, she reviews materials in class and gives out assignments that mirror potential exam questions so you know what to expect. The final analysis paper is divided into 3 steps (outline, draft, final) and takes a nontrivial amount of time, so be sure to start early and utilize office hours. |
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Eyda Merediz
SPAN361 Expecting a B+ Anonymous 11/05/2013 |
I like Eyda a lot. She is really funny, and incredibly intelligent and knowledgable. However, she expects a lot from her students, so you have to be prepared to put in work. Participation is 15% of our grade, so you need to read and come prepared. I've gone to her office hours twice now, and she has been very helpful and receptive to my questions/concerns. I would recommend her just because she's fun. But it's not an easy A. Class is sometimes a little hard to follow because she goes on tangents, and doesn't specify what information is most important. But it's still interesting, and I can feel my Spanish improving. Also, the study guide for the midterm gives you all the questions that might be on it, so you can prepare ahead of time. This is not to say the midterm was easy, but at least she told us what we were accountable for. |
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Eyda Merediz
SPAN361 Anonymous 12/19/2011 |
She is knowledgeable and personable, however, does not provide structure to her classes. She does not write on the board, and goes off on tangents during her lectures, making it very difficult to ascertain what information is pertinent and should be on the tests. She includes very vague identifications for the test that do not pertain to the main themes of the course. Definitely pick a different professor in the department- like Demaria, over her. |