Get ready to bust your butt off on readings and his study guides that take 12+ hours to finish, afterward this sweet dorky Christian philosophy professor will invite you to his house party to chill and watch 'The Matrix'(He doesn't have a dog to pet though)

Prof Stakland is a great professor for philosophy because he gives good examples, has group debates all class, and gives good readings to do every week. There are quizzes each class so you just have to understand the readings. He's also super funny you won't regret taking this class if you're actually interested in the art of philosophy!

A great professor. Philosophy is not an easy course so expect it to be difficult. However, the professor really puts in effort to explain in details with plenty of practical examples to aid your understanding in such abstract and difficult philosophical concepts.

Professor Stakland is a good teacher for students who want to get a deeper understanding for Philosophy. He gives long readings, a quiz every class, and you should be prepared to speak up. It can be hard to participate if you are introverted and if you dont have a lot of background knowledge about the topics he covers. Definitely an easy class.

I took professor for Philosophy 101. There are mini quizzes every class that are based of readings posted on Blackboard. Readings can be a bit long and difficult but as long as you try and attend class, quizzes are mostly for attendance. Has three papers which are pretty fair. I do recommend him, just attend class, and pay attention.

He's a great teacher, you do have to do the reading and participate in class but his quizzes and test are based on the readings exactly and his papers are about your opinion so you can get an A easily as long as you put in the effort.

He is a good and resourceful professor. He always encourage students to attend in discussions; express their opinions.

Great teacher, he is really into filosophy, knows the subject and explains it very well. I highly recommend him to take Philosophy.

He is really funny and I enjoyed the class. It felt really easy to get into it and he explains everything well. There is a reading quiz every class though and they are really hard so that would be the big negative. Also keep the quizzes because he uses them for tests.

Hands down one of the best professors I have had in a long time. He made philosophy wayyy more interesting than I was expecting. His command and control of the class is awesome. He continually keeps the class moving making my 3.5 hour class feel like just a short hour. Besides the occasional 50 page reading the course work was very manageable

hes a really cool guy but if you don't put in your own work in you wont pass the class

Professor Stakland is pretty goofy so it makes lectures fun and class to go by quickly. His reading quizzes are pretty challenging so be prepared for that. Overall, he's not a bad choice.

Be sure to read the books bc there are quizzes in the beginning of classes. So be prepared! A lot of information to be taken so be ready!

His lectures very interesting and he is able to actually teach the content well. He assigns reading and you take a quiz on it at the very start of the next class then spend the rest of the class going over what was read. There is a midterm, final, and 3 essays. There is no extra credit so make sure to do all the work assigned in order to pass.

Great professor, definitely one of my faves I have taken! His lectures well-spoken & interesting! He is able to actually teach the content well. He assigns readings, which you take a quiz on at the very start of the next class, then spend the rest of the class discussing the readings as a group. There are 3 essays, plus a midterm & final

Stakland is an awesome professor and genuinely cares about his students

NO Papers, quizzes are open book. Always brings the whole class to discuss together. He is really nice.

Hes extremely funny and lecture heavy but he makes it fun and engaging. There is a short quiz at the beginning of each class. They tend to be difficult but if you participate and do the homework you will do well!

Incredible professor! Class is like a book club: you read a lot then talk about it in lecture as he guides discussion. Super interesting and funny guy & he will really make you think about well... everything (as you should in a philosophy class!). Not hard, as long as you show up & do the work you'll ace. One of my all-time favorite professors!

Hes one of the nicest professors Ive taken at nova! He truly cares about his students, he makes everyone laugh, he always discusses the readings in class and asks us if we have any questions about it. Def take him, Ill miss this class :)

One of the nicest and funniest professors Ive taken at nova! His lectures are very interesting and funny, he keeps the class interesting. Hes very understanding and cares for his students. Theres a quiz every class On the assigned reading, so you must read! Also participation is a must. Would love to take this class again tbh

Struggled through the course but professor Stakland was great with breaking down the complexity of Logic

Took logic with him and can say he is one of the best professors I have ever had, logic is a tough course to teach but Stakland does a phenomenal job. All the reading is necessary to truly get a grip of the course, you will be quizzed daily on the readings and will have 3 more books to read. The class is rigorous but highly rewarding.

Lots of reading, class participation & attendance mandatory, but highly rewarding!

I was worried to fail or just not understand this class but Professor Stakland made philosophy fun and interesting. Be ready to take quizzes on the readings right when you come into every lecture. I suggest you actually read because you won't pass. When moving remote he never provided lectures which made it difficul since you were now on your own.

Such a good professor! I would just make sure to do the weekly readings because there will be a quiz each class. When we moved remote he was really fast at responding to emails and giving good feedback!

Was not a big fan of the subject, some days took a solid 8 hours to do all the reading assigned and still did not understand what I had read. The midterm/final covers a huge amount of material that may seem overwhelming so I recommend starting those 2 weeks in advanced. He is more on the lenient side in regards to grading though. Overall hes good.

So far, I have taken two of Professor Stakland's classes, and I wholeheartedly recommend both of them. Professor Stakland is a wonderful teacher who really tries to help students engage with philosophy in a meaningful manner. Lectures are by far the best part of his classes. They are funny and very helpful for understanding the assigned texts.

Steve is very kind & seemed to be an easy grader. Follow instructions clearly & you should be good. Our class moved online & he was easy to reach & responded to emails in adequate time. Midterms took a while to receive grades back from him because he had to grade each of our papers 1 by 1. Keep track of your grades because he doesn't post them...

I took PHI227 during the Fall 2020 semester. The overall course grade was made up of a quiz at the beginning of each class, multiple papers, a midterm exam and a final exam. The topics covered in this class during lectures were relevant and eye-opening and the professor did a good job of remaining neutral and respectful of all students opinions

Professor Stakland was great! His ethics class was super empowering and your lectures are deep! You will have a quiz every class from your reading, so make sure to read! You have 3 papers and the quizzes no other homework. Your midterm and final, you need to know these readings. However, he will provide you what to expect!

THE BEST. gave us straight up points for the 3rd paper. * 3 papers in total. Quizzes throughout the semester (nothing too heavy based on the amount of questions). Made this class fun!

I took PHI 111 with him and it was without question the best college class I have EVER taken. The discussion was engaging, the environment unbiased, and the material good.

So passionate about the course but a quiz everyday on reading. Pay attention in class because he talks a lot and sometimes makes you overthink life.

Professor Stakland was awesome! His ethics class was one of my favorites. His lectures are deep and engaging so take notes. There will be daily quizzes at start of class from the assigned reading! The class consist of 3 papers, quizzes and a midterm and final, they are all based on the reading assignments, but he will provide you what is needed.

Professor Stakland is very knowledgable and seems to really enjoy teaching. There is a lot of reading to prepare for class. There is also a quiz in the beginning of every class. The class itself is mainly lecture and discussion. Participation is a grade. There are also papers for this class, but if you follow the rubric, you should be fine.

It is a great class. You should do the readings, for there is a quiz daily.

If you read this, dont even think about it. Take him

Prof Stakland is amazing! Every assignment due date is clearly stated in the syllabus and he even gives out friendly email reminders. Some of the readings were hard, but we went over them during class after the quizzes. He challenged us to think for ourselves and provided us with the tools to help us become great medical professionals. Take him!

Professor Stakland, was a great teacher. As long as you are present for the class and Takes notes!! His notes will help you in preparation of exams. There are daily quizzes every class. But if you do the reading, youll be good. His quizzes were pretty easy. Also his class is interesting as well. Overall he was a great teacher and fair grading

He is the BEST. This class discusses several hot button issues, but he makes sure to keep things civil and allow people to express their opinions so we can all learn together. It is A LOT of reading, but what else would you expect in philosophy? He is a fair grader. If you put in the effort, you will learn a lot and probably get an A.

Great professor, every thing in his class is clear, we had about 3 papers which don't have many requirements and rules, if you can explain your reasoning then your good. He is not judgmental he gets into detail about a lot, make sure you take notes every class, 4-7 question quizzes every class about the daily readings.

Really great class! This is a class that everyone should take. It really teaches you how to think critically. The lectures explain clearly the material to read for class. He will work with you if you need help. There is a quiz before each class make sure to understand reading. Take good notes for tests.

Ahoy! So much respect for Professor Stakland. Class participation/engagement is difficult in Philosophy classes because of the text. They're hard to understand but actively giving quizzes/readings every class is the most genius way to help in that situation. His syllabus is laid out well, there shouldn't be an issue of what is expected for class.

At first I though it was a difficult class and lot of homework but it you do the homework and assignments on time. There's no way you will get less than A in this class.

Only a hard class if you don't keep up. I've never been a philosophy head but he still made this class doable. Emphasis on lecture heavy! You'll wanna take good notes each class/get notes from someone else if you can't be there. There are daily quizzes (not hard), 3 essays, a midterm & final. Trust me the notes will be your best friend with them.

A quiz each start of class so you MUST read the assigned reading material. A total of three papers with enough time to do them and attendance is mandatory and will be counted toward your final grade. He'll drop your 4 lowest quiz grades and the 2 exams are VERY lengthy with multiple short answers that are mini essays, but overall easy lass to pass.

Steven Stakland is one of the few teachers in your life where you will actually learn something. He's the perfect storm of someone who really cares and knows his material to a T. The man has so many random philosophy books floating around his mental den that it leaks out into his class. His lectures are intelligent and eye-opening, take the class.

Nice guy, makes an effort to know everybody's name. Daily quizzes are absolutely awful, but he is very open to feedback.

Absolutely goated professor. Super fun class, discussion is highly encouraged, and he even the most mundane things are made enjoyable. Would take again 10/10 times.

Ahoy He's one of the best professors I've ever had. Attendance matters a lot so don't miss the lectures otherwise you'll fail. TAKE GOOD NOTES as the two tests (midterm and final) are from the notes. Daily quizzes help motivate you to read the material. This is not an easy A, you'll get out what you put in but he'll make you love philosophy.

Great class discussions, made some friends and my best friend got a girlfriend in this class LOL. Teacher is very fun and really wants you to pass, so if you put in the work you deff will good luck!

Professor Stakland is a great teacher! I would highly recommend!! The reading may be a little tough for some, but if so use SPARK NOTES!!!! He does quiz at start of each class. (KEEP THEM! MID TERMS/FINALS COME FROM THEM!!), also - FOLLOW DIRECTIONS on assignments and DO THE EXTRA CREDIT and there is no reason you shouldn't ace this class!!

I had him last semester and hes such a good teacher! theres daily quizzes but if you do the readings you will be fine. when you have a question in the class he always addresses it and hes very passionate about teaching the class. hands down one of the best teachers out there and i highly recommend choosing him as one of your teachers :) thanks

An absolutely one of a kind professor. I didn't do so well on the reading quizzes but please don't get discouraged because Professor Stakland provides so much extra credit and drops 2-4 low quiz grades so honestly it would be hard to get anything below an C in this course. He truly cares for his students discussions so don't be afraid to talk!

Overall, he is a great professor; you won't regret taking him! He is accommodating and explains the material well. Additionally, he provides plenty of extra credit and makes lectures interesting. However, the course requires lots of reading as there are daily quizzes and some writing assignments, but they are not complicated.

Great Professor

Good professor and a great guy overall. Seems uptight at first but gets relaxed after a bit. Reading quiz every class, only a few questions but those points add up so ATTEND CLASS. The readings themselves do take a while to understand and take notes. However, he tries to give as much credit as he can. Wish I had spent more time engaging w material.

Good professor, nice and is interesting in lectures. The readings take a bit to understand and get through, but quizzes are easy if you do the reading.

One of the best teachers in my life. he makes you take a quiz every class so, read your books. all the books can be found online so it's chill. he will help you. and a super great guy.

Easily one of the best professors I've ever had. Attendance is counted through daily reading quizzes, which can't be made up if you skip class. Papers depend on the readings as well, so take good notes and do readings. Prof Stakland is very engaging and fun. The topics are thought-provoking too; I took this class on a whim and do not regret it!

Overall super great professor, very engaging lectures with thought provoking topics. Daily quizzes and lots of reading involved but very manageable. Three papers from topics covered in class COME TO CLASS participation matters. Very accessible via email, wants to see students do well. Take the class if you're on the fence you wont regret it.

1st month of class was reading philosophical papers. After was textbook readings. Grades from daily quiz on reading, chapter writeups, midterm, final, interview paper, group project, extra credit paper, participation. Lots of grades so it's easy to succeed (I got 105%) Professor was very knowledgeable and class was fun/engaging. 10/10 recommend.

Professor Stakland is so funny and his class was of of the two classes that I've taken at NOVA that have truly opened my mind and has made me think about certain topics in a way that I never had before. I'm still in his class now so I don't know about my final grade but he makes going to a 9AM class actually fun, I recommend him for sure.

Amazing professor! Please take him, you will not regret it! There are many opportunities to get a good grade. I am still currently taking his class.

Professor Stakland is amazing. He's an easy grader, but there is a lot of reading in this class. Quiz every class on the readings he assigns. Get ready to question everything you know, because I did. Keep an open mind, and you'll really enjoy the class. Really cool guy overall.

Professor Stakland is by far the best professor I've ever had! He's very patient and cares about all his students. Be prepared to read and take quizzes every class. The midterm and final exams consists of multiple choice question (taken from the reading quizzes), short answer vocab, and an essay. Do the readings, attend class, and ask questions!

Mr. Stakland is a very smart and personable teacher, and his classes will be very fun. He is very helpful when I asked him questions, and responds well and timely to emails. But, Philosophy 111 is no walk in the park. There is a quiz on new reading material every single class, and a book report is required. Be ready to work for an A.

I WOULD RECOMMEND TAKING LOGIC BEFORE TAKING PHILOSOPHY... so you can approach philosophy logically. I highly recommend Steve - perhaps the only organized professor I've had who doesn't approach teaching with that "I know everything" attitude that academia promotes. Very cool assigned texts / essays, and the lectures are usually interesting.

Steve seems to genuinely care for his students, however, he does allow some students to just keep talking. Derailing the class discussion over whether he believes in the moon landing or not is a honey pot subject for him so please don't. Heavy and dense readings. If you skip class, you will not pass. Gives good further reading recommendations.

He really wants you to learn, and you will learn a lot in this class. I took his 6-week course in ethics last summer, and of all my classes at NOVA it best prepared me academically to transfer to W&M. Like others say, his classes are reading and writing intensive, but if you have the slightest interest in philosophy, it's worth it

Quiz every class based on assigned readings that you can not make up! Participation is graded. Class is pretty easy, all you have to do is think. Midterm and final was a little difficult since you have to memorize multiple chapters vocabulary and readings from early on. There is also a lot of writing to be done and a group project at the end.

Very fun class although if you do not want to have daily readings and read multiple books for the class and be prepared to write about them, this may not be for you. The lecture environment is very friendly and is worth joining for discussions, personally this class was harder than some of my math classes, but for most it is easy with effort.

This was one of the hardest intro classes I've taken at NOVA but Professor Stakland is just such an incredible professor that the challenge was always worth the effort. He was kind, intelligent and genuine. If you hate a super challenging class and just need the credit to graduate consider avoiding but as for me I loved my experience.

Great professor! Every class there was a small quiz for the assigned reading(s). I highly recommend doing them in advance and take notes, since for my class he compiled all quiz questions to make up our midterm and final. Only real homework was the assigned readings, and the book project he has you do. Definitely a chill Prof would take again ngl.

Prof Stakland's class is challenging but worthwhile. The readings and quizzes require dedication, but he's an engaging lecturer. Unstuck AI was a lifesaver for exam prep. Overall, a rewarding philosophy experience.

Prof Stakland is a wonderful lecturer. He has a quiz at the top of each class to ensure you did the reading. It may seem like a lot, but if you can't read 10 pages every few days, then what are you doing in college? A fantastic professor overall. would recommend any of his classes to anyone who wants to learn something worthwhile while at NOVA.

He is a very good professor! however, this class has a lot of hw. The study guide was 3 essays, every quiz we took, 5 chapters with 20+ keywords to memorize, and 5 chapters with 8-10 paragraph answers to memorize in 3 days. It was def not easy to pass this class w sanity PLEASE get a study buddy. He suggests the same thing- split up the work.

great course, great professor.. you will learn a lot from this class. But also there's tremendous amount of reading, quiz every class from the reading and multiple papers you will have to write. If you do your work, you will get good grade...not a easy A class tho.

such an amazing professor who genuinely cares about his students and makes learning fun by having an open conversation with us instead of just lecturing. There are quizzes every class for the readings that are difficult but he doesn't mind if yo work with other people on it. Only 3 essays and 2 exams. Overall a really great professor !

I had him for my first semester, he was so nice. He has quizzes every class so be prepared to be reading a lot. If you need help, he'll answer at his best way possible. I changed majors so his class no longer use for me, but I would definitely take him again, just put the work in, listen, and you are good to go in his class. Group project was good.

His class was not easy but not hard either. If you spend enough time with readings, papers, and attend all his lectures, you will be fine, but to receive a good grade you will have to do some work. I recommend him.

He is an amazing teacher and logic is a very interesting topic. There was a lot of reading and studying for the quizzes he gives out each class which can be overwhelming but he is very good at making sure you know the material. If you go to class, do the readings, and participate in class you will learn it and have a lot of fun.

Get ready to read a lot, but his classes are great. I enjoyed the class participation. He is a smart and great professor and will help you if needed.

He has been one of the best professors I've ever had. He is incredibly understanding and genuinely caring. If you show that you're putting in the effort, he will support you as much as he can. He's an amazing instructor — just be prepared to do a lot of reading! I truly enjoy his class and the level of interaction he creates. 1000% recommended!

He is the best!!!

One of my favorite professors at NOVA! It's clear that he cares about his students and genuinely wants them to do well. It's also clear that he enjoys what he does which makes class very enjoyable. There are reading quizzes every class but it's very doable. Couple of big papers but he's an easy grader. I wouldn't hesitate to take him again!

Steven is a humble, caring professor. The Logic course is not necessarily “easy”, as there are quizzes Every single class, but if you stay disciplined and consistent you will succeed. He offers strong extra credit at the end, but don't think about that until it comes. He is a funny, caring, and relatable guy. He's seriously a kind man.

Professor Stakland is amazing, there is a quiz at the start of every class from the reading before. The readings are very doable. He is caring, and will work with you. I really enjoyed this class. Would definitely recommend!!!!