Western Kentucky University / A / Harry Allen

Worst teacher i have had since i have been at WKU. Besides the fact that he is completely senile, he cannot teach. He is unorganized and unwilling to help students. Class averages were horrible and he was still unwilling to explain anything. Tests were based over NOTHING that we ever learned and you were never warned. DO NOT take this course unless you feel like working super hard for nothing.

This is the captstone class for journ majors, so don't expect it to be easy. He knows what students should have learned, and expects them to apply that to stories. There were 3 main stories due throughout the semester and we were working on them basically all at once. He will help you with anything and will always answer questions promptly and efficiently. He's a great professor and knows what he's talking about. It's not an easy class, but if you work hard, it will pay off.

Although Mr. Allen is a nice person, he is very disorganized and fails to consistently have well thought out lesson plans. If you care more about a professor's cool factor than his teaching ability, then he is the professor for you. Otherwise, I DO NOT recommend this professor.

The material in this course isn't difficult, however, Professor Allen makes it very difficult and NEVER lets you know what is expected. You spend most days going over the writing assignments (short ones) that you did the day before and he just picks them apart. The problem is that he often contradicts himself and never really settles on what he likes. One day he might tell you one thing and the next day he says the opposite and refuses to admit that he's done so. The tests are really easy and the quizzes aren't too bad, but he grades the homework very thoroughly and is not afraid to give you a score of less than 50. It's open ended, so you could end up with a 0/100 because he just keeps marking off for anything and everything and that includes spelling. Attendance isn't mandatory but he does assign homework almost everyday, and if you aren't there when he assigns it, you may not turn it in. He's an alright guy but I don't recommend him for a 200 level course.

It is a hard class, but it is really helpful for any major. Stay on top of the work, do not miss quizzes or assignments. If you stay on top of stuff and don't let it build up you can get out of the final and still do well. The first test is a killer, and most people do not do well, but they get easier on the next one and the last one is totally easy. You get to drop one too. So, he have a chance to redeem yourself.

Harry Allen knows what he's talking about, and makes sure to stuff every bit of that knowledge into his students' heads! It's a whole lot of information to retain, but he makes it interesting on some days. He'll show inappropriate & funny headlines from newspapers, questionable photos that were published, and flat out stupid writing examples from reporters-- those were entertaining. He came off fairly rude in the beginning, but eased up considerably as the year went on. The only reason I didn't give him the high score was b/c he never acted friendly to me once. I tried, but he sure didn't want to give me the time of day! :-( Other than that, he's an effective professor.

This class will scare you at the beginning but don't let it. Its easy to get intimidated, but all Mr. Allen is trying to do is prepare you for real journalism. He's really awesome and will work with you if you're having problems in the class. Have your assignments ready to turn in when class starts, he doesn't accept anything late. There's no outside extra credit, but there are extra credit questions on the tests. Keep up on your current events, because he gives a test every week and doing well on them can really help your grade out. For us the final was optional and he did drop one test grade. It seems like he's being hard on you but I promise you'll come out with a lot of useful knowledge, whether or not you plan to go into news writing.

I liked mr. allen as a person, but i was really disappointed by his class. He will leave you in the dark about your grade until you finally look it up on topnet after the final. He returns papers VERY late. I did well in this class, but somehow ended up getting poor grade, which was strange. He is VERY political. I would warn you. I was very disappointed by him in the end because I worked REALLY hard and got nothing for it.

Mr. Allen is a great professor. He gives it to you straight but knows what he is talking about. I highly recommend his class.:)

Harry is a great teacher and I learned alot in his class. Go to every class and pay attention and you will make a good grade. There is not very much homework or things to do. It's a good course.

You have to do a lot of homework, which is really repetitive, but it helps a lot in making you spot mistakes easier. Plus, Mr. Allen is the best professor at Western. He tells it to you like it is and doesn't sugar coat anything, which is great. High recommend taking him for any class possible.

Professor is very good! I loved this class even though it was hard. He is very interesting, teaches well, and means business. When he says something, he means it. I highly recommend this professor.

This is a writing-based class. Like all of Mr. Allen's classes, it's tough but good. He's a demanding, crusty newspaper editor - but a great guy who'll always give you a chance if you're not as dumb as a brick. If you are, he'll let you know gently but firmly.

This is a VERY difficult class but He offers some great opportunities for extra credit if you determine to do them. They can save your grade. He is a very good teacher even though the class is hard. It is interesting and stimulating, however, and never boring. Expect daily homework.