Bob Gmelin

ENGWR302 · ENG302 · ENGWRC · ENGLISH300302 · ENG300 · ENGWR301 · ENG100300302 · ENG1C · ENGW301 · ENGLISH302 · ENGWR320 · ENGWR300 · 54 lifetime ratings

AI rating: 44/100
RMP rating: 3.8/5
Take again: 27.27%
Difficulty: 3.2

The decision

if you write well, tolerate edgy rants, and .

Best fit · Effort For RewardTough GraderRant-Heavy LecturesSo Many PapersPolarizing PersonalitySlow Grading

Entertaining and discussion-driven but often goes on rants unrelated to English.
Heavy essay load (about 4-5 papers) with .
older fans praise humor; and poor organization.

Key questions

Four answers before you build your schedule.

Is this an easy A?

HardWork

42/100

As and Bs appear, but many call him a and docks points unpredictably.

Online reviews stress harsh delayed grading; and you will do fine.

Is the course easy?

Standard

48/100

Content is discussion- and writing-focused with , but volume of papers keeps challenge moderate.

and reading; online adds disorganization without changing content difficulty much.

Is attendance flexible?

Varies

48/100

while others say it is not required.

and presence; online reports are mixed.

Is this professor recommended?

Avoid

32/100

Would-take-again is very low and recent , and weak teaching.

; in-person spans decades of love-him-or-hate-him takes.

Course guide

See how this professor fits your week.

Grading

Strict

34/100

and harsh delayed paper marks dominate despite some fair-grader comments.

Format shift

Recent online and in-person reviews both flag harsh or .

Workload

Moderate

40/100

Typically 4-5 major essays plus reading and peer review in compressed terms, with few or no quizzes.

Format shift

Workload pattern is similar online and in person: .

Teaching experience

Average

58/100

Many praise humor and lively discussion; others say rants replace instruction and .

Format shift

In-person nostalgia is warmer; recent online reviews are much more critical of teaching quality.

Assessment method

FocusOnAssignments

22/100

, and participation rather than tests.

Format shift

Both formats report paper- and .

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

46 reviews

High confidence · Best fit for Effort For Reward

- and discussion-heavy with humor and 4-5 essays; fans call him fun and fair while and lectures off-topic.

Main concern

, and lectures that wander into rants.

What students said

“Charismatic professor with interesting lectures. No hw assignments just 4-5 essays.”
ENGWR300

“Bob waited until after the semester to grade all of the work that was due week 2.”
ENG1C

“ or money his lectures do not have anything to do with English.”
ENG302

Remote format

Online

4 reviews

Medium confidence · Best fit for Self Taught Pro

Online sections draw sharp criticism for , and occasional favoritism or bias concerns.

Main concern

and high expectations for exceptional work.

What students said

“By week 8 only 8 out of 30 assignments graded. No feedback on assignments until week 8.”
ENG1C

“Gmelin didn't do much teaching, though ranted about whatever he wanted to for hours.”
ENG300

“ . if you are not conservative.”
ENGWR300

Exam style

Know what to expect from exams and major assignments.

Many students report no quizzes or tests and , so .

Few or no testsEssay-focused gradingMidterm/final sometimes canceled

Assessment risk

StudentFriendly

78/100

Low score means less forgiving assessment conditions.

In person

midterm and final were canceled, with essays carrying the grade.

No test or quizzesEssays only graded workMidterm/final canceled

“ .”
ENGWR300

“ and he ended up cancelling the midterm and the final.”
17132

Online

Online comments center on papers and discussions; they do not clearly describe proctored or webcam exams.

Paper-heavy online workDiscussion and peer review

“ the grade.”
ENGWR300

Student evidence

See what students actually said.

Top student voice
“Honestly, his was perhaps THE most hilarious/intriguing/open-minded class I've ever taken.”
Voice snapshots generated from 50 reviews spanning 2005-2025, balancing older praise with . Credibility rating: High.

🎭 Polarizing Personality

58/100

“Bob is a combination of Hunter S Thompson, Stephen Colbert, and Studs Terkel.”

📝 Paper Grind

40/100

“4 papers in a 8 week timeframe. .”

⚖️

34/100

“Don't expect an A. Expects you do way more than what is asked in the assignment.”

👎

32/100

“ or money.”

Theme 1

👨‍🏫 About Teaching Style

In class lectures are mostly rants but he's willing to answer any questions
His lectures may seem unrelated to the class but they focus on what's going on around us
Keeps the class entertained and is not a

Theme 2

📈 About Difficulty & Grades

Lots of work for the 8 week course, tough grader
he is a . If you are a poor
And yes, it is possible to get an A, just commit yourself!

Theme 3

⚠️ About Recent Experience

By week 8 only 8 out of 30 assignments graded
graded super harsh... Really lazy teacher considering he doesn't teach the class after 3 weeks
, and graded randomly.

Data context

See exactly what the AI read.

Analysis sample

Recent reviews read by the AI

Lifetime ratings

86/100

Evidence confidence

Fifty reviews spanning many years with detailed comments and a pattern reliable.

Inside 50 stored ratings

Quality ratings

5 out of 525

4 out of 514

3 out of 57

2 out of 51

1 out of 57

Course coverage

ENGWR30216 reviews

ENGWR30015 reviews

ENG3025 reviews

ENG1C2 reviews

ENG3002 reviews

Show 9 more courses

ENGWR3012 reviews

171321 review

3021 review

ENG1003003021 review

ENGLISH3003021 review

ENGLISH3021 review

ENGW3011 review

ENGWR3201 review

ENGWRC1 review

Reported outcomes

A range results lead the reported letter grades.

12 reported outcomes

A range

A 5

B range

B+ 2 · B 2

C range

C 1

D range

No reported values

F

No reported values

No letter grade reported

Not sure yet 1 · Rather_Not_Say 1

Bob Gmelin

x x x if you write well, tolerate edgy rants, and x x x x x x.

Four answers before you build your schedule.

HardWork

Standard

Varies

Avoid

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.

🎭 Polarizing Personality

📝 Paper Grind

⚖️ x x

👎 x x

👨‍🏫 About Teaching Style

📈 About Difficulty & Grades

⚠️ About Recent Experience

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 write well, tolerate edgy rants, and .

⚖️

👎