3.3
Quality3.1
Difficulty56%
Would Retake107
Reviews56%
Would Retake
107
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
5
27
4
26
3
21
2
20
1
13
What Students Say
“He is not horrible if you can understand philosophy, just be prepared to never miss a class”
PHI103 - 3.0 rating“Overall, is a great guy”
PHI103 - 3.0 ratingClass Info
Attendance Mandatory
95%
Textbook Required
6%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
A-
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Improving
+0.38 avg changeRatings by Course
PHI301
5.0
(5)PHI305
4.0
(3)PHI103
3.3
(92)PHI102
2.8
(4)PHIL103
2.3
(3)Difficulty by Course
PHI305
3.7
PHIL103
3.3
PHI103
3.1
PHI301
2.8
PHI102
2.3
Reviews (107)
His teaching style is to have long winded unclear lectures with a lot of dead end sentences that leaves you asking "what was his point?"and vocabulary so big I'm pretty sure he doesn't even know what he is saying. Want to take notes for the class? Goodluck, he goes to fast. Honestly I think my IQ dropped attending this class. Find another teacher.
Long, convoluted lectures. Often loses his own train of thought spinning analogies that even he cannot follow. Refuses to make lecture material available. Barely uses his slides or clicks through them so fast you cannot take notes. Assignments do not have clear instructions and he often adapts them in class with no written back up or notice.
I simply took this course as a general education course so I do not know how he teaches beyond a 100 level course. There was not a lot of in class assignment aside from a few papers, there were a handful of in class assignments and few quizzes. He looks intimidating but he's pretty approachable. He even helped me on an assignment for another class.
Gary is a very smart guy who knows his stuff, however teaching is not his strong point. He can go really fast on his slides, which makes note taking hard, and note taking is almost REQUIRED to pass his class because he does not give access to his slides. He is not horrible if you can understand philosophy, just be prepared to never miss a class.
Overall, is a great guy. His lectures can be dry, but the information he gives is helpful. He's easy going and will help you if you ask. Not too many assignments, but don't miss any lectures because his slides aren't online.
If you do not like philosophy pick a professor with a better rating because this professor makes it really hard to grasp any of the content. His lectures are dry. He flips through slides too fast making it hard to take notes and you NEED the notes to pass, he doesn't make them available anywhere online. Goodluck. It hurts my brain taking his class.
His lectures are really long and dry, and you've better take good notes, because he won't put any of them online, and some of his tests are hard. He always takes attendance, so make sure you go to class. He's approachable, though if you need him, he'll be willing to help you. One good thing's that he's not biased when grading.
I do not recommend him as a professor. He goes on MULTIPLE rabbit trails and you can't follow because his speech is so choppy. I've haven't ever dreaded going to a class more than this one. He only lectures, and you can't follow along. Also clicks through slides fast so you can't take notes. Without notes, you fail.
Easy going, lectures a lot so show up cuz he doesn't put them online (you can take pics of slides though), and he never lets you out early but he gives you everything you need to know right before the exams and they are pretty easy. He is also not a tough grader but philosophy is hard and you will need to work at it. Compared to others hes the best
He's actually a really great professor. Some people don't really like him, but it's more the class (philosophy gets pretty deep). He's super smart and helpful so overall a great professor to have.
Even though the class can be boring, he is a great teacher and is very helpful when you have questions. He is an easy grader and really easy to talk to. The tests are super easy to. Even though the lectures are long, as long as you take notes and write as much as you can from the power points, the class is not hard.
The lectures are very insightful and make you reevaluate your life. He likes the class to participate. Pay attention during lectures.
Overall a great guy, but it is hard to listen to him lecture for two hours. He really cares about the content so if you have an interest in Philosophy I would recommend him because he is passionate and knows what he is talking about it, the class is difficult because of the content not the teacher.
You can tell that Dr. O is really passionate about what he's teaching but he makes it difficult to understand. He will barely mention a topic and tell a story that he thinks relates but it always leaves the class confused. He's very professional and monotoned. I don't recommend taking this s your first class because you'll fall asleep.
The lectures are only heavy because philosophy is a subject that really makes you think. He's a great professor and you can tell he enjoys teaching. He gives you what you need before an assignment and he's not a tough grader.
Great class, DR. O was such an awesome teacher. At times lecture can be a bit dull but you have to snap out of it and realize what an amazing class and teacher you have. Dr. O is good at what he does, he cares about what he is teaching. You can tell he has such a brilliant mind, but it can take a bit of explaining for him to get his point out
Dr. O is a very intelligent and kind man, and although his lectures can be dull and hard to follow there is so much to learn from him. He is monotone and philosophy is a tough subject so the lectures can be boring and hard to understand. Not a tough grader, tests and assignments aren't too difficult if you put in the work.
Professor Osmundsen is a well respected man, but he has a very monotone voice and is difficult to focus on. He often times loses track of time and waste time on subjects that have nothing to do with assignments or exams. Your grade will depend on how well you understand the class and test.
Lectures pretty much the entire class, don't count on getting out early. Talks about his family a lot, kind of a weird guy. Really nice though, just hard to focus on the content he's teaching. As long as you study for the exams and don't start the papers the day that they're due you'll do fine.
In the beginning weeks I also found him to be monotone however, Dr. O is one of the most caring professors I have had. Yes, its easy to zone out on lectures and he does go overtime but he is one of those professors that want you to succeed and will do what it takes to help you. The class is not hard if you put in the effort.
Osmundsen is definitely a nice guy but I don't recommend taking his class unless you really like Philosophy, because he is knowledgeable but extreeeemellyyy monotone to the point where it was very difficult for me to pay attention. It's not a very hard class though.
Loved Dr. Osmundsen! Love his passion for philosophy. Can be a little difficult because of his monotoned voice. But if you interact with him he can be a very knowledgable and interesting guy. Not a hard class if you spend a little time studying.
My friend and I both took Dr. Os class but at different times but we both disliked his class. His monotonous voice does not help with the fact that philosophy is kinda boring as well. I guess it could be interesting but he definitely doesnt make it interesting. I would not ever recommend him to anyone not even an enemy.
The most notable thing I can say about Professor Osmundsen is that he definitely knows his field of expertise very well. He is great at debate and is overall a very logical and respectable guy. He can be hard to listen to for a while, but he makes up for that by being a fairly easy grader. Not a bad option.
Dr. O was overall a great professor who is very knowledgeable and truly wants you to succeed. He is a little hard to follow at times when he goes off topic during lectures, but if you pay attention he explains the material very well. As long as you show up to class, take notes, and use the study guides for the exams his class should be an easy A.
Professor Osmundsen is very passionate about the subject that he teaches. His classes are lecture heavy, but you gain a lot of new knowledge in just a single class.
Dr. O is an amazing professor and has such a great amount of knowledge on philosophy. However, he tends to get lost in his own head and bring up terms that we do not even understand/know to explain a new topic we are learning. Thus, leading most of my classmates lost and confused. If you put effort and ask questions class becomes much simpler.
I was constantly frustrated with this teacher. He is horrible at explaining things and it goes so over my head. He does not tell you what he is looking for in assignments and often times does not even include a rubric. His lectures are always boring and I am unable to actually apply it. He is horrible at answering questions.
This class was extremely difficult to attend because it was very slow pace and strictly lecture. The professor was a nice guy but not a great teacher. He's very wise but the information was not brought down to a college student understanding level. He doesn't tend to students needs as well as he could.
Gary Osmundsen has a monotone voice and it is very easy to convince yourself to skip. However, if you go to class and complete your assignments theres no problem getting an A.
Dr. O is the best! He is incredibly knowledgeable in his content. Throughout the semester, I could tell he really cared about everyone in the class. He is always willing to answer any questions anyone might have. I really respect him and am super glad I was able to be his student!
Pretty good teacher and knows what he's teaching. If you have a question, he'll answer it. Only problem is that you might get bored listening after 30 minutes or more. As long as you take notes and get ready to study, you'll be able to get an A.
Dr. O is a good guy but he is the most confusing teacher that I have ever had! He does not explain things at the college level. He spent 40 minutes on class convincing us to minor in Philosophy when we had a benchmark due the next week. If you take his course just show up for the participation so your grade does not suffer.
Gary is super nice and cares about his students a lot, but because the class material is pretty hard, he could maybe teach a little better, but overall, I enjoyed him as a teacher.
I really enjoyed Dr. O's class. The class can be slow and sometimes boring but it is important to show up to class. Take notes because test questions are right from your notes. He is clear on assignments and papers and makes his requirements known. He is kind and wants all to succeed in his class if they put in some effort. I learned a lot.
Lecture heavy professor. Very friendly, cares about his students and knows what he's talking about. Lectures can become a bit confusing at times. Participation does matter. As long as you show up, take notes and study, the class is easy enough.
Dr. O is very knowledgeable. He cares for his students. Attendance is mandatory. I learned a lot in his class. Dr. O and instructor Jenson were very helpful, answered all questions and gave me feedback on my papers. Dr. O and his IA Instructor Jenson are very understanding, and approachable. You will learn a lot in this class-totally worth it!
He lectures the entire class period which makes it very hard to focus. I believe he is a very smart man but when he talks he talks fast and takes long pauses. His IA also do not always grade evenly across the board. I have a staff member who was his IA at one point and said even as a philosophy major Dr. O was hard to understand.
professor O is a great philosopher, unfortunately not super engaging as a professor. it may just be me, but during the lectures he spent a little too much time explaining concepts to the point of disengaging the class. he knows his stuff for sure though
As a person, he is nice and insightful, but as a philosophy professor, he can be a serious challenge when it comes to understanding his lectures. I was not relying on him at all the whole semester. He just rambled on and on about off-topic subjects. He did not answer any of my questions clearly. I recommend finding another professor for PHI-103.
I literally Love Professor O, He cares about his students and he cares about his relationship with God. he is very knowledgeable and if you dont take the time and effort to learn in his it would be easy for you to classify him as a bad professor. He has made me love philosophy and I couldnt have had a more caring professor for class!
Professor O is very knowledgable on his subject, but over-explains topics to the point that it is utterly confusing. He is kind, and cares about his students, but promises things that he does not follow through on. He rambles on for the entire class, sharing too much about his life, and every class is just a lecture for the whole period. Not good..
As a person, Professor O is a nice person. However, he should not be a professor of a 100 level class. He uses complex philosophical terms to explain philosophical terms, he never answers questions clearly, and he expects everyone to understand everything he is saying and gets frustrated when we don't. I recommend finding another prof for PHI-103.
The whole period is a lecture that you can tune out. Unless its about topics related to an assignment you don't have to pay attention. There's a 1000 word paper or mini assignment every 2 weeks but ur allowed to use online sources and it's easy. The quizzes are online to be taken over the weekend and he gives study guides. It's boring but an easy A
Professor Osmundsen knows what he is talking about. He may go for the full hour and 45 minutes but it's not like you won't learn anything. His papers and assigments are very enjoyable. They are little quick and easy things and he is available for help when you need it.
Dr. O is a great professor. Most of the lower ratings on here are because some people don't want to think hard. Philosophy can be complex, but if you engage in this class it will be super interesting. He takes students' questions seriously and is willing to go back and forth with students when they have questions. He also looks like Mr. Clean
Professor Osmundsen is the best teacher I've ever had. If you have the opportunity to take a class with him, take it. I didn't even like philosophy before, but he makes his class so interesting and engages everyone that his class became my favorite class to look forward to. Brilliant professor, so kind and caring, and inspires you to want to learn.
Professor Osmundsen is a very kind teacher but is VERY lecture heavy and the class is quite boring. If you want an easy A for philosophy I recommend taking this class but beware of being bored or lost in class. Osmundsen tends to just ramble on and on and a lot of it doesn't make sense.
He seemed knowledgeable in philosophy, however he did not teach it well. His class was made entirely of lectures and most of his examples were unformed. He also came off as arrogant, as he would constantly talk about how many people loved his class and how important it was to minor in philosophy, instead of letting his teaching speak for itself
Dr. O is extremely passionate about philosophy, which is good and bad. He talks through the entire class which often was very boring and lecture heavy. However, if you pay attention, he uses real life situations to better understand topics. I found it very hard to pay attention, just wrote down notes and passed with an A. Would take forhis stories
Being in Dr. O's class, I have learned a great deal about the subject but his style of teaching is quite confusing to most people. He asks lots of questions that he never really answers.
Dr. O is everything you would need in a professor. He is extremely knowledgeable in his field and can answer any question you may have. His examples make tough concepts much clearer, in turn making his class very enjoyable.
Dr. O is very passionate about philosophy. I just did not understand his lectures and often found myself spacing out during his lectures. I just am not passionate about philosophy. I think he was a great professor, however, philosophy just was not fun.
He's a super sweet guy, but he talks in circles and is often really hard to understand. Lectures go so long for no reason and he goes so fast its almost impossible to take notes. He does send the notes after, on HALO, but this isn't for a few days after so you have to wait to do homework assignments.
This class is so boring but I thought it was pretty easy. I never really payed attention but I was able to get an A still. Test are online and assignments are pretty self explanatory. He posts the notes online.
Professor Osmundsen is a very heavy lecturer, and his speaking skills are very boring and monotone. The concepts he teach are fairly simple but he makes them severely complicated. He is very smart, but does not know how to convey his knowledge to students. Show up to class, do the homework, and you will come out of the class with an A.
Dr.Osmundsen was a great person, but not so great of a professor. His lectures were long and boring, he would just read off of a presentation while we took notes. Tried to use examples on the topics so we would understand it, but would alway use sports references. He did let me redo a paper that I did not do good on though so I'm thankful for that.
He does love to lecture, but also loves student engagement. Uses stories and different types of explanations to explain theories. Wants you to succeed. He is happy to answer any questions and gives great feedback on assignments. As long as you are okay engaging in class discussion, I would definitely recommend taking his class.
Knows what he's talking about and communicates it clearly. Lectures can get quite boring with not much class participation. For people who love philosophy, they would love this class, but for most people it tends to get pretty boring. You can tell that Professor Osmundsen does care about his students and wants them to understand the material well.
Dr. O was super chill and gave good lectures. Sometimes he could be boring, and if you're not a big sports fan, some of his analogies won't make sense, but for the most part, the lectures were good. Super friendly, and walked you through how to write each of the papers, question by question. You can tell he wants to see his class succeed.
Dr. Osmundsen brought deep philosophical concepts into an applicable application. His love and care for his students is apparent every class. He really wants us to think! 10/10. Convinced me to pursue a minor in philosophy.
Professor Osmundsen is passionate about philosophy and really cares about his students' success. His lectures are sometimes long and boring, even for someone interested in philosophy, but usually he gives a break in the middle of class. The papers can be hard to wrap your head around, but he does a respectable job explaining his expectations
Honestly this class was really confusing and his notes did not align with the test. although the tests are online they are not easy. My friend had another teacher and I had to use her notes and her tests were way easier.
He is a great professor and is really passionate about philosophy. Mr. Osmundsen gives heavy lectures but he explains and breaks them down very well. He also is very informative and flexible with assignments and tests. Tests are difficult but he gives many resources to use for study.
The class is easy and overall, there are very few assignments. But this class is extremely lecture heavy. He gets off topic a lot and I have a hard time falling along because I feel like falling asleep.
I did not like this teacher because he never engages the class and at some points you never know what he talks about because his examples are to broad. I would not recommend however I can say that not everyone would feel the same way. He is hit or miss.
Dr. Osmundsen has a passion for Philosophy and teaching. A typical class consists of a 1 hour and 15 minute long lecture. He goes over the answers for every assignment with the entire class and exams are open-note! He outlines the essays in a very simple manner and is an easy grader. Essays are not rushed with weeks in between.
PHI - 103 with Osmundsen isn't hard for someone to take who has zero interest in the course. Participation matters, just show up and receive the attendance credit. Your gonna write a lot of papers, but just use your resources, sound educated, turn it in on time and you'll get through this course with a passing grade, easily.
Every class was a lecture almost the whole time but everything he says is useful. Osmundson is passionate about what he teaches and gets you excited about it too, this class is amazing if you engage in the content. No headphones or phones while he's talking if you care about that
Osmundsen clearly knows a lot about philosophy. Not too much homework. I would get bored in class pretty often, he talks the whole class. Overall, he was a really good instructor!
Osmundsen is a good professor. I have no strong feelings for him either negative or positive. He does his work well can is always open to answering questions. I put an average amount of effort into the class and did well. I would recommend him to others.
This professor is passionate about Philosophy however his examples were off topic and would get confusing bc I didn't know what he was talking about. Would go off topic sometimes but would somehow connect it back to the lectures. If you engage in his class and participate you will understand what was going on.
He was fine. The lectures tended to be really boring, most of the class was falling asleep. Would get off topic during the notes. Nice guy but I wouldnt take his class again.
Really great guy, loves sports and can get distracted at points. The lectures are very long but he posts the notes so if you miss something it doesn't matter. He also will basically give you the essay answers and the assignment answers if you pay attention.
Dr.O always goes to the end of class but he does give a 5-minute break most of the time. He values deep thinking and conversation so participate! He gives clear criteria for assignments IN CLASS causing his grading to be easy. Very note-heavy and slides are packed with content so pay attention. Great instructor! Really cares for his students.
Dr. O lectures forever, highly recommend engaging by asking questions to make the class a little easier to get through. Regardless, the info he presents is pretty interesting and he's accomplished a lot, making him a professor that it's easy to want to learn from
Professor O is a good teacher he is very lecture heavy. He will want you to engage in what he is saying. Sometimes he will surprise call on you to ensure you pay attention the lectures are heavy just pay attention because 95% of the time it is in the assignment and he goes over the assignment and what he wants so there is no reason not to get an A
Dr. Osmundsen is a nice guy and wants his students to succeed, but his lectures are very long and boring. The assignments and tests aren't difficult and he sometimes walks you through the assignments in class. If you ever need help on an assignment or paper I definitely recommend going to the IA's during office hours, they're very helpful.
This class was in general not my thing, but Professor Osmundsen did not really help. He appeals more towards men in the class with references to sports and running often. His notes were very confusing, especially for a freshman class. However, he had open note exams and would post the notes on Halo.
His exams are mostly based directly from his lectures. If you at least listen during the lecture the test won't be near as hard. Much of his tests are using examples he gave in class. Most of his class is pretty easy, sometimes getting through his lectures are tough because it's only listening. There are a few papers but you can qoute his notes.
Dr. Osmundsen was a good professor, but philosophy in general is a tough class to take if you aren't interested in it. A lot of the class was part asleep because the lectures are super long and boring. He genuinely tried to keep the class engaged, but it is tough to do with a boring class like philosophy.
Dr. O is a good professor and he's very knowledgable in the content, although philosophy is just a class that is not for everyone. For me, it was very hard to sit through as the lectures are so long and disengaging. He tries to get the class to participate but most times half the class is asleep. Easy assignments, just show up and get through it.
He speaks very slow and the classes are really long but he is very smart and you can tell he is deeply thinking about everything he is saying. It was just really painful to listen to sometimes. Tests are taken on your own time outside of class, so if you have test anxiety it is good. He said that his wide wouldn't have given birth without him tho??
He is extremely kind but very philosopher like. He will think very carefully about his words and your questions. He will also lecture for the full hour and 45 minutes so just be prepared to sit there for that time. I recommend getting to know him personally and engaging with him after class, as it will benefit your time in the class.
I dreaded going to his class bc it was so boring and long. Showing up matters for participation but as long as you do the work you'll pass. makes his own questions to tests so you won't find them on Quizlet but answers are on his posted notes. Most students were either asleep or doing other homework b/c he could not keep the class engaged at all!
He talks for a long time, frequently not about the topic at all. Hard to pay attention, because his lectures are so long and boring. The homework is usually done in class, however, the exams are difficult because he barely teaches the material.
Professor O. taught me more about things I could use in life than I can in the classroom. If you are looking for a role model or inspirational person to teach about life lessons, this is your guy. If you are looking for a less effort class to just pass and continue your journey, he will bore you with his long talks and off topic rants.
If you love learning, and care about thinking, I would recommend taking this class with Dr. O. His lectures are long, and some may consider them boring. However, he truly cares for his students and will welcome thoughts and questions. Bring snacks and/or a drink, it will help you stay awake. And prepare to think deeply about hard things.
Dr. O was good but he is VERY lecture heavy. He was very knowledgeable in what he was teaching but his class was really boring ngl. He uses the full class time lecturing and he can get confusing most times
Professor Gary O. wasn't horrible but is VERY VERY lecture HEAVY and he knows it, so be aware if you do get him that he also talks very slowly. It's hard to not get sidetracked because of how boring this class is! I recommend you switch classes and NOT take him. I'm saving you with some advice I wish I had heard before taking this class!!!
For an entire semester, he babbled about nothing. Dr.Osmundsen said at the beginning of this course, it didnt matter what religion you were as Philosophy applies to all. Yet he tries to turn all of his students into Christians with his preacher-like examples. If you want to learn genuine Philosophy, don't take this class.
Gary Osmundeson did a solid job teaching my Introduction to Philosophy class. While the subject wasn't my favorite, he presented the material clearly and organized the course well. Overall, he did a good job keeping the class engaging, even if philosophy wasn't my strongest interest.
This professor isn't that bad, he's VERY lecture heavily although he does have much knowledge surrounding philosophy. I wouldn't recommend taking him as a professor if you have a short attention span and get bored easily, this class goes for almost the full hour and 45 minutes, if you're lucky, you'll get out 10-15 mins sooner. Here's your warning!
I think this professor is very knowledgeable and a respectable person. On the flip side... this class is HEAVY HEAVY lectures. The class becomes more and more empty every class; it is very hard to sit still through. If you have any trouble with paying attention, switch out asap.
I would recommend taking Dr. Osmundsen's PHI-103 class to anyone, I enjoyed the topics discussed and found myself applying the principles learned in class. There were a few papers to write, exams were reasonable, and detailed notes were always provided. Dr. Osmundsen genuinely cares for his students and their studies.
Very lecture heavy and sometimes hard to really grasp everything he is saying. However, he really does care for students and wants them to learn. Assignments are a little challenging at times, but he provides extremely detailed notes to help make it easier. If you go to class and pay attention there's no reason why you should not get an A.
Dr. O was overall a good professor, but his lectures are kind of impossible to sit through the whole thing and stay interested. He clearly cares about the topic as well as his students but the class is pretty much just him talking for an hour 45 straight.
Dr. Osmundsen was very lecture heavy and a lot of the time hard to follow. His classes were long and boring but he overall is a great guy. He is sweet and caring of all his students and all the tests were online and multiple choice.
This class was very easy with him but he took the whole hour 45 and was very lecture heavy.
Loved him. Would recommend for Philosophy. Possibly my favorite philosopher teacher at GCU.
I loved this prof! He lectured the whole class and I had him at 3 so that was a bit hard, but if you have a computer or ipad its fine! The tests are outside of class so that was really easy. He is very passionate about philo and you can tell in his speaking.
I feel most of the low reviews are because not many people like philosophy which I get. While the lectures can sometimes drag, he is very passionate about what he does and is a very caring and understanding guy. I personally would recommend him; however some lectures were very Christian heavy and as a non-christian, it just felt uncomfortable.
I LOVED Dr. O's class! I learned something new (and practical) every class. Sometimes the lectures can be a little boring, but he does engage with the class and have discussions. I absolutely recommend him! He doesn't like phones, headphones, or computers so you won't need to bring any of those to his class. Super compassionate guy. Super wise too!
Philosophy is a very complicated topic and isn't for everyone. With that being said Dr.O was an amazing professor and I personally loved listening to his lectures because of how knowledgeable he was and how fun and interesting his lectures were.
I like Professor Osmundsen as a person. He is nice and funny away from the podium. As a professor, he wasn't my favorite. He was very lecture heavy and I would never walk away thinking I learned something. a pro though is all the exams are open Thurs-Sun so you have plenty of time to complete them.
If you want to learn about how to think take him. Some people find him boring but tbh if you just in a little effort you can understand the class. He is very passionate about philosophy and wants his students to learn.
Philosophy is a really boring subject so it's just a boring class. Professor is really passionate about what he teaches and he is super nice and wants students to do well. Participation will really affect your grade so show up anyway.
Class Info
Attendance Mandatory
95%
Textbook Required
6%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
A-
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Improving
+0.38 avg changeRatings by Course
PHI301
5.0
(5)PHI305
4.0
(3)PHI103
3.3
(92)PHI102
2.8
(4)PHIL103
2.3
(3)Difficulty by Course
PHI305
3.7
PHIL103
3.3
PHI103
3.1
PHI301
2.8
PHI102
2.3