Donegan, Lorraine  

Lorraine got teacher of the year for GRC and for good reason. She is great! She genuinally cares about the students in her class, but at the same time she is not a push over at all. She expects good work from her students, but motivates you to do it, and makes the material clear and fair. I recommend Lorraine!

Lorraine is wonderful! She's a very spirited instructor who recognizes all of the difficulties her students experience. Though class is at 7:40 in the morning, there was no way you can fall asleep in her lectures (they're always lively and interesting). Her tests are easy if you show up to all of the lectures. Everything she really wants you to know she points out in class. Lorraine is also an awesome lab instructor. She is really helpful and always encourages you to do better. Lorraine will expects a lot from her students just like clients might in the future. Great experience! It is unfortunate that I will not have more of her classes since I am not DRT.

I put off taking 218 because I didn't want to take an early morning class (7:40 am!), but thanks to Lorraine, I surprisingly stayed up during every lecture. She's a total perfectionist and as long as you know how to take criticism, it helps a lot. Most lectures are either presentations by classmates on specific typographic categories, or class critiques for the next project, so It's really not all that bad. When Lorraine actually lectures, a lot of time is spent playing games or making fun of ugly design. For the midterm and final, she gives you a majority of the answers in lecture. 218 isn't as easy as it sounds, but if you make it to class on time and turn in your projects cut and mounted perfectly with no dirt on them, you'll do fine.

Lorraine is insane. But it's an awesome insane. She woke me up every Wednesday and Friday morning at 7:40am (oh how I love 218) and made it okay for you to love fonts and not feel dorky about it. Okay, actually, I still feel dorky about loving fonts, but at least I know I'm not alone. Lorraine is a great teacher -- anal, and sorta-strict, but she's uses this to make sure you actually learn something. And the stuff I learned in her class were useful and practical, not just stuff you can read of a book.

Lorraine is one of the hardest teachers I took while at Cal Poly. That being said, you will learn ten times more in her class than you would from another teacher. She is extremely picky and particular about projects and believe me you will get pissed a time or two from it. But take her classes! The sooner the better! Her classes push you to be a better designer and will make you want to create beautiful work. The portfolio work you create in her classes will be what you need to get a good job! So suck it up and take her...just be prepared to work hard!

Oh Lorraine...She is an amazing professor. You will learn more in this class then you will in any other class. It's not hard work, it's just a lot of work. Go to all the lectures & labs and you'll be fine. Downside: Lorraine chooses favorites. She is all about her favorites and the rest of the students are kind of screwed. Also, she's kind of crazy; a little in a good way, but mostly in the you don't want to mess with her kind of way. I didn't like her as a person, but this was a great class and she is a good teacher.

Lorraine was an excellent professor. She is extremely organized and she is very clear about what she expects from her students. She gives students ample opportunity to get points in her class, as long as you put in the effort and show up to lab and lecture and she presents all her "lecturette" topics in a way that isn't too boring. She is obviously very knowledgable and I found her to be a very fair and friendly professor. I can't wait to take one of her classes again. I definitely recommend her!

This class was by far my favorite out of any I have taken at Cal Poly and I don't see another beating it. The course was interesting every day of lecture and somehow made me want to wake up for a 7:40 class. Lorraine is also one of the huge reasons why I am now very confident that I chose the right major on campus. Definitely take a class with Lorraine, you will not forget it and it will inspire you to forever spot the little things :)

Lorraine is an awesome professor. She is a typography god. Her lectures are always at 7:40am, so there's no way around that. Be sure to go to class as she literally has pop quizzes at random that are worth a good chunk of your grade. This class is no BS. You will learn a lot in this class. I admit, GrC 218 is pretty difficult and I constantly had work for this course. If you're more of a design student like me, be prepared to spend a lot of time on your projects. The stuff you make in this class are great portfolio pieces. I really wish I had the opportunity to have her in more classes.

I had a really bad experience with Lorraine. She used to be good, but since her "teacher of the year" award she has changed. She won't help you if you have a problem in your design, instead she'll tell you to look it up in a book. And if you still have a question she will not help. I think she has too much on her plate. She is on every single commitee and doesn't have time for her students anymore. She is only nice to people (and helps people) who are already talented using design programs. During critics she spends the most time on people who have good designs (which is like 3 people). Then she only has a minute or twon to critic eveyone elses project and then runs out of time. She asigns so much work for a three unit class. And will not realize that we have other classes, and jobs. She is very inconsiderate. Plus she won't stop talking about her damn kids, I mean who cares. She treats students like we are kids. And always talks down to you. I do not recommend her anymore, but there aren't any other teachers to take in GrC.

A real "NO GO". Misses classes due to going to conventions and conferences. Prefers helping female students. Only notices and helps you if you "buddy up" to her-I'm not very outspoken so wasn't one of her "favorites". Very subjective grader-doesn't even follow her own rubric. Art and Design teachers have better teaching methods.

Expect to work hard especially in upper level courses. She was quite devoted to her students a couple years ago. Now plan on reading between the lines and catch all the details. Know everything she mentions in lecture, lab and in any of the reading (handouts and books).

I agree with one of the previous students that said she has a lot on her on plate, but that's how she became Teacher of the Year. I admit she does play favorites and most of them get more attention during critiques, but I think she's entirely approachable if you ever needed extra help. Being a perfectionist, especially in GRC is not a flaw because you need to have an impeccable sense of seeing what's wrong or what's right in this industry. Her classes are a huge load and makes it challenging but in the end it should be rewarding. I think most of the professors in GRC are pretty great, but I think she's one of the few that actually push you hard and you'll still come out with a decent grade plus skills you can truly use when you get a job. Her average grades on projects are high 90s. You'd only get a bad grade if you screwed up really bad, and she's not one of those professors who gives you surprises. She tells you what's expected and reminds you again on what is expected. It's hard to screw up in her class. And having taken her classes for 3 years, she seriously is one of the best. She's become a bit of a mentor and if she really likes you, she'll pull strings for you.

Lorraine likes certain girls, period. If you're not a girl, or you're not certain (pun intended) you're down a grade before you even start the class.

Spawn of Satan

Fine teacher, but a little dry in the presentation. I wouldnt suggest having her at 8:00 in the morning, might be difficult staying awake.