He was a very engaging lecturer and truly showed a lot of enthusiasm for classics! I highly recommend him as a professor because his lectures are always interesting.

Aylward is a super fun professor. His lectures can be a little scattered at times, but overall very interesting to attending (especially difficult for an 8:30 am class). Cracks jokes sometimes during lectures (ALWAYS hits the mark). Grades rather leniently and fairly. If you enjoy history, you DEFINITELY should take him.

Professor Aylward is an incredible professor whom you should absolutely take if you can! His lectures are incredibly engaging and he clearly is super passionate about teaching, as he's always sprinkling in fun extra facts that really endear you to the topic. He is very clear about expectations and is super willing to answer questions. TAKE HIM!! :)

Very entertaining- I absolutely loved his lectures. His passion for both the topics and teaching is indisputable and made me look forward to coming to class. His expectations are clear and exams are an easy format. Sure, there's a lot of reading but they're rather interesting and not chores at all. He makes me wish I was a Classics major!

Dr. Aylward is really entertaining to listen to! I don't think he ever breathes during lectures because he's clearly passionate about the material and wants us to learn as much as possible. You do have to read one play a week for discussion sections but I didn't think they were too bad. Tests are easy if you take notes of everything he says.

I highly recommend this class! I'm a stem major who only took this class to fulfill a literature requirement but I'm so glad I did. Professor Aylward's clear interest in the topics made the lectures more interesting and discussions felt like fun book clubs. As long as read the content, pay attention in class, and study a bit, the class is a breeze

Great professor! Reminds me of Jarvis Cocker from Pulp.

Hands down the best professor I have ever had. The sole reason I declared a certificate in Classical Studies. His lectures are engaging, the tests are straightforward, he is beyond clear about expectations. All you have to do is attend class and take good notes. I cannot express enough how amazing he is!

Professor Aylward is super engaging and passionate about the material. While there's a lot of reading, the exams are manageable if you stay on top of it. Unstuck study was a lifesaver for study prep - highly recommend this class!

Professor Aylward is very passionate about the topic so his lectures are very interesting and informative. You are graded on 3 exams (30% each) and one paper (10%). A lot of the materials are from lectures of the readings (which are free). I would recommend taking this class for easy credit as long as you are willing to go to lecture.

He was really nice and wanted us all to succeed. I was not scared for my grade at all however it was a ton of reading. Be ready to read 100+ pages every week. The exams are entirely based on the reading however I would not say they are hard. Maybe you could get by without reading and just doing spark notes.

I took Aylward's FIG and although the content was extremely boring, he was overall a nice guy. Class is very skippable if you do the readings on Canvas and his tests are straightforward - his exam guides lets you know exactly what to study. He is always willing to take any questions also he might get mad if you come to class late

Very passionate about what he teaches, and lectures are very engaging. The tests were very easy, and the TA's were all very good and helpful. Overall, this class was super interesting and engaging, coming from someone who does not read real literature or is very interested in history. HIGHLY recommend taking this class with Dr. Aylward!

such an engaging lecturer, you can tell how passionate he is about what he teaches. lots of reading but as long as u keep up with the reading and lectures, the tests are pretty easy

Eccentric and passionate. Cares a lot about his students and the course. A lot of reading, but the exams are pretty straightforward.

One of the best prof. I've had! Incredibly caring and receptive to questions, and is THE person for teaching greek/roman myths. He often bring up thought-provoking concepts which I appreciate. Read three classics for the class (which might be a lot) but they are very interesting imo. Exams are straightforward and have very useful study guides.

I loved this class! The course is centered around 3 books, so there is a lot of reading. Your grade is made up of 3 exams (one for each book) and an attendance/participation grade. The exams are fairly easy and straight forward as long as you do the readings and review the study guides.

Professor Aylward is super great! I took his Honors Section and he is super knowledgeable and helpful if anyone has questions. This class is A LOT of reading but overall I would recommend taking this class if you have an interest in the topic

hes so nice and gives study guides and he gave us halloween candy . 5/5

His lectures are super interesting and he's very passionate about what he teaches! There's also a lot of reading but it's manageable if you spread it. Tests involve quote identification and short essays but aren't difficult if you do the readings. (If you're in his discussion he buys you pizza at the end of the semester!)

Professor Aylward has thus far been the best professor I have taken a class with here at UW. He is extremely passionate about the topics he teaches and never fails to hold your attention in class. Exams are very straight foward and clearly laid out, and, as long as you read the textbook and tragedies, notes during lecture are non essential.

Aylward is a top 3 professor. Lectures are incredible and he is very passionate about classics. Every week, you read two chapters from the textbook and one epic/tragedy/comedy, but as long as you write down the highlighted vocab terms, take notes from summaries of readings, and TAKE DETAILED NOTES DURING LECTURE, you'll be fine. Fav class on campus

Favorite class in college. Prof. Aylward is clearly passionate and knowledgeable about the class material and his excitement when discussion it is contagious. Have to read an ancient Greek play every week for discussion, but the content is very interesting and thought provoking. The way he answers your questions also makes you feel very appreciated

The class consists of 4 grades, participation in discussion section and the three exams. I think the course was very fun and lightweight. You will need to read a lot, but you don't have any real assignments. Exams are straightforward - he will make sure you succeed in the course. (Don't take if you don't like myth).

Clearly knows his stuff and has a sense of humor, but lectures are disorganized and his passion lends itself to a lot of background info you don't need to know. You can take the exams based on his lectures, but I was able to just read the textbook and get a similar result. He hands out a specific syllabus for each exam which makes studying easy.

Professor Aylward is overall a great person and instructor, and the class is a very easy literature credit. However, his lectures are often very disorganized for note-takers, and it becomes very easy to lose focus. The course is graded only by 3 exams, which are relatively easy as long as you read the textbooks.

Excellent lecturer. Bought the honors section pizza. Very kind guy, makes a class with a large workload accessible. I would take anything he taught. Three exams -- two midterms and a final. Honors class has pop quizzes about 7 times a semester. Fair grader, study guides in advance, clear on what to study. Great class and person.

Graded on 3 exams and participation in discussion. I absolutely love this professor, he is passionate and lecture isn't boring to me. I would read the books because you need to identify specific passages on the exam. Also go over all the pictures you see in the chapters for the exam to identify characters. Fun class! Professor is a great guy.

Professor Aylward was so passionate about the subject and his lectures were interesting. We read three books (I used litcharts) and the grade was based on the 3 exams and discussion participation. He would send study guides before every exam and the exam follows them entirely so just review those. I only wish he posted the slides or lecture notes.

I personally greatly enjoyed this course. You read 3 books (I used spark notes primarily) and the grade consists solely on 3 exams based on the books and discussion attendance. very well made study guides. just attend discussion and make good study guides and you will do fine.

Not boring and actually enjoys what he is teaching about

Professor Aylward was inspirational and accommodating. His lectures were easy to comprehend and very interesting to learn about. He was easy to contact and very accommodating with any potential problems that came up throughout the year. The material was fun to learn and the exams were reflective of learning the material. Would take again!

Great professor! His slides during the lecture were kind of confusing and hard to follow but he explains them quite well. The exams were straight forward and the weekly assignments for the online discussion were pretty easy and interesting to learn about.

I love Professor Aylward! He's very passionate about the material. As long as you do the readings, the tests (two in-class midterms and a final) are simple. The honors section of this class is very fun, and he greatly encourages discussion. There is admittedly a lot to read, but I think it's manageable so long as you organize your time.

Professor Aylward was excellent! He is very passionate about the topic, although he rambles a little bit. The discussion posts and tests are very straightforward, so you'll be fine if you do the readings and go to class. Definitely recommend taking this class if you want an easy class for a literature credit.

Prof Aylward is one of the best professors I have ever had! His lectures are engaging and every class feels like story time. If you take the honors credit with CL370, it's super easy and engaging. Teaching style is very casual and easy to understand. I would absolutely recommend this class to anyone in need of a literature credit.

I really enjoyed this class. It was for a literature credit, so I was a little nervous, but Prof. Aylward got so excited for the content he was teaching that it almost makes you excited to learn. If I could take another class again with him I would.

Professor Aylward is extremely energetic about the content of his lectures so it makes it more fun. Fairly easy class and exams. You could never go to lecture and still pass this class with flying colors. Using Sparknotes for the readings was also sufficient enough for me to get an A.

Prof. Aylward is a fantastic lecturer - it feels like listening to an engaging story for 50 mins. He's energetic, knowledgeable, and has clear expectations for tests. In the honors section, he puts in extra effort to make students feel appreciated, & to make class fun - we've done two field trips! He clearly cares about the success of each student.

Such a good professor! Clearly passionate about what he teaches. Gives very clear information about what is expected on exams, which aren't that hard if you take an hour or two to study. Makes me excited for his class because of his enthusiasm. Also SUPER knowledgable about this subject and that comes off in his teaching.

Great guy. Lectures are a little rambling but give great information and aren't too long or boring. Only three exams and one writing assignment, so make sure you're reading the textbook and supplementary readings, but content is not difficult and he really wants you to succeed. Gave multiple extensions and opportunities for extra credit.

I wasn't expecting to like this class that much, but it was honestly my favorite class last semester. Professor Aylward is so passionate about the subject and lectures were always interesting and helpful. The reading can feel heavy sometimes, but discussions were super helpful for understanding the texts. Definitely recommend!

This course only requires you to read the book and understand what the main characters have said and done. The lecture is telling the story behind books, which is very interesting, but if you just want to meet the credit requirements, you can skip it.

Professor Aylward is awesome. He is pretty scatter brained but is pretty good at setting clear expectations for exams. There is a lot of reading for this class but that can be expected with a lit class. The exams are super easy, I didn't even read the Odyssey and I got 100% on the exam.

EDITED: I previously rated Aylward pretty low because he can make things confusing in lecture and because you're only graded on three exams and one paper. However, he ended up offering an extra credit paper that massively boosted my grade. I wouldn't take a class with him again - the lectures and material were still too dense for me.

Offered extra credit, accommodating during online transition. Quirky, enthusiastic and knowledgable professor. Super entertaining lectures and manageable exams. Answered emails quickly! If you like mythology, you'll absolutely like the class. Warning: lots of reading of Greek epics and plays but doesn't take long (2 hr a reading a week).

Professor Aylward is the best professor I've had at UW so far. Funny guy, interesting lecturer, really knows his stuff. Literally just show up to class and sparknote the readings and you'll get an A/AB. I received an AB in the class and didn't actually read a single book. The only grades are participation and tests. If you study you'll be fine.

Absolutely wonderful professor. His lectures feel like story time and he offers extra credit opportunities left and right. He seems to genuinely care about this students and want them to succeed, and can make even mundane topics interesting. 10/10 would recommend love u william

Hands down one of my favorite professors. He is enthusiastic and passionate about classics, making the lectures interesting. The tests are relatively specific but are graded generously. I would definitely recommend!

Professor Aylward is a real gem at UW-Madison, ILS 203 was a very interesting class and helped me learn so much about Greek, Trojan, and Roman history. The class is just reading three books essentially and the tests all pertain to the reading. I recommend reading the books and you will be fine on exams. Great prof. and would take it again!

Prof is very knowledgable and clearly loves what he's teaching. You're graded only on 4 exams, but he gives you study guides well in advance and tells you exactly what to expect. He obviously wants all his students to succeed and is accessible if you need anything.

Aylward and his lectures are FANTASTIC. Going to lecture is important if one wants an "A" - tests can be pretty specific. His study guides are very helpful, however. Great professor!

He was a great professor! He really cared about how the students did in the class and wanted everyone to succeed. The exams are a bit tough, but he provides all the material you need to know in lecture. Going to lecture is VERY important.

Professor Aylward is obviously an expert on his material, and the lectures felt more like story time than a lecture because of his enthusiasm for all of the art. Recommended readings tend to show up for essays on the exams, and he provides a detailed study guide for each of the three exams which are very helpful. Overall, a fantastic professor.

This class is a must-take if you love Greek myth. Professor Aylward's lectures really do feel like story time. He clearly lays out what's expected of you, and the TAs are always there to help. Make sure you read all the plays (and not just Sparknotes) and skim through all the images in the textbook.

funny lecturer, clearly knows his stuff but can be confusing at times with the detail. Easy a class though, everything was online

Graded mostly by an in-class essay, which is graded fairly highly. Make sure to be prepared for discussion, and you should be fine. There is a lot of reading, so you may want to read a few stanzas of Homer to see if the class interests you.

Professor Aylward is clearly very knowledgeable and passionate about what he teaches. This class grade consists of 3 exams (each 25% of grade) and participation in discussion. If you do the textbook reading, lecture probably isn't necessary, but I enjoyed his enthusiasm. If you do all readings and discussion, getting an A or A/B is doable.

He is clearly very knowledgeable and passionate about what he teaches, and lectures were great unless you find the topic boring. One part of the exams is identifying quotes, so relying on sparknotes alone isn't helpful. If you do the readings and pay attention in discussion, class will be manageable. Class is based off of 3 exams and discussion.

Really nice guy who is passionate about his subject. He gives very clear directions for how the tests are laid out and reminds us of that on multiple occasions. He is the type of person to go out of his way to do good for the students and that is appreciated. An A is attainable with a little work and dedication without feeling totally swamped.

Professor Aylward is a great professor. He was very clear about what would be on the tests (which were pretty straightforward after this information) and cares about his students. Lectures were enjoyable, but pretty close to the textbook with a tangent every now and then. He certainly seems to be excited about his field. Overall, would recommend.

Do what is assigned and you will have a very high A. Lectures can be somewhat difficult to follow at times but are very interesting. Great professor, very good about giving detailed but easy to follow instructions and giving information ahead of time.

Classics 100 is literally easier than most high school classes I've taken. All of the exams are online essays and are only 1000 words which is basically nothing. Its easy to get 100 on weekly assignments while barely even reading the spark notes for the books. If you actually want to engage in the class tho, his lectures can be pretty interesting.

Lecture isn't mandatory but very entertaining. The tests are easy if you make quizlets and do the reading. There is a lot of reading but it's an easy read and is actually interesting. Discussion sections are mandatory but are extremely helpful and help consolidate the material.

Aylward is a real life Rick Sanchez. He's very excitable and fun to listen to, but you don't need to go to lecture. What you need to do is read the textbook and assigned plays. Sparknotes won't cut it (learned the hard way). Make two-sentence flashcards of all characters and key terms as you read. If you do that (and like Greek myth) you're golden

Took the class based on a recommendation from my advisor. Good god, don't take this class unless you love greek myth. I was apathetic towards it, and memorizing 120 terms along with quotes and pictures every midterm is really, really annoying. They are very strict about terms ( you can't just write the definition) so the first exam tanked my grade

Look, it's an easy class. Do what you're assigned (60ish pages of reading a week), make a few quizlets, go to class and you'll get an A. The lecture is fun, and it is really like story time. I have to be real though, the guy just doesn't seem to care about students. He blows off questions and is not approachable.

Really great professor. Makes a lot of dad jokes during lecture. Grading on exams really straight forward, which makes studying easy. He does ramble on occasionally and can forget what he's saying from time to time, but it's not that bad.

Prof Aylward is super passionate about his work and makes hilarious dad jokes throughout class --but this class was extremely difficult for me (someone who has never studied Greek/Roman/anything of the sort before. Tests were so hard and no matter what i studied I would get 20points below avg. You are expected to know the most minute details- ugh

good

Aylward was great. I have a strong interest in Classics, so this course was very fulfilling for me. Lectures could be a bit obtuse, but generally followed the mandatory reading word for word. Reading was an absolute minimum (10-40 pages/week). If you have any interest in Classics, take a course with Aylward!

He is an amazing professor, who is very passionate about his class and work! His lectures can be long and boring but tests are easy. 3 tests, all blue book. He is easy to approach and he is really sweet! Would definitely recommend taking this class or any class with him! The textbook will help you if you don't go to class.

I loved listening to his lectures because he obviously is very invested in his work and is also very knowledgable. He has an interesting sense of humor and it may not be appreciated by everyone. There was lots of reading to do for my class and the only way to get some of the information was to go to lecture.

I have taken this Professor for three semesters in a row now, starting with ILS 203 (Western Arts and Literature), and then Classics 370 (Classical Myth), and now Classics 430 (Troy: Myth and Reality). This is a great professor. He knows everything, is willing to talk with you (in office hours), and he is absolutely hilarious. Gives great lectures.

King of Dad Jokes. Classics 370 is basically just story time, it's great. I also took him for ILS 204. Don't take ILS 204 with him. He's way too passionate about the subject to teach a survey course. He gets too bogged down in anecdotes. Classics 370 was a blast though. He's a good story teller and tests were easy. Socially awkward but a nice guy

Aylward's course was sufficiently interesting; though, the lectures were usually hard to follow. He definitely knows what he's taking about, but his ways of thinking and teaching don't really fit the norm... and not in a good way. Like a humanist angel, he made the final a take-home. William Aylward, praise be unto him.

I came to his lectures because he's the most interesting and most passionate professor I've ever seen. The material sometimes got dull but he kept it interesting. If you don't love Greek mythology, DO NOT TAKE THIS CLASS. But if you love the subject, you'll love this professor.

GREAT professor! He was clearly passionate about mythology and his enthusiasm for the subject was contagious (he also wears cool leather jackets). Lectures sometimes were long a bit boring but overall good. Read the textbook and you will do just fine-- the exams follow the terms quite closely. Be sure to study the pictures in the booklecture!

This class is great if you are interested in Greek mythology. You learn a lot and Professor Aylward is very enthusiastic about the subject. Lecture attendance isn't necessary, as everything on the exams is covered in the textbook that you read. Not necessarily an easy A, as there is a quote id section on the midterms and final which can be hard.

Totally loved the class. Only grades are the 2 midterms (blue books) and final, but he changed the final to a collection of shorter take-home essays because he thought a 7:45am final on Mother's Day was ridiculous. Midterms based off of infopics in the text. He's passionate about the subject and oftentimes throws in some humor (think dad jokes).

Professor Aylward is clearly passionate about classical myth. His lectures are entertaining because of his goofy stories and descriptions. His exams are easy if you review the textbook and do all the readings that are assigned.

Relatively easy. Honestly skipped class half the time but still easily passed. All the guidelines for the midterms and final were clearly explained ahead of time. Just make sure that you read the textbook well and go to discussions, as well as read the assigned books.

so easy, i went to the first few lectures and never went again, read the textbook and you'll be fine. discussion helps a lot too. a little bit of studying for the midterms and you're golden. easy a.

going to lecture was pointless if you read the textbook. the tests are very straight forward and you'll do well if you read the books, even though its a lot of reading. also discussion is mandatory which kinda sucks

Aylward is a passionate and brilliant professor. He really knows his stuff. He also is very clear about whats going to be on exams so if you put the work in (which isn't a lot) you'll do well. I did find lecture a little disconnected from exams, also the reading list is a little long. Overall would recommend.

Dr. Aylward is a witty, passionate professor. He makes every lecture interesting and presents the material from the textbook in a power point presentation. There are 3 exams, including the final. On the exams, you are tested on information about the images he presents in class and about general topics that are discussed in the textbook.

The subject matter he teaches in ILS 203 has the potential to be really interesting, but Professor Aylward has a very roundabout way of talking. IT is difficult to pay attention during lecture because he pauses often in the middle of sentences. Lecture is not necessary just make sure to read your text book when assigned.

Good professor whose lectures are pretty entertaining. He provides notes ahead of time, but they are very disorganized and difficult to follow when studying later. The tests weren't too difficult, he is very straightforward with what is on the tests ahead of time. Recommend the class, interesting material.

Lecture only course with three exams. Lecture is really interesting if you're into Roman art. Exams are short answer (right or wrong responses) and an essay. The exams were based solely on what was in the textbook, limiting necessary studying. Aylward seemed like a cool cat, passionate and knowledgeable about his field. Good class. (AH304=CL304.)

Professor Aylward was extremely engaging and funny. His lectures were pretty much straight from the book, but were still interesting. He is very knowledgeable about mythology and wants others to find the topic interesting, too. The exams could be a little hard with pic and quote ID, defining vocab, and essays. I would recommend this class though.

Match the pictures from the book to ones he shows in class, know the details about those pictures and you'll do great. Hes a nice guy, but if you go to office hours it seems like he is not focused. Entertaining guy, enjoyed the class.

Prof. Aylward was awesome! Very passionate and intelligent in what he taught. Very outgoing and understanding. It was easy to follow along with what he was saying. Exams are easy if you come to class, read your textbook, take notes; there are no trick questions thrown into the exam. TA's are good too.

Professor Aylward was always entertaining and his exams were easy. If you followed along in lecture and studied the pictures and captions in the textbook you would do fine. His interest in the subject is what makes him a great professor.

ILS 203 is a fantastic course. You discover the origins of Western Culture by learning the most interesting parts of ancient history and reading classic literature. I loved it.

Textbooks are a must, since his exam questions include identifying art pieces from the book, vocabularies from the book, and identifying context. Discussions are mandatory and based on reading materials. Funny and engaging man, loved his orange Converse.

Great professor! One of my favorites at UW Madison. He is extremely knowledgeable-especially in terms of Troy/archaeology. He's actually been to Troy to excavate. He is a fair grader and really wants you to succeed. You must take him at least once!

He is an awesome professor. Genuinely interested in his subject and is very inspiring. The exams were kind of difficult though so be sure to read the text thoroughly. The papers were really easy to get good grades on. I started the class with a D on the first midterm and ended with an A because of how well I did on the papers.

Fantastic professor. His wit and passion truly rubs off you. He's easily excitable when he speaks about his passions--particularly Troy. His powerpoints/slides are not at all detailed; however, he's quite articulate. Read the book or at the very least the vocabulary list after class. It elucidates material before heading to his office hours.

Aylward's passion towards classical myth tends to rub off on you, and taking this class really gave me appreciation for the subject. It's a pretty easy class; lecture's aren't really necessary as he pretty much lectures out of the book. That being said, his lectures are funny and engaging. Great professor

Aylward is a really good professor who clearly loves what he's doing. If you buy the textbook you'll find that his lectures are right out of it which makes things easy when he gets off-topic during class. Overall great guy, nice to look at and really funny.