3.1
Quality3.2
Difficulty40%
Would Retake103
Reviews40%
Would Retake
103
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
5
23
4
25
3
25
2
20
1
10
What Students Say
“no other words can describe it”
GREL101 - 1.0 rating“avoid at all costs, honestly, the worst teacher I've ever had anywhere”
GREL101 - 1.0 ratingClass Info
Attendance Mandatory
29%
Textbook Required
80%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B+
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-1.03 avg changeRatings by Course
101
5.0
(1)ENG101
5.0
(1)GPHIL
5.0
(1)GPHL
5.0
(1)100
4.0
(1)Difficulty by Course
GPHIL100
5.0
ETHICS
5.0
100
4.0
GHUM
4.0
PHI225
4.0
Reviews (103)
No Comments
He's a cool guy. Interesting class, too.
No Comments
really nice, funny stories, pretty easy
he's a really nice guy & the class is really easy!
No Comments
I feel like I'm in a clear eyes commercial in class!
very boring, but nice guy, extremely hard tests
very hard, have to write two page paper every week and his tests are awful
No Comments
No Comments
class is alright, helps to have had a phil class before, not too bad. READ !!!
have to write a two page analysis on every chapter and tests are hard
Straight off the meat rack. Easy tests, good lectures, argues with christians!
How am I supposed to learn about religion when my techer is the devil? Makes you write 3 page essays every single week.
Softspoken nice guy, more than willing to help you and revise the 15 three page papers (journal) you have to write (one for every week's reading)
Super boring. Doesn't know what he believes. Surprised he's teaching religion. Test was easy, the papers are easy to write, can be on anything you read about. Did I mention it was boring? And he's annoying?
Pretty easy class, quizzes can be kind of hard, but the end of the year papers which you will get 100 on make up for it.
An extremely interesting class. Brings the subject to everyday life. Good class discussion. Easy tests, papers.
Doesn't cover the material that ends up on the quizzes. Crazy guy...makes for an interesting discussion, but it's pointless.
Ridiculous amount of journal writing; he's pretty funny but the class is a snoozer
Funny Funny guy...boring class. quizzes are hard, but the papers at the end make up for it
not a bad class at all, nice guy, kind of a lot of work but just do it and he'll give you full credit no matter what...TAKE HIM
nice guy, a little neurotic but a good sense of humor, not a hard class. The book is out of control and unnessesary
No Comments
Good guy, interesting stories. Knows what he's talking about, though can get a little boring. Journal assignment annoying, okay if you keep up with it. Should get an A if you study some and do what is assigned.
such a cool guy, great stories and stuff, but in my opinion you cant make religion fun, but he tried. a lot of writing involved in the class.
Easy class to take. Professor Neel is extremely funny and interesting, despite the often boring lecture material presented. Lots of reading, but you can get by with going to class and taking notes.
Prey has a charming personality. He is funny and charismatic,but a little hardened by the slings and arrows of life. Tests are a bit obscure, get on the ball with the grading!
neel is a good time. very quotable. dry, sarcastic. love him. take him. competent and not an ass. woo hoo neel :-D
funny, entertaining guy. hard quizzes and lots of writing but not as bad as it seems on paper. take this class with a friend.
very funny teacer. takes the topic and puts it in terms you can understand and relate to. as long as you take really good notes in class, you don't really have to read the book! 6 tests, drops lowest one... and 6, 3 page essays... and a take home final.
AWESOME GUY!! I HAD HIM LAST SEMESTER FOR PHIL 101, TRIES TO INTIMIDATE YOU, BUT IF YOU COME TO CLASS AND TAKE GOOD NOTES YOU WON'T HAVE A PROBLEM.
HARDEST GENED EVER!!! Don't be fooled by other reviews! He is nice and teaches well, but last 2 weeks of class you have to write 6 papers! He calls tests "quizes" but they are tests. Take home exam is another 5 page paper. There are better gphil
ok perry is hilarious. you need to listen sometimes to catch his sense of humor and yeah the quizzes can be hard, but the papers in the end make up for it, take home final, makes class interesting
Good teacher but class is way to hard. By far my hardest gened. way to much reading and a lot of papers at the end of the semester. Not worth taking this class
Reading is pointless, can get by without it, just go to class and take your notes. Study for the quizzes and you'll do fine, even though they can be pretty tricky. Alot of writing at the end of the semester, be prepared. Take him, very interesting.
Pretty rough for a gened, a lot of work at the end of the semester, especially rough if you already have tons of upperclass coursework to do, definitely try to take as a freshman before you get to loaded down, but other than that he's not too bad of a guy
quizzes r pretty hard, do need to read. 6, 3 page papers at end of semester and then a take home 5 page final...i dont think he even reads them, easy A, just have a c+ average for the quizzes going into the papers
What a teddy bear. If you hate sarcastic people don't take him. Very funny in class, actually makes Philosophy fun. Lot of writing at end of semester, but I'm pretty sure he doesn't read anyones paper. Most interesting GenEd teacher out there!
This guy makes philosophy interesting! And his stories are priceless. You will learn so much from him.
DROP THIS CLASS. This guy hates everything and everyone. He is the devil. 6 tests, 20 random questions each. Six 3-page papers. I pray that you just happened to look at this professors rating and that you are not so unfortunate to have him. If you do, may God have mercy on your soul. Godspeed
ok, so he's sarcastic and funny-if you call complaining about EVERYTHING under the sun funny. His quizzes are nearly impossible and this class is not worth it. save yourself while you can.
Very funny in a sarcastic way. I would recommend him to anyone. The tests are hard. Study philosophers carefully and key terms. Turn off your cell phone. Don't chew gum.
interesting guy, tells good stories. u have to do the reading but if u do u have a good shot on the quizes, whick r hard if u dont read just make sure u study the philosophers in the chapter and ur good. 6 papers due at end of semester but from what it seems they are graded easy, take him
Dr. Neel is awesome! Don't listen to these people! You are in college, of course you have to study, why else are you here?! This guy atleast makes class interesting and funny! Take him, I'm glad I did!
Eh, not the worst professor out there, wasn't very fond of him, but he's got a dry witt about him that starts to grow on you. 6 quizzes, drops the lowest one. 6 essays. Chapters in the book are 150 pgs. each, study the philosophers in each chapter and you should be okay.
Very very funny. Has a stupid human tricks and show your tatoos day. was disapointed in my class cause none of us had gone to jail yet. once dated a stripper. you gotta read to do well. bs the papers at the end of the semester and you're good. agree with him when he says, don't you argee?
awesome professor, cracks some funny jokes, read the text book, even though its really long, you'll probabaly get a B in his class
Decent professor. Funny, at times. Pesimistic at others. READ THE BOOK, WILL SAVE YOUR GRADE. Quizzes are very hard. Notes taken in class don't help much on the quizzes. Essays are easy but he is very vague about them.
He is obnoxious and rude. He thinks that he is the most amazing professor and always knocks other professors' classes. He thinks that he is a genius and an expert in every field. If you can stomach him, then go for it - otherwise I suggest you take someone else.
one word: terrible
Nice, easy if you read the book and listen sometimes, don't chew gum or eat, and falling asleep will make you feel guilty. I'd recommend him though, rambles on tangents a LOT
Prof. Neel is a great guy, he's funny and personable, really tries to connect with his students. I love the stories that he tells during class! He presents very controversial issues from an unbiased opinion, and does a great job conveying material that is somewhat confusing. Philosophy was my favorite class this semester all because of him
ummm... I don't know what these people are talikng about, but this class was not easy! The quizes are so specific about these long chapters (the class quiz average was like a 65%), and at the end of the semester he packs you with essays and a final essay... He's a funny guy, I'll give him that, but that is not enough reason to take his class.
The quizes are ridiculous, the chapters are forever long, and he is nitpicky when it comes to questions from them. At the end of the semester i wrote 7 papers within a week and a half for that class which were easier than the quizes i suppose. The final though is a take home essay, which is awesome. He is a funny guy, but i wouldnt recommend him.
the 6 quizzes (drops lowest score) is what makes or breaks you. the 6 chapters making up the 6 different quizzes are very long. he pours 6 papers plus a take home final paper all within the last 3 weeks of class. however, i have a strong belief that he doesnt even read them so just get them done
This class flat out sucks but if you have to take it you might as well take Neel. He's really boring and you'll think that you're doing really bad a first but in the end you'll end up with an A or B just for doing the work. Just be prepared to be bored. ps. way to much work for a gened
I was really looking forward to taking this clas, but I wasn't into him at all. He's a cool enough guy, and if you're looking for a fairly easy A then this is your class, but I really just thought it was a waste of time. He also speaks in such a soft voice, it was difficult to hear him.
Neel is annoying. He cusses all the time and his quizzes are hard. He hates his life and complains about everything. I almost fell asleep everyday. He is monotone and hardly opens his mouth when he talks.
This guy is horrible. IF YOU HAVE TO TAKE THIS CLASS TAKE ANYONE BUT HIM. YOU WILL SPEND YOUR LIFE READING THE CRAZY LONG CHAPTERS. EVERYONE IN MY CLASS DOES HORRIBLY ON THE QUIZZES. He disrespects and makes fun of everyone. He hates his life and tries to make you hate yours! To put it simply he is the most awful professor i've had at JMU
Great professor, ignore prior comments, they're obviously from freshmen who are just now getting the hang of college classes. Funny and will go out of his way to help students. Also brings his dog to class!
If you complain whenever a professor asks you to use your brain then you will not like Neel. All the negative ratings here are from stupid freshman who shouldn't be in a philosophy class to begin with. If you have half a brain and a sense of humor you will love his class. He is by far the best professor I have had at JMU. Take him.
I love this class. Professor Neel makes the class really fun and interesting. Great guy and the class is not bad if you keep up with reading. Definitely take this class!
Fairly difficult. I take a lot of notes but the quizzes are very specific, and most people in my class do poorly. Granted, I don't read the book as much as I should, but even when I feel like I know the material well, I usually get a sixty-something on the quizzes.
Read and take notes and hope to heck that what you remember is on the test, they are hard and random
Favorite Prof. by far. Just do the reading and you will be fine. I did not take an insane amount of notes, just tried to read the entire chapter before tests, and I did pretty well. On occasions he will bring his dog to class :-) which is always fun. Favorite class of the semester, take him if you can!
Not a good teacher- tests are 20 point multiple choice, scan-tron but aimed to confuse you. He has 1 office hour in a dining facility right before class. He almost has a sadistic sense of humor, and he considers himself 'evil.' I wouldn't take him again.
Neel is one of the best professors I've ever had. He's socially literate and easy to develop a personal student-teacher relationship with. At times he can seem a bit too opinionated, but keep in mind that the point of the class is to learn the opinion of the discussed philosopher - not to express your own opinion for everything. Funny guy.
Prof. Neel is a really nice guy, great sense of humor. I learned so much in his class. However, this class is pretty much impossible to get an A in. I worked my butt off and barely got a B. You HAVE to read the text book, pay attention in class. I think he has to curve at the end in order for people to get decent grades. Still a good class though.
Prof. Neel is hard to explain. He sits in front of the class and lectures, hardly is clear on instructions. If you ask a question about the syllabus, he won't answer and tells you to read it.You have a test on every religion, only 20 questions each so you can barely miss any to get a decent grade. Hard to figure out what he wants, but not bad.
He was a great professor. Must read the material and take notes but he clarifies everything in class and you'll know exactly what you need to know for his tests. Very funny, expects you to have read the material and does really care about his students. Take him if you have the chance and simply try to do what he asks
terrible. no other words can describe it.
avoid at all costs, honestly, the worst teacher I've ever had anywhere. gen ed courses should be straightforward and an A should be a pretty attainable grade, but he is awful, i struggled to make a C. his idea of running a class is sitting in his seat for 90 minutes talking as quietly as he can and don't bother asking questions.tests are impossible
One of the rudest professors I have ever had. Not willing to discuss other points of view. Sits in the front of the class and rants about the books that we are assigned to read. Not helpful whatsoever. Do not take this class.
interesting class with lots of books to read. dr. neel sits in the front of the class and hits the main points of the book but you should still read cuz some of the questions on the tests dont come from his lecture. dont argue with his point of view because he wont care. pretty rude, stubborn, athiest but can be funny. pretty easy gen-ed
One of the worst teachers I have ever had. His quizzes are impossible and tries to trick his students. He will ask ridiculous history questions and hypothetical questions that you will not understand. Do not sign up for this class unless you want to work your ass off for a B at best.
HORRIBLE PROFESSOR!! Most likely the worst I have every had. No matter how hard you try your grade will not reflect your effort. Neel is extremely rude. Belittles students for asking questions. If you care about your GPA do not take. It will be one of the biggest mistakes of your college career.
He is an interesting guy, just sits in the front of the room and rants a lot- but it can be interesting. Be friendly and he will like you more, but he doesn't really keep an open mind on views. The class is composed of quizes and a final paper. Just read and pay attention and you should do ok
'Monsieur Anti-Christ' :) I thought he was awesome, really cynical and interesting, although I felt like most of my class never laughed at his jokes & disliked him.. just express interest! Focuses a lot on the readings, make sure you write down everything he says in class - that's what he quizzes on. I took another philosophy class because of him!
I loved this class! We are required to read a short book and have quizzes on them every week. Everything on the quizzes comes straight from discussion. If you go to class and take good notes you'll do well! The last book/quizzes were hard but Neel drops the lowest quiz grade. We also watch a movie and its awesome, take this class.
Quizzes every week and Neel tells you everything you need to know so take really good notes. He doesn't give +/- grades but if you put in the work you'll get an A, I did. I read the books,went to class, and studied for each quiz. The last book on Happiness is difficult and long so you must go to class or get notes from a friend to understand it.
DO NOT TAKE THIS CLASS! I studied for this class and still struggled to get a C. He hates when people ask questions and is extremely rude and sarcastic. If you care at all about your GPA I wouldn't take this class.
He gives eight tests in class, one on each religion, and drops the lowest grade. Assigns a 3 page essay due at the end of the term and then a final, total 900 points. He is sarcastic and not helpful when asked questions, and the class is hard. TAKE EXTENSIVE NOTES and go to class.
Neel comes off as funny or at least interesting to most, but he can be very condescending and rude if you ask even simple questions. However, if you get to be on his good side or you can keep your mouth shut and understand his boring lectures, it can be a manageable class.
You are going to have to read the material, but he is awesome. Not for those that want a politically correct teacher, as he speaks his mind. On of the best professors I have had a JMU!
He was one of the BEST professors that I have had at JMU! I wish I could take his class again! The material is super interesting. He likes the philosophy side so get ready to know your philosophers. There is 5-6 little books and then a huge book on happiness at the end. Write EVERYTHING he says in class! The quizzes are direct quotes FROM HIM!!!!!
The hardest Gened class I've ever taken. 7 quizzes and drops the lowest. everything on the quizzes comes from his lectures, if you skip class,you're screwed. I busted my ass with the readings and going to class but still had a 60 average on quizzes. Final is a take home with 7 essays, had to work like crazy on the final just to get a C in the class
I didn't like him too much BUT his class opened up my perspective. Get ready to question things and accept ambiguity.
I highly recommend finding a different course in this cluster if at all possible. There was so much reading in this class, I could never get caught up. Very frequent quizzes. The professor is very cynical.
Very funny guy, but his lectures can get kind of boring, and you'll probably find yourself dozing off in early classes. There are several quizzes throughout the semester and they're all based on his lectures of the readings, so PAY ATTENTION AND TAKE NOTES!! He can be a little condescending at times but he's a good professor.
So much reading! If you use sparknotes you will fail the quizzes miserably. Even if you read and take extensive notes you still will probably get a B or a C on the quizzes. I managed to pull off B's for the most part but everyone sitting around me were getting C's and D's. You cannot ask questions! He is a total downer, the class is a gpa bomb
I absolutely loved Professor Neel's class! He comes of as quirky and weird, but once you get to know him, he is a really funny guy. Quizzes were not hard as long as you took good notes in class and payed attention. His final was REALLY hard, but overall, I would take this class again.
after reading all the reviews, I was absolutely dreading this class--what a waste of energy. He's really cool. Not always politically correct, so if you're one of THOSE people, not recommended. If you take good notes during the large books, and read the small ones (I promise you can do it), you're good. Notes will also help you with the final
Prof. Neel is a very strange, but smart man. His lectures can be boring at times but the content is usually very interesting. Do the readings and take good notes! The quizzes can be difficult if you didn't pay attention in class. He assigns a very complex final paper at the end, but if you took good notes, you shouldn't have too much trouble.
He's hilarious. I didn't expect to like this class at all, I only took it to fulfill my GenEd requirement. The only assignments you have all semester are 7 quizzes that are totally based off his lectures (only read one book and the quizzes were easy) so GO TO CLASS! Other than that your final is a take home final made up of essays so not bad at all
I am currently taking his class now. He thinks that he is funny but he's not. He doesn't give you full understanding to effectively pass the quiz. You're basically in a "Book Club" because all you do is read books and we "talk" about it in class. Majority of my class is currently failing. The highest grade is a 64. The Final is Take Home.
Hilarious guy, I expected to hate the class but he made it worthwhile. Class is easy as long as you go, he lectures everything you need to know. I got an A without reading a single book just by attending class.
I generally like the guy as a person but he is a terrible educator. He just spits words at you and at times it can be confusing. He expects you to remember quotes word for word. However, he gives you extra points on the tests because you're going to do poorly.
Professor Neel is a very intelligent man who knows what he's talking about. However, he's also the type of person to treat every question like a dumb one so he comes off extremely unapproachable. 11 chapter books required. One per week. But in class we spend the entire time going over a summary of it. If you're a good reader, you'll be fine.
Not an easy gen ed. It's honestly hard to stay away for this class. I regret not listening to people on here. IF you decide to take this class: make sure you read the readings, take your own notes before class, take notes on everything he says during class and study very specific stuff. Tests are multiple choice (25-30 q) and final is a take home.
Neel is not that bad a professor. He has a crude and sarcastic sense of humor. He does go against a lot of traditional Christian beliefs, so heads up. Just make sure to show up and take notes. I barely read and got an A but only missed once! There are three easy tests (questions are specific and come from lecture). The final is a essay.
Your grade consists of 4 tests 20-30 questions each & 4 short(1 page) essays as the final. You probably won't like his sense of humor. Lots of reading. Lectures are boring unless you like philosophy. Some kids will get an A by just taking good notes and others will read and take notes and still not get an A. I enjoyed it but most will not.
Class Info
Attendance Mandatory
29%
Textbook Required
80%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B+
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-1.03 avg changeRatings by Course
101
5.0
(1)ENG101
5.0
(1)GPHIL
5.0
(1)GPHL
5.0
(1)100
4.0
(1)Difficulty by Course
GPHIL100
5.0
ETHICS
5.0
100
4.0
GHUM
4.0
PHI225
4.0