2.6
Quality4.6
Difficulty16%
Would Retake107
Reviews16%
Would Retake
107
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
5
23
4
11
3
18
2
20
1
35
What Students Say
“Yeah just dont take this class, or any class with him for that matter”
REL243 - 1.0 rating“This class is the worst class I've ever taken”
REL223 - 1.0 ratingClass Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
72%
Textbook Required
50%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B+
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-0.86 avg changeRatings by Course
REL300
5.0
(1)RS220
5.0
(1)YOGAANDTANTRA
5.0
(1)LITSACRED223
5.0
(1)REL257
5.0
(1)Difficulty by Course
HINDUISM
5.0
CATHOLICNOVEL
5.0
HINDUTHGTCULT
5.0
SACREDLIT
5.0
LITANDSACRED
5.0
Reviews (107)
He is easy, just keep track of your readings
He's a tough guy. I had a really hard time, but when it was all over, I learned a lot!
Be ready cause he goes through a lot of material very fast. If you fall behind he's not very helpful.
Lot of info in a short period of time. Is like a high school teacher; he is immature with teaching. Talks down to you and has favorites.
This was one of the worst classes I have ever taken. This class is full of reading and if you miss anything you are screwed for the entire class. He sucks
great teacher! a lot of hard work, but well worth it.
Tough professor and subject matter, but very enlightening! A lot of info and a lot of reading, but you will take away so much from the classes. He's a wonderful professor! "Take his courses, do the work, and gain a real understanding of the subjec
Very stuck up teacher
Hard teacher with a large EGO. You will cover a ton of material in a short period of time. Easy to fall behind if you don't do the reading. You will learn alot though.
The worst professor at the university and the only class in three years that I withdrew from! Very condescending! I would not recommend him to my worst enemy!
Took him for Buddhism- LOTS OF INFO!!! Almost overwhelming, but keep up with all the readings, go to all the classes and try be enthusiastic, and you will do ok. I got an A and I worked my butt off, and you get out what you put in. not a blow off class!
Ewww there's so much damn reading for the class, he gives you like at least 80 pages every class on top of stupid focal pages, blah. Hes nice sometimes, unless u don't read or bring ur books, u have to take religion 2 grad., when this class is over run out screaming in2 the nite and never look back
large Ego. He loves to hear himself talk.He makes up words in order to sound smarter than he actually is. Not a very good teacher.do the work and put forth the effort u can come out of there knowing a pretty good amount of information. How relevant it will b to u in the future is questionable.
be sure to take this class... IF YOU HAVE NO OTHER CLASSES AND WANT TO DO NOTHING BUT HOMEWORK AND READINGS FOR THIS CLASS THEN GO TO CLASS AND LISTEN TO THIS STUCK UP EGOCENTRIC ACADEMIC RAMBLE ABOUT HOW HE'S SMARTER THAN YOU! and don't forget to be ontime.... bottom line, don't do it. Just say no.
He is very challenging, but very knowledgeable. Lots of reading, but very interesting material. I would love to take another class of his. Best class/professor I've had yet.
Very challenging teacher, but has easy tests...offers comprehensive study guide. Also offers lots of extra credit...strognly suggest doing the extra credit. Will go to the limits to help you, he always has time for you. Bottom Line he's tough but fair and anything above a B+ is an accomplishment.
Awful professor. Strayed from syllabus often and assigned an immense amount of reading. Not helpful in answering questions and I found my self lost in his extremely long and uninformative answers to questions. Would not recommend him to anyone!
I absolutely loved Dr. Gitomer. Yes, it was a lot of reading, but his selections were extraordinarily enriching and not hard reads at all. There were a couple hours of reading a week, but come on, it's college. Graded hard but fair. Class discussions were fantastic, so long as you did the reading.
Hell no. TONS of reading, tests are impossible even with prep sheet and readings and he is very controlling of his classroom environment...All I can say is GOOD LUCK!
Oh my god!!! the was soooooooo much reading i thought i was gonna pass out. I have never read so much useless material in my entire life!!!
Absolutely horibble!!! He's controls the whole class and doesn't like it when students stray from HIS view!! He doesn't allow open interpretation and his midterm and final were absolutely RIDICULOUS!! DON'T TAKE THE CLASS!!!!
Ok he's really not that bad... he's a nice guy and there's not TOO much work--but still 4 papers due for the midterm and another 4 for the final...so idno? Not an easy grader either but he is intelligent and if he likes you-- you're in.
No Comments
Good teacher, very helpful but demanding. Great teacher for Religious Studies majors, requires a lot of reading.
Listen to the posts about this class..couldnt be more true.. WAY overwhelming with readings as well as study guides that DO NOT help. He presents the material as if you have a DEEP understanding of hindu thought and culture which MOST ppl DO NOT.. even those who were HINDU in my class were confused. He is egotistical, keeps you late and generally isnt helpful when you do not understand the material. he was more concerned with keeping his audience captive to hear his ramblings than imparting knowledge
be prepared to work your 'butt' off. no seriously, this is not a blow-off course by any means. unless you're Hindu or wanna be one someday...this class will be very demanding of your time. hands down it is the hardest class i've taken in college so far.
this man is amazing. he's hard if you don't like the material, but if you do he's incredible
Absolutely not!!!!!!!!!!!!! NO ONE take him, please do urself a favor! HORRIBLE HORRIBLE HORRIBLE! Hellooooo professor, you are NOT our only class!
fascinating guy, makes you want to take him out to talk over coffee. He is tough, you will need to do the readings and write the papers to get a good grade, but as he says "Come to college, baby!" we read great novels, Gitomer understands where you're coming from as a student so if you feel overwhelmed, you can talk to him. great great greatness!
Whoever says this man is fascinating needs their head examine.My advise to anyone wanting to take a religion do not take him.He sucks and thinks this is your only class.You have to read 6 books that are like 350 pages a piece and your midtern and final might be take home but it doesn't mean it easy He is a J/O and does not care. He grades hard!
Hard to summarize. I think everyone who comments on here that he is a bad teacher just didnt like the workload. He is a good teacher BUT there is a LOT of work. About 7 novels and u usually read a few at a time- final/midterm r take home but LONG + tough. Overall I was more interested in Gitomer than the course but I like some of his methods
To the girl that said "This man is amazing...", that's over the top. Dr. Gitomer is a good guy, he loves to teach, and he doesn't want to see anyone falter. He assigns an eye-opening amount of work. I'm a freshman and I feel I have an edge on other kids because I survived this class. If you have to read alot for other classes, don't take this one.
By far the worst professor at DePaul University! Arrogant, conceited, hard headed man who will not accept the fact that sometimes hes wrong. Wow, dont take him
Oh come on people. You are not in high school anymore. Why pay so much for an education if you don't want to learn? Oh that is right, your parents are paying for it. Well, for someone who appreciates a teacher that is willing to challenge his students over winning a popularity contest he would be awarded my highest standards.
No Comments
such an awful professor. we read decent material, but his personality really ruined the course. plays favorites & is short with students. rarely open to new ideas.
Please be advised that all positive comments made regarding this instructor was probably written by the instructor himself. No one that has taken his class would speak of him in this way. An obvious ploy to boost his own rating.
This guy is truly the definition of a boor. He completely lacks the ability to present his ideas in a coherent manner, and takes personal offense whenever someone doesn't fully grasp something in the material. I'm too tired to write this out properly, but it's all true.
No Comments
If you et this guy he will make you want to kill yourself in class, I contemplated it but he convinced me it was bad for my karma, drop him he's so anxious it will ruin ur day. religion is only cool whne u discover it on your own anyway, so screw this
College at DePaul, in toto, is a joke. This professor, like most others, is not that hard. Anyone who makes comments about ego is simply projecting. Yes, if you say he has a big ego, that means you probably have low self-esteem. If you say he makes you feel dumb, then you probably are! DePaul is on the cutting edge of mediocre academics!
The good side: Prof. Gitomer is a brilliant lecturer with enormous knowledge. He cares. The down side: Prof. Gitomer is uncomfortable with class discussion and avoids it. Also, a quarter is just too short to study anything as expansive as Hindu Studies. Give Prof. Gitomer your full attention and you will be rewarded.
For an introductory level class I felt that there was way too much work involved. It seems as if he doesnt realize that we have three other classes besides his. I took the class to learn about the subject, not because I was already an expert. He wants you to be an expert already.....Too much work....too much stress
the fact of the matter that all his reviews combined still give him a low rating. it also seems clear that he is quite possibly rating himself on here too. He is simply arrogant, I got an a in the class and i still feel this way.
Great teacher, one of the best I've had at DePaul. Class is definitely worth the hard work!
DO NOT TAKE CLASSES w/GITOMER. U need 4-6 books for the class, u have 50 pages to read a night from 2 books and then about 20 pages from the other books. He gets VERY defensive if u don't understand a concept. The tests are VERY long and hard. His last paper is 13 pages altho I heard of other classes where he gives 20-25 papers. He is not helpful.
Lots of reading, lots of discussion. Be sure to participate and stay on top of the readings. The class will totally blow your mind if you put the work into it. Highly recommended, and Gitomer is a fascinating guy.
Pretty good
Seriously...I mean...seriously...listen to the posts on here. Gitomer is a horrible professor. His class is a book club and you'll find yourself exhausting your b.s. skills. You can always take something else! Anyone who posts positive things about Gitomer on here is probably smoking crack rocks.
Ok this professor.. I really have no comments. Horrible!! readings are assigned every day! in two days you are supposed to read 100pages. Prepare for every lecture from the books. Make you bring them to class even though not use them! HORRIBLE!! I thought it was going to be a fun class.. I was totally wrong..
This is by FAR the worst teacher I have had in my college career (and this is the third school I've gone to). He doesn't understand that at this level we are supposed to be treated as equals. He talks down to students and is extremely condescending. I really hope someone gives this guy a clue...for all our sakes.
He was way to intense, he demanded way to much reading, and direct recall of specific, random, information from the text we were supposed to read, and if you didn't know it inside out, he would not be a happy prof.
It was one of the best classes I've taken. It's not called an 'INTENSIVE Introduction' for nothing! Gitomer is a brilliant man and he does expect a lot. But this is college!! Do not take it if you're an underclassman, as it WILL be overwhelming. But for those who like the topic - the class is very enlightening & rewarding. NOT A BLOW OFF CLASS
If you'll notice, most of the people who don't like him have pathetic grammar and don't want to read. And by the way, college isn't a career.
DO NOT TAKE if you are just taking religous study classes for your college requirment. Not worth it. If you do have him, take extremely good notes on your readings, his lecture notes do not help, and participate as much as possible.
TERRIBLE! By far the worst professor I've had at DePaul. Simply arrogant and patronizing. Please, for your own sake, do not take his class. You will be burdened with busy work, accosted with smug looks and demeaned after you earnestly answer a question. Again, Gitomer is not a professor you want in your schedule.
Felt fortunate to have a teacher who continues to be passionate about his topics, is energetic, honest and straightforward, cares deeply about sharing information in all sorts of media, including links to current articles .....this was a great educational experience. Dr. Gitomer is a teacher who challenges his students. Bravo.
What started as a genuine interest in Buddhism was completely ruined by this course. Gitomer requires way too much work each week encompassing too many topics which leads to a small understanding of everything, followed by failing most quizzes and feeling defeated. Dont waste your time or money taking this class. What a disappointment.
THIS IS THE WORST TEACHER I HAVE EVER HAD AT DEPAUL AND I HOPE HE WILL READ THIS. I have never had so much work to do for one class. There are things that are due everyday of the week, including SAT. AND SUN. I spend hours on the assignments yet i get a terrible grade. he needs to realize that hes teaching a class that people HAVE to take..not want
Allegedly he doesn't act as effeminate as much as you would think. I review him every year since I graduated in 2008 to spare you fellow freshman and whomever. Btw totally reviews himself on here all the time just look for the blowhard reviews of himself. Don't take him
This man actually caused me to write my first review on this site. Never, have I ever, put so much work into a class and received such a poor grade. With it being online I thought it would be the same amount of work but it ended up being about 4X as time consuming. DON'T take his course, I beg you. 15+ hours a week should not hurt you GPA!
So this is written by a student ha not the professor, i just took his yoga/tantra class and i hav never seen this amount of work put into a class by a teacher, or heard of it. If you are interested in learning about the material, and not an easy A, than his class succeeds any students expectations. rel 344
dont listen to the other comments this teacher is among the best depaul has to offer in terms of how much knowledge he has to offer, Ive taken yoga/tantra and Hinduism and have learned more from these classes than other classes combined. Anyone can easily tell that he puts more work into his classes than other teachers do.
Gitomer is well versed and very knowledgeable in terms of the material covered in this course, but the workload is excessive and his teaching methods reflects his intellectual arrogance rather than his effective ability to teach his students the vast catalog of material covered in the course. Knowledgeable yes, effective teacher-absolutely not.
Aside from being a very arrogant and pompous man Dr. Gitomer is actually very knowledgeable in his field. Yet his over zealous approach towards his class leads his students to over look that. I use to be a Biology major and his work load can be equated to my bio work load. I would never take him again and it would benefit you not too either.
I take my education very seriously and am used to a heavy work load. However, the load for this course is UNREASONABLY excessive. He is more concerned with people "taking the online course seriously" than teaching the material, which has no flow. He does not trust his students and ignores other academic obligations they may have. STAY AWAY!
He ruins a very interesting subject by insuring that his students will dread the very word Hindu by the end. The work load - watching videos of him, meeting numerous times with consultants about your papers...The reading, My God the reading!!! My Mother watched me struggle through and remarked that she didn't work that hard for much of her PhD.
I ignored the advice I read on this site, and I regret that now. UNREASONABLE workload in the extreme. I have had 300 level, major specific classes that were easier than this; I have never before had this amount of sheer work for a class. He ruins the subject by giving absurd amounts of work. Don't take this class, just don't.
I took Dr. Gitomer's online class on Buddhism: thinking it would be a walk in the park. This was probably the most difficult class I have ever taken. However, if you try very hard and apply yourself to the utmost you will find yourself extremely knowledgeable in this field of religion. He takes the "online class" format very seriously.
Ridiculously difficult course. Do NOT take if you have no interest in Hinduism. Assignments due throughout the week AND weekend. If you are a forgetful/unorganized person, Gitomer is NOT the professor for you. Overall, I did like the class, but I worked my butt off every day. He does offer extra credit, which helps.
The workload for this course has felt like 3 combined courses. Extra credit is offered, but you have a hard time keeping up with what you have to do already. Due dates are always on weekends. Sundays included. The video lectures move incredibly slow and were not created well. Group work, in person meetings, book review, quizzes, and much more.
Weekly quizzes you can take multiple times but still impossible to ace. Multiple Essays Each must be written with documented assistance. At least 3 books for course. HOURS AND HOURS of vocal lectures online. By far the hardest online teacher. BUT! if you are seriously interested you will gain so so much. Also if you struggle he will help a lot.
I might be one of the worst online students ever. I forgot to do so many assignments throughout the quarter. But DG is a really good guy. He let me make up nearly all of my missed assignments, and genuinely seemed to care about me passing the class. Id never take this particular class again but i would take another class with DG as a professor.
Professor Gitomer is by far one of the best professors I've had. He puts a lot of effort in his lectures. Yes, he gives a lot of work, but he is extremely helpful, gives students lots of chances to make up their work, and gives a lot of extra credit. If you're lazy, don't take this class. Take it if you want to genuinely learn about HInduism.
Whats left to be said? Nothing he is the worst. Stay away!
Gitomer is a good teacher and a smart, logical guy. However, this class just asks too much of you on a consistent basis. You will do the work of 3 easy classes and receive no more credit. Spare yourself.
Spare yourself the time and choose a different professor. Not worth the work load and the little credit you get. MORE time consuming than a face-to-face class
I have never felt more inclined to rate a class and a professor than I do now that I endured this class with Dr. Gitomer. I am a science major and this class required far more hours of my time than any upper level Bio course or Chem course I've taken. DO NOT take this class, he assigns so much work that it detracts from actually learning the topic.
I don't think many people are looking to study Hinduism as a career field. This dude gives too much work for a topic that most people take as a gen ed requirement. Don't take the class. This guy thinks Hinduism is on par w/ Physical chemistry, and assigns so much work for it. It's actually pretty stupid. You can learn about the same from Wikapedia.
Do not take him. As a senior at DePaul, this was hands down the hardest course I've taken. The class itself isn't difficult, its the pure volume in workload. It's too much, I promise. Take someone else, it's not worth it. In one week you will have 2HRS of lecturettes, 50+ pgs reading, 5-8 pg paper on a 170 pg book, and 3 discussion board posts.
Dr. Gitomers class drove me to post on here for te very first time. Workload is inexplicable. Ive had 300 level classes pertaining to my major and they dont even compare to whats expected from you in this class. 15+ hours a week is an understatement for this online course. Im not trying to major in Buddhism, nor do I want to learn it all in 10w
The workload is like taking 2 classes. Many discussion posts, a quiz, multi-hour powerpoint lectures every week. 2 big papers, and 3 tests. 3 different books and many online texts you'll need to read to pass. But the prof will meet with you to help and offers a lot of E.C. I went from a 69 to a 90. You just have to put A LOT of work in every week.
I actually take interest in Buddhism and agree that the workload is crazy - but its not like he isn't aware, hence why he goes above & beyond for students. There's loads of extra credit, exams are open book, & he extended the final paper AND exam by 4 days. Very understanding with issues you may have, so I think he definitely deserves more credit.
Everyone is making it seem like it's an impossible class because of how much time & work it requires. Which, I agree is a lot. But in retrospective, it's kind of impossible to fail with the amount of extra credit & assignment redemptions; there's really no excuse. Gitomer really knows his stuff & his passion is evident which I respect very much.
He gives large amounts of homework for no reason, I took an online class and it took me at least 10 hours a week (if not more) to do. The worst part is that its mostly just busy work that could be cut out. He's a nice guy, but I would NOT advise taking his classes.
He's a nice teacher but the readings were too long. There's a lot of writing: Monday night posts, short essays, a proposal, & a 10 page final essay. Class was pretty awkward b/c he'd ask hard questions & no one would talk. Very strict. Can't go to the bathroom or get a drink of water/refill your water bottle. Participation is important.
It's like everyone's saying: this class is HARD. But if you show that you care, prof. Gitomer will work just as hard to help you. This has been the hardest class I've ever taken, but I've also learned more than ever before. If you care about your education, I'd definitely recommend this class. And if you're struggling, reach out to him!
If you're planning on taking REL242 because you think it is going to be a easy A class to satisfy your religious domain requirement, don't. There is so much homework assigned in this class with little time to complete them. Professor Gitomer himself isn't that bad, but the way he teaches this course is terrible.
Professor Gitomer is tough, to say the least. I was very intimidated in the beginning of the course but his curriculum and style of teaching grew on me. He is tough when it comes to grading and takes the class very seriously. Although it is very lecture heavy, I learned a lot about Hinduism and am grateful for how tough he was.
Honestly, I was very excited to start this course, but after the first few weeks, I realized it wasn't manageable with my other courses. It's like taking 2 classes in one. 2+ hour lecturettes, Extra readings, Textbook reading every week 60+ pages normally, along with group discussions and group work. A lot of work..
Yeah just dont take this class, or any class with him for that matter.
This class is the worst class I've ever taken. It's taken an unjustifiable toll on my mental health. There is absolutely no reason students should be required to expend so much effort and time on a class to comprehend the material exceptionally well, and STILL be unable to reach the grade they worked for. Ridiculous. I hope he sees this & reflects.
Wayyyy too much work. Teacher is annoying and not cool at all.
Hardest class Ive ever taken. Assigns too much reading for a class that is gen ed. Has 4+ lecture videos that are 40 minutes long each. Tough grader.
worst teacher ever, supposed to be a gen ed class but he makes you feel like its your major class, gives way too much hwk and way too many discussions to do in just a week. he wants us to write 3-4 paragraph of discussions, 3 for the week. his lectures are way too long and hard to understand cause of the words he uses.
Unreal workload for an entry-level prerequisite course. Do not use this to fulfill your requirement, pick literally anything else. Minimum of two difficult discussion posts (with replies), quiz, two hours of lecture videos, and at LEAST 2-3 hours of reading EVERY WEEK! Thats not even counting weeks with TIMED tests ON TOP of the standard workload.
Professor Gitomer was a good professor don't get me wrong. He holds zoom meetings before exams to prepare but as for the class, DO NOT TAKE IT. I took Hindu Thought and Culture and it was interesting but most of it is in a different language and the way DG organizes it is very confusing which amplifies any difficulty.
This class is unnecessarily heavy. I was excited for this course, but the workload is just ridiculous. Long lectures, too many discussion posts, and lots of reading. DO NOT take this course unless you want to have multiple breakdowns a week. Seriously! Don't do it.
Dr. Gitomer has meticulous rules for every discussion almost to the point where it contradicts Buddhism itself. The work load is intimidating to even approach because of how nitpicky his rules are. I regret not dropping this course because it distracts from my actual courses that pertain to my major. He doesnt say Sanskrit words correctly.
Went into this course hoping for an enjoyable class learning more about a religion that truly and deeply interests me, I left his class with more mental health issues rather than knowledge and peace of mind on Buddhism. Considering leaving DePaul after taking classes with Professor Gitomer and other professors like so.
I have never posted a review on here before and I am posting this just to say: do not take this class. The most heavy workload I have experienced in any of my schooling, I wish I had believed the reviews on this before taking this class. With the first quarter back to regular schooling there should be more understanding for the stress students rn.
By far the worst class I have ever taken. I wish I would've dropped it before the deadline but it was too late. This professor assigns way too many assignments and grades in a very complicated manner. Instructions are never clear and it seems as if he does not realize I have a life outside of this class. He is also rude, do not take this class.
I'm currently taking this course and it is true, this is the hardest class I've ever taken because of the unnecessary amount of work that is involved. I'm not a lazy student, I made deans list last quarter and now I'm worried about passing my classes mainly because Dr. Gitomer makes this class literally insane.
DO NOT TAKE THIS CLASS. This is the hardest class I've ever taken with the most homework on a weekly basis and the rudest professor. I was really interested in the content but Dr. Gitomer has made me hate this class. I've never been in an introductory course that has regular homework, group homework, quiz, test, and a paper all in the same week.
Y'all are ruthless. Gitomer was super nice and gave lots of chances, he just assigned a ton of work. I took Hindu Thought & Culture last year, and you'll have to write a 12-page paper, take a quiz and take a final all in the same week, but he gives you time to prepare. If you can handle the coursework, it's a good class.
DO NOT TAKE BUDDHIST THOUGHT AND CULTURE!!!!!!!!!! it is the WORST class I've ever taken if all you want to do is study study study and have no social life this is the class for you. i haven't wanted to kms in years but this class made it all possible. THANKS GITOMER! :D
The subject matter is interesting, and Professor Gitomer is nice enough, but the class itself is way too bloated with how much work there is and how many rules there are. It makes assignments that should be simple take far longer than they need to be. If this is for your major then by all means take it, but if not then don't bother.
Class Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
72%
Textbook Required
50%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B+
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-0.86 avg changeRatings by Course
REL300
5.0
(1)RS220
5.0
(1)YOGAANDTANTRA
5.0
(1)LITSACRED223
5.0
(1)REL257
5.0
(1)Difficulty by Course
HINDUISM
5.0
CATHOLICNOVEL
5.0
HINDUTHGTCULT
5.0
SACREDLIT
5.0
LITANDSACRED
5.0