<p>Oram is brilliant. He’s clearly excited about English literature and knows his stuff. Yet despite his extensive knowledge on the subject, he’s really approachable and sweet, and he has a great sense of humor. Anything he teaches will be interesting.</p>
<p>He does expect excellence from his students, but he gives about a page of typed commentary on each paper written and provides ample opportunity to have a conference with him to discuss revision. You will do a lot of reading, but that’s true with most FYS courses. What sets Oram’s classes apart from some other classes is that he has truly mastered the art of guiding class discussion. He can steer it into an interesting or challenging territory, yet he knows when to step back and let the students drive. </p>
<p>If I recall the description of this Utopia course, it’s new, so there might be a few bumps that will need smoothing out. I’m sure it will be fascinating, though he may be a bit awkward when discussing some of the topics in that course. My friends and I joke that Oram is the last person we want to hear discussing lust just because he’s an adorably awkward man. :)</p>