I thought Rota was a great teacher. He does his notes on the board in an outline format, which is helpful to me

The only real problem is that he repeats himself, and that seems to be because many students have problems following what he's saying. The paper assignments seemed clear to me. I reccomend him, even moreso now that he has had a semester of teaching.

Talks in circles? He wouldn't if everyone understood him the first time. What is perceived as talking in circles is him approaching things from different angles to satisfy all methods of thinking. Boring? Brilliant, maybe.

He is pretty cute, huh? Looks a bit like Tom Cruise. He's the whole package.

Good teacher. Tries to hard sometimes. Overall good prof if you can follow sometimes un-clear lectures.

He does resemble Tom Cruise. Sometimes he does get lost in his lectures a bit, but I still understood what he was saying. Plus, he's a super nice guy, and if the person who said they didn't understand the paper assignments would've went and talked to him, they could've solved that problem. I'd recommend him, but he's not my favorite prof ever.

Mr. Rota is a really nice guy and is always willing to answer any questions you have. He does lecture for most of the time but keeps the lectures entertaining and clear. I'd recommend him to anyone taking intro to Phil. :)

He's not too bad of a professor. He can grade pretty tough at times but his test questions aren't too hard. Overall he's a good professor I would recommend taking him.

dude is so melodramatic...his examples make you laugh and he keeps you interested through out most of the lecture. Really smart guy, and really trys to help you understand if you're struggling. He really makes you enjoy learning about philosophy.

i cant believe people actually say this guy is hard. hes a cool guy and his lectures are pretty sweet. class is not hard at all, basically no work after first couple weeks. two papers that are easy bc he walks you through them. I recommend him 100%. TAKE ROTA FOR PHILOSOPHY 115.

good teacher too bad he's going to teach at Harvard next year

Rota is a great professor, he lectures most of class but the lectures are really interesting. 2 papers, 2 tests, and small homework assignments every once in a while. He is great and I would highly recommend him for anyone who has to take this class!

best teacher ever. funny! tries to keep his students interested in so many ways. BUT he's not gonna be here next semester sooooo...

I loved Dr. Rota!! he is willing to help and his lectures are easy to follow. He made a dry subject interesting.

Very concerned with students understanding dry and confusing topic. I had a great time, hes a great guy really helpful and easy class! Take Rota if you can!

He was a great teacher! He really went the extra mile to make sure people understood what was going on. He's not really funny so much as he is just a goof. Overall great expierence

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Dr. Rota is awesome! I have been delaying taking my second philosophy for a while, but am really glad I am taking it this semester with him as my professor. Very helpful outside class for clarifications on assignments. Does give 'on time quizzes' occasionally, so it would be in your best interest to attend class (plus, class is just fun, so go)

Dr. Rota was great! In my opinion, his grading is very fair. If you have a question about the assignment, ask him about it and he will gladly help. I do not think he tries to impose his views (you are at a Catholic university, if you have a problem with those values, you shouldn't go to a Catholic school). Great professor! : )

Dr. Rota is hands down, the best professor at St Thomas. Interesting, enthusiastic, caring, BRILLIANT, friendly.. He has taught me so much, and I have become a better student thanks to him. TAKE HIM! You will NOT regret it!!

He is a really good prof, yet he's a hard grader.

He is one one of the best philosophy profs!

Great professor. Simplifies teachings and yet still challenges you to be more critical on your work.

Dr. Rota is one of the best profs at St. Thomas. He truly has supreme intelligence! Will share his passion for Philosophy with you. Dr. Rota really challenges you and taking him will help you develop reasoning skills that are essential to do well in other classes (or in my case, the MCAT). Really funny guy too!

I'm a little bit in love with him. And he's an excellent professor.

Dr. Rota is an excellent professor. Makes class very interesting and funny! He actually made philosophy class fun to go to, take him!

Dr. Rota is a good prof. The first part of the course is all Aristotle, and I guess I thought that was pretty boring. But Rota teaches well, he's genuine about what he's teaching, and his course made me think a lot about life outside school, which seems pretty ideal for an ethics course. One paper, two exams, pop quizzes, final project. Take him!

Puts far too much emphasis on memorization. Not enough actual philosophy goes on--he also grades oral presentations on your tone, cadence and stance, not just philosophical soundness. This is a good course if you aren't interested in the analytical aspect of philosophy, and would rather memorize Aristotle.

Fantastic prof. Really knows his stuff and clearly explains everything. There's never any confusion on what's going to be on the test. He's a harder grader than average but it's worth it.

Excellent professor who expects a lot out of his students, particularly on his short papers. When he explains the material, he is clear and easy to follow. You will learn a lot of material.

Dr. Rota is a great prof and a great guy. He has high expectations for his students, yet at the same time, he reaches out to help them truly understand the material. Furthermore, the stuff he teaches is not outdated and mundane philosophy, but issues that impact daily life like abortion, religion, knowledge, and ethics. He deserves a raise!!!!!

All around good guy. His passion is philosophy. Except he is a very tough grader!!! From papers to exams, if it is not by the book, its wrong. I did have an interest in philosophy but do not choose to major in it. This class I felt like was for philosophy majors. It was tough! It's to bad because he's a nice guy but his curriculum is unreal.

All around good guy. His passion is philosophy. Except he is a very tough grader!!! From papers to exams, if it is not by the book, its wrong. I did have an interest in philosophy but do not choose to major in it. This class I felt like was for philosophy majors. It was tough! It's to bad because he's a nice guy but his curriculum is unreal.

Very good lectures! You will understand everything that he talks about. Is a difficult grader, but if you put some time and effort into the papers you will be fine. Lots of reading quizzes (very easy). 2 papers, one exam, quizzes and a final.

Rota is seriously awesome. Amusing, friendly, encouraging, and really knows what he's talking about. If you just spend a few hours a week studying or working on the logic worksheets, etc, you will do perfectly fine. :)

Dr. Rota got me hooked instantly on philosophy. This subject can easily be confusing to students, but Dr. Rota's clarity and analytic way of teaching made it easy to understand. His class is by no means a 'slacker class', but his clear teaching style and expectations made it easy to do well.

Great professor. Had him for Metaphysics and took him again for Faith & Doubt and Contemporary philosophy. Friendly, really tough, but very helpful. You cannot expect to get a good grade without working hard on assignments and daily class attendance.

One of the best Philsophy teachers I had during my undergraduate in Philosophy. He was very clear and did a great job presenting a variety of topics involved within the course subject matter. Although I already liked philosophy, he fostered this even more in me and really made me want to improve and do the best I could.

Great professor. He knows his topics well. Explains things in a way you can understand, and makes them relevant. Makes you excited about the topic.

One of my all time favorite Profs. Interesting but tough material presented well. Professor Rota has a gift for engaging and challenging his students to personally grapple with philosophical issues.

Taking 115 with him inspired me to minor in Philosophy. You'll work and think hard in his classes, but it's worthwhile since you can feel your brain growing. If you're confused about something in class, he's very helpful 1:1. He's fair to all points of view in his class, but he won't compromise on truth. Overall, one of the best professors at UST.

Dr Rota is a pretty good prof. He seems to lose track of what he's explaining, and forgets that we only have a one hour class. By the time he gets back on track, there are only 5 minutes left for him to explain what we're actually supposed to be learning. Strict on assignments and a hard grader. Very quirky and keeps students engaged.

Rota is my favorite!! I had no interest in PHIL before, but he made is very clear and fun. One test, one final and one paper and some homeworks. He is very helpful outside of class. Going to have to take a lot of notes, but they are clear. Take him if you can!!

Rota is a pretty awesome teacher. His class will make you think and can be difficult at times, but for the most part he is pretty clear in explaining things. Attendance is mandatory and you should go to class because everything is in the lectures, there are some assigned readings but the important stuff is in the lectures. I recommend him to anyone

Awesome prof. Really cares about the students and their learning. Will go into more detail about any questions you have and really knows his stuff! Helpful outside of class and in class and has extremely organized notes which translates really well into student note-taking. Recommended.

Dr Rota is a great teacher! He is more than willing to make extra office hours for you, and is always there to answer questions. He is very nice, but the overall class is boring. Do not take if you are not willing to put in a lot of work, bc this class is very demanding. Very nice prof

Amazing teacher, love him to death give him a raise!!!!!

AMAZING PROF! Take him.

Great guy. No powerpoints; he lectures on the board and has you take notes. Homeworks are little worksheets. He will call on random people in class but he is super sweet and is always willing to help. He likes "pop" quizzes but you can basically figure out when they are coming. 2 test. 1 paper. Easy class overall.

Great prof and all around great class

I love this guy. He is so into the material and is so willing to help. For this class, he focused on more of the concepts of philosophy rather than taking about historical philosophers. The lectures were interesting and I learned a lot. Take this class!!

Real great prof. 3 short essays and 2 exams. Important to read, he has quizzes every year.

Overall great class. Dr. Rota does an excellent job making class interesting. The exams are very straightforward. If you pay attention in class and do the readings you should be good to go. I even missed a couple days and easily caught back up.

Dr. Rota made philosophy fun for me, I always looked forward to his class even though I had it at 8:15. He really tries to engage with the students and he explains things in ways that are easy to understand. If you pay attention in class, do all the homework, and dedicate some time outside of class you will not only pass this class, but enjoy it.

Dr. Rota is an excellent teacher. He keeps the class engaged, and he does a great job teaching the material of the course. If you pay attention in class, and spend some time studying, you will have no problem doing well! I always looked forward to going to class, and I truly learned a lot. I was very satisfied overall having him as a professor.

Dr. Rota is an amazing professor and I always looked forward to class. He tied everything we talked about to a more relevant topic from the world today which helped to keep the class engaged and interesting. There is reading every night and a reading quiz each week, but as long as you read you will do fine. Take Dr. Rota if you have the chance!

Dr. Rota is awesome! This was my favorite class all semester even though it was an 8am. Make sure you keep up on the readings and take good notes during class and you will do great. He teaches on topics that are relevant in the world today and is fully invested in his students' learning.

Best Prof at UST

Michael Rota was a great professor and taught the class in an easy way to understand. The material that is taught in this class was applicable to everyday life and made the class more interesting.

The best!

Dr. Rota is absolutely fantastic with a lot of really interesting material in his course. He is always excited to teach us the material and that is big. The workload as a whole for the person and the good was a fair amount, probably a little more than other courses. I would completely recommend taking Dr. Rota.

Dr. Rota is a fantastic professor but one of the most challenging professors for Phil100. If you want an easy, fill class I wouldn't recommend him. However, if you do take him you learn a ton, there are plenty of opportunities for help and guidance. The most challenging part of the class is the first month of logic. It eases up though. Nice guy.

I took critical thinking with Dr. Rota which is kind of a weird class but he made it a lot better. He is really interested in what he does and will always re-explain something if you dont get it. Some of his test questions are kinda tricky but not a lot of homework and a sweet teacher. He learns all of his students names and really cares.

It was always a joy to be in his class. He was always uplifting and happy, even after he had surgery and was in lots of pain. His class is structured around assignments that not only apply to class but also to life. I really felt like I learned a lot about philosophy and myself through his assignments. Overall it was an excellent class!

Great professor with an engaging teaching style. Loves to tackle hard questions and problems and work through things with everyone in class. Most of the work is reading, but it's not too much.

A dynamic professor who switches between guided discussion and lecture to encourage engagement with material and help students develop an ability to speak about their learning and learn from one another while also gaining a deeper knowledge of content from a master. Welcomes questions and challenges to arguments, making lecture exciting.

Dr. Rota is a very caring person and is attentive to your need as a student, all you have to do is ask. Classes can be lecture heavy but they are by far the most engaging! You will not regret taking any of his courses.

Very organized professor that lets you know where we're going with the class, listens well to different ideas and takes time to answer all questions thoughtfully. Encourages understanding rather than productivity.

Your class work does not get in the way of your education with Dr. Rota! The lectures are engaging and you learn a great deal in the class.

Great professor! Knowledgeable, personable, and engaging. Class is consistently fun and fascinating. One of the best instructors I've ever had.

He is a man that cares a lot about what he is teaching and desires his students would come to also share in the love of truth. He loves his subject matter with such a purity of heart with childlike wonder. JMJ

Patiently listens to and answers questions in class. Good availability for office hours. Great constructive feedback on papers.

He does teach using the whiteboard and hands out paper copies of things that he thinks are important. I greatly enjoyed him as a professor and you can tell how passionate he is about his job. He truly cares about his students and wants them to become the best version of themselves. I highly recommend Dr. Rota.

I took Dr. Rota for PHIL 110, and he was incredible. His lectures weren't nearly as painful as other professors and he made the material relatively interesting. His exams are relatively tough, but if you take notes in class and understand the material, you'll likely finish the class well above 100%.

Really like him and he's a chill dude.

Very good professor.

Loved this professor! Dr. Rota was probably the main reason my writing skills improved so much in college. I learned so much in his class that I have taken with me into my every day life. If you are looking for a traditional, conservative Catholic, this is your guy. One of the good ones left at St. Thomas.

Really smart and passionate guy. I have really no interest in philosophy but he made it enjoyable. The logic part of the class is super boring but the ethics was really good

Great professor! I was nervous about taking a philosophy class because it can be intimidating and somewhat boring, but his teaching is spectacular. Incredibly welcoming and values every single student. Gives great feedback and answers questions clearly and quickly. Attendance is necessary, but he does provide lecture notes for each day.