3.9

Sarah Stroud

Philosophy - McGill University

3.9
Quality
3.7
Difficulty
71%
Would Retake
92
Reviews
3.9
Quality
3.7
Difficulty
3.8
Helpful
4.1
Clarity

71%

Would Retake

92

Reviews

Rating Distribution
Official

5

49

4

19

3

9

2

8

1

7

What Students Say

She's very nice but infuriatingly slow in lecture

PHIL230 - 2.0 rating

Her lectures are dead boring as she repeats herself; and the result is that nobody goes

PHIL237 - 3.0 rating
Class Info

Attendance Mandatory

87%

Textbook Required

50%

Grade Predictor

Your expected effort level

LowHigh

Predicted Grade

B+

83% confidence
Based on 11 grades
Most common grades:
B+ (5)
Not_Sure_Yet (3)
A- (3)
Grade Distribution
A(2)B(0)C(1)D(0)F(0)A-/B+(8)
Based on 15 reported grades
B+: 5
Not_Sure_Yet: 3
A-: 3
A: 2
Common Tags
Tough Grader (11)
Get ready to read (7)
Amazing lectures (7)
Skip class? You won't pass. (4)
Gives good feedback (3)
Respected (3)
Caring (2)
Inspirational (2)
Rating Trend

Improving

+0.51 avg change
May
Oct
Dec
Jan
Mar
Apr
Last 6 months
Ratings by Course

230

5.0

(1)

PHILOSOPHY

5.0

(1)

PHIL330

5.0

(1)

PHIL204

5.0

(1)

PHIL337

5.0

(1)
+14 more courses
Difficulty by Course

107237

5.0

PHILSECT

5.0

PHIL330

5.0

PHIL337

5.0

PHIL

4.5

Reviews (92)
1.0
5.0
107237
Grade: Not_Sure_Yet
Nov 19, 2001

No Comments

3.0
5.0
PHIL230
Nov 11, 2002

No Comments

1.0
4.0
PHIL230
Dec 15, 2002

No Comments

3.0
4.0
PHIL203
Dec 15, 2002

No Comments

1.0
3.0
PHIL230
Dec 18, 2002

No Comments

3.0
4.0
MORALPHIL
Jan 21, 2003

She sounds a lot like Jodie Foster. She's youngish and smart. Some hard readings

2.0
3.0
ETHICS
Feb 20, 2003

fairly clear in lectures, however, she is extremely stubborn and unaccomidating

1.0
3.0
ETHICS
Mar 10, 2003

Stubborn -If you hand in a paper 5Min late she takes off a 1/3 of a grade. Assigned a paper due in the middle of reading week and wouldn't accept email. =EVIL

1.0
5.0
ETHICS
Mar 27, 2003

worst prof I've had yet at Mcgill.

5.0
3.0
PHIL334
Apr 9, 2003

Incredibly good lectures, very friendly and funny! One of McGill's better philosophy profs.

2.0
4.0
PHIL230
May 1, 2003

This class was painful. her lectures were unclear and uninteresting. and i think she might have a thing for immanuel kant....

5.0
5.0
PHIL334
Sep 30, 2003

Awesome prof. Very demanding -- she loathes slackers -- I'd say she has something of a Nietzschean attitude towards mediocrity. Take a Stroud course only if you genuinely like your homework.

4.0
4.0
PHIL334
Nov 17, 2003

Sarah Stroud gives some of the most interesting & entertaining class lectures that I've ever had in the Philosophy department. She is extremely stubborn about handing term papers in on time however--be punctual & on top of your work, & all should be fine.

2.0
3.0
PHIL230
Nov 28, 2003

No Comments

5.0
4.0
PHILOSOPHY
Grade: Not_Sure_Yet
Feb 26, 2004

Nice person, hard class though.

5.0
3.0
PHIL334
Mar 23, 2004

Professor Stroud is strict when it comes to due dates, but aside from that, she's a good professor. She knows her stuff and her lectures are fairly interesting. Better than most other philosophy professors at McGill.

5.0
4.0
PHIL
Oct 7, 2004

Sarah's awesome. She's the world's toughest marker but I swear she has a magic ability to translucify otherwise opaque concepts/articles/prose. Also, she actually gives a damn about undergrads, unlike a lot of other profs at McGill I could mention.

5.0
1.0
MORALPHIL
Oct 10, 2004

Very clear, no ambiguity, lectures go too fast with her. Try to have her again.

5.0
1.0
MORALPHIL
Oct 10, 2004

Great

4.0
5.0
PHIL
Oct 16, 2004

She's really clear and I would say she si a good teacher. However, it's very very hard to get good grades. Her ta's mark the paper and I found it unfair and marked very harshly.

1.0
5.0
PHIL230
Oct 21, 2004

No Comments

5.0
4.0
230
Nov 23, 2004

Thorough and clear. Really really turned me onto philosophy. Friendly and nice - perky even.

3.0
3.0
MORAL
Nov 26, 2004

i really liked stroud, she elucidated philosophical paradigms and transecnded the all-too-common mundanities of the philosophy. hard ENOUGH class though. i got a c-, and my lowest mark otherwise was a b+. just kiddng, take this class

5.0
1.0
MORAL
Dec 6, 2004

Sad to be done with her class. Very nice and clear lectures, very good readings. She can even be funny ! And when she is, it's really funny.

5.0
3.0
PHIL230MORAL
Dec 9, 2004

She is clear, organized and sometimes even funny. There are no surprises with her and she givs you an outline for the essays you have to write. I had trouble with the readings but she explains them so well in class that I almost didnt even need to read them at all!

4.0
4.0
PHIL230
Dec 21, 2004

she was extremely clear and energetic, but the course was dry and the grading was very hard

5.0
4.0
MORALPHIL
Dec 22, 2004

Interesting, Approachable, Inspring. Got a standing ovation at the end of the course for her wit and clear methods of explanation. Course was a HARD mark. Very positive female role model: knew her material down to a T and was very prepared. STROUD RULES!

4.0
3.0
PHIL230
Jan 4, 2005

She's great. And her TAs are excellent. A great course. It's hard to get an A, but if you're looking for straight As, don't go into Philosophy - try Sociology instead.

4.0
4.0
SOCIO
Mar 14, 2005

Any class should be made so that A's are not impossible to attain whether it be philosophy or sociology. This class is very difficult to get a great mark in. However, she is very clear and lectures are thus great.

4.0
4.0
MORAL
Apr 4, 2005

No Comments

5.0
3.0
ETHICS
Oct 17, 2005

I never left a class confused. However, more depth would have been appreciated.

5.0
3.0
PHIL230
Oct 28, 2006

She is super hot and a super good prof

4.0
4.0
PHIL230
Dec 14, 2006

She's amazing! Clear, concise, interesting and very entertaining. This course could have been hard and boring if not for her sense of humour. It is challenging material, though - you have to pay attention.

4.0
4.0
PHIL230
Dec 16, 2006

I'm sorry but her class was very difficult- maybe that's just philosophy in general. The quality and depth she demands from essays far exceeds the lecture notes. She does give clear, organized and interesting lectures, but I felt it was deceptive of her expectations. Don't ever expect an A unless you are truly brilliant. Do ask for her help, though

4.0
5.0
PHIL230
Dec 22, 2006

sarah stroud is amazing..hilarious when she gets fired up about philosophy. very challenging class, very challenging material. her lectures are definitely the best part, i know now im not a philosophy fan, but still no hard feelings towards prof stroud; wish i was as passionate as she is for the subject.

5.0
2.0
PHIL230
Jan 1, 2007

she was the best teacher i've ever experienced. explains the material really well. i never read any of the readings/texts and wrote all the papers/exams based solely on her notes from class and did really well. best teacher ever, LOVe her

5.0
3.0
PHIL230
Jan 16, 2007

Sarah stroud is ridiculously entertaining. She loves philosophy. Come to lectures and take good notes and you'll do fine, although the papers will be in more detail than her lectures. You'll have to do some work, but she keeps your attention.

3.0
5.0
PHILSECT
Feb 15, 2007

too assertive a woman - comes off as forceful; can be insulting in person (don't cross her even on an academic issue); clear and concise lectures; her standards are much too high; demeans McGill from time to time (good for her that she went to Princeton, but she's teaching here for pete's sake)

5.0
4.0
PHIL230
Apr 2, 2007

Had her for Intro to moral philosophy and Ethics. AMAZING PROF. Extremely clear. More than clear. You don't actually gain new information from the readings, although you should do them. Very difficult, but its philosophy! What do you expect? Her classes were enlightening and thought-provoking. Stroud is also an extremely nice, approachable person.

5.0
5.0
PHIL330
Jul 15, 2007

All I have to say is Stroud is the bomb-dizzle. TAKE HER! (And yes you have to work hard, but it's worth it!)She is so, SO knowledgeable and funny!!

4.0
4.0
PHIL230
Dec 21, 2007

A very interesting and in depth class/prof. You come away from the class with a lot more knowledge about the subjects than you did prior, but don't expect this class to be anywhere close to easy.

5.0
3.0
PHIL334
Apr 3, 2008

Second best proffessor I have encounterd in four years here. I don't like philosophy. I like Sarah Stroud telling me about philosophy. Get on her classes now!

4.0
2.0
PHIL334
Aug 25, 2008

I had her for Ethics- extremely clear and concise to the point where it becomes redundant. Her class was the most straightforward Phil I've ever taken. She knows her stuff and makes sure her students do as well, however allows very little room for original thought and opinion. Good, but too 'by the books' to be really stimulating.

5.0
4.0
PHIL230
Dec 8, 2009

Funniest most adorable woman in the world! My first try at philosophy and I thoroughly enjoyed it. She goes really, really slowly through the material, but it was more useful than it was annoying. Take this course!

5.0
3.0
PHIL230
Jan 6, 2010

Sarah Stroud is the most wicked-fabulous-awesome-greatest prof I have ever had. Her class is extremely entertaining, I did not do a single reading and yet understood everything perfectly. Make sure you get a good TA but don't think Phil will be easy, stupid! I got a B+ and improved my writing skills drastically. TAKE HER!!!!

5.0
2.0
PHIL230
Mar 26, 2010

Phenomenal professor. Makes the material so simple that you will be surprised how much you actually learned over the course the semester.

5.0
4.0
PHIL230
May 15, 2010

BEST PROF EVER! I honestly wish I had more of an interest in philosophy just to take another class with her! She is clearly passionate about the subject and her lectures are evidence. As long as you've done the readings she will be more than happy to help you! Just beware she tends to ramble sometimes in class and loses track of time. :)

5.0
3.0
PHIL204
Nov 24, 2010

An excellent course for anyone who wants a quick intro in the field of Philosophy. The bulk of your mark is from three term papers, so be ready to do a lot of writing. Fortunately the professor and T.A's hold extended office hours around the paper due dates to help you. Lectures are entertaining and packed with knowledge & examples.

5.0
4.0
PHIL230
Nov 25, 2010

She was the best lecturer I had all semester! She's so clear and is amazing at explaining the concepts in the text. Without out her lectures I would be lost.

3.0
4.0
PHIL230
Nov 28, 2010

The class is interesting, but the assignments are too many and annoyingly graded. If that doesn't bother you, go for it.

5.0
2.0
PHIL230
Dec 12, 2010

Best lecturer I have encountered yet. She makes the material so easy to understand and quite enjoyable. Essays are quite long and class material is difficult if you don't keep up. But other than that, go for it! I'm seriously considering taking another phil course just to have her as a prof again.

5.0
2.0
PHIL230
Jan 6, 2011

Stroud rocks. She really goes over each new idea in great detail. All you have to do is attend class, maybe like 75% of the time for a decent mark (the conferences are helpful too) but i'd advise going to as many as possible they're really engaging!!!

5.0
5.0
PHIL230
Jan 10, 2011

Such an amazing professor. Grades extremely hard. You have to put in A LOT of effort to do well, but she is so worth it. Crazy intelligent and a really kind person. Makes herself available. This course teaches you so much. I will definitely take more courses with her.

5.0
5.0
PHIL337
Apr 11, 2011

Great Prof one of my favs! Her courses are very hard to do well in but she's extremely clear in teaching and very approachable!

5.0
4.0
PHIL230
Dec 9, 2011

Such an awesome prof, I can't wait to take more classes with her. Clearly has a passion for teaching and lectures extremely well. Difficult class to do well in but it's worth it

5.0
3.0
PHIL230
Dec 12, 2011

Stroud's lectures are what will get you through the course. She is a phenomenal orator, and extremely gifted with explaining challenging concepts to a bunch of sleepy first-years. Grades will not come cheaply, and attending lectures is crucial for a proper understanding of the material.

5.0
5.0
PHIL230
Dec 13, 2011

Wow. Best lecturer I will probably ever have. Would've failed without her phenomenal speaking skills. Going to class is a must, but you'll find as you progress through the course you actually enjoy going to class because she's so genuinely interesting and funny. Tough class, though.

4.0
2.0
PHIL230
Jan 5, 2012

She teaches well and is a clear speaker, but is extremely patronizing and goes over material very slowly. She tends to emphasize the same point again and again, as though no one in the class can understand even the easiest idea without her. But she is a fair marker and knowledgeable about her subject.

3.0
4.0
PHIL237
Mar 22, 2012

Ms. Stroud does not present unbiased lectures. The essays tell you which side to argue and how which makes them uninteresting and limiting. The material is not difficult, but the exams are. I love philosophy, but I would not take her again; she makes the subject sterile and boring.

3.0
3.0
PHIL237
Mar 22, 2012

I can not stand her. She knows her stuff, I will give her that, but the way she presents herself and doesn't acknowledge students is a huge deterrent. Considering the majority of students in this class are not actually philosophy students, her expectations for "philosophy-style papers" are ridiculous. A B- is "doing well" in the class.

5.0
4.0
PHIL237
Mar 23, 2012

It's Sarah Stroud people ! if easy is what you're looking for you're not going to find it here. Stroud is a super kind person and extremely clear lecturer. she does reiterate like crazy, but she puts a lot of effort into helping us understand the concepts. Takes some time to adjust to her slow style, but if you want to learn philosophy, take it

5.0
1.0
PHIL237
Mar 27, 2012

Stroud is one of the best lecturers a McGill. She is an exceedingly engaging (and very funny!) person. The material for the class is very easy however. To the person previously: why would you NOT expect to write a philosophy paper in a philosophy class?

5.0
4.0
PHIL237
Apr 3, 2012

Prof. Stroud is an AMAZING professor and my TA Joey was great. However, essay grading bordered on the pedantic (1 thing wrong = B-). A background in philosophical argument is recommended, but otherwise take this course!

5.0
5.0
PHIL230
Apr 10, 2012

Really good lecturer without a doubt and the material is interesting, but i thank my lucky stars i had this course on pass/fail mode. Almost impossible to score above a B+ in essays and exams- avoid if you are looking to score well. There is no way this should be an intro course

3.0
5.0
PHIL237
Apr 21, 2012

Waste of time. She ruins an interesting concept of a class by presuming that all her students are incapable of critical thinking. Essays are about regurgitating the authors you read in the format she lays out for you, and the final is prepped essays. Her lectures are dead boring as she repeats herself; and the result is that nobody goes.

4.0
5.0
PHIL237
Apr 23, 2012

Prof. Stroud is incredibly clear, though this is because she assumes all of her students have the same capacity for intellectual thought as an eight year old. She spends forever on easy concepts, but marks incredibly hard. Students are evaluated on their ability to regurgitate readings, as opposed to creating original and comprehensive theses.

5.0
5.0
PHIL237
May 4, 2012

Extremely clear and entertaining lectures -- but the grading is very very harsh! Strict guidelines for essays - no coloring outside the lines! Wish it hadn't been so strict because the material is super interesting.

5.0
4.0
PHIL230
Jan 8, 2013

She totally blew me off! She translates seemingly difficult and boring materials to amazing and clear materials. She is very fair and kind. The course material is also intrinsically interesting, but it is the professor that makes this course totally worthy to take! Even though you are not PHIL major, take it!

4.0
5.0
PHIL230
Apr 8, 2013

Very clear, but she takes forever to discuss simple material.

2.0
5.0
PHIL230
Grade: Not_Sure_Yet
Oct 11, 2013

Guidelines are unreasonable for an intro level course. Unless you are in Philosophy, avoid at all costs.

5.0
3.0
PHIL230
Oct 28, 2013

Prof. Stroud is extremely professional but also friendly and relatable to students. She is highly knowledgable, articulate, and always speaks with a purpose. Participation in class is welcomed and she loves to see you during her office hours. All in all, Stroud is very kind and enthusiastic—she simply expects the same dedication from her students.

4.0
3.0
PHIL230
Nov 11, 2013

I thought Stroud was fantastic. She tries to give a lot of different examples to make each idea clear. The readings are pretty important.

4.0
3.0
PHIL230
Grade: C
Dec 5, 2013

Very qualified but painfully patronizing in lecture. Assignments are heavy for a 200 level but beyond that they are fair.

5.0
3.0
PHIL230334
Apr 21, 2014

Phenomenal lecturer who is quite accomplished in her field. She is a privilege to have at McGill. Neither of her courses are easy to get an A in, but she is entertaining, clear as can be, very fair, helpful, cheery, and she will not only make you fully understand the material but make you a smarter person. All first years should take Phil 230.

4.0
4.0
PHIL230
May 14, 2015

Super clear but takes forever to go through relatively basic material. Assigns a lot of reading, and the paper are harshly graded.

5.0
4.0
PHIL230
Nov 18, 2016
Would take again

I loved this class! The lectures were at 8:30 and I probably wouldn't have gotten up for a different class, but Prof Stroud's lectures were very interesting and extremely helpful with understanding the material. I absolutely loved her. I decided to become a philosophy major because of this course!

Tough Grader
Get ready to read
Amazing lectures
5.0
4.0
PHIL230
Grade: A-
Dec 8, 2016
Would take again

I adored Stroud. Her lectures were interesting and clear, but you have to do the readings and go to lectures. It really helps to take notes during the lectures for the papers, since she's explaining the material you're writing about. She is a very tough grader (B- class average or lower), but philosophy is a tough major. Would recommend!

Tough Grader
Gives good feedback
Respected
2.0
4.0
PHIL230
Grade: A
Dec 20, 2016
Wouldn't take again

She wants a very specific type of essay, so most do poorly on the first one. Class average this year was around a 2.8 (TA told me). That being said, the material is very interesting and it is possible to get an A.

Tough Grader
Get ready to read
2.0
4.0
PHIL230
Grade: Not sure yet
Dec 29, 2016
Wouldn't take again

She is very clear in her lectures & takes time to go over concepts until they feel simple. I enjoyed the lectures, but the papers were hard (we had 3 and a final). The topics relate to what she focuses on, but you only get the topic 10 days before its due, averaging C+/B-, which I think is because of harsh grading rather than low quality papers.

1.0
5.0
PHIL230
Jan 9, 2017
Wouldn't take again

You won't do well in this class unless you follow her exact guidelines. Essays follow the same format and there isn't room for freedom.

Tough Grader
Get ready to read
Skip class? You won't pass.
5.0
4.0
PHIL434
Grade: B+
Jan 12, 2017
Would take again

One of my favourite professors in the department, amazing lectures. You can tell she is passionate and incredibly involved in metaethics (the class and her field of specialization). Quite a harsh grader and you need to know all your readings well but she motivates you to do them all tbh, love her!

Respected
SO MANY PAPERS
Amazing lectures
5.0
4.0
PHIL230
Jan 25, 2017
Would take again

An absolutely amazing professor. She always teaches with incredible enthusiasm so her passion shines through. The material is definitely world view changing. However, the class requires a fair amount of reading (30 pages per week of dense hundreds of years old philosophy). Also, papers are very hard to do well in. Do EXACTLY what the prompt wants.

Tough Grader
Get ready to read
Caring
5.0
5.0
PHIL230
Grade: A
Jan 26, 2017
Would take again

Sarah Stroud is one of the best profs I have had. Amazing lecturer that loves the material she teaches and manages to infect students with her enthusiasm. However, I worked harder to pull off an A in this 200-level class than I did for many of my 3-400 levels. Over all though? WELL worth it if you are ready to take on the challenge. 3papers, 1final

Tough Grader
Inspirational
Amazing lectures
4.0
3.0
PHIL334
Grade: B+
Mar 23, 2017
Would take again

Pretty slow pacing in class, but the content of 230 and 334 is interesting and stroud is great at explaining things, and is clearly extremely passionate about her work. Almost all of the readings for 334 are extremely interesting and rewarding, although they're quite hard

Get ready to read
Skip class? You won't pass.
5.0
4.0
PHIL334
Grade: B+
Apr 6, 2017
Would take again

A very passionate professor! She is very friendly to students and enthusiastic to what she is teaching! Absolutely recommend!

Gives good feedback
Get ready to read
Amazing lectures
5.0
5.0
PHIL334
Grade: A-
May 3, 2017
Would take again

Lectures were very clear though didn't go terribly deep - really just explained the readings. Very tough marker. Definitely advise going to office hours and class.

Tough Grader
Gives good feedback
Get ready to read
5.0
4.0
PHIL334
Grade: A-
Oct 17, 2017
Would take again

I love Sarah Stroud, I wish I could take more classes with her but I took her ethical theory class in my last semester at McGill. Her lectures are super clear and she definitely commands the room. The grading is a bit tough, but she is so clear in her expectations and tells you exactly what she's looking for in her papers.

Inspirational
Clear grading criteria
Amazing lectures
2.0
4.0
PHIL230
Dec 3, 2017
Wouldn't take again

She's very nice but infuriatingly slow in lecture. She repeats herself ad nauseam. Her pace would be bearable if her TAs weren't such harsh graders. You have to follow strict guidelines on the papers in order to get anything above a B. I've done well in upper year philosophy courses and got a poor mark in this class, so I wouldn't take her again.

Tough Grader
Skip class? You won't pass.
Caring
5.0
4.0
PHIL230
Grade: B+
Jan 8, 2018
Would take again

Amazing professor who truly cares about what she teaches. The course material will be tough if you don't attend lecture. Her evaluation of the text is super useful for your papers, so I would take advantage of lectures AND conferences.

Tough Grader
Respected
Amazing lectures
4.0
3.0
PHIL230
Grade: B+
Jan 11, 2018
Would take again

Professor Stroud gives really captivating lectures that are ESSENTIAL towards the course work (3 papers, 1 final). Yes, there is a lot of reading, but I managed to pull a B+ without reading 2/3 texts because her lectures covered the material so thoroughly.

Tough Grader
Skip class? You won't pass.
Amazing lectures
2.0
4.0
PHIL230MORAL
Mar 7, 2018
Wouldn't take again

I'm not really sure why the grading was so ruthless for an entry level course. She's a lovely person and great lecturer but I was very thrown off with the essay feedback.

Tough Grader
ACCESSIBLE OUTSIDE CLASS
LECTURE HEAVY
5.0
4.0
PHIL334
Apr 23, 2018
Would take again

Stroud is a genius. Amazing lectures and readings. Some of the contents in this class actually changed my whole worldview. Very hard marker

Class Info

Attendance Mandatory

87%

Textbook Required

50%

Grade Predictor

Your expected effort level

LowHigh

Predicted Grade

B+

83% confidence
Based on 11 grades
Most common grades:
B+ (5)
Not_Sure_Yet (3)
A- (3)
Grade Distribution
A(2)B(0)C(1)D(0)F(0)A-/B+(8)
Based on 15 reported grades
B+: 5
Not_Sure_Yet: 3
A-: 3
A: 2
Common Tags
Tough Grader (11)
Get ready to read (7)
Amazing lectures (7)
Skip class? You won't pass. (4)
Gives good feedback (3)
Respected (3)
Caring (2)
Inspirational (2)
Rating Trend

Improving

+0.51 avg change
May
Oct
Dec
Jan
Mar
Apr
Last 6 months
Ratings by Course

230

5.0

(1)

PHILOSOPHY

5.0

(1)

PHIL330

5.0

(1)

PHIL204

5.0

(1)

PHIL337

5.0

(1)
+14 more courses
Difficulty by Course

107237

5.0

PHILSECT

5.0

PHIL330

5.0

PHIL337

5.0

PHIL

4.5

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