4.4

Stephen Spina

Religious Studies - University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire

4.4
Quality
2.2
Difficulty
N/A
Would Retake
91
Reviews
4.4
Quality
2.2
Difficulty
4.5
Helpful
4.3
Clarity

N/A

Would Retake

91

Reviews

Rating Distribution
Official

5

63

4

19

3

5

2

4

1

0

What Students Say

Good course, fast paced, lots of material

REL100 - 5.0 rating

Hands down, the best prof at UWEC

RELS100 - 5.0 rating
Class Info

Textbook Required

100%

Grade Predictor

Not enough grade data to predict

Grade Distribution
A(0)B(0)C(0)D(0)F(0)A-/B+(0)
Based on 2 reported grades
Not_Sure_Yet: 1
Rather_Not_Say: 1
Rating Trend

Declining

-0.36 avg change
Apr
May
Oct
Nov
Dec
Jan
Last 6 months
Ratings by Course

100

5.0

(1)

2004

5.0

(1)

REL100

5.0

(1)

PHILSOPHY

5.0

(1)

PHIL101

5.0

(1)
+12 more courses
Difficulty by Course

PHIL100

5.0

2004

4.0

WW2

4.0

RELS711

3.5

REL100

3.0

Reviews (91)
5.0
3.0
REL100
Feb 20, 2003

Good course, fast paced, lots of material.

5.0
2.0
PHILSOPHY
Dec 9, 2003

spina rocks!

5.0
3.0
PHIL101
Dec 12, 2003

Great teacher. Personable and funny.

5.0
1.0
RELS100
Apr 13, 2004

Hands down, the best prof at UWEC. A lot of fun and has a great approach to the class.

4.0
3.0
RELS100
Oct 5, 2004

He's a cutie! Good class, Learned a lot!

4.0
2.0
RELS100
Oct 7, 2004

Spina is the man! If there should be anyone teaching about religion and its effect on people, Spina should be that person! That dude has been though some tough**** in his life but he still stays dedicated on school and his teaching. KEEP IT UP SPINA!

5.0
2.0
RELS100
Nov 1, 2004

Awesome teacher!!Makes class very fun and interesting. Highly recommend taking his class!

5.0
3.0
RELS110
Nov 18, 2004

Great Guy!! Awesome teacher and funny as hell!! Recommended!

5.0
2.0
RELS100
Nov 21, 2004

Spina is soooo awesome....take his rels class, and if he is full, wait the semester becuase he is just that awesome!!! WAY TO GO SPINA!!

5.0
2.0
100
Nov 23, 2004

One of the best profs I have had so far. Take Spina if you want to look forward to going to class. Knows the subject matter very well, and throws out some funny-ass one-liners every now and then. Tests are challenging, but the class is definitely worth it.

5.0
3.0
RELS100
Dec 8, 2004

HE ROCKS! Makes class interesting & really funny! Took as night class, and didn't mind it at all. All you need to do is write 1 page papers and memorize vocabulary to get an A. Multiple choice, fill in the blank, and matching tests.

5.0
3.0
RELS100
Jan 23, 2005

Best professor I've had so far. Very interesting and great sense of humor. Very passionate, makes you want to come to class. Wish I could take it again!

5.0
1.0
RELS100
Feb 27, 2005

what a sweet class taught by one of the best teachers...spina is everything you could want in a teacher...

5.0
3.0
RELS110
Apr 13, 2005

Spina is a great guy, and an excellent prof. Very fair, knows his stuff, and funny to boot. His tests are hard so study more than you think you should, but so worth it to have this experience. He is real and it shows, I love this man (but not like that).

5.0
2.0
RELS100
Apr 21, 2005

SPINA ROCKS!! The class is SO fun. The tests have to be studied for a little bit if u want an A. Class is laid back, and there is opportunity to do assignments if u aren't a test taker

3.0
4.0
RELS100
Apr 26, 2005

HARD TESTS!!! he is really great guy, but he lacks ideas on how to get u to get a good grade without extra credit, i.e linkin info to u and etc. overall a good class.

5.0
2.0
RELS100
Apr 29, 2005

Amazing class with an amazing teacher. You can tell he loves what he does, and he's funny also. My class became friends, he likes to befriend us and have us work with each other. Kind of hard tests, but he gives you very clear power points to study from. I highly recommend this class!

4.0
5.0
RELS100
May 6, 2005

Great personality. If you don't have a GREAT memory or PLENTY of time to study for just his exams, don't take his class. He does offer lots of extra credit (25pt.), but the exams make the class not worth the headaches.

4.0
3.0
RELS100
May 17, 2005

Sure the man is interesting at times, but unless you like religion a lot, it's still a boring class. The assignments are a small part of your grade and are really easy. The tests are pretty hard but if you just study vocab and nothing else you'll easily get a B on all the tests. Vocab is the key to the tests, don't forget it. Vocab,Vocab,Vocab.

3.0
4.0
RELS100
May 17, 2005

I personally hate religion classes and I have to admit that he tried to make this class interesting. I do have to say that this is the hardest 100 class I have ever taken. There is way too much work, there are three papers that have to be around four pages long, there are about ten assignments that are about a page long. Take with diff Prof.

5.0
2.0
RELS100
May 29, 2005

Spina rocks! He makes the class interesting and even though it can be boring you have to give the man credit for trying. He's hilarious and tries so hard to make the class fun. The homework assignments are SOO easy & the 3 papers are not that bad at all.He outlines the points to hit on to get an A.Take spina!!

5.0
1.0
RELS100
Sep 4, 2005

I forgot to study for one test until 20 minutes before and still pulled off an A. Spina is a GREAT teacher and I found that he did a great job of making the class interesting. I'd recommend this class to anyone who has GE's they need to fulfill.

5.0
4.0
2004
Sep 11, 2005

I saw Steve Spina out at the bar the night before the first test. It was kind of a suprise for the both of us. So we had that martini together, chatted it up and said "See you tomorrow afternoon!" I pulled off a 103 out of 100...yeah, I was prepared. You need to be prepared in his class.

4.0
2.0
RELS100
Oct 3, 2005

No Comments

2.0
5.0
PHIL100
Grade: Not_Sure_Yet
Oct 25, 2005

Very hard tests. You need to know A LOT of information for his tests. He's a funny guy but don't come to class tired, because you will fall asleep. He's a great guy but it's a hard class.

5.0
1.0
RELS100
Nov 2, 2005

I thought Spina was very easy if you studied. He doesn't throw any curveballs at all and is very, very interesting.

4.0
2.0
RELS100
Dec 18, 2005

I studied the night before every test- just memorization of his review sheets on W drive. i didn't read the book and got over 100 on every test. assignments take 15 minutes and papers are based on opinion and he gave everyone in our class who did them full credit- i recommend!

5.0
1.0
RELS100
Jan 18, 2006

I thought this class was awesome. Everything was very interesting and he is totally open to any and all feedback. There's a lot of information to know for the exams but he literally spells it out for you on his study guides. I never read a word of the test and I got an A, no problem. Also, automatic 100% on all homework if you follow directions

5.0
3.0
RELS100
Jul 10, 2006

Spina is totally awesome. It is obvious he actually cares about his students and he makes class fun. Tests are tricky, but if you go over the study guide and make flash cards, etc, you should do fine.

5.0
3.0
RELS100
Sep 18, 2006

Spina was very knowledgable. He is also liberal (which is good.) Taught with interest and always is willing to have fun. Great guy to talk with. Homework was easy as long as you followed directions. Tests were easy as long as you studied the study guide. Great teacher overall.

5.0
3.0
RELS100
Oct 18, 2006

He is the best prof. ive had so far!

5.0
3.0
RELS100
Oct 24, 2006

He is the most energetic and dynamic professor Ive had. He really wants to see you succeed and goes well out of his way to answer any questions you have. If you have the opportunity to talk one on one with him I would recomend it. Is a genuinly nice guy and would take more of his classes.

5.0
4.0
WW2
Nov 10, 2006

Alt-F4 this page, put a check next to his class; feel good.

5.0
3.0
RELS100
Dec 22, 2006

The cooLest guy around. bought his son a hookah. he rocks. hands down one of the nicest guys out there. great class too. i learned alot the second time around.

5.0
1.0
RELS100
Jan 4, 2007

Great Professor! Religions 100 was awesome! I thought at first it was going to be a hard class, but as long as you study your notes your good to go for the tests.

5.0
3.0
RELS100
May 9, 2007

Steve is an amazing teacher. He is really fun, makes you laugh and the class is very interesting. I would suggest taking it with Spina because he is awesome, you can email him with any questions, make appointments to see him...he is great!!! (He's even on Facebook!)

5.0
1.0
RELS100
May 16, 2007

Spina is hilarious. Classes are fun to attend and he is always cracking jokes. There is a lot of busy work, but it's really easy. The exams are easy if you pay attention in class and do the study guides. I opened my book up once the entire semester. Loved this class!

5.0
2.0
RELS100
Jul 25, 2007

Spina was just amazing! I took his class in the summer, and 3.5 weeks is not a lot of time to cram what you normally learn in 4 months, but he did it, and I actually learned from it. He brought in food every test day as well. If you study with a group of people, you'll do fine. Make a point that you care though, he likes that. He's a hip teacher.

5.0
3.0
RELS100
Sep 8, 2007

Spina rocked! This class is really fun. Funny guy, interesting teaching. There is a lot of information to learn, so if you're taking it for summer or winter you really need to study.

5.0
1.0
RELS100
Dec 10, 2007

Spina is probably the coolest professor you will ever have. not only is he very knowledgable about the topic, but he is good at interacting with the class and making it interesting. he made his outlines and review sheets available on the schools hard drive and they worked perfect for studying. everyone needs some spina in their life!!!!

5.0
2.0
RELS100
Jan 13, 2008

Spina is the best prof you will have at college. He has funny and interesting lectures and actually cares about his students in class. I always looked forward to going to his class because he made it so fun. Make sure to study for tests and you'll do fine. Spina is one of those profs that you wished taught every class.

5.0
1.0
RELS001
Jan 20, 2008

Awesome teacher. Funny guy. Tests are easy if you study. His study guides are basically the test. Lots of opportunities for extra credit points here and there. A

5.0
2.0
RELS100
Apr 13, 2008

Spina is an amazing professor! His class was for the most part very interesting, though it was based off of only lectures and not as much interaction with student discussions. He made wonderful outlines that were VERY useful for exams.. if you memorize the information on the outlines, you are bound to get an A!

5.0
2.0
RELS100
Apr 22, 2008

Spina is a wonderful guy! His tests can be a little challenging, but if you work hard and read the textbook, you will do great. His lectures are a little boring, but he cracks jokes once in a while to keep it going. He is super layed back and easy going.

5.0
2.0
RELS100
Apr 23, 2008

I loved this class. It was fun and he was highly entertaining while still teaching the class a ton. There were some out of class events but they were all fun. The tests are easy if you study but could be hard if you didn't. It's a lot of memorizing lists for those! But he'll give you strong clues for what you need to know.

2.0
1.0
RELS100
May 15, 2008

Grades very subjectively, assignments require little thought and much work. Makes judgements about other people. Doesn't leave the room for evaluations and takes them to office himself. Funny, kind, but too spacy and judgemental to be a good teacher.

5.0
1.0
RELS100
Oct 13, 2008

Wonderful, interesting class with a professor who pulls no punches, no tricks, straight forward teaching and tests. Do all the extra credit, study the outline, write your papers.Do what he requires and you can do really well. I learned more than I ever imagined.

5.0
3.0
RELS101
Dec 4, 2008

easy class don'treally have to do homework cuz he goes through it in class. Cool fun guy though

5.0
2.0
RELS110
Dec 16, 2008

Spina is the best professor I have had, not many professors can top him. Great guy who is willing to do whatever he can to help his students. I always looked forward to going to his class, very funny and relaxed. Class material was sometimes very deep and hard to understand, but it was very manageable, and the tests were always fair.

5.0
2.0
RELS100
Apr 14, 2009

forsure take Spina, made the class really interesting and enjoyable to go to! study the study guides he gives you and you'll do well on the tests! definately my favorite class and teacher.

5.0
3.0
RELS110
Apr 20, 2009

TAKE SPINA. He's an amazing teacher. Just read the text and be in class and you'll do fine. Also, try to put together a small study group before the exams. It really helped me.

5.0
3.0
RELS100
Nov 20, 2009

Awesome professor! Spina is laid back and fun to listen to. Very straight forward. His assignments are actually fun to do. Definitely take a class with him if you have the chance.

5.0
1.0
RELS100
Dec 28, 2009

Great teacher, interesting class. His tests are extremely easy and have lots of extra credit.

5.0
1.0
RELS100
May 20, 2010

TAKE HIM! Spina is AWESOME. He gives you exactly what is on all of the exams. Funny guy and you can tell he loves what he does. Easy class with VERY interesting material. One of my favorites!

4.0
2.0
RELS100
Jul 30, 2010

He's an awesome and funny guy! Makes class interesting and gives you everything on the tests. The class is mostly memorization but as long as you pay attention in class and take notes, you'll get a good grade! One of the best teachers I've had!

5.0
1.0
RELS100
Nov 24, 2010

Spina is a great professor! I went into his Rels 100 class dreading the fact that I would have to learn about religions I'm not a part of. But I've found it actually pretty interesting; plus this class is by far my favorite class to attend! Spina gives review guides to the exams, and the final is not accumulative (total plus)! Take this class!!

4.0
3.0
RELS711
Dec 10, 2010

He's a great teacher, he will go on with his lectures and if you get lost somwhere and if you ask a question he'd be glad to answer. He's a funny guy. I would reccommend him. :)

5.0
3.0
RELSRELS
Dec 19, 2010

Amazing professor! One of my favorites. If you go to all the classes and pay attention, you will have nothing to worry about.

4.0
1.0
RELS001
Jan 25, 2011

He's a bit unorginizee when giving lecture, but he makes up for it by giving a study guide for the test. It's a very interesting class and I would recommend it to anyone who is intrested.... Homework is super easy!

4.0
2.0
RELS100
Apr 16, 2011

Really good teacher. Homework is easy and he makes the lectures interesting.

5.0
2.0
RELS100
Apr 22, 2011

Very good professor. Class is interesting and he tells you exactly what will be on the test. You do have to study for them just like any other college class, but they aren't too hard. The assignments are short and easy. You do have a few short papers to write, but they aren't bad at all. If you have the chance to, take once of his classes.

5.0
2.0
RELS100
Apr 26, 2011

Awesome class! He is SO passionate and knows SO much about the material from first hand experience. Memorize the study guide he gives you and you shouldn't ever get lower than a B! Other assignments are easy and his instructions are very clear! Wish he taught more classes! TAKE SPINA FOR SURE!

5.0
1.0
RELS100
Jul 25, 2011

Spina is amazing! He knows what he's talking about and puts the info into ways you can understand. Memorize the vocab and questions on the study guide and you'll get an A. Assignments were strange but if you do them you get a 100%

5.0
2.0
RELIG408
Nov 18, 2011

Professor Spina is extremely fun! He will take you on exciting trips and take random pictures. His notes and study guides are straightforward and easy to understand. He can't make a decision to save his life; overall, he is a totally awesome teach.

5.0
1.0
RELS100
Dec 17, 2011

Spina is the best teacher I've had in my whole life.

5.0
1.0
RELS100
Dec 20, 2011

He is, without a doubt, one of the best teachers at UWEC

4.0
2.0
RELS100
Dec 20, 2011

Spina is a great professor. He's funny, easy going, and really does know his material while lecturing. He gives you study guides for each exam and they are basically the test. If you study well the test should be a breeze. If you don't, they'll be pretty tough. Definitely take Spina if you get the chance!

5.0
1.0
RELS100
Jan 24, 2012

Spina is the best professor I have ever had!!! I was in his FYE class, and I loved it so much! Take this class if you can!

5.0
1.0
RELS100
Feb 8, 2012

He is AMAZING! i had such a blast. we took fun trips and his class is easy, he's easy to understand, and his test are really easy as long as you study

5.0
2.0
RELS100
Apr 23, 2012

Spina's legit..didn't touch the textbook..studied 2 nights in advance for exams..study guides are laid out almost exactly as exam is..HW is easy 100%, jus do it..final is NOT cummulative

4.0
4.0
RELS711
Oct 19, 2012

Really nice guy, but all over the place during notes and lecture.

4.0
3.0
RELSS
Oct 25, 2012

Professor Spina is a gifted communicate with a consistantly mediocre knowledge of world religions. His knowledge of Christianity is somewhat narrow considering that he went to Seminary for graduate school. He is not a Christian anymore, but his Theology is very limited and based in liberal Prostestantism, and he subtly distorts Catholic Theology.

5.0
2.0
RELS100
Oct 25, 2012

I had this course as a freshman (FYE Course). I am so glad I had Spina for my first college experience! He is WONDERFUL and so FUNNY! He's a great guy and teacher! I want to take every class he teaches!!

2.0
5.0
RELS100
Oct 29, 2012

Lectures all over the place. Have to pay attention and study all the time.

5.0
2.0
RELS100
Nov 8, 2012

Very energetic and nice guy. Keeps lecture interesting and if you have a question he is glad to answer it! I recommend him!

2.0
4.0
RELS100
Nov 26, 2012

Professor Spina's class is very difficult. He has low impulse control and he gets off topic like no other. You absolutely must pay attention and study outside of class otherwise you are doomed.

5.0
2.0
RELS100
Nov 28, 2012

Spina is an awesome teacher! He is so passionate about religions. I have learned so much from this class. Don't listen to anyone who downs Spina because of his scattered-ness. He does get off topic sometimes, but it keeps you paying attention. His tests are not easy, but if you study you'll be fine. The only studying I ever did was for exams.

5.0
1.0
RELS100
Dec 8, 2012

If you can, take Spina!! A lot of information to go over but as long as you study his study guides and notes from class, getting an A will not be a problem. He makes the class fun and is super easy to talk to. He's really passionate about it too which is cool. I would take another one of his classes if I could just because he's a great professor.

4.0
1.0
RELS100
Dec 20, 2012

Basically the easiest class that I have ever taken. He gives you study guides that are basically the test. The assignments are super easy. He is an easy grader and super nice.

4.0
1.0
RELS100
Feb 21, 2013

Spina's exams are probably the easiest thing ever. Do the study guide and you basically have the test right in front of you. The guy is a little full of himself, but overall is intelligent and knows whats up.

4.0
1.0
RELS1000
Feb 28, 2013

Super easy class. Honestly if you want an A take this class. The tests were super easy and I managed to get over 100% on most of them. Not any super hard homework. It was fun too.

4.0
2.0
RELS100
Apr 30, 2013

Class can be interesting. He has study guides and if you know the study guide you'll do excellent on the exams. Have to do 2 direct experiences, which are interesting. Plus, about 8 mini assignments which as not too difficult, basically just time consuming. In general, the class is not very difficult. Slow grader for everything besides exams.

4.0
2.0
RELS100
May 9, 2013

Spina is a cool professor, I did ok on tests, but not great. Still has not graded our papers, and the semester ends in a week. Take him!

3.0
3.0
RELS100
Oct 17, 2013

Spina is a really nice guy but he changed his curriculum this semester. I took his class thinking it was easy but I was VERY wrong. If you do his study guides you will do so so on tests. You have to do two experiences but it's hard when you have four people with busy schedules and you only have a short amount of time to do them. Very wordy on tests

5.0
2.0
RELS100
Nov 4, 2013

Spina is a very cool professor and he is very fun to listen to. His lectures are very full of information but he provides guides for them. He also provides study guides for the tests, which are pretty helpful. Reading the textbook is not required if you attend lectures, but it is helpful. Overall I would recommend taking his class

3.0
3.0
RELS100
Nov 25, 2013

Spina is a cool guy with a lot of knowledge on religion, and a lot of cool stories, but he doesn't know how to teach. Gives you a study guide that can be helpful, but only gets you so far. B/B+ on the tests. Semester long group project, not fun by any means. He's not a bad guy, just don't know that I can say I recommend him as professor.

4.0
3.0
RELS100
Dec 3, 2013

He is a kind teacher and helpful when you go in for help. I would say that I have had to STUDY A LOT for his test. They are hard!

3.0
2.0
RELS100004
Dec 9, 2013

This course is very easy as long as you pay attention and take good notes. He is very thorough with his lectures. He's very helpful when it comes to lecture. He uses similar terms to help you understand what he's trying to say. A lot of the things he says during lecture and on homework isn't as clear though. Overall, Spina is a great teacher!

5.0
1.0
RELS100
Dec 20, 2013

Prof. Spina is a smart man. His jokes are funny. He knows his stuff. He is very kind and full of energy. I higly recomend taking this man.

5.0
3.0
RELS100
Jan 20, 2014

I really enjoyed this class. Professor Spina was very passionate about what he taught and made each religion clear by stating examples and his own personal experiences. I would definitely recommend going to every single class. The lectures are very helpful as he tells you everything you need to know in class. Also use study guides if provided.

5.0
3.0
RELS100
Grade: Rather_Not_Say
Jan 20, 2014

Spina is totally awesome! Super funny, yet smart guy. Gives out very clear study guides. It's important to take good notes and study for the exams.

Class Info

Textbook Required

100%

Grade Predictor

Not enough grade data to predict

Grade Distribution
A(0)B(0)C(0)D(0)F(0)A-/B+(0)
Based on 2 reported grades
Not_Sure_Yet: 1
Rather_Not_Say: 1
Rating Trend

Declining

-0.36 avg change
Apr
May
Oct
Nov
Dec
Jan
Last 6 months
Ratings by Course

100

5.0

(1)

2004

5.0

(1)

REL100

5.0

(1)

PHILSOPHY

5.0

(1)

PHIL101

5.0

(1)
+12 more courses
Difficulty by Course

PHIL100

5.0

2004

4.0

WW2

4.0

RELS711

3.5

REL100

3.0

Similar Professors