From: pedregal@eternity.cs.umass.edu (Message Meister)
Date: Mon, 6 May 1996 09:54:44 -0400 (EDT)

Greetings. Yes, it is that time of the year again, when the daffodils bask in
the sunshine (?), and when the semester ends in convulsions, amid the frenzy
of assignments and take home exams and various deadlines... and of course,
when our esteemed instructors pass out the wonderfully impersonal, machine-
readable course surveys ... so here's a sample from our rich uncle MIT:

      The Best and Worst Comments Received:
 
     "Text is useless.  I use it to kill roaches in my room."
 
      "He teaches like Speedy Gonzalez on a caffeine high."
 
      "In class, the syllabus is more important that you are."

      "Help!  I've fallen asleep and I can't wake up!"

      "Text makes a satisfying 'thud' when dropped on the floor."
 
      "The class is worthwhile because I need it for the degree."
 
      "His blackboard technique puts Rembrandt to shame"
 
      "Textbook is confusing...someone with a knowledge of English should
       proofread it."
 
      "Have you ever fallen asleep in class and awoke in another? That's the
       way I felt all term."
 
      "This class was a religious experience for me...I had to take it all
       on faith."
 
      "The recitation instructor would make a good parking lot attendant.
       Tries to tell you where to go, but you can never understand him."
 
      "Problems sets are a decoy to lure you away from potential exam
       material."
 
      "Recitation was great. It was so confusing that I forgot
       who I was, where I was, and what I was doing--It's a great stress
       reliever."
 
      "He is one of the best teachers I have had...He is well-organized,
       presents good lectures, and creates interest in the subject.  I hope
       my comments don't hurt his chances of getting tenure."

      "I would sit in class and stare out the window at the squirrels.
       They've got a cool nest in the tree."
 
      "The absolute value of the TA was less than epsilon."
 
      "TA steadily improved throughout the course...I think he started
       drinking and it really loosened him up."
 
      "Information was presented like a ruptured fire hose--spraying in
      all directions--no way to stop it."
 
      "I never bought the text.  My $60 was better spent on the Led Zeppelin
       tapes that I used while doing the problem sets"
 
      "What's the quality of the text?  'Text is printed on high quality
       paper.'
 
      "The course was very thorough.  What wasn't covered in class
       was  covered on the final exam."

 
(Thanks to John Cavazos for this item.)