2.2
Quality4.3
Difficulty12%
Would Retake212
Reviews12%
Would Retake
212
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
5
34
4
20
3
25
2
27
1
106
What Students Say
“Readings are long and there is a huge packet to accompany each chapter”
PHILOSOPHY - 3.0 rating“One of the worst professors I have ever had at LMU”
PHIL1800 - 1.0 ratingClass Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
96%
Textbook Required
20%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-1.69 avg changeRatings by Course
PHL320
5.0
(1)PHILO160
4.5
(2)PHIL198
4.0
(3)160
3.5
(2)PHIL160
3.2
(35)Difficulty by Course
PHL320
5.0
MODERN1
5.0
PHILOSOPHY160
5.0
PHIL1600
5.0
PHIL3100
4.8
Reviews (212)
She is a good teacher, VERY helpful on papers and basically walks you through the midterms and exams through giving study guides as you do the reading. Lots of reading, but she is good with explaining it. I would recommend her.
Great teacher, really helpful, gives you her cell and home # to call her with ANY questions. Papers and tests are very straightforward and the guides that she gives out are extremely helpful. TAKE HER CLASS!!
She is a great teacher. If you do what she tells you and makes sure you email her essay and ask her questions, you'll get a good grade!
She's hilarious with her sarcasm and stories but tends to rush class at the end. I took the class Spring 2004, four 3page papers, one 10page paper on a separate book, midterm and an accumulative final. Interesting teacher but tons of work.
This is a pretty hard class. A LOT of papers. But you learn a lot and its not a waste of time. She can be very helpful, she may appear scary at first but she is just really honest and very funny.
She's great! Tip: always email your rough drafts to her so that she can comment. She will tell you the answer if you are stuck or lost. The class is very hard and the readings are time consuming. But going to class and talking with her helps alot.
She is so scattered and unclear, reads her lecture notes in class, cannot follow her. She gives out the lecture notes, so those are easy to write the papers and study from. I wouldn't reccomend. She will not show up for class alot, which is nice, but really annoying.
She is great, but would not recommend. We breeze through material too fast, and she is very unorganized. There is so much work, with good notes but pointless lecture at times. If you can avoid it, don't take her. If not, you'll be fine.
I LOVE her sarcasm, but she is quite scatterbrained. If you put the effort in, it'll pay off.
Very unclear, scattered, always missing classes, a poor grasp of the material, often mean-spirited, and unfair to her students. I strongly recommend that you don't take this professor for any classes.
wonderful teacher, but hard class. she helps when needed and is always available. she goes off tangent alot but is very funny. the only thing is that she misses class alot w/o notice
She's incredibly smart but would not recommend this taking her class. The work load would be fine if she was remotely on task. She is gone a lot and unavailiable to consult for questions a good portion of the time. She speeds through material and misuses class time. Avoid her like the plague.
great lectures and sense of humor
Waterstradt, uck. Very unclear, lectures are okay, but assignments are crazy. she is scatterbrained, unfocused, misses class, doesn't get work back. I went in to get help and she made me wait, didn't help much, no help at all. Rough class, i had to drop it
She seems like a nice person, but she seemed to have a hard time grasping the info and communicating it to us. She seemed unprepared most of the time and overwhelmed. She should have come to class more. Basically you learn the material on your own. Don't take her, at least not for a major course.
oh god no. rolled out of bed so many times only for this lousy excuse for a 'professor' to not show up. got the impression that she doesn't give a fig about teaching. bitter and a lousy sense of humor (and not hot). office hours bite. so unclear and unorganized. worst class EVER. i vote: hell NO!
This is the second day I've been in that class. I've taken 11 classes here so far...And I have to say...just no, don't take it. Please to GOD do NOT take it. I dropped it today. Save yourselves!
I think that she knows her stuff, but she rambles and is not clear in the answers she expects us to know. She wants specific answers, and yet fails to give them. She is helpful and understanding when it comes to office hours and turning in papers late. Study if you get her.
No Comments
No Comments
she's breaks complicated philosophy and ideas into really clear examples that are memorable, make sense, and can be applied to everyday life. she's very explicit about what she's looking for in tests and papers - and if you follow her guidelines you will do well. don't be thrown off at first - her sense of humor will grow on you throughout the year
She neglects to go over certain topics in-depth to intentionally screw people up on quizzes and tests. Comes to class unprepared at times. Her explanations of certain issues are blatantly incorrect interpretations of certain thinkers, but if you repeat it back to her, she'll give you a good grade. Get on her good side, she's a slanted grader.
shes very smart but the setup of the class is terrible. 60% of the grade is not decided until the last 2 weeks of school. Material is overwhelming and her grading system on the papers is not clear at all. Also attendence is required.
She asks rhetorical questions and expects you to answer them. When no one does she gets angry and lectures about how unprepared the class is. She puts nothing up to discussion. If you want a class where all you do is go there, write down exactly what the teacher says then dictate it back to her in papers and tests take this class. If not, don't
she is pretty easy going. she tells you ahead of time what she expects and what is due so there are no surprises, no pop quizes, if you do bad in her class, then its all on u because u did not put in the work, she tells u exactly how to get an a in her class and is a very knowledgable lady
Class is a big burden. The essays she has us write are graded very hard and she is very unclear on what she wants on the essay. Also any classes missed over 4 drops you down a whole grade. Piles on two much work with two huge papers and the final all due the last week of class. wWas interesting n this class but she took all the interest out.
i loved her class.....it isn't easy tho..she makes you work very hard, but gives awesome directions, is willing to help, and is very passionate about her work...take this class if you want to get a B, but truly learn some worthwhile ideas
It was clearly evident that this class was going to be hard after i took the first quiz (4 more to come, plus a final)and completed the first paper ( 3 papers out of 5 choices) and a final paper. She is a hard graded on the papers, expects to see her own interpretations rather than her students presented in the papers. Good students get B's- averag
she expects a lot of her students and expects her class to come first. you should definetely read before class or else she will lecture you on how unprepared you are and how its impossible for her to teach. quizzes are alright if you study EXACTLY what the definitions are. to get a decent grade you just have to reiterate what she says.
I have taken Waterstradt for 160 and 320. If she offered another class, I would def. take it. She is a great professor, and although the class is demanding, you learn a lot and she gives you every opportunity to get an A.
Great professor. Really approachable and makes the lectures exceedingly fun. Definitely recommend her. You don't have to read the insane amounts she gives, just gloss through and get the main idea. Loved her. Got an A.
She is an intelligent lady and the class is interesting but she demands a lot. The one major problem I had with her is that she sticks to her ideas and rejects any other thought. She trys to make her students think the way she does and not for themselves.
Prof. Waterstradt knows what she is talking about! She seemed intimidating at first, but after my first meeting with her I realized that she is soo helpful! She just wants you to learn and she is VERY helpful on papers. She has office hours so USE them! I would definitely recommend her class! She is very funny too.
Huge workload. Good luck finding someone for Ethics.
I loved her and she was my favorite teacher this year! She is very understanding and really cares about her students. I learned so much in her class. Trust me she makes it seem like the class is hard, but if you pay attention and do the reading you will be fine. Also use her office hours becuase she is very helpful. I highly recommend her.
Rediculous amount of work. She never EVER stops rambling. Good luck keeping up with the reading that NEVER stops.Very sarcastic, and a harsh grader. Have fun.
not easy. if you're looking to take easy classes, be a comm or dance major. she talks about 4 philosophers, one 3 page paper and quiz on each one. no midterm, and final is optional if you have a high enough grade at the end of semester! a coffee addict, a little--nay--very off the wall, very sarcastic.
The material she teaches could be interesting but it is so hard to interpret it! Nothing she teaches was applicable to my life and I am afraid she is a little too far immersed in Phil ya-ya land to understand what is going on around her. Also, the most BORING teacher ever: she needs a new teaching style b/c 2 hour straight lectures doesn't work!
She's an academic, and treats her students as such.Is well-aware that the concepts are difficult, and adjusts accordingly by applying them to contemporary issues in the world. I highly advise taking her class only if you go to school to learn, not just to get the easy grade. Above all, she knows her material inside and out.
If you want to listen to someone practically speak in a foreign language about philosophy, then take her. She is so intense with phil. and what she's saying that she never takes a breath, or time for you to process what the hell she's talking about. Extremely complex in lectures, TONS of reading- don't expect to have any time for other classes!!
Worst class and worst professor ever. I should have left on the first day when I had the chance. This woman is nuts, and totally unfair and unreasonable. I don't know what she's even doing in philosophy; she just makes it all up as she goes along anyway. Very unprofessional. She doesn't even have a PhD. She should stop wasting students' time.
Oh my God, there is no escaping this woman! She makes us come to her office hours or whatever and basically the class continues in there for hours. She never stops talking, it's insane! Seriously, I feel like my whole life has been invaded by her! Not cool!
She never comes to class because she's either always sick or has some other lame excuse. When she does come to class she only talks about genocide and how rich white people are evil. Addicted to coffee in the worst way. Weird as hell. Is very jealous of smart male students.
God help us all!
If she's here, who's running Hell?
If you're a slacker and don't care about philosophy and/or school, don't take Waterstradt. You're not going to like her class because you're either lazy or pathetic or both. For those who appreciate learning and see the value of gaining wisdom, this lady is a genius. The comments below are as shallow as I bet the raters' brains are.
Not chill or laid back at all. Expects you to spend your life basically in her office talking about all the philosophy nonsense that interests her. I kept wanting to say to her: "I'm not a phil. major; I'm only taking this class because I have to, etc." She expects everyone to be just as foolishly passionate about this BS as she is. Screw that.
Pretty much the worst professor ever! First let me explain why not to take this class. She has NO LIFE so she spends all her time making ridiculous course packs and useless things for the class to do. Absolutely no free thought is allowed by her, everything you say that she does not agree with with be shut down and no discussion allowed.
Total tyrant. She will not let you be an independent thinker, and the little groups she makes us get into is collectivist BS. Since my grade is the only one that matters, what is the point? You will not be treated like a grown-up in her class, that's for sure.
She knows what she is talking about. If you are only interested in an easy A it's not the class for you. It's not that hard if you do the readings before each class (not too long) and pay attention. Her quizzes are easy and she gives very detailed directions section by section of every paper she assigns. An A is possible if you put in the time
Ok yes her class is hard but it's not impossible. If you want to take an interesting class and are willing to put in the effort you'll learn a lot. But go to office hours!! She'll basically tell you what she wants you to write in your essays. Four essays but only have to do two and a final paper. Quizzes are easy; she gives you the answers in class
a rewarding course if you want to learn something. if you want to skip class or zone out take someone else. she is extremely helpful and her papers and quizzes are completely straightforward every detail is discussed in class- no surprises. great course.
Pretty straightforward. 4 Thinker Quizzes (35%), 2 position papers (35%), 1 final paper (30%). Her quizzes are easy for most students. However, student in my class were frustrated with her specificity on the papers. She provides packets on how she would like these papers done. If a student falls short in any way on these requirements, it will cost!
She gives you every penny worth your tuition, and is extremely dedicated to her profession and her students as well. Pretty straightforward no surprises, a little eccentric but is the reason why collegiate institutions exist. If you want a challenge TAKE HER CLASS and if not then it's probably better that you go somewhere else.
Four tests, four papers. Each test has a corresponding paper, and they are due within days of each other. Does not feel like a core class, feels like a major class. That said, she is hilariously funny and will entertain you for the entire class period, even in a 2.5 hour class.
She is a great teacher. She's definitely tough but fair. Though a lot of people complain that she gives too much homework, it's my own fault that I leave things until the last minute. Furthermore, she makes herself SO available to meet with you and talk with you about your papers or problems in class. She is wholly dedicated to her students.
She is very tough. Have the definitions for terms memorized for the quizzes; you will save yourself. She knows the material very well and her lectures are insightful, but the workload for the class sucks.
Very intimidating during class, helpful after class. Very hard grader. You learn a lot, but makes subject complicated. Assigns a ton of homework that you don't actually have to do, but you feel you should to avoid the wrath of her calling on you. Good thing: You can email her your papers and she will give you feedback on the whole thing before due.
She doesn't understand how to assign papers. I am a good writer, I get A's on every paper I do at LMU. But Waterstradt gave me all B's not because the papers were bad, but because they weren't exactly what she would have written. Instead of letting me create an argument using material I want, she marked me off for not using things she would have.
Lots of books needed. Lots of notes. Assigned seating. Tough grading on papers. Has to be written exactly how she wants it. After class MANDATORY meetings, even on weekends at times. You have to write in a blue book like a journal. Plus group activities (which I hate)
The work itself is very time consuming and challenging. She gives you the answers for the quiz but if you don't memorize them word-for-word you'll do poorly. She takes the best 2 out of 4 essays (which only two of the essays are required). She requires that you meet with her during office hours to discuss your essay. Knows what she's talking about.
She is incredibly rude and possibly the worst teacher I have had in my college experience.
Overall rude and abrasive. She grades papers subjectively meaning that if you follow her prompt to the T, and she doesn't personally agree with your argument you'll get a poor grade. She is also an insomniac, so she has a tendency to snap at her students for silly things like yawning one too many times.
Her class is not an easy A but I absolutely loved her!!! She's such a great teacher and breaks down a lot of the dense theory from Kant, Aristotle, Foucault, and Arendt very clearly. She's brilliant and she definitely made me a better reader and writer in philosophy.
Professor Waterstradt expects you to be on the same level of understanding as she is just from reading the material. Readings are long and there is a huge packet to accompany each chapter. She is not an inviting person to be around and this class will take up a huge portion of your time.
If Phil is not your interestmajor (never had phil before), DO NOT TAKE THIS CLASS.
Since the class was only once a week, the lectures were pretty long and boring. there were 4 quizzes, which were all vocab and the definitions are very long and specific. the essays were really hard- 3 essays including a final essay. you have meetings with her after every essay to go over what you did good and bad. pretty tough grader
She is very specific about exactly what she wants for each paper. However, I didn't really care for the way she explained things. I feel like she spent a lot of time defining terms more than anything else. I had to get a tutor but after that I did okay. Quizzes are difficult.
She is a bit standoffish in the beginning; however, as time goes by, she becomes nice. Also, compare to the other philosophy teachers, she give students the most homework.
Everything is outlined and clear for what you are suppose to do in this class. about 4 quizzes and 3 papers. She makes philosophy interesting. She is perpetually cranky, loud, and in charge. Has very strong opinions and will state them. Some people might find her offensive at times but mostly she is hilarious and makes philosophy very interesting.
Clear, smart, and helpful. Weekly reading assignments & packets of questions to answer. Content of class is tough but she explains it very well. Her quizzes are all about memorization, which makes it easy to get 100%. You only have to write 2/4 papers but they are very challenging. Final is tough but she prepares you for it. Offers help so take it!
Funny at times but is extremely intense. She never cancels class, so if she's sick, don't be surprised if she leaves the room to puke and then keeps class going. The four tests she gives are easy, but the papers are tough. Lots of reading.
She will never cancel class so do not be surprise when she comes in very sick and puking most of the class. The tests are easy if you study but if you don't then your screwed. The paper are tough because she wants a new form of writing that you will not be used to. Overall, very tough class and not at all what I expected from a philosophy teacher.
She is very passionate about what she teaches and is very knowledgeable; however, she perpetually complains about her life, never cancels class, but gives very clear grading criteria. As a philosophy class, it fee too structured and can be hard to acheive. Do not be surprised that when sick, intermittently between class, she walks out to throw up.
This was one of the hardest classes I've ever taken, but she helped me refine my writing and I learned a lot about philosophy. People that complain about her class didn't put the effort in and did not see her outside of class. She gives great input for essays in office hours and her grading criteria is crystal clear. You can do well if you try.
Prof. Waterstradt is extremely knowledgeable in her field. However, she uses this knowledge to belabor her point of praising philosophy in class with stories unrelated to the coursework. Writing her papers is difficult because of her alternative grading style. Attendance is recommended for answers to the quiz questions. Try getting a different prof
Waterstradt is a great professor. She gives a lot of reading (especially at the beginning of the semester) but clarifies everything in class with engaging lectures using personal stories and everyday examples to bring the concepts back down to earth. Very kind and understanding especially if you make an effort in (and out of) class.
Very clear about what she expects.
Worst ever
Really liked her! She's really nice and caring and her lectures are really engaging. She is a really tough grader though and I didn't really understand what she wanted in the papers. Not a ton of work and she lets you skip a lot of classes.
Professor Waterstradt was an amazing teacher. I'm an engineering major and I usually hate core classes, but she made hers really enjoyable. She's really straight forward, and the tests will be too if you keep up with the readings. I didn't, so I had to study. Super nice lady and very understanding. Oh, and she's really foxy!!
I don't know why her rating is so low. I cannot express just how incredibly clear she is with what she wants and if you don't do well in this class it's pretty much your own fault. She gives you the answers to a list of questions that could be on the thinker test and all you have to do is memorize. She's really funny, too. Take her for Phil Inq!!
Waterstradt really knows what she teaches, but she is a very difficult grader and expects you to know everything. When doing her papers, if you do not follow her templet completely you will loose a lot of points
Tests every Friday it's easy as long as you memorize the material she gave Papers: a few. If you want the best grade, go to her office hours and take her suggestions seriously. I never liked Philosophy but I somehow got an A. Overall opinion: Love her lectures because she makes them relatable. Perk: Only a few cheap books off amazon. All text given
The stuff you learn isn't based off of studying the philosophers its studying her interpretation of the philosophers. You have to understand her exact concepts or you will be humiliated in front of the whole class. She puts you on the spot for sure. you will have a good experience if you give her your respect. Papers are impossible.
Harder than the other philosophy courses. She never misses or changes/extends deadlines. Have to do things exactly her way or you will fail.
One of the worst professors I have ever had at LMU. Grading was unfair, she was disrespectful to students in classes, gave essay rubrics but following them would result in a C. Very unclear about expectations for essays that are worth 60% of your grade. Around 100 pages of reading and 35 questions due per class. Avoid at all costs.
She is very straightforward, so that is definitely helpful when writing papers and when studying for tests. The lectures are very long and you always lose focus -- not very engaging. She can be pretty intense sometimes. The papers were very difficult to write, however she meets up one on one after it's graded and she gives very good feedback.
Her knowledge and understandings of the texts were amazing and you could really tell she cared about what she was teaching. However, since she knows the material so well she can see through any kind of bullsh*t. I didn't like how everything was so black and white, I would prefer more room for creativity and personal interpretation.
Alright, people love to give Waterstradt a bad rep, and I truly don't get it. For someone who isn't a philosophy major, this was my favorite philosophy class. If you like structure, you're in heaven. She literally tells you exactly what to write on the papers. There's 4 quizzes, and she literally gives you the answers (WORD FOR WORD) for the quiz.
HW other than assigned group work is never checked, but you are expected to participate in class. She doesn't want anything other than her exact interpretations recited back to her. She gives very VERY extensive instructions for papers, but you HAVE to go to office hours to succeed. Do the first two papers and save yourself later in the semester.
Prof. Waterstradt is never wrong, even when she is. It can get really annoying and I just learned to shut my mouth when I had a different opinion. She said on the first day philosophy was supposed to be "the great conversation" but just rephrase her opinions and you'll be all set. Unless you don't care about your grade, then go crazy lol
The content itself is mediocre, not presented in a particularly interesting way but not terrible. This woman on the other hand is miserable. Nothing but anger and negativity. You will be leaving each class in a bad mood for sure. And its more memorizing her ideas than actually thinking. Terrible representation of philosophy. Avoid if possible....
If you cant memorize 30+ interpretations of terms verbatim and recite them exactly for quizzes, don't take this class. If you enjoy thinking independently, don't take this class. No tech allowed but extensive notes required. honestly painful
I love philosophy and I hated this class. I wouldn't even assign her final paper to my worst enemy. I have an issue with her as a teacher of philosophy on a fundamental level because she not only provides no opportunity for the class to develop their own thoughts, but practically impedes it. She yells at her students and is rude. Attendancemust.
The worst teacher I had in my entire life. She does not even care if you follow the guidelines as she only wants you to agree with her opnions. Unless you want to suffer from severe stress, do not take this class under any circumstances.
This class is for a student who is willing to work for the grade. Everything is clearly detailed and structured. She gives you terms to memorize and those exact terms are in the quizzes (total of 4). Also provides a checklist and reviews expectations for papers before they are due. Strong character, a little rude,but not mean/offensive (hard final)
I used to like Philosophy, her rigid grading, stale jokes, abundance of busy work, and insane levels of bureaucracy, made me want to drop the class, drop out, and never think of academics again. I wish I never took this class, I would rather watch James Charles tiktoks for three hours a day than take her class.
Waterstradt did not create an atmosphere where students were encouraged to think freely. For philosophy, she ridiculed people who gave their own ideas that were out of line with those of the philosophers we read, but also ridiculed students for giving the philosophers' ideas instead of their own. In my class, nobody felt comfortable sharing.
We were forced to agree with her interpretations of terms and concepts in a PHILOSOPHY class. She claims she wants us to express our own thoughts in our papers, but the only way you will get a good grade on them is if you go to her office hours and have her explain exactly what you should write. Be ready for a mostly miserable class experience.
I've never disliked a philosophy course in my life but I absolutely hated this class because of Waterstadt. She was quick to shoot down any ideas that did not compliment her own interpretation. I felt the only way to get a good grade was to agree with her and make her like you. I've never had such a rude professor. She was sooo defensive.
She is the absolute WORST teacher I have ever had. Do everything to avoid this class! She's cranky and super rude. Her homework is tedious because she assigns so much of it and the questions are extremely confusing. You will end up writing around thirty pages of papers by the time you finish the class, and she and only cares about her own opinion.
On some days, she is upbeat/happy and other days, extremely rude and disrespectful to students and having an attitude. Too much reading and about 20-30 questions to answer for homework. She only accepts her OWN INTERPREATION in a PHILOSOPHY CLASS and doesn't allow students freedom to express their own ideas. Wish there was a bit more freedom
This teacher made me want to drop out of college. There is such an unnecessary amount of homework that is useless and boring, not to mention really hard. I cannot express my own philosophical opinions because she only accepts her own interpretations. She is such a bad teacher and she treats her students horribly when they answer wrong. Stay away.
This woman is horrible, and the one thing I learned from taking her class is to look at a professor's ratings on RMP before I enroll in a course. Whether you're in class or writing a paper, your opinion is automatically shot down because it isn't hers. Spread the word to your friends if they don't already know, because she will taint your semester.
Professor Waterstradt is very, very specific and clear about what she asks for. Her lectures in class are great and give you really deep understanding of the material. She assigns a lot of homework, but ultimately when you write the papers, it ends up being super easy because she prepared you well. Tough grader.
Didn't particularly like the class. She moved the due date of a paper from Saturday to Thursday... and she only notified us on Wednesday of the change. Yes, meaning we had one day's one notice to finish the paper. I'd go for another teacher, personally.
nah man she is not the move
Hands down worst professor I have ever had. It can't get any more unbearable than this course tbh. She's unprofessional and can't even get her instructions for papers correct. I literally never want to take a Philosophy class again, and if you want that same attitude, take this class. Professor has been getting these bad reviews for decades now lol
Absolute waste of time. You will regret every minute you spend listening to her and doing assignments for the class. By far the rudest and most hypocritical professor on the entire campus.
This class is not difficult. You can pass with minimal effort. HOWEVER, it will be a painful, mind-numbing experience. You don't have to read, do any of the homework, or pay attention at all until you get to the papers, which will suck. This class concept has so much potential but she crushed all of it.
By far the rudest professor I have ever had. Got yelled at the first day, ended up going through the struggle of a late add/drop just to escape (along with other students in there). Was majority confusing group work outside of class and she didn't even let you leave to go to the bathroom lol. Also would regularly embarrass students for zoning out.
Absolute nightmare teacher. I was stuck with her due to late registration. If this happens to you, let me give you a tip. Record every lecture in the voice memos on your phone. For papers, her interpretation is the ONLY correct answer. I got an A by listening to my recording and basically coping everything she said. Final paper was 25 pages long..
Very interesting personality. Pretty rude to some students but if you can work well with different personalities she may like you. You literally just have to study the material WORD FOR WORD and you can get a good grade. Definitely requires work especially the final paper which is like 20 pages long
Waterstradt is a good professor, the real hard part is the class itself. She really cares about her students, makes detailed guides to all the assignments, will make time to help you, understands if you turn things in late (though I don't advise it). She's not rude, she's direct, and if you don't pay attention in class she'll know. Effort counts.
Very strange interactions with professor. Doesn't teach you how to think only to memorize her worksheets.
Got upset at a student for asking what a word meant. So many Papers. Intense lectures and overall awkward humor. Walks around without shoes. Told students that unless they were quarantined for covid, they had to come to class, even if they were still sick they had to "suck it up." Overall stressful. Must be prepared for lectures. Extensive printing
Pros: Prof Waterstradt really cares about and enjoys philosophy Cons: Ridiculous classroom rules, must come to class even if you're sick, must print hardcopy of EVERYTHING (no electronics allowed in class), can't leave class for bathroom, tough grader, must agree with everything she says on papers and quizzes, overall a rude person, anti-masker
Very rude to students. All you learn is to memorize her definitions and if it is not her interpretation you are wrong which is crazy for a course based on my own thinking. Very odd personality, difficult to interact with, doesnt wear shoes in the classroom. Save yourself and do not take this class. I have gained nothing positive from it.
Terrible class. Wish I could go back and not take it.
Terrible feedback, not productive and truly will make your writing worse. Also super strict about everything and will grade your paper so harshly. If your paper is not perfect to her standard it will lose so much credit that itll tank your grade. Claims to want to make you think except will take points off if you actually do rather than repeatinfo
Had a flume on her desk. Pencil pouch references an orgy. Asked class if we were submissive. Wears a lace mask, takes it off often. Doesn't wear shoes. Forces you to spend $40 on printing. Best thing you can do for this class is get her to like you. Respond to her cold calls and memorize her stance only. Be prepared to answer 20 long hw q's per day
The biggest thing I learned from this class is to check prof's reviews first. I took it online and this course still killed me. If your answer isn't her interpretation, it's wrong. Instructions for assignments are pretty clear, but there are so many papers and she grades harshly. Don't take this class if you want to stay sane.
AVOID HER. If you are looking to memorize 4 books words by words, go for it. If you want to discover what is philo or ethics, don't go. to have decent grades, try to memorize everything she said. not recommend, whish i could drop.
if I could give her a zero I would, but I cant, so I give you a one
Most student are fake nice with her to try and get on her good side. She has one of the worst reputations among students at LMU. Her class is a joke and will make you hate philosophy. She is a bad teacher who does not value your input or opinion. Taking her class was the worst experience I've had in my 4 years of college.
She is not the teacher you want. She is rude, inconsiderate, and unhelpful. Her class will not improve your writing, only frustrate you and make you doubt yourself. Memorize her interpretations of the material or you fail. There is so many rules and regulations when writing for her it takes all the joy and creativity out of your work. AVOID HER!
Extremely disappointing. I have never been this critical of a teacher, but in all my years as a student, I have never been in a class that is as vague and critical as this one. I truly do not think she is fit to teach in the classroom. Class discussions are filled with nonsensical tangents about her personal life. DO NOT TAKE THIS CLASS
Pro's -Helpful -provides tons of resources to help you -Communicates via Txt -Passionate about Phil -Blunt with annoying students Cons -No technology in classroom -No extra credit -Tough quizzes -Participation heavy -unreasonable course load If you are a hard worker and appreciate passionate professors TAKE If you want easy A ----AVOID
The sucks
She's not a bad professor, the work is just hard. I didn't do well on the papers or exams because the answers had to be word-for-word and there was pretty much only 1 right answer, which is bizarre for philosophy. If you actually listen to her speak she's saying p interesting stuff.
Hardest class I've ever taken. Would go to office hours and meet with her and still couldn't do well in the class. Quizzes are ridiculously hard. Papers are tough. Majority of what she talks about during class makes zero sense. It's better to not have enough credits for a semester than to take this class. Avoid at all cost.
None of what I ever did felt like it mattered. Every paper I ever thought was good was shot down but criticism that never bothered to elaborate or provide ample reason why it should be changed. The whole time throughout the semester I felt like the teacher was doing the exact OPPOSITE of being ethical. Absolute two-face narcissist.
I am doing relatively good in the class. BUT I AM TRAUMATIZED. PLEASE AVOID TAKING HER AT ALL COSTS. YOU WILL HAVE TO WORK HARD, WRITE A BUNCH OF STUFF THAT DOES NOT MAKE SENSE, TAKE TOUGH QUIZZES AND THE WORST: YOU WILL HAVE TO LISTEN TO HER OTHERWISE YOU WILL NOT DO GOOD IN THE CLASS (SHE DOES NOT MAKE SENSE). AVOID AVOID AVOID!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
didn't understand anything at all, lectures and essay instructions were extremely confusing. The feedback on the essay was even more confusing and unhelpful. definitely an okay person, but really bad at teaching the material, 0/10 wouldn't take it again.
I found her lectures intriguing and learnt an acceptable amount. The reading was intense and we would frequently write papers and do quizzes. This class is challenging, especially when writing papers. I don't get why people complain about the quizzes, the word-for-word approach ensures you can grasp the concepts accurately, so STUDY and do well.
You're a bad teacher Rachel. It's time to retire.
worst teacher
a literal nightmare. Odd for a philosophy class to only have her listening to the lecture and her interpretation as correct. Her essay format is extremely strange, and I am trying very hard in her class. Essays are graded extremely harshly and confusing. You cannot speak your mind in this class even though this is philosophy.
Without a doubt may be the worst professor that I've had in all of schooling. She's passive aggressive and seems to never be in a good mood, grades extremely harshly, her essay requirements are ridiculous, and there are way too many essays too. I'm not looking for an easy A, but I at least want someone who is reasonable - she is not that.
She's not a bad person, but overall, she is supposed to be a philosophy teacher but doesn't like that you interpret things your way but follow hers. The tests basically consisted in memorizing word by word what she said, and the papers were an absolute mess if you didn't understand what was given to you, she'd be neglectful. Worst teacher !!!
My one and only class I was in jeopardy of not passing this semester. Please do not take her unless you enjoy strict restrictions on your ideas and understanding of philosophy. Additionally, there is a minimum of 3 papers and 4 quizzes all 2 weeks from each other. If you don't have at least a B by the 10th week please drop the class.
Can't say enough bad things. Such an annoying voice too
It was my hardest class and most time consuming, I always felt behind no matter what and despite having good writing technique it would not have mattered.
The final paper will give you a mental breakdown. Avoid at literally any cost. I mean ANY cost.
Final paper screwed me over so bad , over 20 pages
Rachel Waterstradt is very good teacher!!!!! I maybe can understand many of the bad reviews but if your motivated to succeed in the class you will! The class is very structure oriented, so ss long you are an interesting person who participates when they are called on, I promise you that this will be one of the most interesting classes ever
The quizzes were fairly straightforward, it's basically all memorization. However, the papers are ridiculously hard. If she didn't agree with what you were saying you would get points off. She was mostly nice, however, she did have instances of being rude. Lectures also didn't make sense and would drag on, though they're required to attend.
She's a great teacher
Cares about her students and is available to meet with you, however, extremely hard grader and expects a lot on the tests. Don't take this class unless you have a strong interest in philosophy. 20-page final paper.
Extremely disrespectful and rude to students + an insane amount of writing and quizzes. Avoid at all costs if you can.
Genuinely and physically hard to attend. She talks for an hour and a half straight and just gives you anecdote after anecdote. Not totally hard to pass as long as you do all her work and write the papers. All the quizzes are exactly the review sheet. She allows absolutely 0 technology so everything is by hand. DO NOT TAKE THIS SECTION!!!
Her grading doesn't make sense, and she threatens to report her students.
She does not explain her grading methods and if she does not agree with you then you are deducted points. She does not participate in constructive criticism, just criticism alone. Also, she is very disrespectful towards her students and is extremely passive-aggressive. DO NOT TAKE.
Dont take her class, trust me
WORST PROFESSOR EVER!!! Avoid her class at ALL COSTS. She rude and inconsiderate. You need to memorize literally everything for this class and if you define something wrong by one word on a test, you will not get any credit. The papers you have to write in her class are graded based on if she agrees with you or not. DO NOT TAKE THIS CLASS!!!!!!!!!!
She is very specific in what she wants in the work that you do.
Most rude and aggressive teacher I've ever had."Feedback" such as "wow, no" or "I don't even know what you were thinking here." Raised her voice to a scream multiple times. Barefoot often, discussed sexual intercourse unprofessionally, angrily kicked the wall to quiet class next door. I felt extremely uncomfortable and on edge.
This the worst teacher you will every have. She screams at you, she talks for hours, and she grades based of her opinions and whether she likes you or not. DO NOT TAKE HER CLASS!!!!!!!! TRUST ME!!!
She is a very hard grader and wants everything written specifically how she wants it. hard grader and rambles on in class without getting to the actual point.
Ruined my semester.
DO NOT TAKE THIS CLASS
Professor Waterstradt is an amazing and incredibly understanding professor. I am currently taking her for the second semester in a row, and although the class is very hard, it is great. She is so helpful and will answer any questions so quickly. I know that she can be easily misunderstood as mean, but she is actually very sweet.
Horrible. Grading criteria for the final paper made no sense, it does not seem like she knows how to structure a paper (let alone teach a class). Very disrespectful to students, will berate you if you're wrong. Do not take.
Final paper is 10-15 pages along with 2-4 pages during the semester(depending on the grade you want to get/your writing skills). Quizzes are graded very harshly and you need to memorize the definitions word for word. Good luck
Difficult class and incredibly boring lectures + shes rude. Her papers are a pain in general, but the final paper gave me a mental breakdown ( mine ended up being 22 pages) . The class is not about interpreting the philosopher's ideas its about memorizing and regurgitating hers. Dont take.
THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NO AMOUNT OF MONEY YOU COULD PAY ME FOR ME TO TAKE THIS COURSE AGAIN. DO NOT TAKE THIS CLASS. ONLY TAKE THIS CLASS IF YOU HAVE LOST YOUR WILL TO LIVE AND WANT AN EXCUSE TO K WORD YOURSELF
This class was by far my least favorite I took this year, but it could've been much worse. In terms of Waterstradt, while I do understand a lot of the criticisms I actually quite liked how you could just text her, and in all honesty it felt like she started grading more fairly as the semester went on. Don't do the homework because its not required
very demanding for freshman core. Strict but caring and helpful if you reach out. You can just text her for something. Extensions granted when I asked, even last min. Her dad passed this semester and her mom has been sick which weighs in. Although it's a lot of work, she's rly nice and eager to help if you ask. im now a phil minor bc of this class!
she is a very tough graded who somewhat expects you to understand everything the first time she explains it. she does not provide any example essays for you to base your essays on. her outlines of what needs to be done can be confusing. she can get frustrated easily. Her feedback is telling us we did badly, not how we can do better.
Extremely hard and can be disrespectful at times when grading papers. She is accessible outside of class which is great however she expects you to know everything the first time you read it. She expects you to basically be a philosopher yourself. Take this class at your own risk.
Do not take this class!!! I repeat DO NOT TAKE THIS CLASS!!!! Rachel is extremely disrespectful and rude and makes you buy 4 to 5 textbooks. She grades purely based of her opinions. There is no grading criteria in any test/quiz apart from the true or false questions witch are a minority of the test grade.
Get ready to fail...
She is very easily accessible through text and is helpful, but she has very high standards for quizzes and tests and long rubrics. This class is not about interpreting ideas from philosophers, but memorizing their philosophy and regurgitating.
Currently working on this torturous final paper. She admitted to lying about it being 10 pages at the beginning of the semester so that people wouldn't drop the class, it's 15-20 pages. Outside of that the papers in general are difficult and demanding. Out-of-class reading expectations are also insane. Okay, tests once you get how they work.
AVOID AVOID AVOID. when even the teachers pet hates her you know its bad. just changed the deadline for the final paper to a week earlier out of nowhere. she is also disrespectful to everyone. avoid it with your life.
I'll tell you exactly what this class is. Boring stories. Terrible teaching. Rudeness towards students. And essays that will drive you insane. Don't expect her to grade them in a forgiving matter, you must go to office hours to even have a shot at above a B+ on any of them. Also she lied about the final paper being 10 pages, its 15.
Her class requires a lot of reading and many papers. However, if you just look at the feedback she gives you and ask for help, she will give you a good grade if you put in the effort. She does talk a lot, so you have to pay attention because if you don't, she will call you out.
This class was definitely interesting and a TINY bit fun, however, if you don't like writing papers, please avoid this class. Even outside of papers, the amount of time you have to take out of class to complete assignments is also ridiculous. if you are NOT passionate about philosophy or writing, DO NOT take this class.
Don't take the class with her. If you made the mistake of registering for her class, you can still get the A Quizzes: They test memory, however inside the quiz there are certain answers to other questions. Use that in your favor. Papers: Simply go to office hours for you to really understand what she expects. Write specifically what she says.
Do not take Waterstradt if you are already dealing with a heavy workload from other classes. Not only are her lectures mandatory (you can miss up to 6 and every missed class after that is 2% off your final grade) but they are tedious and unhelpful. Her "quizzes" are more like tests and she will mark you off for the smallest wrong interpretation.
I only managed to get the grade that I did by working harder than I ever have for any class in my life. The final paper is 20+ papers, she lies about the length at the beginning. Quizzes graded harshly. Go to office hours and make sure you spend at least fifteen hours on every paper to ensure that you do okay. Good luck!
By far the worst professor I have taken during my time at Loyola Marymount University. She is an incredibly difficult grader, this paired with her nearly unintelligible rubrics (most of the questions have misspellings and missing punction) creates a truly awful class experience. She never accepts requests for extensions. She destroyed my GPA
Professor Waterstradt's class is a challenge, but if you put in the effort and utilize resources like unstuck AI, you can succeed. The workload is heavy, but the feedback is helpful if you engage with it.
The worst professor experience I've ever had, ever. I am so lucky I managed to drop the class. She berates and humiliates students in front of the whole class for doing something wrong, she goes from angry to overly excited at the drop of a hat, she is really harsh and crass. The rubrics are basically unreadable. Workload is insane.
By far the worst teacher I have ever had at LMU. I wrote a paper and she said that she couldn't even give me a grade. Multiple quizzes. 3 papers and a final. Avoid this teacher at all costs. Never take her again
Definitely do not take her class. She doesn't teach actual philosophy, but instead a bunch of loosely religious buzzwords that you have to memorize the definitions and connections between them. She's all around extremely agonizing to be around, and her mannerisms get on your nerves within the first week of class. Avoid at all costs.
genuinely have never wanted to end it more than I did in this class. had to drop halfway through the course and I still have nightmares about her. do not take this class if you value your will to live.
Extremely difficult class, very heavy workload.
I can't find a kind thing to say about this course. The tests become easy once you understand the formula, but the 4 tests are worth a grand sum of 10% of the grade. I have never taken a course where I have done so much to still be worried about passing. I repeat, I may fail this course but not for a lack of trying. Avoid if possible.
Professor Watersradt was honestly a very influential teacher. As a freshman I believe this was the best class to take to see how difficult reading and writing can be. It honestly just set me up to be a more disciplined student while also learning a subject which I knew nothing about. PS: I wrote a 26 page final and received the A!
DO NOT TAKE THIS CLASS WITH THIS PROFESSOR. I'm halfway through and am planning to withdraw. She humiliates and belittles students til they have emotional breakdowns. SO much work and rubrics are 7+ pages long and hard to follow. I wanted to put my head in a vice and crank it. She gives me nightmares.
If you care about your G.P.A never take this class
You have to work really hard. Memorization is key for her quizzes, and I don't know how she grades her essays, it just depends on her opinion, is what I concluded. She is always there to help, however whenever she chooses she can be HIGHLY disrespectful to her students. do not take her unless absolutely necessary.
If you want to consider suicide for an entire semester then take this course. Her expectations are insane, she will just tell you everything wrong with your papers, but never offer notes. The quizzes are impossible unless you memorize every definition from the glossary. Also 5 page papers are due the day after we have a quiz.
All I'm gonna say is there's a reason she has 90+ one-star reviews.
Took the class 1.5 years ago. Today I had a nightmare that I was in her class again. Quizzes: You have to memorize over 50 paragraphs of definitions word for word. One word wrong = 0 on the problem. Papers: You can't mention anything that was on the quiz or she'll mark you off. The 20 page final paper is the cherry on top. Don't take the class.
She ruined my experience at LMU. Left because of her.
Don't do it.
Stay away for your own sake. Not just a horrible prof but a horrible person. Crazy that non-tenue track professors can't afford to live while she gets paid an insane amount to bully college students
Absolutely awful. Rude, emotionally abusive, has had multiple complaints filed against her to the Dean of the Philo department. Reflects badly upon LMU that she is still employed after abusing her students.
Worst professor I've had. Forces students to text her and replies with long, unprofessional voice memos. Refuses all medical documentation and said I'd fail despite good grades. Quizzes require word-for-word memorization, rubrics are unclear, and grading feels random. Avoid this class. She's evil, and has issues beyond anything I have ever seen.
Rachel has been the bane of my first semester at college. The grading is random, and her lectures are useless for the course. If attendance didn't matter to her more than her own health, you wouldn't have to class to get an A. She will bully and shame you for making the slightest mistake.
The class is not terrible if you do the work and show up to class. Grading on papers is pretty tough. Two papers and four quizzes throughout the class. Work load is high.
NO NO NO O NO NO NNO N O N OPNO NON ON ON NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NNOO NO NO NO
Honestly, this professor is NOT AS BAD AS EVERYONE IS SAYING. If you love work, love writing, and love learning in depth about philosophers, then this class is for you. I created a really good relationship with her, so maybe I had an easier time. She is always willing to help you; just call or text her. Sometimes passive-aggressive, but that's it.
Cried multiple nights. Her lectures make no sense. quizzes took me weeks to study for bc you have to memorize WORD FOR WORD pages of definitions. If you study, you will get an A on them. The papers are so time consuming and long. She was mean. but if u connect w her shell like you. DO NOT USE AI. she'll know and haunt you forever.
Don't take this class. I am currently writing this review instead of a paper for her class because of how horrible it is. She picks on students and talks about literally EVERYTHING except for the course material during class. The quizzes aren't super awful if you study the review guide, but essays are very particular and difficult. Don't do it.
she's not that bad, like the class was doable. participate in class, work hard and she'll like you. the quizzes are easy, just study the glossary she gives you. easy to reach for help, she wants you to do good. papers are a little insane, and her lectures are boring but again doable. if there's another teacher take them, but you'll be fine.
Be ready to stand up for yourself if you enjoy participating! Prof. Waterstradt constantly puts down students who try to ask questions in class, and her teaching style feels more like a dictatorship than a mentorship. She believes that her word is final in every situation, and if you get marked for any % AI be ready for a lecture of your own. AVOID
Professor Waterstradt is nice to you if you participate in class regularly. Her lectures are very boring, but unfortunately they are necessary for understanding the material well enough to get an A. She has a tendency to crash out a little bit, and she is regularly quite passive aggressive. I wouldn't take her class if you have other options.
Made it impossible to get a good grade with the most insanely long and confusing rubrics to follow. Don't take her
Class Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
96%
Textbook Required
20%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-1.69 avg changeRatings by Course
PHL320
5.0
(1)PHILO160
4.5
(2)PHIL198
4.0
(3)160
3.5
(2)PHIL160
3.2
(35)Difficulty by Course
PHL320
5.0
MODERN1
5.0
PHILOSOPHY160
5.0
PHIL1600
5.0
PHIL3100
4.8