Bolano, John Paul A. teaches at Ateneo de Manila University. Across 37 comments from students, they hold a rating of 3.6 out of 5. Of those comments, 21 read positive, 1 read mixed, 6 read neutral and 9 read negative. They are listed for 5 sections this term.
Bolano, John Paul A.
Ateneo de Manila University Β· 37 comments
What students said
positive 21
neutral 6
mixed 1
negative 9
Bolano, John Paul A.3.6
Background
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Depends on youread from published reviews and public records Β· medium confidence
Take Bolano if you want a THEO 12 lecturer students call strong and insight-heavy, you can arrive on time, and you can work in a Filipino lecture hall with English as a fallback. Lean away if you need an easy A or cannot protect the start of class. Sample is three comments, so this is context_dependent rather than take or avoid.
Suits
students who want a demanding, insight-heavy THEO 12
English speakers willing to hear Filipino lectures and ask for restatement
students who can arrive before the door closes
Look elsewhere if
students hunting an easy A or protecting QPI above the learning
students who cannot reliably reach BEL at the start of class
PhD Β· Assistant Professor Β· Theo 12 cluster coordinator
Took him for onsite this sem! Iβd like to say that heβs the best prof iβve had so far in ADMU!
I didnβt initially enlist for his class, but I ended up here since I had to match with my NSTP.
Language: A lot of people are taken a back with his class being taught in Filipino, but he also explained its purpose rin: that if you were to apply the lessons outside of class and go into communities, you would most likely be talking to them in Filipino. Heβs not super strict din naman with its use, if di talaga kaya papayag naman siya that youβre outputs and recitation are in English.
Requirements: He gives surprise quizzes so be prepared nalang every meeting. He will announce naman what readings you should be prepared with every session. There are a few times that he asks for short essay outputs (i think we had 1-2). He doesnβt use Canvas at all, so pretty much all submissions are printed or handwritten, very old school siya!
Attendance: Very strict with time, my class is at 12:30 and he only accepts students until 12:35. If you enter past that, he wonβt allow you to go in class. Same rule applies for him rin, but in my class he was never late πΏ Pumasok yon isang beses 12:34!
Grades: Very humbling experience! If youβre aiming for an A β¦. uhm sige go try mo. He has high standards when it comes to outputs, you cannot bullshit your way through this class. Once you start having quizzes, just know na itβs normal to get grades of 0.5, 1, 2 on a 4 point quiz π
Teaching: Really engaging class! This is what I love the most in his class. As a catholic school girlie, super gasgas na sakin mga theo and philo classes ko, but in his class its different! Youβll leave every class mind blown and your life will be changed ππ Itβs like having a tedtalk every time! He makes lots of dad jokes too haha bentang benta naman sakin. He really knows what heβs teaching, and heβs gonna make sure you understand the lesson talaga. Heβs very critical of both society and the church, and VERY critical towards Ateneans too haha. (bawal sa sensitive π€£)
Though there are times na magkaiba kami ng stances on issues (abortion, divorce, etc.), heβs not purely dismissive towards those, he admits rin that those kinds of topics are not his forte and that heβs just explaining yung side ng Church.
Final Group Work: Youβre groupmates will be the people you go to immersion with sa NSTP, do what you will with that info when you start choosing where youβll do immersion. Throughout the sem, heβll be guiding you naman on how the Pastoral Cycle works because this will be the basis for your presentation.
For our group we presented for 1 hour + Q&A for 30 mins. Sort of intimidating din yung way of presentation because you do drawlots using baraha cards before you start sa presentation. Basically, heβll be randomly picking who will be presenting each part as the presentation goes on. (Ex. Person A please present this section) So you have to be prepared to present basically the whole thing π
If you really want to learn, iβd say go for his class! You really have to put work in to get a decent grade but it really is worth it! He trains your way of thinking and capability to articulate your thoughts which I think is a super helpful life skill din hehe no matter your program πmore
Kind Kite
HI! I took his class online π₯Ή so I'll be giving comments about his teaching
positive
CourseTHEO 12
HI! I took his class online π₯Ή so I'll be giving comments about his teaching style!
Sir Lance knows THEO 12 very well so prepare to learn a lot from him in every class meeting. He likes it when the class engages during the discussion (perhaps this separates the As and B+s) so read the material/s before entering the class.
Quizzes can be tricky but they're just rephrased from the materials themselves. You might fail the first quiz (which I did π) then flourish from then on.
The course was heavy on group works, but he asked our class whether anyone wants to work individually. You have you and your groupmates throughout the course!
What I liked the most (tricky also) was the Pastoral Spiral. Explore n'yo na lang once you get into his class. π«Ά
ALSO, the modules are thicc af, which you can use at your own advantage specially for your paper. Hindi mo siya maloloko sa papel mo. π
A-able with EFFORT! Effort of showing up during class hours and showing up in your group works.
Overall, I'm thanking him that I'm a part of his class (even though it's my only choice hahah). He's called βTHEβ Bolano because he's a great teacher (and medyo high standards). The whole experience was life changing. π Hindi ka magsisisi.more
Anonymous
Scary reviews, actually nice, print your readings
positive
Hey!! Got him last sem and was so worried since his reviews painted him so .. scary honestly .. but sir in actuality was really nice and accommodating to your needs and concerns :β(( Life changing indeed. Advice would be to PRINT YOUR READINGS!! and always take them with you i kid you not (as someone who did not listen to the last reviews on him) and read them kahit dimo gets π. As much as possible keep your quiz scores up (from readings mostly). Engage with the class with interest! And he is strict with his class time, papalabasin ka kung late ka π (He might give bonuses, I think for us it was the readings) I got B-B+ with him, just be really genuine with what youβre learning and apply it to our current social situations, maging muwang!
Also, he loves debating and debunking your opinions based on the topic at hand so have fun during class tbh, classes with him are loud af and super fun bcos of it HAHAHmore
All comments
Quiet Alpaca
Strict on reqs, lenient weekly quizzes
neutral
For requirements that aren't quizzes, I'd say he's pretty strict with high standards. He's looking for output that shows that you really understood the readings and lectures.
Grading for quizzes is rather lenient or they're just straightforward . He has quizzes at least once a week on a size 4. The questions are usually about the last or next reading and as long as you mention all keywords and concepts from them then you're guaranteed a perfect.more
Anonymous
positive
personally got bolano in a HEAVYY sem (not by choice... i remember crashing out when i didn't get my first choice π) but it turns out, it wasn't as bad as what people make it to be! i was scared at first too but i think the key really is to get groupmates who would put in the same effort and to do really well with ur social analysis and theo reflections (both by grp) then maximize the consultations.
as for the quizzes, make sure lang talaga you understood the reading and know what's going on in his class. i also don't think i got all perfect scores for all the quizzes, but still got an A. in my personal experience, he was worth it cuz you get a lot of insights during his discussions
pero yeah, as for any review you see here in profs to pick, take everything with a grain of salt. ofc, everyone's experiences will vary and there are still a lot of diff factors to it :>>more
Calm Crane
the goat
positive
Retake?Yes
the goat
Hidden Llama
can vouch, he's considerate about valid lates
positive
can vouch!
RE: lates, he's also told our class that if ur reasons for being late are valid he will not be super inconsiderate naman din, just inform him in advance
+++ as a probinsyana girlie who cannot fluently speak in tagalog for her life, rest assured he allows u to speak AND write in english without deductions (he mentions it a lot in class too in a joking way na he is a changed man from the way he was before, when he was more strict) its just a lot more preferred if u rllly try to converse in tagalog since the way he discusses + the content of his slides are in tagalog mostly!more
Earnest Osprey
Love him, would take him again no matter how heavy my load
positive
love him get him would take him again no matter how heavy my load
Anonymous
Most goatalicious prof ever, I'd pick him over and over
positive
most goatalicious prof ever i would pick him over and over again if i ever wanted theo classes again
Swift Viper
Put in the effort and you'll really learn a lot
positive
sir bolanoβs class is not something you should take for granted because if you put in the effort, you really will gain a better understanding of the world and the institutions that run it (and possibly get an A with enough effort!). read the readings, take notes in class, review with your friends (splitting notes for orals can help, but make sure to still master the concepts yourself and personalize your answers!). most of all, keep your mind open to all of the realities that youβll be discussing in class!more
Kind Panda
Hands down best prof I've ever had in Ateneo so far
positive
hands down best prof iβve ever had in ateneo so far!
Anonymous
Life changing but grades depend on orals and group work
believe the reviews when they say life changing!
pero in all honesty, your grades will depend on how you'll do sa oral exam, and the final group work (so get goooood groupmates). personally, bagsak bagsak ako sa quizzes pero namagic at naging B+ so ayun hahaha
as a lecturer, magaling talaga siya. Mostly in filipino, of course, but he will translate main points in english. readings are also in english, and are the basis of the weekly quizzesβsuprise na lang kung may quiz talaga o wala.more
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Quiet Viper
Hello! Does he atleast post which readings to read before meetings? Or are we supposed to be dependent with his syllabus?
Keen Crane
Goated but always pop quizzes, you really have to read
positive
goated! pero you really have to prepare before class bc there are always pop quizzes. bahahaha whats funny is u will never guess from which reading siya kukuha ng png question so lowkey you really have to read π
he will change how you think about being a man for others. in both how and whymore
Witty Yak
Passionate but strict, wouldn't recommend for a heavy sem
mixed
very passionate but strict π would not recommend if you have a heavy sem! he usually has pop quizzes almost every meeting + required readings before every meeting. very high standard also for orals and quizzes.
he has a 5-min grace period for class (imbes na 15 mins)more
Anonymous
(except sa part na ginisa nya kami sa theo x nstp group presentation)
(except sa part na ginisa nya kami sa theo x nstp group presentation)
Quiet Seal
HES MY SHAYLA πβ€οΈ took him online and i genuinely don't remember much cause
positive
CourseTHEO12
HES MY SHAYLA πβ€οΈ took him online and i genuinely don't remember much cause this was in 2nd year (graduated 2024) but he's one of the most passionate and well-meaning profs i've ever had.
yeah groupwork heavy nga yung course niya ! i loved that he really cared about politicizing theo12 for us + hindi lang basta turo then bounce. i could also tell he appreciated and enjoyed discussions when people were equally engaged and passionate towards the material !
honestly pls do get him ! one of the best profs i've ever had. <3more
Icy Koala
took his class for this sem, one of the best profs I ever had so far !!
positive
took his class for this sem, one of the best profs I ever had so far !! madalas complex/deep yung concepts sa readings, but he teaches them in ways na the class can understand. engaging din siya magdiscuss ^^ however, as mentioned by other comments, he's very strict time-wise + he gives quiz to make sure na you've read the readings. not an easy A class din hajdkdkd i would still say tho na if you got enlisted for his class, go for it pa rin kasi i personally learned a lot π€more
Rapid Lynx
review all of the readings comprehensively!!
review all of the readings comprehensively!! try to integrate most/all of the readings in a comprehensive outline. you can use this to frame your answer regardless of the thesis statement you get. some of the thesis statements involve concepts that need some external research a bit so look out for that... kakayanin yan orzmore
Daring Koala
aside from integrating reading + discussion notes, as much as possible, ground
aside from integrating reading + discussion notes, as much as possible, ground your answers in your personal experiences or what you've learned through NSTP. good luck,! πmore
Hidden Alpaca
Give 100%, worth it with or without the A
positive
Retake?Yes
give his class the same energy he gives it (your absolute 100%)! super duper worth taking with or without the A though... lives were changed π€
Mellow Seal
Hella difficult but doable, perfect the NSTP final
positive
4.0 attainableYes
goated. as someone who did get an A, it was hella difficult but super doable. consult! also, perfect and i mean perfect your NSTP final presentation. all groupmates must know it like the back of their hand because heβll be the one to decide the order of the presentation.more
Earnest Gecko
Not an easy A, but he teaches really well
positive
BOLANO IS THE GOAT! your qpi will suffer, and he is definitely not an easy A, but his class is amazing. he teaches really well and really provides lots of valuable insights. expect the same energy for your finals though. pretty sure our class mean was somewhere around a C or C+more
Noble Otter
Read everything, crush midterm and finals
i believe read all assigned readings (and more!), just do really really well in his midterm exam and final presentation, and the rest will follow π also get good groupmates!!more
