Jeff Cravello

School: Cal Poly Pomona
Department: English
Location:Pomona, CA
Overall Rating
rated by 20 students
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Rating Comment
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 Pros: If you find a way to connect with him on a emotional level or stay on his good side; it will benefit you!
Cons: He wants everyone to gets Bs; to get an A you must be bright and a good writer.
CRAZY experience here... My name is Carlos; I hope Cravello sees this!
Out of every ENG teacher I've had; he thought me more then all of them!
Read the books he assigns! Super great material in general. Do not be lazy.
This man's opinion matters; it's hard to impress him.
I'm not going to lie, he made me feel extremely bad about my character from the start. Then soon after, he apologized; he really isn't a bad guy. He just cares about his students.
This ultimately pushed me to actually try on his assignments.
He actually gave me another chance to redeem myself! AMAZING professor!
Some of his grades he gives you isn't worth it!
For the first essay:
I went to the writing center twice; literally the head of the writing center and a bio major.
I spent countless hours and incorporated the right ideals.
You have to know grammar to get a "decent grade"; he expects you to be spot on.
It's a ENG 104 class graded as a ENG 105 class.
Most of the students can't write! and they get Bs too! Everyone gets Bs!
Bs for everyone, even potheads
For the second essay:
Didn't even really try; didn't even go to the writing center.
Wrote the whole essay the day before...
GUESS what I got? a "B" hahaha!
I didn't even write the Self-Assesments liked I cared!
Used passed self-assesments as templates.
GRADE: B
The talk of the class:
WHY did I get a "B"? hahah One guy I knew got an A-.. :) so don't be too discourage.
He thought me how to be a better person and give a good impression when meeting people.
He really made me a better person in general, one of the best teacher's I've had in a long time!
He made me work but I learned a lot! He really knows writing!
The rest was a super fun project and 2 more essays!
TOO fun! Overall, loved his class!
Side Note: A few attractive girls might be in your class :) love english
FINAL GRADE...YOU GUESS IT!!... a "B"
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 Pros: Very interesting. Genuinely cares about his students & will do everything to help you, as long as you're not lazy and you're actually TRYING.
Cons: None
Ive been attending Cal Poly for 4 Years & I can honestly say that Professor Cravello has been my favorite professor so far. People that cry on here about his material being hard & him being a jerk are just babies that can't handle REAL university material. Many professors in cal poly don't really take the time to get to know their students, and Cravello has been teaching for like 100 years & he still manages to take the time to get to know you if you allow yourself to. He gave people nicknames in the class that I was in, and i honestly looked forward to listening to him lecture. He genuinely cares.
Sure, his essays are difficult but they can be done. The first day of class he read out these KOOFERS reviews & half of the class dropped the next day. He doesn't front, and he doesn't sugar coat things. HE'S REAL. & thats why i enjoyed his class so much. He's very sarcastic & sassy which i found HILARIOUS but when it comes to business, he does not mess around.
if you want a real learning experience, take his class! you will learn so much & his words will be implanted in your brain forever.
I hope he's still reading these reviews & laughing at them, He doesn't get enough credit for his hard work.
Cravello ROCKS!
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 There are a lot of crazy comments on here about Cravello, here's the truth:
Yes, Cravello can be an ass, but so what? People don't like him because he actually pushes his students. If you want an easy A get out. If you like sarcastic bastards then you'll love Cravello, I had no problem with it. His papers make up almost the whole grade. There are three of them, each get longer and heavier weight in your over all grade. It's a critical thinking class, it's expected that you're going to have to work and guess what?... THINK! He's not mean, just an ass. You can tell he loves teaching the class and poking fun at the students. Hell, he called me Malcolm (from Malcolm in the Middle) almost the whole quarter. If you're scared, don't take the class, if you don't mind a sarcastic but hilarious teacher this class is awesome! Oh and here's a little hit: books are never going to die.
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 Okay. Cravello and his class is pretty unique. Honestly, he is a dick, but his sarcasm makes it up for it. He likes to pick on his student, so if you don't like getting pick on, then avoid him.
He assigns three essays (two normal one and a research paper). His expectation is pretty high, and he is a grammar nazi. So if you have bad grammar, then you better make trips to the UWC for all your essays. As for his essays, he has one about defining medium and that was difficult for me to write. The reason for that is because it is by a new format than the original format. His second essays is about photography. That was more fun to right. His final research paper is to see if books are dying, and that one was really interesting to write since we still use books in his class.
Overall, Cravello's class is really unique and hard. He challenges you a lot, which makes his class difficult. But if you attend his office hours and ask questions in class, then you will do fine in the class.
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 Pros: -Feed back on papers really helpful
-Encourages you to do better
Cons: -Don't take the class at night, many times I wanted to fall asleep
Overall good teacher! I sucked in English in high school but I was really happy to earn I got a B in this class. He really encourages to go to the writing center if you are struggling. If you put the work into it, then you will at least get a B. It's not about how you compare to the rest of the class, he just wants to see you improve. I got a C+ on my first paper, then a B- on my next, I have no idea what I got on the last one but since I got a B overall, I'm guessing it wasn't bad.
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 At first I thought this class would be difficult. The grading scale was different for his class. An A would really be considered a B. I did not like his attitude. I didn't care for all of the readings. The class was not hard. I received an A. There were a couple times when I did not show up to class because I did not have a rough draft to turn in. I thought it would bring my grade down because you can not receive higher than a B on the essay if you don't turn in a rough draft. He seemed very angry. He did not have a positive outlook on life but I guess he was more realistic.
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 Professor Cravello was an interesting teacher. Sure he is a strict teacher and a tough grader but he does teach you how to write an essay. There are three books you have to read in the class and three essays that "relate" to the topics in the books. There are also three reflective essays and four discussion posts on blackboard that discuss the books. He goes over the first essay in great detail, and leaves the others up to you to write. If you pay attention in class and look up the things he mentions in class then you should be fine. If you have any trouble with writing your essay he asks you to refer to "everything's an argument", a book about writing styling/formatting. You should not expect to be spoon fed in this class. As the professor said, "this is a critical reading and critical writing class". Don't expect an easy grade, you will get what you put into this class. Overall i think Professor Cravello was a great teacher and I strongly recommend him for others to take. Grade received: B-
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 I really enjoyed this class. During the beginning of the quarter, I wasn't looking forward to this class at all. However after completing the class, it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. Cravello is an interesting person, with an interesting sense of humor. He is definitely not like other professors here at Cal Poly. There are three essays from three different topics from the three books you read. You don't read the entire book, just an excerpt. The topics provided are very deep substantive topics. There's a lot to write about. The three topics in my class were education, art/history, and language/grammar. My writing, particularly my grammar, is better because of this class. He grades your rough draft and provides you feedback up front and personal before you start working on your final draft. In order to do well in this class you must really do well on your written essays because they are a significant portion of your grade. Your final exam is like a self-reflection essay. He knows many things that have nothing to do with English, hes like a Renaissance man that can go on for days talking about any subject. Grade Received: A-
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 Pros: Has a lot of humor, knows his subject material very well, actually wants to teach useful material
Cons: He's a harsh grader, which can frighten some students. As well he can sometimes come off as mean.
I had Prof Cravello last quarter for Freshmen English 2, before the new website, and thus my memory of the class is not quite as strong as I would like. Essentially you get three essays, and various assignments involved with those essays. I will not deny that his assignments are challenging, and he isn't an easy grader either. However I believe his essays taught me about efficient writing. I would rec getting a grammar book if your grammar isn't quite up to par... Although he seems understanding to students who aren't native English speakers. He has a tendency to be very sarcastic to his students, sometimes to the point where it seems downright mean. Although I appreciated Cravello's honesty and humor, I do feel that sometimes he was too harsh... None the less he was very entertaining. If you like Star Trek or WoW you'll get along with him after class!
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 CRAVELLO IS A DICK! He is really. He told our class" I don't give a shit about your essays they are just a pile of crap i got to grade" yeah people EXACT words! When you read the books you have to turn in a two page paper all about the book, which i found pretty pointless. The first essay is not that difficult because he does explain in full detail what he wants. Its his way or the highway when it comes to essays.What i hate is that after you write the essay you still have to write one more page ,a self assessment. But it helped me vent out my feelings towards writing and reading the books. He wants his format followed and only that format.The "Medium is a Massage" is the first book to be read, even though its very short its hard to understand and your essay is trying to define the word"medium."Overall, he is a harsh grader, he wont help you much, he inst very friendly and he talks non-sense. But if your willing to put up with him go for it. I do admit his lectures aren't boring.
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 Pros: He knows what he's talking about.
He's actively engages the class.
Cons: He likes to pick on students, so you need a sense of humor.
He has been my favorite teacher here at Cal Poly. He genuinely enjoys teaching and he's not afraid of any topics that come up. You do need a sense of humor because he likes to tease people, but he is good at telling whether you are ok with that or not. He helps you a lot with your essays, but he isn't an easy grader. If you read when you are supposed to and have him proofread your papers its an easy A
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 Winter 2009.
You will not fall asleep. This class will be a challenge, till this day I will have to say it is the most challenging course I've taken, but it was also the one that I've learned most from. It sure does feel good when you're done with the class. Definitely a critical thinking class.
He comes off as a jerk in class, but if you approach him after class he is actually very friendly. He tends to go off tangent about World of Warcraft, his cat, or anything about his life.
The homework/reading isn't much. The essays he assigns will certainly get your brain juice pumping. You will pretty much be working on the definition of "medium"/"media" the second part of the quarter, and will lead to a single-spaced (which is the format that he requires) one page essay about what medium is. One page may sound easy enough, but it will be a challenge.
I have never worked as hard as I did for this class, but it is definitely worthwhile. Grade Received: B+
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 The best professor I have ever had at Cal Poly! Despite the fact that I had him late in the evening and he admitted to being drained, Cravello was always very entertaining and made class interesting. I was always excited to go to that class. The world needs more professors like Mr. Cravello! He usually let us out early and had a magical ability to put his chapstick on with one hand. Come to class and read the books. Don't get to frustrated with Marshall McLuhan, I found that Cravello was a very reasonable grader when it came to McLuhan's twisted ideas and as long as you made your best effort, you got a decent grade. Grade Received: A
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 Take professsor Cravelli if you want to have the full college experience. He gets an "A" for teaching because you will never fall asleep in his class. As for friendliness, well, he may attempt to scare you the first class to get you to drop.He may put up this tough act for about a week or a week and a half. By the end of the first week, you will see a transformation in his behavior. He's very approachable. If you decide to talk to him or meet him in his office, be prepared to spend about 30 minutes talking to him because he likes to talk to his students. If you want to know what the class entails, read the other comments. ENG 105 is much harder than ENG 104. If you get an A in his 104 class, that doesn't mean you will get an A in his 105 class. Grade Received: A-
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 Professor Cravello is a one of a kind teacher. He reminds me of Tim Gunn from Project Runway, perhaps he could pass as his son. He has an amazing talent of putting chapstick on with one hand. He likes to tease most of his students. Although, he is all talk, sometimes. He has a dry sense of humor, but he teaches you a new way of thinking. And, he is very blunt when it comes to giving an opinon. He is not going to sugar coat anything. You leave class as though your brain is going to explode with so much doubt and conspiracy concerning the world. The class is mostly all class discussions, he makes the whole class talk, so be prepared to get chosen. He says he grades super hard, but just do a pretty good essay and you will probably get a B. But this is not the class to get an easy A, its a different type of english class, but your not consumed with a lot of busy work, which is nice. All in all I would take him. Grade Received: B
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 I have taken this professor twice because I enjoy his class. Although he jokes around and picks on certain people, although just for fun only to intimidate you. I enjoy our class discussions, and the 3 essays we have to write. He is good at interacting with the students, and does care, even though he may not act like it. I think he's a cool teacher, and he's a big fan of star trek. I think he is a reasonable and good english teacher, no tests or quizzes, just reading and 3 essays. And you have to do responsorial's but those aren't too hard, basically just a reflection/opinion of the book your reading. And you must go to class, you are only allowed to miss 2 classes without an excuse/explanation, after that it will affect your grade. I unfortunately received a B+ in his class, even though I was hoping for an A... Grade Received: B+
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 Dont be intimidated. He makes you believe that the class is difficult and hes a tough grader, but hes not. I found the class chill. There are 3 essays which vary in length limit (1pg, 1 1/2 pg, 3 pg) but single-spaced. Its possible to procrastinate and still get an A. Attendance is necessary- you can miss 2 sessions until it starts affecting your grade. He always let us out ~35 min. early so it wasnt bad for a 2hr class. Plus his lectures are pretty open and interesting topics are discussed. I enjoyed the commentary and his wit. He is super friendly so go visit or email him (responds quickly) if you need help. Also, do the blackboard posting and reading assessment. They are crucial for your grade. (Read the syllabus carefully). This class isnt an easy A per say but take him anyway, you'll definitely get more of an education than a sissy english class. Grade Received: A
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 Dont be intimidated. He makes you believe that the class is difficult and hes a tough grader, but hes not. I found the class chill. There are 3 essays which vary in length limit (1pg, 1 1/2 pg, 3 pg) but single-spaced. Its possible to procrastinate and still get an A. Attendance is necessary- you can miss 2 sessions until it starts affecting your grade. He always let us out ~35 min. early so it wasnt bad for a 2hr class. Plus his lectures are pretty open and interesting topics are discussed. I enjoyed the commentary and his wit. He is super friendly so go visit or email him (responds quickly) if you need help. Also, do the blackboard posting and reading assessment. They are crucial for your grade. (Read the syllabus carefully). This class isnt an easy A per say but take him anyway, you'll definitely get more of an education than a sissy english class. Grade Received: A
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 3 books, 3 papers with a self assessment for each one. You have to attend class, but the lectures turned into fun discussions if you read the material. Mr. Cravello is an excellent teacher who not only taught me a lot about writing quality papers, he opened my eyes to compelling issues in society. Cravello's choice of literature pressed me to do further research on media, advertising, and technology. I walked away from his class feeling like I had finally been offered a quality education. If you want a great learning experience, I would highly reccommend taking his course. He is not a hard teacher if you just do the work. LOVED his cynical sense of humor. Grade Received: A
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 Cravello is a very smart guy in his field. He knows his stuff when it comes to writing essays. He grades english 105 papers at english 105 level. If you want an easy B S class do not take him. However, if you want to learn a lot and improve your writing skills take him.
The course consisted of reading 3 books. 2 of the three have to deal with "mediums/media" and you really won't find out what medium really means until an hour before you start writing your first paper. But at the end of writing your papers you will definately have self satisfaction.
The essays he gives are pretty tough but it is english 105 so be prepared to write english 105 papers.
learned a lot, improved my writing skills and looked forward to class. He is kinda funny...my favorite thing that he said in class when he was reaching in his pockets was "My mother told me not to keep my hands in my pockets too long because people will think i am playing with myself"

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