seriously, Almog wasn't that bad, he's quite entertaining actually (he always wore the tiny track shorts, even on the coldest days and the day he wore jeans was like watching a dog walk on its hind legs). See, I am one of those people who took Philosophy 7 because I needed to fulfill a GE requirement and my friends who had taken him said the class was cake, just go to your discussion and the final review session. They were so right. When Almog lectures it seems as if he's going off on a tangent and some stuff you're just like "wtf?!" but the key to understanding Almog (maybe not understanding but just getting through this class) is to a)go to discussion b) just take the things Almog says at face value, do not try to analyze them and find deeper meaning, or hell even understand what he's talking about- that is not the way to get an A in this course! Your TA's are CRUCIAL to this course, so go to their OH's and go to the final review. Basically if you need a GE you need to fulfill and you don't feel like putting your sweat and tears into a class but you still need to get an A, take this class!!!

His horrid fashion sense translates in to his horrid teaching abilities. Although his quirky lecture style is a fresh break from a typical boring professor, his lectures are completely disorganized, usually meaningless and typically hijacked by a student with an irrelevant question, such as the possibility of time travel. Im not saying what he has to say has no value, but he could at least organize it in a clear enough way so he doesn't have to reject an entire week of lecture in the place of new ideas. The TAs do little to help as well. Rely on them as the only people who can decipher Almog's cryptic lectures, but don't rely on them to decode Almog's twisted lecture questions (they don't understand them either). Unfortunately the class is more about interpreting Almog's views than those of the philosophers' discussed. For someone interested in philosophy, this was a complete turn off. Avoid Almog at all costs.

Almog is one of the BEST professors I have had thus far. Yes, he is at times disorganized, and does tend to go off on tangents, but despite that he is wonderful. It was difficult at first to understand his lectures, but you get used to it throughout the course. His TA's were awesome. They were all very helpful. Almog was definitely concerned with the well-being of his students, and he always made sure that we were understanding the material. He knows and shows that the material he presents is quite difficult, which is why he is very understanding and does everything possible for his students so that they can do well. Despite the difficulty of the material, there were alot of great resources available thus if you do not do well in his class, it is a result of your own doing. Take his class! It's a great way to challenge your thinking.

BEWARE: this class is not what it once was. Apparently it has gotten much harder, and in Almog's words (more or less): This is the hardest class and final I've ever given. So while the workload is the least I've ever had at UCLA, this class does require you to master the material in order to do well on the tests. Tips to do well: 1) Don't bother taking notes in class, its too difficult to do this well given Almog's all-over-the-place teaching style. 2) GO TO SECTION and the FINAL REVIEW, its the only place you will get clear and organized information. THE ONLY PLACE. 3) Don't bother reading the course reader, except for a quick gloss because the stuff makes no sense (at least to me). 4) Do a draft of your answers to the tests beforehand. And voila you should do ok. This class is not an easy A, I realized that and switched to P/NP. If I didn't get a P, I'd probably would have got a B/B+. So if you want a GE that requires the BARE MINIMUM of effort, take this, and get a B. If you want an easy A, I don't think this is the class for you. BTW, people loved Sarah Coolidge, but frankly I found her voice nauseating and her personality annoying overall. Julie W. was much better, clear voice and clear way of teaching. As for Almog... don't even get me started.

Almog is very disorganized and loves to go on tangents. Everyone elses reviews are pretty much spot on. Your grade depends on your TA. The class is entertaining and you'll find yourself laughing about Almog outside of class. But other than that, go to section, all the review sessions, and ask your TA ANYTHING that you want to ask. Usually they will pretty much give you the answers. Just hope you get either Julie or Coolige as your TA. Julie is incredibly helpful and probably the best TA i have ever had!

Almog is not the best teacher, but he cares a lot about his class and seems very knowledgeable.

As others have said, when he lectures he goes on tangents that have tangents, and can be very difficult to follow. He gives several opportunities to turn in optional assignments that can get you an automatic A in the class. He also gives out the exam questions a week in advance, so your TAs have time to decipher them and provide answers.

That being said, your success in this class depends upon your TA. I sat through discussions held by each of them, and all were very knowledgeable but some more helpful than others. Sarah Coolidge is by far the best, and is one of the most articulate and clear-thinking TAs I have had. She condenses 4 hours of Almog's blather into 10 minutes, and spoon-feeds it in a manner that anyone could understand. She also gives out answers to the midterms and final almost word-for-word.

As you might be able to guess, this class is almost a guaranteed A as long as you go to discussion.

So there's good news and bad news when it comes to professor Almog. The good news is that he's not monotonous and doesn't put you to sleep; its kinda funny when his voice gets all high pitched when he gets excited about his explanation. He tells you what to expect on the midterms...and there are no papers! The bad news is that while he is explaining, his tangents seem to have tangents, which also tend to have their own tangents. You end up confused and don't even remember what he was talking about in the first place. Just make sure to go to your discussion times because they summarize 2 hours of lecture into 20 minutes. I recommend Sara as a TA (she's reallyy reallyyy good).

So there are more cons than pros for Almog's phil 7 class.

Pros: Your grade is only based on two midterms and a final, very little reading, sections are optional, and he virtually gives you the questions on the midterms and finals ahead of time.

Cons: There is no syllabus, he is a terrible lecturer, the reading is dense, and you HAVE TO go to sections in order to understand what is going on in class.

I got an A in the class through a lot of effort. Most students are frustrated after leaving his lectures but are put at ease after consulting their TA. The best TA for this course by far is Sara Coolidge....and if you don't have her still go to her discussion sections, she literally clarifies 2 hrs of lecture in 20 min.

Dont try to take notes when listening to Almog. If you just listen to him, instead of trying to be organized about the information, you'll find that you understand it a lot better. He explains things thoroughly, though he is a bit of a windbag, and he has those few one liners that arent intended to be funny but are: "Suppose I was FAT". His voice gets high pitched when he gets excited, and he is altogether a very entertaining professor. As long as you are able to take in what he says and use common sense to understand it, you'll be fine. I think the TA's were useless in this class, none of them agreed on what concepts were being taught, and i doubt any of them understood the lectures.

Almog is a confusing man. His lectures are completely disorganised, sometimes entertaining, often frustrating. He often goes into a sentence, gives a few made up words, and doesn't finish the point, making it somewhat difficult to take notes. It feels like sometimes he goes over a relatively simple topic in great detail, and glosses over important points. He ignores certain questions, but is very receptive to others. He's a confusing man, and if you like to hear quotes such as 'Philosophy 7 is like a fish', there are occasionally great moments in class.

To be honest, if you want to really learn something, I'd avoid this class. Easy A? Not too sure yet, I'll get back to you on that.