Yelena Zotova - Penn State University

Professor: Yelena Zotova
Department: Russian
College: Penn State University
Rating # 1
Overview:
  • Course: RUS100
  • Grade Received: D
  • Overall Rating: 5.0
  • Course Difficulty: 3.0
  • For Credit: Yes
  • Textbook Used: N/A
  • Would Take Again: Yes
  • Attendance: Mandatory
Comment:
She truly cares for her students, both in class and on a personal level. She is kind, and a great professor. While I was in her class, I was going through a tough time, she went out of her way to research any outlet she could to help me. I was failing her class, but she ended up passing me.
Rating # 2
Overview:
  • Course: RUS100
  • Grade Received: B-
  • Overall Rating: 3.0
  • Course Difficulty: 5.0
  • For Credit: Yes
  • Textbook Used: No
  • Would Take Again: No
  • Attendance: Not Mandatory
Comment:
My Rus100 class was online and asynchronous. It was a lot of reading. She focuses a lot on Russian art. The chapters were at a good pace until we reached the Soviet Union. I think she focused to much on art and should focus more on historical events. If I knew she would focus this much on art I would not have taken the class.
Rating # 3
Overview:
  • Course: RUS3
  • Grade Received: N/A
  • Overall Rating: 5.0
  • Course Difficulty: 3.0
  • For Credit: Yes
  • Textbook Used: Yes
  • Would Take Again: Yes
  • Attendance: N/A
Comment:
She is so funny and extremely knowledgeable. One of the best professors Ive ever had. There is a lot of homework, but you will be better for it and her comments on them are helpful
Rating # 4
Overview:
  • Course: RUS100
  • Grade Received: A
  • Overall Rating: 1.0
  • Course Difficulty: 4.0
  • For Credit: Yes
  • Textbook Used: Yes
  • Would Take Again: No
  • Attendance: Mandatory
Comment:
The course consists of a lot of reading. She is also a thought grader. Would not recommend it unless you are very interested in Russia. She created this course and had some questions in a quiz incorrect. I pointed this out and she was fairly defensive. My father was in the hospital during this course and she refused any accommodations.
Rating # 5
Overview:
  • Course: RUS3
  • Grade Received: A
  • Overall Rating: 5.0
  • Course Difficulty: 5.0
  • For Credit: Yes
  • Textbook Used: Yes
  • Would Take Again: Yes
  • Attendance: Mandatory
Comment:
I took Yelena for Russian 1, 2, and 3. They were the hardest classes I've ever taken, but if you do all the homework and make test corrections, getting a decent grade is pretty easy. You can get 10% extra credit on each exam and 10% back on test corrections. You will fail if you don't read the textbook and do the work though.
Rating # 6
Overview:
  • Course: RUS001
  • Grade Received: A
  • Overall Rating: 5.0
  • Course Difficulty: 3.0
  • For Credit: Yes
  • Textbook Used: Yes
  • Would Take Again: Yes
  • Attendance: Mandatory
Comment:
Love her! She really cares about her student she and wants them to actually learn Russian. Her jokes are awesome and usually self-deprecating, and if you are making any kind of effort to do well, she will bend over backward to help you reach your goals. Highly recommend.
Rating # 7
Overview:
  • Course: RUS1
  • Grade Received: A-
  • Overall Rating: 5.0
  • Course Difficulty: 3.0
  • For Credit: Yes
  • Textbook Used: Yes
  • Would Take Again: Yes
  • Attendance: Mandatory
Comment:
A lot of people seem to be bashing Yelena but she is great! Her Russian class requires a bit of a learning curve, but it gets much easier as long as you try your best and ask for help. Yelena wants you to do well. She also has a hilarious, old school sense of humor. People need to learn to not be so sensitive, her roasts are always in good taste.
Rating # 8
Overview:
  • Course: RUS100
  • Grade Received: B
  • Overall Rating: 2.0
  • Course Difficulty: 4.0
  • For Credit: Yes
  • Textbook Used: No
  • Would Take Again: Yes
  • Attendance: N/A
Comment:
In Russian 100 there are lecture quizzes each week and they ask extremely difficult and specific questions considering how much material is covered in each lecture. Zotova is accessible for the most part and responds quickly and there are opportunities for extra credit. She won't tell you the correct answers unless you ask about a specific one.
Rating # 9
Overview:
  • Course: RUS100
  • Grade Received: A-
  • Overall Rating: 1.0
  • Course Difficulty: 5.0
  • For Credit: Yes
  • Textbook Used: No
  • Would Take Again: No
  • Attendance: Not Mandatory
Comment:
This history class might as well be taught in another language. The language used is so dry and boring that I honestly didn't learn anything in 4 months. As others have said she is rude to her students and if anyone gives her criticism she blames the class. This "professor" doesn't teach, period.
Rating # 10
Overview:
  • Course: RUS100
  • Grade Received: N/A
  • Overall Rating: 1.0
  • Course Difficulty: 5.0
  • For Credit: No
  • Textbook Used: No
  • Would Take Again: No
  • Attendance: N/A
Comment:
Incredibly rude "professor". This is an online class, and she would send unprofessional emails constantly, berating the whole class. Online she is nasty and gets that internet courage. Due dates are unclear, and 4/5 of the class missed a discussion deadline. She was forced to reopen the assignment, but those who did it on time got graded poorly.
Rating # 11
Overview:
  • Course: RUS2
  • Grade Received: N/A
  • Overall Rating: 1.0
  • Course Difficulty: 4.0
  • For Credit: Yes
  • Textbook Used: Yes
  • Would Take Again: No
  • Attendance: Mandatory
Comment:
DO NOT TAKE. Very UNPROFESSIONAL. Very rude to her students. Don't be surprised if she rolls her eyes and sighs at you if you can't answer a question. She laughs at her students in a way that makes the students feel inferior to her. She also writes rude comments on submitted work. Overall very bad quality teacher. Makes fun of students who struggle
Rating # 12
Overview:
  • Course: RUS410
  • Grade Received: N/A
  • Overall Rating: 5.0
  • Course Difficulty: 4.0
  • For Credit: Yes
  • Textbook Used: No
  • Would Take Again: Yes
  • Attendance: Mandatory
Comment:
Don't take this class as an easy language course just because you know some Russian from your parents. Put in the work, and you will be rewarded. Zotova is a great teacher - funny and intelligent, and she cares about each student growing and learning something new.
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