Professor

Steven Levy

AD
4.2
Overall Ratings
Based on 119 Users
Easiness 3.2 / 5 How easy the class is, 1 being extremely difficult and 5 being easy peasy.
Workload 3.4 / 5 How light the workload is, 1 being extremely heavy and 5 being extremely light.
Clarity 4.1 / 5 How clear the professor is, 1 being extremely unclear and 5 being very clear.
Helpfulness 4.2 / 5 How helpful the professor is, 1 being not helpful at all and 5 being extremely helpful.

Reviews (119)

2 of 9
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PHILOS 31
COVID-19 This review was submitted during the COVID-19 pandemic. Your experience may vary.
Oct. 26, 2021
Quarter: Fall 2020
Grade: P

Do not trust the grade distributions for this class. A huge number of drops and a ton of P/NP makes the above distributions possible.

Levy is a nice enough guy, but this class goes wayyyyy too in depth to be a GE. I'm not sure if its Levy's doing or the class itself (somehow, I think its the former).
It's absurd to expect students to attend weekend office hours (with tutors, not Levy himself) if they want to learn the content.

The only C I've ever gotten on a test were on Levys exams. I improved on subsequent exams, but Levy was super unclear about his grading practices (based on a mysterious and subjective curve where exam weights would change) so I (like seemingly 50% of the class) chose to take it P/NP.

I'd highly recommend avoid this class. Even if you do well, the time it takes to succeed to learn something that you can easily, easily get away without knowing at all (whether you're a philosophy major or pre law, there are plenty of other classes/ways to prep) is absurd. The grade distribution is a mirage. Trust me don't take it.

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2 0 Please log in to provide feedback.
June 29, 2019
Quarter: Winter 2018
Grade: A

Hands down, best class I've ever taken at UCLA. I loved this class, so I'm biased, but I'll try to give you the most helpful review.
PROS:
- Levy's lectures are very clear and helpful
- Abundant tutors and tutoring sessions, lots of good opportunities to get help
- All the assignments, tests, practice is done on Logic 2010 Software, so class is super organized and well -structured, you always know what to expect.
- Gives practice exams that almost follow exam structure exactly
- Levy is a cute grandpa who genuinely loves teaching
CONS:
- Workload is kind of heavy, HW assignments due twice a week, each can take up to 3-4 hours.
- Symbolic Logic doesn't come easy to some, you might struggle more than others, or be bored
Advice:
- Go to all the lectures, do all the HW, and make sure you understand what you're doing
- In the week leading up to the exam, do all the practice questions in the Logic 2010 Software, might seem like overkill, but it's super doable, and you'll be so much better prepared for the exams
If you absolutely despise math, maybe skip out on this class, symbolic logic is like a spin off of math, and you might not enjoy it.

Helpful?

2 0 Please log in to provide feedback.
Dec. 10, 2022
Quarter: Fall 2022
Grade: A

This was a very difficult class, but Professor Levy made it worthwhile. His lectures were always engaging, fun, and informative. If you want an A in this class, you must go to office hours and show up for lecture. He does not record his lectures.

Helpful?

1 0 Please log in to provide feedback.
PHILOS 31
COVID-19 This review was submitted during the COVID-19 pandemic. Your experience may vary.
Dec. 24, 2020
Quarter: Fall 2020
Grade: A

Lot of disgruntled people talking about how hard the class is. Logic isn't for everybody, but Steve Levy is. He's experienced, helpful, accommodating, and he wholeheartedly believes in your ability to grasp the concepts and will help you get there.

Helpful?

2 2 Please log in to provide feedback.
PHILOS 31
COVID-19 This review was submitted during the COVID-19 pandemic. Your experience may vary.
Oct. 6, 2021
Quarter: Fall 2021
Grade: N/A

this course is pretty much discrete math at a very basic level but from a linguistic/rhetorical perspective so take it if you like that and don't take it if you don't. concepts felt pretty straightforward. homework is due through a dated-looking application called "logic" but the problems are very targeted (not too repetitive except at beginning) and helpful so it's clear that prof has taught this course a fair amount of times
s levy is a very kind, affable, and humorous person and you can tell he wants to help everyone do well despite the large amount of students in class (over 300). trust him and pls laugh at his frequent jokes

Helpful?

1 1 Please log in to provide feedback.
PHILOS 31
COVID-19 This review was submitted during the COVID-19 pandemic. Your experience may vary.
July 20, 2022
Quarter: Fall 2020
Grade: B+

I ended up graduating UCLA summa cum lade this year in a stem field. Upon reflection, this is the absolute hardest class I took at UCLA. The pacing was god awful, it goes far too in-depth to be a GE, the expectation that you attend instruction on weekends was absurd. Many people dropped and took it P/NP.

I'm currently in the process of wrapping up my LSAT studies and this class (and formal logic in general) contributes absolutely nothing to one's understanding of that test. Again, there is NO SECTION of the LSAT that requires you to understand formal logic. Derivations and logical phrasing are not useful in any way, shape or form for legal thinking or the LSAT. This class is good for one thing only: pursuing a logic concentration in philosophy at UCLA. It should not be advertised as a class that prepares someone for Law School or the LSAT.

I'd discourage almost anyone from taking this class.

Helpful?

1 1 Please log in to provide feedback.
PHILOS 31
COVID-19 This review was submitted during the COVID-19 pandemic. Your experience may vary.
Jan. 14, 2022
Quarter: Fall 2021
Grade: A

This class is hilariously easy if you understand logic. The prof is slow and old but you don't need to watch all the lectures to do well.

Helpful?

1 1 Please log in to provide feedback.
PHILOS 31
COVID-19 This review was submitted during the COVID-19 pandemic. Your experience may vary.
June 22, 2020
Quarter: Spring 2020
Grade: A+

The two other reviewers for this quarter are pathetic. If you are serious about academics, then regardless of protests or pandemic, you would have been enthusiastic about this time-tested class.

Indeed, there were some mishaps with the exams, but overall, I would 100% recommend this course to anyone interested in logic, philosophy, or law school.

Helpful?

1 9 Please log in to provide feedback.
PHILOS 31
COVID-19 This review was submitted during the COVID-19 pandemic. Your experience may vary.
Dec. 21, 2020
Quarter: Fall 2020
Grade: A-

I saw this class get a lot of criticism this quarter, but I don't want people to get discouraged from taking this class--I think a good portion of the class find it pretty straightforward. for me, it definitely wasn't an easy A; I got A/A-/A- on midterm 1 and 2 and final, respectively, and ended up with an A- despite having a 100 on the homework. but it was a very doable A. he doesn't really curve, and gives no extra credit, but does always give partial credit on exams so that helps a bit. sometimes the homework is really difficult so I'd advise joining the groupme because people are very helpful!! but otherwise, for me it was not insanely hard, and actually pretty fun/relaxing at times. it might have helped that I have a stem background...I guess the class material is very formulaic in a way? though also, having a strong grasp of the english language is useful too, because the homework and exams word things in a way that threaten to break your brain sometimes. basically, if you're scared about taking this class because other people said it was horrible, just keep in mind there's a good chance it's actually not that horrible. also, reading reviews from last year it seems he wasn't very accommodating, but it seems like he took that into consideration because now he has different test times for students in other timezones and etc. he does go very very very slow (like talks slow) so I watched all (recorded) lectures at 2x speed.

Helpful?

0 4 Please log in to provide feedback.
Dec. 5, 2015
Quarter: N/A
Grade: N/A

I love professor Levy! He is so humorous and the class is fun. Just make sure you understand all the homework and you will be fine. If you go to the class then you do not need to read the text.Overall, I really enjoyed this class and logic forever!

Helpful?

0 1 Please log in to provide feedback.
PHILOS 31
COVID-19 This review was submitted during the COVID-19 pandemic. Your experience may vary.
Quarter: Fall 2020
Grade: P
Oct. 26, 2021

Do not trust the grade distributions for this class. A huge number of drops and a ton of P/NP makes the above distributions possible.

Levy is a nice enough guy, but this class goes wayyyyy too in depth to be a GE. I'm not sure if its Levy's doing or the class itself (somehow, I think its the former).
It's absurd to expect students to attend weekend office hours (with tutors, not Levy himself) if they want to learn the content.

The only C I've ever gotten on a test were on Levys exams. I improved on subsequent exams, but Levy was super unclear about his grading practices (based on a mysterious and subjective curve where exam weights would change) so I (like seemingly 50% of the class) chose to take it P/NP.

I'd highly recommend avoid this class. Even if you do well, the time it takes to succeed to learn something that you can easily, easily get away without knowing at all (whether you're a philosophy major or pre law, there are plenty of other classes/ways to prep) is absurd. The grade distribution is a mirage. Trust me don't take it.

Helpful?

2 0 Please log in to provide feedback.
PHILOS 31
Quarter: Winter 2018
Grade: A
June 29, 2019

Hands down, best class I've ever taken at UCLA. I loved this class, so I'm biased, but I'll try to give you the most helpful review.
PROS:
- Levy's lectures are very clear and helpful
- Abundant tutors and tutoring sessions, lots of good opportunities to get help
- All the assignments, tests, practice is done on Logic 2010 Software, so class is super organized and well -structured, you always know what to expect.
- Gives practice exams that almost follow exam structure exactly
- Levy is a cute grandpa who genuinely loves teaching
CONS:
- Workload is kind of heavy, HW assignments due twice a week, each can take up to 3-4 hours.
- Symbolic Logic doesn't come easy to some, you might struggle more than others, or be bored
Advice:
- Go to all the lectures, do all the HW, and make sure you understand what you're doing
- In the week leading up to the exam, do all the practice questions in the Logic 2010 Software, might seem like overkill, but it's super doable, and you'll be so much better prepared for the exams
If you absolutely despise math, maybe skip out on this class, symbolic logic is like a spin off of math, and you might not enjoy it.

Helpful?

2 0 Please log in to provide feedback.
PHILOS 31
Quarter: Fall 2022
Grade: A
Dec. 10, 2022

This was a very difficult class, but Professor Levy made it worthwhile. His lectures were always engaging, fun, and informative. If you want an A in this class, you must go to office hours and show up for lecture. He does not record his lectures.

Helpful?

1 0 Please log in to provide feedback.
PHILOS 31
COVID-19 This review was submitted during the COVID-19 pandemic. Your experience may vary.
Quarter: Fall 2020
Grade: A
Dec. 24, 2020

Lot of disgruntled people talking about how hard the class is. Logic isn't for everybody, but Steve Levy is. He's experienced, helpful, accommodating, and he wholeheartedly believes in your ability to grasp the concepts and will help you get there.

Helpful?

2 2 Please log in to provide feedback.
PHILOS 31
COVID-19 This review was submitted during the COVID-19 pandemic. Your experience may vary.
Quarter: Fall 2021
Grade: N/A
Oct. 6, 2021

this course is pretty much discrete math at a very basic level but from a linguistic/rhetorical perspective so take it if you like that and don't take it if you don't. concepts felt pretty straightforward. homework is due through a dated-looking application called "logic" but the problems are very targeted (not too repetitive except at beginning) and helpful so it's clear that prof has taught this course a fair amount of times
s levy is a very kind, affable, and humorous person and you can tell he wants to help everyone do well despite the large amount of students in class (over 300). trust him and pls laugh at his frequent jokes

Helpful?

1 1 Please log in to provide feedback.
PHILOS 31
COVID-19 This review was submitted during the COVID-19 pandemic. Your experience may vary.
Quarter: Fall 2020
Grade: B+
July 20, 2022

I ended up graduating UCLA summa cum lade this year in a stem field. Upon reflection, this is the absolute hardest class I took at UCLA. The pacing was god awful, it goes far too in-depth to be a GE, the expectation that you attend instruction on weekends was absurd. Many people dropped and took it P/NP.

I'm currently in the process of wrapping up my LSAT studies and this class (and formal logic in general) contributes absolutely nothing to one's understanding of that test. Again, there is NO SECTION of the LSAT that requires you to understand formal logic. Derivations and logical phrasing are not useful in any way, shape or form for legal thinking or the LSAT. This class is good for one thing only: pursuing a logic concentration in philosophy at UCLA. It should not be advertised as a class that prepares someone for Law School or the LSAT.

I'd discourage almost anyone from taking this class.

Helpful?

1 1 Please log in to provide feedback.
PHILOS 31
COVID-19 This review was submitted during the COVID-19 pandemic. Your experience may vary.
Quarter: Fall 2021
Grade: A
Jan. 14, 2022

This class is hilariously easy if you understand logic. The prof is slow and old but you don't need to watch all the lectures to do well.

Helpful?

1 1 Please log in to provide feedback.
PHILOS 31
COVID-19 This review was submitted during the COVID-19 pandemic. Your experience may vary.
Quarter: Spring 2020
Grade: A+
June 22, 2020

The two other reviewers for this quarter are pathetic. If you are serious about academics, then regardless of protests or pandemic, you would have been enthusiastic about this time-tested class.

Indeed, there were some mishaps with the exams, but overall, I would 100% recommend this course to anyone interested in logic, philosophy, or law school.

Helpful?

1 9 Please log in to provide feedback.
PHILOS 31
COVID-19 This review was submitted during the COVID-19 pandemic. Your experience may vary.
Quarter: Fall 2020
Grade: A-
Dec. 21, 2020

I saw this class get a lot of criticism this quarter, but I don't want people to get discouraged from taking this class--I think a good portion of the class find it pretty straightforward. for me, it definitely wasn't an easy A; I got A/A-/A- on midterm 1 and 2 and final, respectively, and ended up with an A- despite having a 100 on the homework. but it was a very doable A. he doesn't really curve, and gives no extra credit, but does always give partial credit on exams so that helps a bit. sometimes the homework is really difficult so I'd advise joining the groupme because people are very helpful!! but otherwise, for me it was not insanely hard, and actually pretty fun/relaxing at times. it might have helped that I have a stem background...I guess the class material is very formulaic in a way? though also, having a strong grasp of the english language is useful too, because the homework and exams word things in a way that threaten to break your brain sometimes. basically, if you're scared about taking this class because other people said it was horrible, just keep in mind there's a good chance it's actually not that horrible. also, reading reviews from last year it seems he wasn't very accommodating, but it seems like he took that into consideration because now he has different test times for students in other timezones and etc. he does go very very very slow (like talks slow) so I watched all (recorded) lectures at 2x speed.

Helpful?

0 4 Please log in to provide feedback.
PHILOS 31
Quarter: N/A
Grade: N/A
Dec. 5, 2015

I love professor Levy! He is so humorous and the class is fun. Just make sure you understand all the homework and you will be fine. If you go to the class then you do not need to read the text.Overall, I really enjoyed this class and logic forever!

Helpful?

0 1 Please log in to provide feedback.
2 of 9
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