Kathryn McMurray

ENGL26 · ENG801B · ENGL50A · ENGL801 · ENGL3 · ENGL105 · ENGL1 · ENGLISH801A · ENG105AX · ENG3 · ENG105 · ENGLISH3 · ENGLISH · ENG12B · CRN72358 · ENGLISH1PLUS · 46 lifetime ratings

AI rating: 72/100
RMP rating: 3.7/5
Take again: 65.63%
Difficulty: 3.4

The decision

if you want rigorous writing growth and and office hours; skip her if you need an easy low-stress English A.

Best fit · Hardcore LearnerReading heavyTough essay graderGrade contractCaring mentorInspirational writer

Many students call her one of the best English professors and say she transforms writers.
Expect , and strict must-pass essay or grade-contract rules.
A loud minority finds her discouraging, harsh, or overwhelming for first-year English.

Key questions

Four answers before you build your schedule.

Is this an easy A?

HardWork

38/100

High grades are possible but , and revising hard; many say this is not an easy A.

Online creative writing feels more A-friendly; in-person ENGL1 is the hard-A bottleneck.

Is the course easy?

Challenging

35/100

, and frequent writing make the course intellectually and logistically demanding.

and writing heavy; online creative writing is still work but more enjoyable for many.

Is attendance flexible?

Mandatory

28/100

and warn that missing sessions or workshops hurts your chance to pass.

and workshops are emphasized most; online still has strict due times.

Is this professor recommended?

WorthIt

68/100

A and care despite tough standards and some strongly negative experiences.

Online creative writing recommendations are glowing; in-person ENGL1 is more polarized.

Course guide

See how this professor fits your week.

Grading

Strict

34/100

Tough essay standards and grade contracts make High Pass or A grades hard even for strong work.

Format shift

Tough-grader complaints cluster in in-person ENGL1; but constructive.

Workload

Heavy

30/100

Lots of reading, analysis essays, workshops, and writing revisions create a heavy semester load.

Format shift

Heavy papers appear across formats; online creative writing still requires serious reading and drafts.

Teaching experience

Good

74/100

Many call her clear, inspiring, and ; a minority finds her discouraging or inconsistent.

Format shift

Teaching praise dominates online creative writing and many in-person reviews; harsh-tone complaints are mostly in-person ENGL1.

Assessment method

FocusOnAssignments

28/100

, and a grade contract more than traditional exams.

Format shift

Both formats emphasize papers and workshops; .

Luni fit check

Weigh these signals against your actual schedule.

Get help balancing workload, grading, and timing when no option is an obvious fit.

Course format

Compare the in-person and online experience.

Classroom format

In person

43 reviews

High confidence · Best fit for Hardcore Learner

In person, and growth, while a vocal group warns of , and discouraging comments in ENGL1.

Main concern

and writing, and occasional reports of harsh classroom tone.

What students said

“Professor McMurray has been one of the journey.”
ENGLISH1PLUS

“ .”
ENGL1

“she will tell you, you wont pass English.over and over even if you try. very discouraging!!”
ENGL1

Remote format

Online

4 reviews

Medium confidence · Best fit for Hardcore Learner

Online creative writing is strongly praised for , and notes-allowed tests; online ENGL1 has one complaint about pace and complicated rules.

Main concern

Fast online pacing and .

What students said

“Creative so far... She lets you use notes for the tests and .”
ENGL26

“If you are looking to improve your writing this class is invaluable.”
ENGL26

“She is one of those professors that makes her course complicated when in fact is really does not have to be.”
ENGL1

Exam style

Know what to expect from exams and major assignments.

When tests exist, students often report open-note or open-book formats, while .

Open note testsOpen book quizzesEssay focusedGrade contract

Assessment risk

StudentFriendly

78/100

Low score means less forgiving assessment conditions.

In person

In person, several students say tests and , while major risk sits in .

Open book and notesMust pass essaysGrade contractIn-class essays

“All the tests and and book.”
ENG12B

“ , and handouts.”
ENG105

“ .”
ENGL1

Online

Online creative writing allows notes on tests and focuses on poetry and short-story workshops rather than hard proctored exams.

Notes allowed on testsWorkshop feedbackCreative writing portfolio style

“She lets you use notes for the tests and .”
ENGL26

Student evidence

See what students actually said.

Top student voice
“If you want an easy A this is not the class for you. If you want someone who really cares about your success, then this is the class for you.”
Voice snapshots generated from 47 reviews (4 online, 43 in person), highlighting rigorous writing growth and . Credibility rating: High.

✍️ Transforms Writers

74/100

“Taking English with made me a better writer, and I'm not sure where I'd be today without her.”

📖

30/100

“Will you read a lot, YES. Will you have work YES.”

🎯 Not an Easy A

38/100

“If you want an easy A this is not the class for you.”

⚠️ Polarizing Classroom Tone

40/100

“so strict discourages students instead of encouraging them.”

Theme 1

👨‍🏫 About Teaching & Care

and understanding
She genuinely cares about her students and is a wonderful person
She is one of the sweetest people I've met

Theme 2

📈 About Difficulty & Grades

I
You will have to work hard for your grade

Theme 3

📝 About Creative Writing

Creative so far
Every piece of poetry and fiction I turned in is filled with fixes and advice
If you are looking to improve your writing this class is invaluable

Data context

See exactly what the AI read.

Analysis sample

Recent reviews read by the AI

Lifetime ratings

88/100

Evidence confidence

47 detailed reviews across many years and courses show , and polarized ENGL1 experiences.

Inside 47 stored ratings

Quality ratings

5 out of 524

4 out of 57

3 out of 54

2 out of 55

1 out of 57

Course coverage

ENGL118 reviews

ENG1058 reviews

ENGL266 reviews

ENGLISH1PLUS2 reviews

710431 review

Show 12 more courses

CRN723581 review

ENG105AX1 review

ENG12B1 review

ENG31 review

ENG801B1 review

ENGL1051 review

ENGL31 review

ENGL50A1 review

ENGL8011 review

ENGLISH1 review

ENGLISH31 review

ENGLISH801A1 review

Reported outcomes

A range results lead the reported letter grades.

36 reported outcomes

A range

A+ 9 · A 7

B range

B+ 3 · B 7

C range

C 1

D range

D- 1

F

No reported values

No letter grade reported

Drop/Withdrawal 3 · Fail 1 · Not sure yet 1 · Rather not say 3

Kathryn McMurray

x x if you want rigorous writing growth and x x x and office hours; skip her if you need an easy low-stress English A.

Four answers before you build your schedule.

HardWork

Challenging

Mandatory

WorthIt

See how this professor fits your week.

Compare the in-person and online experience.

Know what to expect from exams and major assignments.

In person

Online

See what students actually said.

✍️ Transforms Writers

📖 x x x x

🎯 Not an Easy A

⚠️ Polarizing Classroom Tone

👨‍🏫 About Teaching & Care

📈 About Difficulty & Grades

📝 About Creative Writing

See exactly what the AI read.

Quality ratings

Course coverage

A range results lead the reported letter grades.

A range

B range

C range

D range

F

No letter grade reported

if you want rigorous writing growth and and office hours; skip her if you need an easy low-stress English A.

📖