dong. the class starts with a chime of a bell. he immediatly goes into this amazing discussion of knwledge and reality that is mind blowing. drink you java before class and do the reading and you should be able to follow

Class is easy as long as you keep up with the reading. Overall a good professor.

Makes the class interesting =D

he's really great and cares alot about everything. Will try and get more classes with him. Thanks Mr. Tapia.

He is a wonderful professor. His class is interesting and fun, and his jokes are very funny. I took his class at 8 am in the morning, but i would feel bad to miss any classes. He is very helpful and is willing to help students. As long as you follow alone with the readings and his lectures, you will do fine in the class.

I enjoyed his class and really took to the subject. It was my first philosophy class and I thought it was very interesting. The book he used was easy to understand and as long as you do the homework he makes it easy for you to get a good grade. Tests were easy with lots of in-class preparation and lots of extra credit opportunities.

hes passionate about the subject and explains it well. Do the reading on time, or you'll fall behind. Fun class!

This class was great. You need to keep up with the material or things can get confusing. exams were easy for anyone who did the readings and can write in the English language. By the way, i am a female and i got an A. My male friend got a C+. Maybe the last person to post is just stupid and her friend was not.

Had him for a Logics class. Never been a fan of Philosophy so I took a class that had little to do with Philosophy. He was a great professor, though it seemed he didn't know the material quite as well as he should have. A student in the class definitely kept him on his toes for the entire quarter... I would HIGHLY recommend him as a professor.

Tapia is hilarious. The only homework is readings from the book, and the tests are made up of questions taken straight from his study guides. Maybe it's just 'cause he's a philosophy teacher, but good luck getting a straight answer to a question from this guy...

Class was flipping amazing. Tapia is really funny, but keeps his humor relevant to the material. Sometimes he goes off on little tangents (but no where near like Tinsley) but he's a good teacher. If you get to know him during the course, you'll probably do better. Probably.

Tapia is the FH Phil dept. I HIGHLY recommend him. Show some interest, don't speak just to hear your own voice, and know who Miles Davis and Fela Kuti are before coming to class. Don't let him fool you; he's laid back and fun as long as you're no spud. Plus he has the obligatory philosopher's goatee and ponytail, so you know he's legit. Enjoy!

Excellent professor for mature students who are smart enough to be prepared and ask questions. Some students were disappointed in there grades on exams, but they never seemed prepared and never asked any questions. Several of us who did just the minimum of work did just fine. I recommend for an experience in deep thought!

Excellent professor for mature students who are smart enough to be prepared and ask questions. Some students were disappointed in there grades on exams, but they never seemed prepared and never asked any questions. Several of us who did just the minimum of work did just fine. I recommend for an experience in deep thought!

Excellent teacher. He seems to care a great deal about the subject matter and teaching. His jokes and stories are funny but sometimes he tells too many and I feel it detracts from learning. I loved the classes I took from him (Eastern Religion and Intro to Philosophy) and highly recommend them. They're not too hard or easy and are interesting.

Good professor if you like philosophy. Very mind-opening discussions in class and everyone feels free to say what is on their minds and ask any questions. I highly reccomend this professor for people who are interested in philosophy as a major OR as a hobby. If you like thinking you will like this class. Lots of reading from text, but useful.

He is an awesome teacher. Seriously take him. The test are ok and the midterm isn't that bad.

Great teacher. Very good at discussing material clearly so that text is not even needed. Interesting teacher, relates personal stories. Friendly. TAKE.

he is an amazing teacher! you really have to try to get a bad grade in his class, he is very helpful and wants his students to do good, he never takes role and offers lots of extra credit assignments which are actually fun to do. He gives study guides for both mid-term and final that have every question that will be on the test. TAKE HIM! seriously

one of my favorite teachers. not that hard to do well, you just have to read and get into the discussions. some say his tangents don't relate to the material, but i think they didn't read, because all of his stories put really confusing ideas in a way that makes you think about the world differently.

Rambles sometimes, might be difficult to jot notes but his rambles are interesting. Very funny and charismatic. Light workload. Go to office hours before handing in the essay. Understand everything on the study guide then tests will be fine. Not a hard grader. You have to be interested in Philosophy to enjoy the class and get a good grade.

thought i was doing fine until i got the HUGE study guide for the final. all the homework is readings out of the book, and in class we discuss them. lots of reading. if you dont do it you'll be so far behind!! he's really animated and interesting in class.

Great class. lots of discussion and debate. he will hear all sides, but will hold you to logical rules. good learning experience. drink lots of coffee.

really great professor. he knows his stuff forwards and backwards. he may drift off course once in a while but with such intense topics is was refreshing to have a little humor once in a while. the lectures and thought experiments were enlightening and i actually feel this course helped me grow as a person. i highly recommend him! listen in class!

I have to say I don't agree with anyone who said his rambles were unrelated. Every time he told a story it was completely related to the topic at hand. They were real life explanations of a confusing subject and for me they helped clear it up. Really wonderful professor, he didn't get tired of explaining until you understood it. And he was funny.=)

A really fantastic teacher, has true passion for the subject. I have to appreciate the fact that he doesn't use notes while teaching and seamlessly explains complex matter. Talk with him in office hours about anything, from philosophy to classic rock, and jazz. Brian is a great prof.

If you pay attention, attend class, and read the textbook youll get an easy A.

The Eastern Religions class is very deep. Yet somehow easier than philosophy 4. I guess because 4 requires so much logic. In 24 it was less about logic and more about the ways that indian and chinese cultures expressed the same ideas through mythology, art and poetry. for that reason it was easier to see how the philosophy applied to life.

People who think he rambles generally do not get that the stories are to teach the class each point in a way that is memorable. This makes answering questions on tests and basic understanding of the subject much more real to life. I've taken him for 4 quarters and each class has been very interesting. Show up, do your work and you will get an A.

He is a really interesting teacher. A memorable learing experience for me!!! Highly reccommend for people who have a great interest in philosphy

Good professor. Hard not to get an A if you try. Keeps things interesting too. My only complaint is that he indulges obnoxious know-it-all wannabe students that won't shut up and yet he continues to call on them. I know it sounds petty, but it really can detract from the class.

Very straightforward professor, easy tests that are straight from his study guides. Funny and engaging, gets a little disorganized in the second half of the quarter but nothing too bad if you take halfway decent notes. Only real complaint, like the previous rating, is that he allows obnoxious students to hijack a good 50% of some class periods...

He is easy and extremely helpful . Make sure you study his study guide for his tests.

I like that he doesn't just tell you what you read in the book, but has disscusions that add dimension to the readings. Also very helpful in office hours.

he is definitely one of the smartest people i have met. he really loves every subject he teaches. i learned so much from his class! recommend! like all the other posts, know the entire study guide!

Nice guy, if a little scattered in his lecture style. His lectures will only make sense AFTER doing the reading. Gives out helpful study guide (tons of concepts you're expected to know), and provides answers to every question of review days. Difficult workload (read: not an easy A), but you get out what you put in.

Tapia is the man! I had to work my A$$ off in his class but now I really feel prepared for more difficult college classes that I know I will encounter when I transfer. If you're looking to cruise, don't take this class. If you want to learn something that can be pretty inspiring, then Tapia's your guy.

The tests are incredibly easy if you do the reading. He's a very easy grader. Just read the book right before the tests and make sure you know everything on the study guide. Everything on the test is on the study guide. I enjoyed his lectures, but students often pulled discussions completely off topic with unrelated questions.

This guy is one of the smartest professors i have ever had. extremely passionate about philosophy. Just do the readings and you'll be fine

I loved this guys class so much! I took 2 different Philosophy classes from him and I learned a lot! Great teacher and as long as you do the readings, you'll be fine. His exams are easy, he grades pretty easy, and you learn a lot! Brilliant guy!

know the study guide! recommend! very smart. his lecture can get a bit boring as his voice can get pretty predicable. but still good. able to keep me awake.

Great teacher! I probably would have done a lot better if I hadn't slacked off and done the readings. EVERYTHING that is on the study guide is on the exam. His lectures can get long after while so its very recommended that you take an energy drink or coffee to keep you alert because its all very important.Overall very helpful and kinda funny too.

this guy is all over the place. its so hard to follow his lecture. when i look back on my notes im like what. the text book is way easier to understand than the teacher.

Most enlightening and rewarding class I have ever taken. If you are a responsible student this will be an easy class. Tapia is very knowledgeable in his field (which is very intimidating to many). He talks very fast. I highly recommend note taking. Reading assignments were manageable. He expects college level work. Highly recommend this class.

Really interesting class and Tapia is a great lecturer. I had friends that didn't like his style, but I know for sure they didn't read. They would all complain that he would go on tangents. It doesn't seem that way if you actually read what he says first. If you go in without reading it probably does seem kinda scattered.

I had a disinterest in philosophy before taking his class due primarily to ignorance. His class blew my mind and I owe my love of philosophy to him. If you want to be exposed to the "why" behind certain things take philosophy. If you think you will enjoy a phil class while not doing the reading you are horribly mistaken. Favorite class at foothill

Brian Tapia is great! Do not take this class if you want an easy A! That would be an insult to philosophy. He is a great lecturer! He speaks in a very clear and concise manner! Don't come high to class! Philosophy doesn't get easier when high, it's a myth. Expect you grade to be based on 2 exams and on a final essay. No homework, other than reading

Brian is awesome! He walks and talks tough but is an easy grader on test short response questions. And his examples are completely relevant if you pay attention and listen to how he relates them to the material. Go to his office hours cause he gives you feedback and his office is something to see!

Probably one of the greatest teachers at foothill college! His lectures are engaging and he tells jokes that tie in the lecture material which helps in remembering the class material! Would definitely recommend taking his class!

Very interesting class and thought provoking. Weekly quizzes are fair and short along with discussion post. Midterm and final were fairly easy so long that you do all your readings. He also posts lecture recordings too. He really encourages creative thinking which will be applied on your argument paper. It was a fun class & not too time consuming.

Awesome professor. The material is intriguing, which made his lectures quite thought-provoking. Study guides for the midterm and final were incredibly helpful. Provides a lot of assistance with the paper.

He kind of rambles on but it was interesting class with a light work load, the study guide has everything you need to know for tests

Brian Tapia is a joy to listen to and argue with. If you're not interested in the class, that's a shame, because he loves discussing and delving deep into the topics. Read the material, it'll help although he does go over almost everything in lecture. Would take again.

His lectures are interesting and funny at times. You have to do the readings though, or else you won't know what he is talking about. I gave him my paper early and he helped me make it more clear so I could get an A. I recommend.

The lectures are entertaining, especially if you read before hand . He gives a study guide and answers any questions you have the day before the exam. most of the questions on the exam are the same as on the study guide or at least mostly with minor changes. So if you do the study guide it is pretty easy to get an A.

Quizzes are true/false & short answer. Midterm & final are T/F, matching, several short answer, & an essay. If you don't do the reading, you won't have enough time in the quiz/test to look up the answers. Weekly discussion posts. One big essay. Gives specifics of what will be on midterm/final. Approx. 20 pgs reading and 30-60 min lecture per week.

Nice class to pick up on the side as a compliment to your other real classes, or if you need some sort of graduation fulfillment coursework. If you're intelligent you'l get an A in this class no problem with minimal work. There's required weekly blogs, which are hilariously entertaining to read.

Tapia's philosophy class online is very educational but also an easy A, as long as you do the work. His lectures are clear, and he is a very rational professor.

The textbook is edited by himself, it is difficult to understand at some places. But I think exams are relevantly easy if you could understand everything.

Not an easy class because of the material, but lectures make things clear. will help revise your paper multiple times if you turn it in early. got the feeling he grades a little easy if you get close to the concept.

Easy pass as long as you follow along with the readings. The lectures are great. I found it very easy to keep up. There's one written assignment towards the end of the semester that is a big percent of the overall grade, but other than that it's a pretty standard class. Offers an extremely helpful study guide for midterm/finals. Would recommend.

The readings can be confusing, but the ideas become clearer in the lectures and discussion. he gives a study guide and a review session for exams where he answers any questions from the study guide. I had anxiety about the exam, but I got an A. He is a pretty easy grader, but not if you don't study. probably not good for students who get behind

This was a good class and well organized. Quizzes and discussions are helpful for maintaining a good grade average, but you have to keep up and not miss them. Exams are harder, but he answers questions before exam in review session. Everything is explained in the lectures if you can't figure out the readings.

Great guy, very easy class (PHIL 8), learned alot. Just do the reading and listen to the lectures and you can get an A

I only took his online class, but this professor did an amazing job with lectures. Reading the textbook is not a must if you want to pass, but it is a must if you want an A. I am very much considering taking a class with him in person, just because I enjoyed him so much.

Interesting lectures, though they are a little long. Almost as long as an in person class. Definitely have to do the reading. I turned the paper in early for feedback and he told me what to change for an A. I made the changes and I got an A. All the exams have a complete study guide. So the exams end up being kind of easy if you review a little

This was my first time taking a phil class and Brian made it worth the while. Online lectures are long on average 1hr 30min but the topics are so INTERESTING. The way in which he presents the different material and how straightforward it is made it fun and easy to understand his teaching approach. A bit time consuming but worth it!

No complaints or beef. Pretty standard, you read, take tests, and write an essay. Not that I'm complaining, I love the standard. Just do your work.

This class is pretty straight forward. If you read, listen to lectures, which are about as long as a class session, take a weekly 6 point quiz and respond to the discussion, you will be fine. The only other thing is the midterm and final. Both have study guides which pretty much have the same questions as the exams. Mostly short readings.

For a college level course, this isn't too difficult. The readings are not very long, and the questions on exams and quizzes are basically identical to what he talks about in lecture. I am surprised by the reviews that say he is a tough grader. I got perfect scores on both exams and I really didn't think I would do that well.

As long as you go over the study guide and keep up with the readings, this class is pretty easy. compared to university classes, he doesn't grade very hard. The comment below isn't true. The quizzes and discussions add up to 100 points, not 6.

Took him for Intro to Philosophy. He's a chill guy that knows his stuff, and provided interesting resources for students interested in more than just what was taught during class. If you take PHIL4, just make sure you understand what is being taught, and do the assigned reading, and you should do well.

You will not regret taking his class. His lectures are engaging, insightful, funny, critical, and intelligent. There's no way around reading, and you have to think critically, but this class is overall easygoing and fun. The midterm and final are short answer and very easy if you do the study guide and listen in class. I feel much more informed.

I appreciated his lectures for us to listen to. He went over the readings as if we were listening to him in a classroom. It's a lot of reading each week but he really goes over everything in the lectures so its important to listen to them. Weekly quizzes aren't too hard if you've done the reading and he's not too harsh on grading

Professor Tapia is very interesting. He is super accessible after class and will be very helpful if you take advantage of office hours. This call can be complex so its important to make sure you ask questions if you don't understand stuff. If you show up to class and do the reading its an easy A

Did not do the weekly readings, just listened to the lectures to fill in the study guide. Exams and quizzes are identical to what he talks about in lecture and what is on the study guide. My one suggestion would be to submit the essay early to get feedback prior to the due date. Overall the class takes some work but isn't difficult.

Professor Tapia is a great teacher. His lectures are interesting and he uses lots of person anecdotes which helped me to remember and understand the difficult topics we were discussing. He is very accessible after class and will go out of his way to help you understand the material and succeed. If you read and go to class it's easy to pass.

What an awesome guy. Brians lectures are fantastic, and he really wants you to understand the philosophical concepts. Hes not afraid to criticize philosophers but he really wants you to adopt your own perspective. I learned a LOT in this class, and I guarantee you will too (plus its an easy A if you actually try).

Although we didn't have live class it's clear from the recorded lectures that he's chill. It took me a while to fully realize but there are no surprises or tricks with Tapia. He tells you exactly what you need to do to succeed and gives you all the right tools. Be thorough w/ reading, discussing and study guides and you'll do well.

As long as you do the reading and pay attention to the lectures and study guide, this class is pretty manageable. He will usually set up an office hour meeting on the same day you ask and will sit and explain the ideas and assignments. easy grader if you don't completely blow off studying. Can almost get by with just listening to lectures.

This was a really interesting class. What was best about the profesor was that he would meet via zoom at almost any time of day. I met with him several times to go over my paper and to review for exams. He didn't have a set time, but would always be able to meet within an hour or two of emailing him.

Through professor Tapia I found my passion in Philosophy, I have taken every course with him since intro. The negative reviews on here are cap, and in my opinion his essays and midterms are not very difficult. If you listen to his lectures and study the basic concepts you'll be fine.

Brian Tapia is and will always be on the most important professors I ever had, and I am certain he does not know that. This man will teach you as if you are discovering the new truths of the universe together. Be sure to ask questions, be sure to encourage him, and most importantly, be sure to WATCH AND LISTEN while he lectures.

This was a really good class that helped me be clear in my thinking about current issues. He will Zoom on demand for office hours whenever you ask. I timidly asked if we could meet sometime to discuss the material and got an immediate response asking if I could meet in 10 minutes. Sat on zoom for an hour answering ever question I had.

Brian Tapia is a great professor and is ready to arrange zoom sessions anytime you need help. However, because he is very knowledgeable about the topic, his lectures are very intense may be difficult to understand especially if you've not taken any philosophy class previously. He doesn't simplify the material.

Awesome lectures, helps make sense of the language of older times. Brings relevant issues in, challenges students to really engage with material not just reflect on what they knew previously. Responsive via email and always ready to jump on zoom. Will provide pre-grading feedback on the big essay if submitted early.

Exams are not hard if you study. He will get on zoom to help you review. I spent about an hour and a half going over the study guide with him answering all my questions. He also went over my paper with me until he said he would give it an 100%. Lectures were interesting, but a little long in places. He always tries to make it fit with history.

Choose this prof! Caring and helpful. One weekly discussion and quiz -- super easy if you listen to lecture. The texts are dense but prof does a great job of making them understandable and relatable. One big paper, but he will help provide direction and feedback.

He was okay in my opinion. The exams I found to be easy, the weekly quiz was a bit hard since its only about 6 questions which to me i found stressful.Recording lectures might be hard in the start but youll get a hang of it. I suggest watching youtube videos of who youre learning about.Essays i messed up on so be sure to ask questions unlike me

I only took Philosophy 8 to fulfill a GE requirement. That said, Professor Tapia was O.K. since he was willing to meet with me when I needed help. However, the class is very hard for someone who is a black-and-white thinker, like me.

Pretty easy and interesting. As long as you read the articles (or even skim them to be honest), do all discussions/quizzes, and take whatever notes you need to remember the broader ideas of each philosopher/topic, you will do well in this class. Lectures weren't necessary to do well, but explained more in depth.

Great guy!

Probably the best professor I have ever had, definitely one of my favorite. He explains complex topics well and in a clear way, which is often a challenge for philosophy professors. If you have the chance you should take his class. The only downside, if you can even call it that, is that you have read the material to get the most out of his class.

The reading assignments can be difficult because it is philosophy. However, he does a really good job of explaining the ideas which are pretty interesting. Also, the readings are not that long. He also is really good about helping you in office hours and even Zoom at any time. He will read and help with the paper until it is an A.

Tapia isn't the easiest philosophy professor, but he goes way deeper than some others I have had. You come away feeling like you really understand philosophy and how it connects to everything else. Even my science classes made more sense after his class for some reason.

Overall his lectures were clear/easy to follow and matched what was discussed in discussion and exams. His class is very heavily weighted on the 2 exams and final essay. I would recommend studying the study guide as it is very true to the exam and submitting your essay early as he is willing to look over it and give feedback multiple times.

Professor Tapia's PHIL008 class is heavily weighted on exams and essays, but he provides great support. Lectures are clear, and he's always available for office hours via Zoom. Unstuckstudy was a helpful study tool alongside the textbook.

I had him for the summer online course, and he is pretty easy. Every week, there's two discussion posts and quizzes for the correlating lesson. Test was easy as long as you do the readings, and he grades fairly easy.

In my opinion, I listened to the lectures rather than reading the textbook. Great lecturer; his quizzes are fairly easy, and if you don't do well on it, the final and midterm are the heaviest points. Both are fairly easy in my opinion, he grades the FRQ's and essays pretty nicely. Great professor, & you can tell he's passionate in what he teaches.

Lectures are great. I got really interested in philosophy from this class. Exams are easy, but you have to study from the study guide. He reviews papers before they are due, and tells you what you need to do for an A. Will Zoom anytime for office hours.

His class is heavily weighted on the Midterm, Final Exam, and Final paper. His weekly quizzes are fairly easy. Exams were doable but the time was very limited, there was a long essay for the final question. He stays true to his study guide. I scored 100% on my essay, make sure to turn in your essay early to him as he gives good feedback

He is very patient and respects every idea you have. The core of the content isn't too difficult, and he sends out review outline for all his exams, so you'll definitely get an A or A+ if you follow the outline and review well, and he gives a lot of extra credit, I got 108 finally! I would take his class again if I have any chances!

I enjoyed this class and this teacher. He is a great lecturer and you can tell he loves what he's teaching. Midterm/final and term paper hold the most weight. If you do the work and study you'll do well. He lets you turn in the paper a week early and he'll tell you what edits need to happen to get an A. The only feedback he gives is on the paper.

This is my second class with this prof. I enjoy his lectures. First half of the quarter is on ethical theory, second half is ethics in practice. Great way to organize the class. He provides comprehensive study guides for the big exams, I used these to study and got 100% on both exams. Turned my paper in early for feedback and got 100% on that, too.

Very knowledgeable about the subjects. The lectures weren't amazing. They generally consisted of him going through slides of walls of text and talking about them. It was disappointing to not have any debates even though debates are a core part of philosophy.

Lectures are best when you ask questions and engage in that way. Very caring teacher. If you don't wanna pay for the textbook you can get it from the school library