4.0
Quality3.3
Difficulty69%
Would Retake187
Reviews69%
Would Retake
187
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
5
111
4
33
3
14
2
8
1
21
What Students Say
“Jeremy Ball is the best philosophy professor I have taken”
PHIL100 - 5.0 rating“Overall, I loved his class and learned quite a bit :)”
PHIL100 - 5.0 ratingClass Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
48%
Textbook Required
53%
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-0.55 avg changeRatings by Course
PHIL246
5.0
(1)HUM102
5.0
(1)PHILOSOPHY103
5.0
(1)PHILCRIT
5.0
(1)PHILL100
5.0
(1)Difficulty by Course
PHILPHIL
5.0
100
4.5
PHILO100
4.0
PHILL100
4.0
PHILOSOPHY100
3.7
Reviews (187)
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It's an easy class, and I enjoyed it.
Brings life to a previously dead field. Insists on participation. Many approaches to subjects. Definitely college class.
Great and funny teacher! I learned alot.
A great professor and a fantastic class. Even though I have completed the course, I still find myself reverting back to some of the arguments learned in class. Lots of fun!
Good teacher, makes lectures interesting. Has good curriculum to last the semester and keeps the material exciting.
Goes on tangents but they are entertaining and life changing....Class sometimes resembles a stand up comedy show
Cool teacher, made the class fun. Quiz and tests are a little difficult, subject matter can get boring and hard to understand. If at CSM you've got to take him at least once. Probably one of the best teachers on campus.
Good teacher. Talks more about out of subject. Other than that his exams are very easy and critical thinking improves.
The class was okay....you have to study for the test though
Boring Class
Whatta hottie! Eye candy and funny to boot. This guy's a winner!
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Jeremy really understands what he's teaching and wants the class to understand. He uses examples from his life to explain some concepts - this is very helpful and funny which keeps the class's attention and encourages interaction. *Thumbs Up!!* Homework is fairly easy and prepares you for the tests.
Awesome Teacher! Although his class is challenging and demanding, there is never a dull moment while he speaks. His class has opened my eyes to a new way of thinking. Smart people form study groups!
Fun class, engaging, and best of all, he decodes things like arguements that hinge upon statement like something-than-which-a-greater-cannot-be-thought. He lays things out very basically, which is very nice. Would recommend. He doesn't pace the class well IMO, though.
Taken as a community class not as fun as I though it would be. not what I spected out of the class. his class was not organized and topycs where not very organized. I would remoment this class be taken by itself.
hard class.
Jeremy's class is challenging but he makes it fun and you learn a lot. He uses examples that make the material really easy to understand. If I were going to take another philosophy class I'd definately take him.
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I HEART DR. BALL! he is an awesome teacher and incredibly funny. I highly recommend his class.
Hard grader and if he doesnt like you he will grade you hard for the rest of the semester while giving other students which he favors higher grades.
Ball is a nice guy. Most assignments are pretty easy but he does require stuff spelled out in essays for tests. Not out to convert you to or from any school of thought just to inform you of the logic of arguments which is a stressed point.
Everything considered, the class is somewhat difficult when it comes to tests and you must make sure to include plenty of examples to support what you are writing on. Otherwise he is quite helpful and extremely approachable.
Wonderful teacher - very helpful and friendly, provides interesting lectures and is entertaining as well. The class will leave you with a set of skills that many classes won't. Few tests and assignments, but those given are time consuming and sometimes difficult. Not exactly an easy class, but one that is well worth it if taken seriously.
best ****ing teacher ive ever had. he is amazing, funny as ****, and is very accessable for students who need more help/wanna chat.. best teacher ever. a must..
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This is one good professor! Great sense of humor and great teaching skills rolled into one! A DEFINATE teacher to take!
Always keeps the class together.
Amazing professor... I'm compleeeetely in love with him.
This guy is frikken awesome, he makes things clearer and puts things in a way that non-philosophy savvy people can understand. For me, the world grew a little when I took this class. That and he's funny as hell.
hella funny he loves the chili peppers. great teacher really makes u understand.
If you wanna pass your class stay away from this teacher. He has the worse grading system i have ever seen in my life.
amazing teacher. knows where to draw the line when he talks about politics/religion and is respectful of opinions. very hillarious, although his grading system doesn't make much sense to me. overall, great teacher!
It's a cool class, the teacher is pretty relaxed about most things, he asks for detail on his tests though, and he doesn't really go into detail he's teaching, you have to figure that one out on your own. But otherwise it's a good class. Better than the other philosophy professors.
VERY good teacher as long as you do the homework your fine, he goes over it in class , makes learning fun, always makes jokes and easy ways to learn,AWESOME teacher.
great teacher. Good looking too!!!! He explains everything on the test gives the test questions a week before the test so you can study them. not that much homework. funny guy. totally recommend this class. it's fun
makes issues very relevent and too much fun. never a boring moment. cheeky, but still good in his motives to build up his students with useful knowledge. tells the coolest stories! i just recorded his lectures not only to study but just to listen for fun. has a lot of experience to talk from and he values his role as a mentor to students.
Class was easy. He just blathers; seems like a canned lecture every time. My friend had him in a learning community and her class and my class was the same. just says the same thing in every cdlass. He's hot if you like bald skinny guys.
Will keep you interested in the material with great lectures
I read philosophy in my free time, but Ball really gets it rolling by relating classical (and modern) philosophy to current issues, and using personal anecdotes to make the concepts understandable for everyone. Helpful, answers e-mails right away, and gives you the test questions in advance, so you know what to study for. Fun teacher, great class.
He is the worst teacher in the world!! He had stupid little homework assignments every single day and gave us busy work 50% of the time during class like junior high teachers! All he does is talk about how great being a liberal is and how people who aren't liberals are stupid and backwards... This guy is a NIGHTMARE! You're not gonna learn a thing!
I think his class was very interesting. There wasn't really a boring day in class. We had one essay to write, but we didn't have time for the second revision. THere is alot of hard reading, but once you realize you have to read it 3 times to understand it you got it down good. J.Ball is good at taking hard material and making it easier.
I really do not understand why Ball has such a high grade on rate your professor. He took over a month to return a paper, he expects way to much on tests. I also think that he as a UC Berkeley ingeriority complex, because he seemed to be obsessed with UC Berkeley. Anyways I would not recommend this teacher to anyone. DO NOT TAKE BALL!!
DO NOT take this class. I took his TV class and it was a nightmare. There are only two tests, but you have to memorize 12 essays for each. He is a very tough grader, so if you do bad on the first test there is no way you can get a good grade. He does not answer emails so I don't know why he teaches an on-line course. STAY AWAY!!!
If you'll take philosophy 103, the tedious homework assignments will make up a huge chunk of your grade. Since the assignments were so repetitive and unnecessary I didn't do most of it and ended up getting a C (even though I only had one C out of the four quizzes that I took...) By the way, he checks this site regularly-don't trust the high ratings
I don't know why some people are saying that ball is a good teacher. he is trying to be funny a lot of times but in reality he is not. you will not understand what he is talking about because everything is so complicated. he is a really tough grader and no matter how much you try he will f*** you up. danielson is way nicer teacher and more helpful.
if you're looking for an easy class to take, this is not the class. although his class is interesting, it is a tough class. you really need to study for his exams because they are essays. sometimes he can get a little confusing but if you ask for help, he's always willing to help. interesting teacher but TOUGH class.
Showed an offensive video in class and I had to walk out of the room because I couldn't take his crap anymore!
Great class. Hard, but fair. I think I learned more in one semester than I did in all of highschool. Gave me great advice in office hours.
Dr. Ball is the one of the best teachers I've had at CSM. Teaches you to look at the world in a different way. Fun to watch him and Clifford go at it at movie night.
Very interesting and keeps your attention by giving energetic and funny lectures. Tests are written, you definitely need to study to do well on them (there were 3 of them). Two papers which were fairly easy. I'd definitely recommend him.
He's extraordinarily lazy. He's slow to return work. He doesn't keep his office hours. He chats with girls while you are trying to have a conversation with him. He makes himself popular by swearing and giving examples that have to do with drinking. Feh.
OK... i have something to say about Jeremy. I know him fairly well and am no longer attending this school (left only one semester ago), but i can say that he was the reason no other college will stand up to my CSM experience. He is a very clear teacher. If he offends you, then maybe you should question why you are in college...
Jeremy is the best teacher I have ever had. When I think of CSM, I think of him and his class and I miss it.
This class is not a colloquium class. Don't go into it expecting to discuss philosophical ideas, it's not that much fun. The class is basically about different philosopher's ideas. The class is composed of reading the material which is at times very difficult to get through, and listening to the corresponding lectures. The class was difficult.
He is a very logical man. He will spend the time to help you if you ask, the first time I took this class I failed. The second time I studied and got a B. He is really funny and witty, he wants to see you succeed if you show him that you genuinly want to succeed. I wish there were more logic classes at CSM so he could teach them
very interesting teacher. he has a bunch of stories we can relate to that help teach his material so we get the point. tests are a little difficult though.
Very funny professor. I learned a lot.
Fun, sharp, different out-of-the -box thinker,understanding, and fair! Prof Ball can change the way you see the world!
HE'S EXTREMELY NICE TEACHER, VERY CLEAR AND EXPLAINS IT AS MANY TIMES AS YOU WANT; VEYR INTERESTING CLASS; MOVIE NIGHT THATS YOUR EXTRA CREDIT ; VERY ENTHUSIASTIC TEACHER
He is funny,and his subject matter is really interesting. He also always engages the class in discussions,it's not just him lecturing for 90 minutes. Also for exams,he gives you a set of questions a week before the actual test. On the day of the exam,he chooses three out of the set of questions and you pick two to answer. Very fair and no surprises
material was hard. grades hard. he gives you a study guide. get into a study group, study hard, and you will pass
good teacher, but hard. need to keep up with reading and taking notes, or esle it's hard to catch up in the end.
this guy is too cool for CSM! 90 mins go super fast, and he makes the class interesting. There are 2 essays, and 3 bluebook exams which are not too easy, but even if you don't get a good grade, you still learn a lot! + if you're having a bad day, he'll make you smile :) *highly recommended*
He's an AMAZING teacher! I worked my ass off in his class and got an A. He should teach professors how to teach a class! Oh yeah... Help your fellow students! he notices that and rewards you.
Cool teacher, good lecturer. he discusses everything that will be on the test. He gives 8 study questions a week before a test and chooses 3 to use for the test, so be prepared because he grades tough! he gives extra credit too! up to 8% extra, so do that because it's easy. i dont know my grade, but im guessing a B or A. depends on the final
Overall good experience. Class usually consists of lecture. Professor Ball is cool and interesting, though, so lectures are never boring. Two essays and four tests (including the final). No surprises. Gives study questions as they will appear on real tests. A good philosophy class.
Jeremy's PHILO 100 TV course was... not too painful... he's pretty bad about responding to e-mails which is very frustrating considering that is the only way to contact him for these types of classes. Like any online/TV class, if you stay on top of it, do the work and study, you'll do just fine. I got a B, which was fine with me.
Good teacher. He is a really nice guy and is very helpful. You must study hard for his exams. All are in class essays. But he'll give you the questions a week before the exams. I recommend writing out your answers and memorizing them.
Amazing professor. This is definitely a hard class, but worth the work. He is extremely personable, be friendly and get to know him. He will offer any extra help you could ever need. Do yourself a favor and take his class!
J BALL was my favorite teacher this year, funny lectures which at times can be hard to follow, only a few graded essays the whole year. Class is challenging but was worth the pain.
He is an amazing professor.had him last semester nd passed with an A. Dont take the class if u want an easy A. you actually have to attend class to understand/ pass the class. he makes his lectures interesting and keeps you engaged, notes are organized, unlike clifford's. tests are hard but if you payed attention in class and studied youll be fine.
J-Ball's lectures make understanding this course easy. He has office hours every day and is willing to answer any question you have. There is no homework, but his tests are hard. You have to study for 7 essay questions and he'll choose 3. Not an easy A, but most enjoyable and worth the work he gives you! Awesome teacher. Best of CSM
The reason I became a Philosophy major. Jball is friendly, witty, and unlike any professor you will ever meet. Go to movie nights - up to 8% E.C. Make study groups, makes the material MUCH easier. He's also a great personal listener if you ever need anyone to talk to, and comes with a plethora of hilarious stories! A+++ teacher!
Fun guy, horrible class. My class had essay questions for the test that were handed out before the test. However, what YOU think YOU know is not what BALL thinks is correct. You HAVE to pay attention to HIS viewpoints. Very hard class to get an A/B, but if you don't care about the GPA (get a C), very easy to pass.
Clear, concise and thorough. Uses analogies well to make things memorable. Takes a pretty straight forward and turns it into something interesting. He busts his ass all the way from Santa Cruz to be a great teacher in San Mateo. Plus, he's on Facebook on will make you his best friend if you add him.
Most fun professor I've had, loved the class every day. But, if you are the kind of student who does not keep up with the reading, you will drop. This is a tough class that will prep you well for other classes. After the first test he said to the class: if your grade does not reflect % of reading done and classes attended, come see me.
He is really nice and fun. He is definately a hard grader but he is more then willing to help you if you ask the right questions. Homework is tedious but it definately helps with the tests
Funny teacher hands down. You Learn alot from lectures but expects more on his test. He's a really hard grader but if u get a decent grade on his tests go to the movie nights and participate u can get a c in his class
Awesome teacher. Hilarious lectures.. Tends to Digress quite a bit but amazing teacher nonetheless. HARD class, expects alot, sit in front and take lots of notes and youll do fine. He expects you to actually KNOW the material and not simply just memorize it like most classes expect. You learn alot.. Would take him again in an instance
I made an account with RMP especially for this guy because I enjoyed his class so much. He's witty and very intelligent, and put me in a good mood at the start of the day. PHIL 102 was definitely a challenge but I've already signed up for another class of his! Definitely recommend!
I took his Critical Thinking (103) class back in 2004. I was younger then, and I know that made a difference because I really wasn't in "school mode," but he came highly recommended by someone I trusted, and they were RIGHT! It wasn't easy, and I had to work hard, but he is right up there with my top 5 professors of all time. Highly recommend.
Keeps you involved, great sense of humor. unlike most teachers,J-Ball actually learns your names. Cares about students. Class is very easy if you come and pay attention and do the hw.
Took this as an online course, others say that normal classes are good. Unless you go through the book and video in detail the quizzes are very hard. he's more lenient with the midterm and final. so for online class be ready to spend a lot for stuff.
Do the readings. Sometimes he doesn't read but the first page of most papers so make that first page good. He's kind of funny, so that's a plus. Don't expect to pass with average effort. He believes in making you work for it.
Online summer class was great. 26 lessons, 3 quizzes, 1 midterm, and 1 final exam. It was easy to keep up with the work and the tests weren't difficult.
This professor seriously changed my life. He is hilarious, inspiring, fair yet challenging. He is the reason I became a philosophy major. If every professor was like Jball students would never drop out of school. I took his 244 class and critical thinking and got As because i loved what I was learning. Do yourself a favor and take his class
Really great class. Super interesting. Highly recommend that everyone take this. It's an eye opener, also makes you more open-minded about a lot of things. Really great teacher. Also be prepared for group work.
This professor changed my academic outlook. He is funny, down to earth and fairly easy going but this is NOT an excuse to not do the work! He expects you to come to class prepared (do your reading!) Pay attention and take good notes and you will enjoy what you get from the class. This class should be the intro to life not philosophy! Jball rocks!
I really like JBall because he is straight forward and funny. The only homework he assigned was reading and there were 2 papers. The exams are somewhat demanding but everything you need is laid out for you. He does some extra credit and he will explain anything you have questions on. I would definitely take another class from him.
The information overall was difficult for me to grasp. Jball doesn't always stay on topic, but provides useful information and insight. Only 3 exams total and two papers. If you study for the exams and do well on your papers, you will be successful in the class. Go to the movie nights too! The extra credit is totally worth it!
People in my class seemed to have a hard time getting good grades, but really the only key is to listen in class, take notes, and throw exactly what he says back onto that blue book. If you put in the effort, you'll get an A. J.Ball is more than willing to help anyone who is struggling as long as he knows you're making the effort too. Great class.
I took his online class during the Summer 2014 semester. You do have to use the textbook and the videos (although the site that offers them is closed down) quite a bit. Two midterms and a final are not that hard as long as you keep up with your work. Overall, I loved his class and learned quite a bit :)
If you like regurgitation of information, this might just be the class for you!
We had to write 1000 word essay in 90minutes on tough topics for our midterm. There were not many assignments but heavy of boring reading that wasn't clear. The class isn't engaging. There was no helpful tools to help understand the material we covered. All we did was read& take a test every 2 weeks. If you didn't understand the material your SOL
Dr. Ball is super engaging and interesting. I'm unsure as to if I'd take the class again because of how time consuming and hard the work is. It's difficult for me overall to grasp even though his lectures are great. If you're only taking this as a Gen Ed class and want an easy A, definitely don't take it. I love the class, but the struggle is real.
Professor Ball is a horrible teacher. I emailed him twice about needing help understanding the material and never got a response back from him. I dropped class because he was not helpful at all. Beware! Don't take his class.
Best professor I've ever had. Intelligent and caring toward all students. Class is awesome to attend, his lectures are mind blowing and he always has the whole class either laughing or in awe. He doesn't mark you down for attendance at all but if you don't show up to his lectures, it WILL 100% be reflected through your grade. MUST TAKE!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Dr Ball is great! His lectures help you understand the text better. He's also very inspirational as a professor. The class can be tough and nerve wracking, but totally worth it. Given 7 possible test questions, 3 of which will be asked, 2 of which you have to answer. Before the test he gives you the answers, so listen. His tutor is also helpful.
Philosophy isn't really my thing as a graphic design major, but Jball made it really interesting. If you don't understand the reading (which is pretty tough), his lectures clear them up right away. He expects a lot, but it's a class worth taking, even if it's just for GE requirements.
If you want a funny and nice teacher for phil--he's the one but if you want an easy phil class--he's not the one. 3 tests, 2 papers BUT his class in general is hard. It was hard to grasp the ideas even though I read the book. NOT an easy class at all and make sure you write down EVERYTHING he sayswrites on the board.
If you want a fun, nice phil teacher--he's the one but if you want an easy phil class--he's not the one. 3 tests, 2 papers all semester but his class is hard in general. VERY hard to grasp the ideas. READ the book and write EVERYTHING he sayswrites on board. He doesn't take attendance but the only way to pass is to BE IN CLASS.
Since it was an online class, I had to basically teach myself. There were no forumsdiscussions, only 5 quizzes and a midterm and a final. Everything was clear. You really just have to read the assigned assignments. Anyways, I'm glad he rounded up my grade. Not an easy class, but you just have to keep up with readings and assignments.
One of the greatest courses CSM provides. Jball is without a doubt one of the greatest professors and is personally one of the greatest mentors I've ever had. Go to office hours and learn. This is one of the few classes where you can actually learn amazing things if you give it a chance by making this class a priority.
I took Phil 100 over the summer and before the class started he clearly said this wasn't a easy class and require a lot of work to be put in. And he is right the class is kind of ok - but only if you put in the work and read ALL of the required readings. I HIGHLY Suggest you take notes and put in the page numbers as reference. Reading is crucial!
He is the best teacher I've had at CSM. His lectures can be complex not going to lie but he has a way of making them very fun and interesting. NO hw but he does have 3-4 exams during the semester that require lots of studying. Easy class if you go to all lectures & take NOTES also is very helpful if you go to his office hours. Makes phil fun!!!
Requires lots of reading because its an introduction class to phil so you cover a lot but he makes lectures so interesting & fun. Easy class if you show up to lectures and take notes. Also gives extra credit almost a whole letter grade. He's so hilarious loved his class so much I took phil 244 also.
J-Ball is an amazing professor. His class is eye opening and very challenging. I have worked more for his class than all of my other classes combined. He is very helpful and an extremely intelligent man. He helped me write my college essays and was a great person to receive guidance from. I recommend his class if you want to learn not just pass.
Nothing else left to say
Jball is probably the most intelligent person I've come across in my life let alone as a professor at CSM. The concepts can be tough to master, but he takes the material and lectures it in a way students will understand. Open to meet during office hours. This class made me consider changing my major. I would go to Jball for life advice if I could.
JBall is an AWESOME professor for philosophy. His lectures are eye-opening, funny, and helps students walk through the questions for the exams. As long as you pay attention, copy the notes, and make sense of everything he said in lecture on your own, you'll pass with a good grade. I earned an A in his class and his contribution to it? 80%
Great professor, lectures are interesting, educating and really funny. Gives lots of extra credit, so if you really try you definitely can get an A. he goes over every quiz to make sure people get the material.
This class changed the way I look at the world, as well as how I can make it better. I believe he also wrote the textbook used for this class so he is a true master of his work. #staywoke
There is only about five or six assignments for the whole semester and no extra credit or homework that can be done to bump up you grade. He makes you write essays for each question on your exams, so for 2 question you have to write about four to eight pages. That means at least two pages for one question.
Great professor with interesting lectures. As long as you show up and do your work you will be fine. He lays out very clearly what he expects you to ready and know and there are no surprises. Lots of reading but always reviews test question and clearly defines what he expects from you.
Class is far too difficult for an intro class, but it's like that because Jeremy is a gatekeeper. Requires textbook but the assigned reading oftentimes wasn't connected to what he was teaching in class at all, so nobody read. The way he teaches is nonlinear and lecture heavy and it does not work for most people. Of my class, about 60% dropped.
Professor Ball is a good and funny teacher. His office is open if you need help. We could use a tear out sheet from our book on tests. There is a lot of homework, and homework is worth 1/3 of your grade (with tests and a final being the other 2/3). This could be good or bad for you. It's not an easy A, but an achievable A, an Ball is there to help.
The lectures were interesting & entertaining. He didn't require a text book but he did upload reading assignments on canvas. Going to all class meetings was important to further understand the material. Total of 3 test & a final. If you go to his office hours he will help you understand the readings or the exam questions he gives before the exam.
Jeremy Ball is the best philosophy professor I have taken. Excellent, helpful lectures. I took this class online, and without his video lectures, I would not have understood nearly as much as I did. Very immersive experience. Responds to emails well. He is also handsome and seems like a neat person.
Philosophy isn't rly easy but prof ball gives super clear lectures and lays out everything you need for the exams. Go to class every day!! He's rly funny and class is never boring. 3 exams and 2 essays total
way too hard for an intro class. not much more to say.
He is an awesome teacher. Really down to earth and nice. His lectures are incredibly fascinating and it is never boring. The talks always get you to think in a really interesting way. He also tries to be funny which doesn't always work but the class never gets bored. Tests can be hard but with study sessions, you can get perfect scores.
I took his philosophy 100 class online and it was very manageable. His videos are so helpful and the assignments are not as difficult as others make it out to be. He's funny and a great professor! My advice for online students is to be really attentive during his videos and take lots of notes because it will make your assignments so much easier.
Critical thinking at its finest! His lectures are heavy but he speaks thoroughly & helps make it relatable. There are 3 exams, 2 papers, & group in-class work that he grades us on. The class is 100pts so do the work, study his lecture, meet him up if help is needed & getting an A is easy! You will actually work/learn the material, dont be afraid!
Dr Ball's class will completely change the way you think. It might be in depth for an intro course, but it really gives a good sense of what philosophy is about. You can't pass the class without thinking critically, but at the same time, the work is really manageable.
Get ready to have your belief systems challenged. His classes bring up questions that are sometimes uncomfortable to face. Some grumpy reviewers I would imagine on this site have been challenged in this way. But stick it through ! His first essays are often graded the harshest. Hes an inspiring prof and I miss being in his classes
He's pretty sick. If you're defensive about your beliefs and can't laugh a little, then don't talk his class. But if you enjoy deep thought and entertainment then I highly recommend this class. 3 Written Tests and 2 Essays. Also working with your peers outside of class for test prep will help you extensively.
Get ready to get knocked out of your seat, this class has change my life for the better! Although challenging, take the time to do the work you'll get the most out of it. This class will put your life into perspective . The things we take for granted everyday in this economy, you will learn to appreciate.
Cool philosophy professor (throwing up the p for philosophy gang sign) I took a chance on his class and Im glad I did. He kept the lectures interesting. One advice, take notes notes notes!
Professor Ball gives great lectures and relates it to our everyday life. I recommend to watch the lecture video first, then refer to the textbook to understand the text clearly. Overall, I thought this class would be harder but I highly enjoyed it. HIGHLY RECOMMEND!!
Prof Ball had a decently interesting online class. I took it during summer, so it was accelerated but I definitely had more than enough time to do all of the assignments. His video lectures are actually pretty interesting and this class actually changed my perspective in some aspects of my life. (That only happens if you do the readings, of course)
Took the class over summer online so there was a lot of work due in a small amount of time. He makes the class extremely interesting though and I got an A without really reading the textbook, just listening to the lectures and paying close attention which is easy to do. He's an easy grader and if you do the work you'll get an A
Definitely tough for on his intro classes, however his lectures are extremely percise and organized and if you study them you will forsure get an A on your exams. Go to class and do what he asks and you should be fine. He's a hilarious and very kind dude and is very accessible. Definitely recommend if you're interested in philosophy.
He is an alright professor, but the way he lectures is very dull. I would have to not only listen to him talk in class before but had to rewatch his videos 10x. Overall he is very relaxed and a decent professor and I would take his class again. Somewhat challenging of a course but it's manageable
Good old Dr. Ball is lit. He is an awesome professor. Some people say Philosophy 100 can be too deep, but I think it is all good. Text does help you a little bite, but if you cannot understand, dont worry about it because he teaches everything on class, and if you still struggle a lot, you can always go talk to him in office hour
Professor Ball is someone I would recommend to everyone, I struggled a lot in his class. I usually am an A student, but I had to work my butt off in this class just to get a B-. That's not a bad thing though, because Professor Ball changed the way I thought about life and learned. I was not taking the class seriously enough early enough.
If you want to write 24 essays, then take him. Yes, he assigned 24 essays and on top of it he grades extremely hard. Also, quizzes he puts together are around 6 to 8 questions so if you miss one point, you're screwed. Speaking about the quizzes, there are typos all over them, to the point it is confusing. Stay away from this class.
I love professor Ball. His lectures are very engaging and the reading is extremely interesting. I've tried reaching him outside of class and never got a response, though. Essays are long but if you've read the material and think a little bit you'll do well. Quizzes hurt your grade easily and sometimes are hard to understand bc of grammar. Fun class
Dr Ball is a very good Philosophy professor. People who are leaving poor ratings are just unwilling to put the work in to succeed in his class. Yes it is a tougher class and involves a lot of reading and writing, but you can attend his zoom sessions as well as email him whenever and he will help you out. Dr Ball really knows his stuff!
Giving Ball the benefit of the doubt bc of COVID, but this course was extremely disorganized. Rarely responded to emails and offered little feedback. Each section consists of awful group essays, individual folios (3 essays), and short quizzes (read the material + watch lecture). While I did well in the class, didn't appreciate the lack of structure
There were 4 group folios and the grading was very unfair (I've almost done 2 people's work alone to get full points). You get to put a lot of effort into the individual folios (watching movies, lectures, reading the textbook, and quizzes). Prof Ball doesn't really respond his emails and is very disorganized.
Both my brothers took him in person and said he was their favorite teacher ever. I took his class online/zoom, and I wouldn't recommend taking him online. HW was heavy and took several hours to complete. Lectures were longer than needed. He is an enthusiastic person which I think helped me get through the course. He would be better in person.
Class was pretty easy if you did the reading. Everything is always due on a Sunday so it was easy to follow. Topics are pretty interesting and he has you watch movies (like the Matrix) that you connect to the readings. Lots of video lectures to help explain the readings. Taking another synchronous class from him now-- so far Like that better.
Assignments are spread by weeks and has a solid schedule for all assignments. The reading can be the most difficult part about the class, but aside from that, almost all of your writing is up to your interpretation. Group projects were stressful since most people were unresponsive or responded last minute.
There's quite a lot of reading in the beginning but once you get it done, there's a quiz at the end of each reading due before class. The reading quizzes and the unit exams make up your whole grade. It was a fun class to take but took a while for me to truly understand the material as it gets complicated.
Professor Ball was a funny guy. His video lectures and textbook reading assignments are very heavy. I was doing fine at the beginning of the spring semester. But, I had to withdraw from the class in the middle of the semester because I received a C- on the first exam. The exam requires a lot of writing and at least 500 words or more on the exam.
Professor Ball never responded to the email you sent to him, which is awful when you are taking an asynchronous class. It's like he is never there for the students.
The class is interesting and not challenging, but PRofessor Ball never once responded to Emails, which were important for inactive groupmates. He must sit in the Santa Cruz mountains, let his prerecorded lectures do work for him and he sits back and does nothing.
Interesting topics. There's four sections throughout the course which have 3 quizzes and one group project, if you watch the prerecorded lectures and respond to group members you'll be fine.
Professor Ball is a great lecturer and teaches a super interesting class. He is very funny and often makes dark jokes, but as he'll tell you, he's tenured so he can make whatever jokes he wants. Great professor great class.
Class offers interesting materials (mostly essays), but it was clear that Jeremy Ball either hadn't read these materials or preferred to give a dumbed-down interpretation during lectures. This led to difficulties over the written exams, as it was unclear whether he graded by his philosophically dubious lectures or based on the readings themselves.
Avoid him if possible! Material is not difficult, but the actual lectures are useless. To get an A in the class, I depended on textbooks and youtube tutorials. There are 5 quizzes and 1 final. The professor doesn't go over material well and probably doesn't prepare his lectures ahead of time. The class average for the final was 54%...
He wrote the book for the class (it's free). Class was easy-just do the readings. Took as a hybrid class--the lectures are on youtube with online quizzes. Class time was for brief overviews and class discussion. In-class exams every four weeks. He has a Zoom option for every class and records so if you miss class NBD. Wish all my classes did this.
The grading is very arbitrary. I got low grades on tests I studied for and high grades on tests I didn't study for. The prof. didn't tell me where I could improve. When I asked him to explain the reason for the low score on the test, he told me he was sure I would figure it out by myself, and he hurried out.
Class covers fascinating but dense content. Professor seemed rather jaded.
Great teacher fun class and super easy quizzes. He'll tell you the possible questions beforehand so you can study each, then answer the ones that come up on test day.
Bit difficult. Most of the class tends to end up dropping.
Ok if you are reading this - take JBall's class. He's not only super kind and funny but also extremely good at his job and very passionate during lectures. He manages to get the whole class involved with super thought-provoking conversations about the biggest questions humans have been thinking about for centuries. We love you JBall!
i signed up for this class because of the good reviews but i'm only a few days into the class and i already want to drop it. there is a lot of reading and writing. he expects u to read, watch his lectures, write 3 500 word essays, watch a movie, and do a group assignment where you need to write another essay. insane.
not too hard to get an A in this class if you are able to tolerate lots of reading and writing. class itself is fairly unpleasant. professor makes a lot of basic snarky comments about transgender people and "wokism". it was whatever tho. i was just taking the class for the grade but this is something to keep in mind for certain students
Be prepared to do so much reading and writing.. not even two weeks into the course there was a 392 page reading along with two other readings. He expects you to write 500 word responses for three questions he gives around every 2-3 weeks, do group projects (which you need to pay for if it's based on a movie). insane workload for one class
Worst teacher I've had so far. I have never written one of these but I hope that this can help someone else in the future because I DO NOT RECOMMEND. Extremely tough grader and he does not post a rubric. He expects amazing group projects from an asynchronous class. like??? 0/10 please do yourself a favor a pick a different professor.
very unclear grading policies on essays. It would clear things up if he posted a rubric or example answers of past essay exams but his standards were basically impossible to guess at. still not too hard to get an A as long as you do the reading but gets annoying not even knowing what you lost points on...
lots of reading, lots of lectures, lots of essays, but ironically not a lot of substantive material was discussed during class. also, the grading was extremely lazy.
wants people to call him "JBall". Nobody calls him "JBall".
Great Professor. J-Ball is super interesting and very accommodating. Class discussions are great. Test were pretty easy--you get the test questions well in advance of the exams. Do your reading and go to class and you will do great! Stop by for office hours-- helpful!
Fair amount of reading, but manageable. Some online quizzes, a few one-page responses (less than at my 4 year school) and then you watch a few movies and connect them to the readings for a group project. My first group was a waste--hard to get a hold of everyone- but the later ones were really good. Actually made a couple friends! Would recommend
Great class that connects economics, philosophy, anthropology--super interesting. Also J Ball spent a lot of time with me out of class working on my college apps. Very caring. Would highly recommend.
Great class-- a fair amount of reading (PDFs --no book:) Topics were interesting. Quite of few of the uptight students got uncomfortable. Seems like a lot of people aren't happy to have there views challenged--they appeared to take it personally. If you are open to questing what you believe, take Ball's class. If not, take something else.
The lectures are really interesting. Be prepared to think and it helps to get invested in the material.
Jball is hilarious. If you go to the lectures, watch the videos, and read, you will be fine. He makes you handwrite the exams (there are only 4). He genuinely cares about his students and if you go to his office hours, he's down to talk about anything and everything. He always talks about everything you need to know in his review sessions.
Goated professor tbh what else can I say
Seems like a zionist. He makes smart remarks about whats going on in Gaza sometimes in a mocking tone. Liked him at first but lowkey weirded out now.
The lectures are engaging, but be ready for heavy reading and writing. Use resources like unstuck study to streamline study prep. The grading can be tricky, so go to office hours.
JBall is very interesting and the class connects lots of things I was learning in my other classes to things that are going on in the world. Would highly recommend both the course and the professor.
Professor Ball's lectures are intriguing and humorous. He is clearly passionate about philosophy, and that is revealed through his stories. There are three tests that are easily passible with enough studying, and two written papers. Ball gives great feedback on work.
Professor Ball gives great lectures about various philosophers and baseline information about philosophical ideas. A great course to take if you want to complete a GE because the topics are truly captivating.
Prof. Ball, is a very hard professor he grades hard, lots of work, not understanding, and a very bad communicator. He does not care about his students and all his work is very out dated meaning all of his online lecture are from 2020.
Professor Jeremy Ball is an outstanding philosophy instructor at CSM. His passion for the subject is clear, and he explains complex ideas in a way that's engaging and easy to understand. He encourages thoughtful discussion and makes every class feel meaningful. Highly recommended for anyone interested in philosophy!
Mr. Ball is the best teacher I've ever had. His class completely changed how I see the world. He made philosophy actually make sense and got everyone thinking in a deeper way. Super chill and actually cares about his students. If you get the chance to take his class—Total game changer.
Prof. J. Ball is totally awesome! His YouTube lectures prepare you perfectly for the in person exams. He provides the questions (5) and only asks answers for 2 of them. Participation isn't required but really helps. He asks not to use phones/computers except for notes. Offers extra office hours + recorded Zoom for review. Best college class ever!!!
Good professor with engaging lectures, but his grading can be tough. Tests require memorizing specific details and writing answers his way. Grades are based only on quizzes and exams, so you really have to make sure you know your stuff.
Hardest, easiest class I've ever taken is the best way to describe this class. He makes you write in "his view" for the tests, which I lowkey respect because he's pushing his beliefs while insulting half the class, which is funny. But I respect the man because he knows he's tenured and he knows no one can do anything about it. Absolute G.
Best class I have ever taken. I have never been so interested in a course, and the way he lectures is so engaging. There are 3 tests and 2 papers. You will do well if you pay attention to the lectures and put in some effort.
Dr. Ball is an outstanding professor. He's super chill and wants you to succeed. There are three books in this class that you have to read, and then a long, timed essay, or a group project, after each book. The lectures are helpful to improve understanding, but the essays are only based on the content of the books. Also, global studies is not IR.
Class Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
48%
Textbook Required
53%
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