Eileen GSell
1 course · 38 reviews
All Reviews
very passive aggressive! whenever you speak up in class and she didn't agree with what you said you will be shut down immediately. additionally i felt like she was very demeaning if u spoke out in class and she didn't agree w u + made it very hard for me to speak up after being belittled in front of the whole class. change ur cw teacher if u can.
7/1/2026
unnecessarily tough grader for a freshman writing course. Graded us like we were scholars and wasn't the best at giving advice/feedback to students in a receivable manner. She challenged me as a writer and had to visit her office hours for every assignment- she did make me a better writer but if you're just looking for a easy CW section avoid her
6/22/2026
She gives out grades within like a 5 point range for every student in the class. You have to tailor your writing to EXACTLY how she wants it to get a DECENT grade; highest score for nearly every assignment in the entire class was a 93. If she doesn't like your topic or agree with it, you're getting a bad grade. Take another CW class or theme.
5/11/2026
G'Sell wants you to write the way she would write. She has an idea in her head of how an essay should be, and if your idea is not hers, your grade will reflect that. Get ready to be constantly interrupted and misunderstood in class and during office hours. She picks favorites, and if you aren't one, good luck.
5/11/2026
Don't try to have your own ideas, interests or thoughts, it'll cost you. Make sure whatever you're writing is interesting to HER, what you think doesn't matter all that much. She's also the supreme lord of passive aggressiveness.
4/4/2026
Overall extremely passive aggressive, does not provide insightful feedback.
3/31/2026
My writer's voice would be nowhere near as strong as it is today had I not encountered Prof. G'Sell by chance for a required first-year course. She genuinely engaged the small class's identified interests, often tailoring the syllabus and readings to our research topics. Her feedback was always thorough, and she made the editing process rewarding.
4/10/2025
Prof. G'Sell is one of the most caring, genuinely interested, professors I have encountered at WashU. She genuinely wants her students to become not only better writers, but thinkers, and is incredibly invested in student success. She is readily accessible out of class and gives outstanding feedback. Overall, anyone would be lucky to be her student
4/7/2025
Confined by rhetoric I don't get to choose, Eileen G'Sell controls my moods. Wielding the gradebook like a sword, Each B- tells me that there is nothing to work towards. My words drowned out, Steamrolled by a supposed guide, Who would rather deride. Judged by how well you suck up, Your grade is basically luck.
3/20/2025
She is a very tough grader. She is also passive aggressive and if your writing or a comment in discussion does not follow her personal opinion she disregards it. A good quality of this professor is that she gives great feedback on your writing.
3/3/2025
For your understanding !!!! Please read this before you make a decision! The teacher is a tough grader! Lots of homework, and paperwork, and she does not allow being on the good grades! Do not recommend!
2/1/2025
If you want an easy A, I would suggest taking CW with a different professor. G' Sell is a very tough grader and has high expectations for all her students. She is professional and can be very passive-aggressive about minor human errors. She gives constructive, logical, and thorough feedback on assignments (explaining some of the good reviews).
1/16/2025
Professor G'Sell is kind and overall a good teacher. As long as you show her that you are putting in effort, you should be fine. There is a good amount of reading but it's not necessary as long as you can participate otherwise. She gives very long and elaborate feedback that can be a bit confusing but she is VERY responsive via email.
1/9/2025
Ms. G'Sell is an excellent teacher. The lectures were fun and easy to grasp. The first reading of the class was a bit of a chore, but I didn't do it and was fine. The rubric of this class is a bit vague, so I advise going to Eillen's office hours and finding a thesis that interests her or something she doesn't know much about.
12/21/2024
Eileen had obvious personal judgements against students, particularly female students whom she did not think were similar to her. I do not recommend taking any of her classes.
10/23/2024
A delight to have as a college writing professor. A lot of people dread CW, but with her I highly enjoyed it and feel that I grew as a writer, thinker, researcher, and overall student under her professorship. She supports and challenges ideas in fascinating ways & gives INCREDIBLE feedback. With her as a professor, you're sure to be a better writer
4/26/2024
G'Sell is an effective professor for skill improvement. Offers prompt and constructive feedback, is supportive during office hours, and fair in grading. Not an easy A, but reasonable. The readings in Power and Commodity are interesting; participation and effort are key for success despite the initial reading load.
12/4/2023
If you actually interested in becoming a good writer take her class. If not drop the class.
12/1/2023
I highly recommend switching out of this class if you have this teacher. Even if that means that you have take citizen scientist; don't have Eileen G'Sell as your teacher!
5/16/2023
Eileen G'sell is a nice professor; however, if you want an A in this class, I would recommend taking this class with a different professor.
5/16/2023
Eileen Gsell can not teach and is the harshest grader. Don't take any class with her.
5/13/2023
Also, her office hours were in-person at 8:30 in the engineering-part of campus. That says enough.
5/13/2023
G'sell cares a ton about her students and her work. You need to grind to get an A, so get ready to meet with her consistently in her office hours. But, if you put in the work, you will be rewarded. She is very attentive to students needs and super accessible outside of class. She has a habit of talking over students in class at times though.
4/27/2023
Extremely caring. Super funny. I recommend Power & Commodity Culture to all.
4/17/2023
Professor Eileen G'Sell is a highly respectable professor. She leaves paragraphs of meaningful feedback on every assignment you hand in and is always accessible outside of class to talk further. You need to WORK in her class. Professor G'Sell has made me think in ways I've never thought before and broadened my imagination through her wisdom.
4/15/2023
She's obviously passionate and really believes that what she's doing is important. However, she constantly interrupts students and fails to listen to their ideas, asserting her own before she even truly understands what her students are trying to say. She needs a reality check so that she can use her passion for teaching in a more productive way.
3/16/2023
Impossible to get a good grade if you have differing opinions from G'Sell. She will destroy your thoughts if she disagrees on a personal level and the grade represents this. Office hours are useless: she rarely answers the questions asked and will just criticise your individual opinions/thoughts. Prefers to talk over students than listen to them.
3/7/2023
She constantly interrupts students, will destroy your opinion if it doesn't align with hers. Most unhelpful person during office hours, won't directly answer any questions/will talk about something unrelated. Will talk over you and is a harsh grader if your opinions aren't the same as hers. Has taught me nothing about being a good writer.
3/7/2023
Professor G'Sell is truly one of a kind. She is incredibly accessible outside of the classroom and truly is invested in each of her student's success. I would not be the writer I am today without her guidance, support, and input. Her courses are the perfect mix of structure and independence. I wish I could take another course with her!
2/15/2023
Professor G'Sell is a knowledgeable instructor who is willing to take the time to provide you with detailed, constructive feedback on your writing. Power and Commodity culture had some really interesting readings that were not inaccessibly difficult to grasp, and I would highly recommend it to freshmen for their writing requirement!
2/6/2023
Great teacher. Tough grader and isn't afraid to critique students, but I genuinely cared about what I what I learned in her class. Learned a lot and overall had a great experience.
1/19/2023
I think that Professor G'Sell's teaching style is tailored to those who intend to truly grow in their writing abilities from this course. Not only are her expectations and feedback clear, but she also rewards those who take an active effort to improve as the semester progresses. Put in the effort and attend office hours, and you'll be rewarded.
1/17/2023
This is the worst class I have ever taken. I have always excelled in writing and came as an English major. She crushed this dream. I have never met someone so condescending, passive aggressive, and pretentious. If your ideas are even slightly off from hers, good luck doing well in this class. I would rate her a 0 if I could
10/25/2022
I felt that every original thought I put in this class, was put down. Tough grader and passive-aggressive.
4/20/2021
Professor G'Sell is the best! She gives amazing feedback and really went out of her way to make our online course fun, interactive, and impacting. Power and Commodity Culture is an exciting and rewarding theme for freshman writing -- highly recommend!
1/26/2021