Reviews of professor Nancy Riley

Rating: 1.0/5, difficulty: 4.0/5
Riley may be passionate about music history, but not so much her students. She can be really snarky with students and blames the students when more than half of her class fails her tests. Your grade is mostly determined by your ability to memorize compositions and information about them in order to identify them. Hated every second, but passible.

Rating: 4.0/5, difficulty: 4.0/5
Nancy Riley is the sweetest professor. She loves to crack jokes and is truly passionate about the history of music. You will need to come to class and pay attention because the tests require you to at least listen to her lectures, but overall would take her again!

Rating: 5.0/5, difficulty: 3.0/5
I had Dr. Riley for First Year Seminar and as my advisor for spring classes. Helpful is an understatement for this woman; she does what she can to keep her students on track and makes class fun. If you have an issue, she is so understanding and helps accommodate for your needs in and out of class. Keep up with your reading and you'll be golden!

Rating: 5.0/5, difficulty: 2.0/5
I was terrified of this FYS class because of her rate my professor. However, I decided to stick with it, and Dr. Riley became one of my favorite teachers that I have ever had. While there is a lot more reading compared to other FYS classes, it taught me to really value the privilege of learning. Love Dr Riley and her humor and passion, 100% take!!!

Rating: 1.0/5, difficulty: 4.0/5
This class sucked. She gives a ton of homework and adds nothing in class. Not only that, but she's very pretentious and always talks down to students. If she doesn't like you, she can be outright mean and spiteful at times. She mindlessly regurgitates meaningless information and is honestly an all-around bad professor.

Rating: 1.0/5, difficulty: 5.0/5
This class was AWFUL. I had 75 min classes twice a week and Dr. Riley would lecture the entire time, mostly on topics covered in the homework so it was just boring repeat information. The tests are extremely difficult even if you study. She plays audio examples from the book and you are expected to know which ones she is playing. Stay away!!!!

Rating: 1.0/5, difficulty: 4.0/5
I guess she is reporting and removing truthful ratings. Do not take this FYS class if you hate busywork- 300-400 word response papers for ever single reading (every class, every day). She just repeats what you just read and wrote a summary about. Very boring and she is condescending if she doesn't like you. Not worth it! Choose another FYS.

Rating: 3.0/5, difficulty: 4.0/5
The Musical Experience sounds all fluffy and easy, but I tell you- it is a straight up classical music history course. It's a whole lot of memorization and being able to distinguish different classical pieces. Riley is super passionate about it, which helps. Grades are from two large tests and a few concert reports.