Professor
Sheldon Smith
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Most Helpful Review
Fall 2022 - Preface: I took this class during the TA-strike; the whole class was awarded full participation points. You do not need to be a math genius to take this class. I took logic as a prereq but you don't need to be advanced. The Prof: Dr. Smith is so great. His exams are exactly what he covered in lecture making the material feel a lot less intimidating. He's funny and clearly passionate about teaching. He's deeply invested in his students. I went to office hours every once in a while, he always answered questions clearly and in detail. He's a very popular professor. TA: I had Alonso Molina. Honestly, I would get more confused when he explained things to me BUT I went over my study guide answers with him before the midterm and he helped a lot. He told me what I should pay close attention to and what I could improve on. Again this is just the study guide.. but filling out the study guide helps for the exam. Material/Workload: not bad but not great. Definitely keep up with the readings, try to stay consistent with notes. I usually took notes after lecture but I think that taking notes before would have been an advantage. The material is DRY and convoluted as hell. McTaggart can eat his heart out, I can't stand his theories. Luckily Smith explains it very well. Things get better with Block theory, Growing Block, theories of space, and Minkowski spacetime. It's hard but lecture makes it easier. The material is hard but honestly, Smith makes it worth it. I love philosophy; I'm glad I took this class because now I know what this side of philosophy is. I still prefer Nietzsche, Fanon, and Korsgaard. Exams: 1 Midterm, 1 5-6 page essay, and a final. Stressful but it's what one expects in a philosophy class. You need to keep up with readings though. Exams are generally composed of a series of essay questions (6-7) where you pick two to answer. You are well prepared for them in lecture but to get an A you need to expound upon what was taught in the book. I rephrased things and explained how I taught myself the concepts, I talked about it with my TA, and I created my quizlets. I practiced writing my answers and then I took the exam. It's not easy but you can have a system for it. Overall: Definitely take it. The grade distribution is undeniable. The material is hard but it's digestible. Prof Smith is fantastic and the TA's want you to succeed. This class is much more interested in seeing you do well rather than pick you apart. I would definitely take it again.
Fall 2022 - Preface: I took this class during the TA-strike; the whole class was awarded full participation points. You do not need to be a math genius to take this class. I took logic as a prereq but you don't need to be advanced. The Prof: Dr. Smith is so great. His exams are exactly what he covered in lecture making the material feel a lot less intimidating. He's funny and clearly passionate about teaching. He's deeply invested in his students. I went to office hours every once in a while, he always answered questions clearly and in detail. He's a very popular professor. TA: I had Alonso Molina. Honestly, I would get more confused when he explained things to me BUT I went over my study guide answers with him before the midterm and he helped a lot. He told me what I should pay close attention to and what I could improve on. Again this is just the study guide.. but filling out the study guide helps for the exam. Material/Workload: not bad but not great. Definitely keep up with the readings, try to stay consistent with notes. I usually took notes after lecture but I think that taking notes before would have been an advantage. The material is DRY and convoluted as hell. McTaggart can eat his heart out, I can't stand his theories. Luckily Smith explains it very well. Things get better with Block theory, Growing Block, theories of space, and Minkowski spacetime. It's hard but lecture makes it easier. The material is hard but honestly, Smith makes it worth it. I love philosophy; I'm glad I took this class because now I know what this side of philosophy is. I still prefer Nietzsche, Fanon, and Korsgaard. Exams: 1 Midterm, 1 5-6 page essay, and a final. Stressful but it's what one expects in a philosophy class. You need to keep up with readings though. Exams are generally composed of a series of essay questions (6-7) where you pick two to answer. You are well prepared for them in lecture but to get an A you need to expound upon what was taught in the book. I rephrased things and explained how I taught myself the concepts, I talked about it with my TA, and I created my quizlets. I practiced writing my answers and then I took the exam. It's not easy but you can have a system for it. Overall: Definitely take it. The grade distribution is undeniable. The material is hard but it's digestible. Prof Smith is fantastic and the TA's want you to succeed. This class is much more interested in seeing you do well rather than pick you apart. I would definitely take it again.
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