2.3
Quality3.9
Difficulty18%
Would Retake255
Reviews18%
Would Retake
255
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
5
23
4
45
3
42
2
62
1
83
What Students Say
“Definitely the worst teacher I have had at JMU so far”
GPHIL101 - 1.0 rating“I attended his office hours for help on a test and ended up feeling horrible about the class”
PHIL101 - 2.0 ratingClass Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
30%
Textbook Required
50%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B
Grade Distribution
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Rating Trend
Declining
-0.42 avg changeRatings by Course
PHIL315
4.0
(1)PHIL110
4.0
(1)GPHIL
3.6
(9)GPHIL121
3.5
(4)120
3.0
(5)Difficulty by Course
GPHIL110
5.0
GPHL120A
5.0
PHILOSOPHY
5.0
GPHIL101H
5.0
PHIL310
4.5
Reviews (255)
He is the hardest PHIL teacher possible. Tests are the same way. Don't take him!
Great teacher!!!! Real smart and nice!
He drops intellectual jokes, so if youre stupid they go over your head.
Not a good teacher! Doesn't explain very well.
An interesting (but poor) teacher, a hard class. Avoid him if possible.
No Comments
very energetic, but he has no sensitivity or concern for you as an individual
Very Hard Tests....Often confuses you after you think you understand something
Horrible teacher, he's in his own world!
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Confusing and if you don't like Arguments and Logic don't do this class!!
if youre logical then the begining is easy but lots of reading later on, weird
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boring, boring, boring, boring, boring, boring, boring, boring, boring, boring
the only cool part about class was watching him single out and embarass people
No Comments
Why is he always covered in chalk?? Always stutters and mumbles
Use real logic and don't take this professor!
Boring!! Avoid at all costs!!
stay away! he can be rude and mean. no one ever knows what's going on in class
terrible and confusing! NO to adajian!
sitting in front of a train is better than class, but he gives pop quizzes
The MOST insensitive professor/person you will ever meet!
MEAN, CONFUSING, RUDE, INSENSITIVE, MUMBLES, so far so good over and over again
Don't go into this class expecting what you might typically conceive as
Great Professor. Confusing subject, but best of JMU Critical Thinking profs.
an awful class
No Comments
HORRIBLE, HORRIBLE, HORRIBLE. walk away right quick
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No Comments
A great professor go to office hours and you have it made.
Bring your own rope to hang yourself and save him the trouble, this class blows
No Comments
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Don't buy the bull****, the only people who don't like him can't handle the clas
avoid at all costs
Come on guys, if you can't listen in class and can't do well, dont blame it on the professor. He was a great teacher
i dropped out from school for a year and a half because of this terrible human
critical thinking was really hard, but i went to off hrs a lot and he helped me so much. a really nice guy, helpful
Ah!!! Run. What he lacks he cannot make up for
Horrible Horrible teacher who should be fired! The only person who did good in the class was the weirdo who never wore shoes.
don't listen to the negative comments about him! he's a GREAT teacher--the class is what's hard, but useful
No Comments
the subject material may be hard, but he does nothing to help clarify it. I think he's a nice person, very entertaining, just not a good professor. I dropped his class and haven't looked back since--I advise you to do the same!
the absolute worst professor at jmu...ever
This guys isnt as bad as people make him out to be. He has a goofy sense of humor but trys hard to be helpful, always encouraging people to attend office hours. The material is just boring in general at no fault of his.
horrible HORRIBLE teacher, makes fun of students, horrible class, horrible EVERYTHING. Hate the class, detest this professor. DO NOT TAKE HIM!
I heard he was terrible, but i think he is a great guy and very smart. Does his best to help students with material and does not make fun of people. Its the material that is hard
Very nice man but VERY hard class. He's very helpful during office hours but the material itself is extremely hard and time consuming.
Worst teacher ever in the history of my life. All he does in class is cover the homework assignments. Not personable. Hard exams. Stay away.
don't believe the other people, you will NEVEr use it in your whole life ? maybe that is a clue to something about who wrote that
The professor always encouraged students to see him if they were having difficulty. His humor lightens what otherwise may seem to be boring material. Course is challenging (but that's usually expected for anyone who takes his or her studies seriously).
This class will undoubtedly put you to sleep...you won't learn anything and the tests are ridiculous, luckily he curves.
people say this guy is bad, but i really thought the class was enjoyable.his tests are somewhat challenging, but no surprise if you go to class. he curves A LOT! i ended up with an a in the class.
The subject matter of this class is somewhat challenging but this professor does make it somewhat interesting. He is a good teacher and always ready to help.
This is possibly the most boring class ever. If you go to class the tests really aren't that bad since he curves. But it's impossible to pay attention in class b/c you'll seriously want to jump out of the window of boredom.
This guy is very smart and can make you feel really stupid. The class is challenging and boring and he doesn't try to make it interesting.
He talks constantly and teaches straight from the book. Class attendence is not necessary as you read and do problems. Professor is very wierd and information is boring and useless.
Not the best teacher, but could be a lot worse. class is extremely boring...he tries to be funny but really isn't. only goes over problems in the book. if you can stay awake, congratulations.
One of my favorite classes! The professor is funny and as long as you don't ask stupid questions, you'll have fun. Just do the work and whatever you do, DON'T FORGET YOUR BOOK! He kicks people out of class for that, seriously.
Found him to be a real jerk - mean and unapproachable for help. Liked to make fun of those not as smart as him. Avoid at all costs.
awful, horrible teacher. very, very boring class. kind of makes you want to die. if you feel lost in the first week of the class, you should go ahead and drop it.
The class is inherently boring so that can't be held against him. Tests are a bit difficult but no suprises if you keep up with your work. In all honesty, he's not too bad of a teacher.
loved this professor! has a strange sense of humor, but it keeps things interesting. class isn't hard if you read and do the questions in the book. don't ask stupid questions. the most useful gen-ed i've taken, can definatley apply it to real life
Worst class of my life. He's a really nice guy, but you end up hating him because he's not a great teacher. The subject matter is confusing and hard. If you don't read and do the work you will fail. Only 3 exams, so study hard if you have him.
Incredibly boring, a nice man but the class is just hellish. From what i've seen he's a lot harder than many of the other professors that teach this. Try to avoid him if you can.
Adajian is a good guy. He gave me a C- when i totally deserved a D. I heart him.
He is a bit crazy and hyper, too much neste tea.
helpful at office hours, book is hard, tests are fair, he believes students should be pushed to learn as much as they can, don`t take it unless you aced 250. ~q->~p
He doesnt have an attendence policy and you could potentially skip all the classes if you are able to follow along with the book. The material is difficult, and going to class helps.. but he can be a jerk, and his tests are not easy at all. avoid this cla
Demanding, high expectations - if you plan to take this class, you must have aced 250 and REALLY love logic. VERY difficult grader, tends to be quite sarcastic when answering questions in class, yet approachable. Take him seriously.
WORST PROFESSOR EVER!!!THIS MAN IS NOT HELPFUL AT ALL! Tests are impossible! Homework is impossible! Getting help from him is impossible! AVOID THIS CLASS!!
He is not helpful and continually tells studends how inneficiently they study, and how they do not know the material when he does not teach the material or help to make the topics clear.
this dude is out to prove he is smarter than you at all costs.. guess what he is and hell let you know it every min of every class. out to make things difficult, has a passion about it, tests are made to trick you and he will admit it.
This man is CRAZY!! His favorite line is "Is everyone with me?" and it drives you insane! His tests are insanely hard and he wants specific wording on everything!! AVOID THIS CLASS!!
One suggestion.....GET OUT OF THIS CLASS IF YOU HAVE HIM!!! hes the worst teacher ever and is such a jerk....tests are impossible and hes soo boring you just want to fall asleep in his class....DO NOT TAKE HIM!!
Don't listen to what everyone says, this is a very easy class. Adajian knows what he's talking about, and explains things clearly and directly; he does speak a little too quietly sometimes and can be hard to here. You don't have to go if you can follow with the book; gives very little HW.
Do NOT take this professor!! 2 tests and a final all cummulative. I failed the first one and still have yet to receive my grade on the 2nd 3 weeks later! Went to office for help and said i was wasting his time. Tests are very tricky and unclear.Only good thing is no attendance policy. Please Avoid!
Miserable man, the most exciting part of that class was when I looked out the window and saw a puppy. It was adorable. His tests are impossible because the man is so anal, 10% of the class drops after the 1st. He doesnt explain things clearly, and the room is always unbearably crowded and hot.
Not as bad as every1 says, but he is DIFFICULT, so just like most classes u have to study. don't bother with office hours cause ur better off asking someone who got an A on the last test. no homework, no attendence policy, no extra credit. speaks quietly and SUPER fast.. not too bad of a class
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if you don`t want to work hard then don`t take this class. Learn a great deal if you stick with it though.
HES HORRIBLE - hes very unclear and most of his classes are an hour working on the same problem. hes boring and and i skipped/slept through most of the class. he doenst help you at office hours and made me feel stupid when i went to get help. DO NOT TAKE THIS CLASS IT IS AWEFUL
This class is just plain hard. He really does try though to explain everything as best as he can. His test come straight from the exercises that you do for homework and many of those you go over in class. As long as you do the work, take a few notes, and pay attention this class is easy.
The worst hard I have ever taken. Try to avoid at all costs. I have done all the work and gone to every class, and I am barely pulling a C. He is never satisfied with any volunteer answers you provide, and his anal retentiveness will make you want to lay down on the train tracks by hillside. Avoid.
I actually like the guy and the class. Unlike all of the other Critical thinking teachers, this guy doesn't give you homework/projects. He's knowledgable and is fairly clear. This class is the only one I'm taking that I can actually apply to my life.
Theres something creepy about this guy.
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HE IS AWFUL!! Do not take any classes with this man!! Seems to hate people, and will try and embarass you in front of the class. He knows his stuff, but is completely unable to convey it to the rest of the world!! Take a different professor!!!
Class is not that easy, but contrary to other posts, he will gladly help you if you demonstrate that you've attempted to learn the rules of critical thinking. Although his teaching style might not be exactly "warm" it fits within the class's moral that the best assessments are made dispassionately.
the worst class i ever took. the meanest professor i've ever met
i passed...without any help from him.
i passed...without any help from him.
No Comments
HE is very helpful. But he is not a babysitter. If you do not try you will fail, but if you want to do well he will do everything to help you
Here's the bottom line on Adajian: If you are a bad student, are not interested in learning, or are not smart, he's not your guy. In other words, he's an actual college professor, and not a babysitter. This is what college is like, folks. It's not high school anymore. He's a smart man and will help you if you apply yourself. If that sounds too hard for you, get out of college.
This guy is psycho. He wears the same outfit to class every single day and acts very strange. He's good for a laugh, but that's about all. The class isn't hard as long as you study for the tests.
this man wears the same thing everyday always black pants and a blue or teal shirt. He is funny but very strange. He talks really fast and is unlcear about what HE thinks? its a difficult class... read the book... skip the class
He knows what he's talking about, even if it doesn't seem like it some times. Very flexible about changing his own schedule, and very helpful if you see him outside of class. He likes it when you talk or ask questions.Take him if you like the subject, probably should try someone else if you don't.And who cares that he wears the same thing everyday?
I don't know why people don't like adajian, but I loved the class. He's extremely helpful and the more you participate, the more he gets to know you, and the more he'll focus his attention to help you. The class is definitely not the easiest in the world, but as long as you read the book and pay attention in class, you'll do fine.
Adajian is a wonderful professor. He is very interesting, funny in a dry kind of way. If you read the book and listen and interact in class, you'll do fine. I definitely suggest taking his class!!!
The class is easy if you take the time to read the book. He tries his best to give examples the class will understand. Homework is easy and he always gives a second chance at it. A little flakey though, we missed a lot of class due to personal circumstances on his part.
hes not a bad guy but he can only see things from his point of view...so good luck arguing against him...you pretty much just go to class and feel utterly confused the entire time...gives you second chances on homeworks...watch out for his anti-bull policy...and yes..,youre not imagining things...he is wearing the same clothes he had on yesterday
Despite what you might hear, this guy is a really good professor. The class is not exactly the most interesting in the world but he is funny in his own way and will help you if you participate and try to help yourself. Come to class and be open-minded and the class is not hard.
hes not bad. just go to class and pay attention, and its not too much work outisde of the actual class. can be boring at times, but an easy A.
I have a lot of trouble in this class because it is very abstract and he judges things not based on the book but in his opinion. I wouldn't suggest taking this class it is really boring but he is an ok guy, very conceited though. He curbs test grades but that is basically your grade, of you do bad on the tests you'll have a bad grade... so if you a
This class is very confusing. I do not recommend this teacher at all. Tests are very hard!!!
This class was extemely difficult and this professor takes pride in it. The tests are the hardest ever and the lectures are basically the same very boring material every day. For the sake of your GPA, do not take this professor. He himself even says how hard it is to get above a C, stay away i warn you.
Not an easy class, nor is it rewarding. He isn't a great teacher. It is true that tests are hard, but this is college and hard tests are expected...so deal with it!
Seriously, the class is easy. A little common sense goes a long way. Not a bad guy, sort of weird though.
No Comments
anyone who liked this class is on crack. Definitely the biggest pain in the ass to take. I truly believe he wants people to fail.
HE was not my favorate teacher at JMU. He treats 101 as if it were a doctorate level class. Oh, and his tests are not the A-D multiple choice style... there A-K for crying out loud. He lives for philosophy, and I could care less about it...so we clashed a bit. Take my advice and do not take this proffessor if you want that easy philosophy grade
Previous to taking this class I thought that philosophy would be interesting. Prior to the class, however, I found the subject to be dreadful. The class was hard and the tests were harder. Tests were the only grades. He's a bit cooky...get out if you can.
This guy was great! the class is a little bit of work but the subject is interesting. People who hated it just didn't put in enough effort.
Very difficult for a GenEd. Prof Adajian started off by telling us he teaches this class harder than other professors. Material difficult to comprehend. Tests involve recall of premises of many arguments. Seems to be taught like an upper level Philosophy major class, not a "101" GenEd. Interesting guy, knows his stuff, but difficult.
Im a philosophy minor, and i hated this class, we spent literally the first 1/2 of the semester on God , he makes you memorize like 15 lengthy arguments for the tests that are completely useless b/c all you figure out is that they are unsound anyways, i just felt that the class was to hard for an intro class that is supposed to be interesting
Boring, hard, and focuses too long on one subject usually, like for a whole week, that never ends up the test. You get it or you don't in this class.
Very hard class. Tests have memorization which he doesn't tell you memorize. You don't learn a lot of philosophy concept. you just learn that dozens of long arguments you have to memorize are invalid. Treats 101 like a 400 level class. By the way, Adajian reminds me of a mad scientist when he teaches. I wouldn't recommend this class to anyone.
Horrible. Everyone said not to listen to ratemyprofessor. Please do with this professor. He is not helpful at all. I attended his office hours for help on a test and ended up feeling horrible about the class. It is straight memorizing articles that other classes hadn't even heard of.
I loved PRofessor Adajian. He is so passionate about philosophy and is very straight forward. If you pay attention in class, the tests are easy to ace. I got an A and I didn't have to try too hard. He is great.
Very poor job he does at explaining theories and makes things ambiguous when you try and learn so it is difficult to study for the tests. Then when you take the tests it is all memorization. Classes felt like lifetimes. Difficult class for a 101. I don't recommend Adajian. He also doesn't understand that we are students. He's very insensitive.
For a profs who's main research is aesthetics and metaphysics, his Phil of Lit and Art was beyond disappointing. Most pointless class I ever took. Someone teaching the phil of lit and art should at least know something about lit and art. Your research was in aesthetics? Give me a break! Very unorganized and ineffective teacher.
It's absolutely true that this guy is difficult to understand sometimes. He'll be glad to help you out with stuff, but sometimes it will take a lot of work to communicate. Anyway, I liked him a lot, but you need to be good at abstract thinking.
I'm not going to lie, if you do not understand philosophy DO NOT take this class!! He will NOT help you. He believes in a no A policy. If you want to study your butt off and still get a C in the class than be my guest and take him. In his words, "I would rather give an A to someone who doesn't study than someone was has to study 6 hours for a test.
People who say his class is hard have failed to read the book. His tests and lectures come straight from reading the chapters he assigns. He is extremely passionate and helpful to those who ask. Easy A in his class = 1. Read the chapters 2. Take notes & 3. Think
This class was super easy. I never read the textbook, and I got over 100 on all of the tests. Just follow along in class and take good notes. Yes, you have to memorize, but if you start studying the night before, you should be fine. I never studied longer than 2 hours for each test.
WORST TEACHER! Lectures are only good if you want to hear "yeah, um, uh huh" but no actual content. If you go to his office hours he only confuses you more. Really only wants to make you feel stupid and only agrees with his opinion - even if it is just reworded. He forgets that it's an intro class. Any + comments are his own Miserable in his class!
If your going to take this class- you want this professor. Never met a man more passionate about his material which is important. He's written books and thoroughly understands the subjects. Always willing to help. Philosophy is his passion, but so is teaching. Best professor ive ever had
He's one of those teachers that you either love or hate. He is very passionate about his subject and very knowledgeable, but his lectures can be difficult to listen to. He tends to be socially awkward, but he does know his stuff, and if you pay attention and ask questions, you're fine.
It is completely unreasonable that anyone would leave a positive message on this website about professor adajian besides himself. His lectures are incomprehensible and they make the text seem absurdly more confusing than it actually is. He was hands down one of the worst teachers I have ever had, if you are trying to take an intro to philosophy cou
This teacher is great! You just have to do your work and he will reward you with a good grade. Tests are easy. Teacher cares a lot about his students and the outcome of this class.
He is an interesting professor who cares about his subject. His tests aren't that great but they aren't impossible to get an A on.
prof adajian is pretty cool. this is one of my favorite classes this semester- lectures are clear, they go right along with the readings and even help to clarify them. prof is socially awkward and hilarious, and really nice and helpful. tests are a little tough though, but he's curved them every time.
prof adajian is one of my favorite this semester. clear lectures that come straight from the readings. socially awkward guy, funny at times. i look forward to this class. tests are tough though, but he's curved them. take this class
I'm a senior & I just have to say, Adajian was by far one of my favorite professors at JMU. I was completely uninterested in phil, but had to take it for my B.A. and I loved it The class IS really challenging, but so interesting and rewarding if you really put effort into understanding it. plus adajian is extremely SMART & a funny & nice guy!!
Class is really incredibly boring but he is a good teacher and the class isnt too difficult. He has his funny moments too. If you want to take critical thinking i would reccomend him
DO NOT TAKE AT ALL. He is an ok person but he is extremely boring. Really hard but mayb you are a GPHIL person if not this is not the class to take.
Worst class ever. He is very confusing, the class averages four examples in an hour and 15 minutes. It is really truly awful. Do not take him if you can avoid it.
He is an amazing professor. Yes he can get boring at times but the course is easy to understand and he goes through examples in depth so that it is very easy to grasp new concepts.
He does not require you to go to class, but if you do not, then you will be screwed. Ask for help early in the semester because if you don't then you will have a tough time on everything else. As long as you read and go to class, and ask if you need help, you will do well.
Avoid, avoid, avoid. You know you have a bad professor when you learn more from 10 minutes on Wikipedia than in 10 weeks of perfect attendance. Peculiar, idiosyncratic, prickly little man. Lectures are dull and confusing. Illegible handwriting. Class focuses on Kant and Plato's views on beauty.
Difficult, he teaches directly out of the book, attendance is not mandatory, or necessarily needed at all. His test are fairly difficult, but he curves (from 5-20 points). He firmly believes that a C is average and makes that very attainable, but above that requires some effort. He's a SMART ASS, get someone else if possible, but he could be worse.
Professor Adajian isn't that bad of a guy.I don't know why he got such low reviews. Really he's very funny. A lot of people never went to class but if you do then it is an easy B and with a little extra work an attainable A. I would recommend him. Just do some of the practice homework problems and skim the reading.
AVOID if at all possible. Attending class is pointless when the book can teach in one page what Adajian could teach in three classes, and attending class won't help you if you want to do well on his four exams (each of which make up *25%* of your grade). Impossible to study for said exams. Upside is there's no homework or assignments beyond tests.
Talks at a million miles an hour. I have learned nothing in his class that I couldn't learn from the text book. He is always rushing and often refuses to answer questions. Very rude to students. AVOID!
perfect at teaching critical thinking
he is boring with little to no interest in how students do in his class...he wants us to "learn something". Ask a question and if you're lucky he will respond accordingly in maybe 5 minutes. Everything is in the textbook.Provides little other than what is already taught through the book. Basically a self-teach class
Professor Adajian was incredibly unhelpful in office hours and like everyone else has said he's incredibly boring, and he doesn't have a teaching style that works for everyone. He doesn't explain everything the most and he uses the textbook a ton, I highly recommend DO NOT take class with him.
Very boring class, I have to drag myself to class every day. Professor is very boring and not engaging during lectures, AVOID class if at all possible! Take another professor seriously, this class is hard. His tests are not easy to study for either
A lot of people don't like him. Go to class, do ALL the practice problems (online version has an interactive version of the problems that have the answers). 4 tests makes up your grade. Curves a good amount to start and then less for each following test.
This class is not awful but the tests are hard! He is rude when students don't know the answer to something in class and is strict against cell phone use. In class all he does is do a bunch of examples on the board, nothing I couldn't have gotten from the textbook. I fall asleep almost every class. AVOID!!
Stay AWAY from this class. Unless you enjoy failing... The material is HARD and he is incredibly BORING.
I spent the majority of the class thinking about how excited I would be when it was over. He covers the same material for weeks on end. The professor also has an off-putting sense of self and sense of humor. Do not take.
Worst professor ever. Tests super hard and make no sense. Going to class is useless.
If you decide to take Critical Thinking, stay clear away from taking this professor. I neglected to check his ratings before enrolling and regret it. Every negative comment you read on here is true.
Prof. Adajian really isn't that bad at all, it's just easy to get lost in his class because it's big and he's soft spoken. He goes over practice questions basically the entire class. It's definitely easier to learn new material from the text, but if you go to class and do the practice sheets you'll be fine
I really enjoyed Professor Adajian's class. He's goofy and such a nice guy. If you read your book, come to class and pay attention while you're there, and copy down the examples he writes on the board you will be fine. He goes over the topics multiple times but if you still don't understand just ask him. He wants you to understand the material!
He second guessed himself a lot. He would give out a lot of practice problems but would never review them until later in the semester so I would never know if it was correct or not.
The material can be confusing, but as long as you pay attention and ask questions you'll do fine. He's funny enough too. The tests can be hard, but it's nothing ridiculous.
He is an awful teacher. He is awful at explaining things and isn't helpful at all. His tests are so hard and because he gives you multiple ways to do things it is so confusing to figure out which answer is correct. His TA came to teach for three days and I understood her more than him. DONT TAKE HIM.
While he is not a bad guy as a person, he is not that great of a teacher. He talks exactly how he wrote his book so you can either read the book and skip class or go to class and skip the reading. His class is boring even though he can be goofy sometimes. Not a horrible class but I would recommend a more interesting professor.
This man is not terrible at teaching the subject but he is rude and narrow minded. If you attempt to ask a question he makes you reword the question until you get confused and then stops you and just rants about how you are wrong and sometimes actually answers the question. DO NOT TAKE!!!!!! SAVE YOURSELF!!!
He's a very out there teacher and the material is very hard. He's there if you need help, but you almost don't want to ask. And both the material and the professor are both difficult to understand. If you could find someone else to teach find them! Trust me!
Adajian is a quirky and kind of weird guy. His lectures can be a bit dry but he sometimes makes us laugh. His tests are pretty tough(worth 80%) of the final grade, and then there are at home quizzes(20%). Someone please count the amount of times he says, "Are you with me here?" It will be well over 10,000 for one semester.
Adajian's class was challenging. Definitely not something you want to take first semester of freshman year. His quirkiness makes it more bearable to sit through class. Some material is more confusing than others. Truly the example of a professor who will go over something in class but counts on you to make the effort to learn and study. FG: 77.6
His lectures are confusing and the tests are hard, but I kind of enjoyed the class. Read the book and study and you're fine.
Adajian doesn't even bother to know his students. I was one of the 5 people out of the 30 in my class who actually answered his questions and openly participated in class and even at the end of the semester he called on me by the name of "Guy with the ___ color shirt on" His lectures are exactly from the book, but the book explains it better. Eh.
Dr. Adajian is not that bad! I took him first semester of my freshman year and managed to get an A in the class. He wrote the textbook, so going to lectures almost eliminates the need to read. He was very helpful whenever I emailed him and he curves all of the tests. Would recommend.
I liked him he was very cut and dry because all he wanted you to do was learn the material. literally just read your book and do a few problems and come to class and work on the example problems and you'll be good to go. He doesn't care if you come to class and is not there to baby you... if you don't try he won't try and help you
He's not as bad as everyone says. It's tough material, but if you don't skip (there's no attendance policy) you'll be fine. I didn't do any of the readings and did fine, although the book is a good reference. Don't text in class or be late because he'll call you out, but he's sassy and kind of funny.
Horrible professor. His lectures are not interesting at all, the readings are so boring, and he is not helpful whatsoever. Definitely the worst teacher I have had at JMU so far. I would not recommend this professor to anyone ESPECIALLY first years. The only good thing about this class is that attendance isn't taken.
Professor Adajian gave VERY LONG LECTURES. If you take detailed notes and memorize all of them, you will do well in this class. He is VERY HELPUL and will explain concepts to you if you ask him for help.
Overall, it was a challenging course. But that's how it should be. Actually read the text and you'll definitely get a B or higher. He posts online documents with further review on the certain topics we cover in lecture.
I was really scared to take Professor Adajian after reading his reviews, but he actually ended up being one of my favorite professors! He's super sarcastic with a matching dry sense of humor. He doesn't take attendance, but come to class each day and you're guaranteed at least a B. The readings help but lectures are necessary to understand material
I actually liked Dr. Adajian. The course seemed mildly intimidating at first with all the reading, but he does a pretty good job breaking the material down for you. There are a lot of notes, and he moves through them too quickly. If you pay attention and participate in the class, you will do pretty well. His tests aren't bad and he curves.
He's not bad. If you do the reading (which is not much) and go to class, you'll be fine. He does a great job of explaining difficult concepts. He gives random quizzes rather than take attendance. Tests aren't horrible if you pay attention and read. He's very sarcastic and has an interesting sense of humor, but I liked him. I'd recommend him!
I cannot stress how helpful the information I learned in Dr. Adajian's class has been in all of my other classes. His Phil 120 class teaches students how to think logically. This is the most valuable skill a college student can have. If you can think through problems logically, you can do well in any subject. Take this class for your own benefit.
He knows what he is talking about, but the way he grades and his online quizzes are ridiculous. If you don't do well on EVERYTHING, you will get at most a B-. I was one of his most active students and he killed my participation grade because the entire class packed up one minute early. My advice? Take his class with caution, or not at all.
There's a lot of readings but they're pretty short. He's pretty rude and talks down to students if they don't understand something, but he explains most things clearly. He breaks his own classroom rules and gives pop quizzes even when the readings weren't specified on canvas/in class. The tests can be challenging but study well & you'll do fine
Gives "all of the above"/"both A and B" quizzes and tests, makes it hard to get a lot of the answers correct. He's funny but is rude to students who don't know the answer. If you could, try to get a different professor.
He is unnecessarily hard, if you have the chance to take another professor I would recommend that. He curves tests slightly but they are very hard so it does not make a huge difference. Bad at responding to email. All tests are cumulative. Lectures are very long and boring. Only grades are tests and pop quizzes. He is crazy about cell phone use.
As far as philosophy professors at JMU, he's the one to try to get. I've heard tons of complaints from my friends about theirs but Adajian and his class are both pretty good! Attendance is not mandatory, but there are pop quizzes and the tests are cumulative.
Professor Adajian is a really nice guy, but his class is pretty tough. He doesn't take attendance, but if you don't go to class it's hard to understand the material. Reading the book also helps a lot, plus he gives about 10 pop quizzes throughout the semester. It's a rough class, but you can do well if you want to
Took this class to fulfill my gen ed requirement & it was the class that stressed me the most out of all my other classes ( my major classes). I'm a junior and this course made me work the hardest I have in my entire college career. He teaches differently than what the book says and his pop quizzes & test (comprehensive) are based on his lectures
I don't know about other phil. classes, but I feel like he made it so much harder than it needed to be. This was a veryyy stressful gen-ed. Also he will call on you just for the sake of calling you out which I think is rude & your only grades are tests & quizzes, so if you do bad on one or two, it's hard to comeback. Do not recommend!!
If you actually want to learn something and not focus on meaningless information do not take him. It is very surprising to me that JMU pays this man a salary. He gives pop quizzes that are way harder than they need to be and throughout his lectures no one knows what he is talking about. AVOID AT ALL COSTS.
AVOID!!! Philosophy is a hard subject in general and Adajian makes it near impossible. His lectures make no sense, he gives a RIDICULOUS amount of quizzes, and his tests are absurdly difficult. Unless you have a passion for philosophy, DO NOT TAKE Adajian. He is rude, ignores student questions, and calls people out in class. AVOID AVOID AVOID!!!
He cares about his topics of interest, and compared to other Phil professors he's relatively easy. I mean, do the work he assigns. I read these other comments and after 4 years as a Phil major, I know they're just super lazy. In fact, I didn't even do most of the readings and I'm getting an A. He lectures and you take notes, and he grades gently.
His handwriting isn't legible, so sit in the front! Definitely buy the textbook. All the quizzes are online.
Prof A was a nice person but I didn't care for his class. I'm not a Philosophy person, and I can tell he's passionate about it, but I barely understood anything throughout the semester. The materials were open ended with almost no definite, solid answers. Do the readings and try to understand it yourself before going to his lecture.
He seems like a nice enough guy, but this class was near impossible. The lectures were extremely dry and his tests were near impossible. Almost every question had 'none of the above,' or 'both a and c' or something of the nature as options. I did the readings and I went to class and I still didn't understand a thing.
Dr. Adajian is the hardest professor I've had at JMU. He assigns a lot of reading and weekly quizzes that make no sense even if you use notes/textbook. I only missed one class, did all the readings and never missed a quiz but still got a C because he is so harsh in grading and the stuff doesn't make sense. He cares a lot about phil but its too hard
Dr. Adajian really isn't that bad. People that gave him bad reviews probably did not go to class. You have to go to class and take notes to pass. Read all the stuff he posts on canvas. He started taking attendance at the beginning of the year but he stopped. He gives online quizzes every week based on readings. 3 tests and a final. Would take again
I found the material a bit dry because philosophy isn't my interest, but it's a 101 class so it's not very hard. Adajian is a funny guy and he explains the concepts well because he's passionate about the subject. You'll definitely have to study but if you just keep up with the readings and go to class it's really not difficult.
As a phil major, I was excited for Prof A's class. He does love the subject, but can give poor explanations. We are often behind schedule so he won't allow for much discussion. Also, the classroom is stressful because he gets easily frustrated by minor class disruptions. You'll learn a lot, but must follow his rules and bring readings every class!
Dr. Adajian is a solid Philosophy professor. He is really knowledgeable about the subject and doesn't make it more difficult than it needs to be. His lectures can become dry on occasion, but overall the material is really interesting. Also, he has a dry sense of humor and can be really sarcastic, which is a plus.
I really dont even dislike him as a professor, but his class was just nearly impossible. I did well on tests, but I know that many of my classmates, most of which are very good students, did not. He is easy to annoy and was incredibly anal about bathroom breaks. He would make fun of students for having stupid questions.I had an A until the final:(
So bad
Dr. Adajian is a very good Professor. He might lack some tact and be a bit abrasive at times, especially when a student rubs him the wrong way. He has a set of expectations for each student that are high, but he is knowledgeable and if you try to engage him he will do the same.
Clearly passionate about what he teaches but is terrible at getting his point across. He makes this class is way too hard for a gen ed. His lectures are all over the place which makes you rely on the textbook which is also very confusing. Tests are worded the way he speaks, so they make no sense. Assigns online quizzes very frequently. Avoid!
Insanely hard for a gen ed class. Lectures are impossible to follow and it's so hard to try and take notes for the class because nothing makes sense. He's very condescending when you ask a question and doesn't answer questions clearly. This class made me go through so many breakdowns until I finally decided to drop it.
lectures are boring and its hard to focus
Way too hard for a gen ed. Doesn't present materials well, just gives the same examples every class (which are always a little too based around the existence of God). Seems like he's super passionate about the subject but I feel like going to class is a waste of time
Lectures make no sense. He never actually answers any questions and is very condescending. Completely shoots down any creative thoughts and questions that were not a apart of his lesson plan. All we have done is memorize and analyze arguments for the existence of God. Tests are very hard and cover a lot of material. Quizzes are confusing.
Dr. Adajian teaches solely from lectures that he types on his laptop. Most dry class ever. He's also overly-defensive and will shame you in front of the whole class if you ask a question. That being said, he unfortunately is still probably your best choice for a phil professor. I studied a lot and ended up getting all A's on the tests.
His class wasn't great, for a few reasons: tests are worded way more confusing than they have to be, lectures were dry, and his class was overall a much harder class than it needed to be. I will say I thought the textbook explained the concepts well, and his policy of answering written questions with "I don't know" for partial credit was nice.
Not a fan of him. He goes too fast in lecture and doesn't give enough time to write stuff down, and then doesn't post the notes on Canvas, either. He is VERY rude when you ask questions. Also, I'm a Junior in mostly 300-level classes and his class (100-level) was my hardest class this semester. Requires a LOT of studying and memorization.
DO NOT TAKE THIS AS A GEN-ED, especially as a first-year. One of the most boring classes I have ever taken and super confusing. I once got so bored I counted how many times he said: "do you get what I'm saying?".... It was 200 times in an hour and 15 minute class. He is a nice guy but his class is a snooze
Professor Adajian was probably the rudest professors I've ever had. Literally, if ANYONE asked questions he would answer in a degradingly sarcastic way. Class is super boring & difficult for a GenEd. Likes to call on students at random. PHIL 101 isn't a terrible class, but if you can, avoid choosing Adajian.
Dr. Adajian was an ok professor. PHIL250 can be super boring, but he tries really hard to make it engaging with lots of corny dad jokes. He is pretty chill but is randomly strict about some things. He is a decent guy, but he reminded me a lot of a teacher that I had in high school who was super creepy.
This was by far the worst class I have ever taken. He is a really awful teacher who gives little to no help when you ask any questions, almost makes you wish you never asked. I did not enjoy this class. A lot of reading and studying, too much for a gen ed. Would not reccommend this teacher at all for PHIL101.
He was chill on some things but randomly strict on other things. He did not answer questions fully in class and often made you wish you had never asked. This course material is extremely confusing to begin with but he seemed to complicate it further with how he chose to explain things. Gives good curves and partial credit. DO THE HOMEWORK!
He was condescending when people asked questions and his phrasing is confusing, so it's much easier to pass the class if you read the textbook. The tests are also oddly phrased so it's difficult to understand exactly what he's asking. Make sure when you email him, you greet him every time. He may take points off. Also absolutely no phones.
Such a boring class. Also was kind of condescending. Made the class more difficult than it needed to be for a Gen Ed. Would also randomly pick on students sometimes (I was one of them) and made it feel like a high school class.
Worst teacher at JMU by far, DO NOT TAKE
DO NOT TAKE HIM FOR PHIL 250 if you need to fulfill the BA requirement. I am so frustrated. Took this online. Did every assignment we had, which is just quizzes and exams. Nothing else for points. The exams and quizzes are hard. If you don't read the textbook good luck. The lectures are awful and he doesn't really go over anything. DO NOT TAKE HIM
If you don't read the textbook and work the exercises at the end of each chapter as he recommends you to, then you will be screwed. No ifs, ands, or buts about it. Dr. Adajian is a funny guy, who wants to help his students. However, this requires students to reach out to him or asking questions during class, which rarely happened. Read the book!
Do not take Prof Adajian if possible. Class was very hard and material didn't make sense. I read the assigned readings and showed up to class but the subject matter wasn't understandable. I somehow passed by making educated guesses on all the tests. 2 tests and 1 final. 2 discussion posts. No other assignments.
I dropped this class because of how rude and challenging he is. One person asked a simple question and instead of teaching us or answering the question he just says "no, read in the textbook" I understand some parts to that until when he asked us about a definition in the textbook, and someone answered it word per word he says it's wrong. Very hard
Do not take this teacher hes awful. Does not respond to questions in class but rather tells his students they should already know it and just look in the textbook. Much harder than a gen Ed should ever be.
Adajian is a very hit-or-miss teacher. His lectures are REALLY long and become repetitive in an unclear way. He doesn't record them either. It's hard to reach him via email. He also makes quite a few mistakes on his own exams and quizzes. The textbook and the internet are the best ways to actually learn anything in his class.
Literally dont take him. He doesnt explain things very well and if you ask him a question he says look in the book or No as in he wont help you. He doesnt care for his students and doesnt really care if you dont do well. He wastes time during class trying to make up examples of his own instead of going over the tests/quiz questions missed
I dropped this class as soon as I took the first quiz. The question would be a simple yes or no and the answer choices were literally things like "Maybe yes" and "It might be this". Like... bruh. He talks too fast and his lectures make no sense. I can think intellectually and all that, but homeboy made my brain bust open on a timed test.
I immediately swapped out of this class after a few days, he was just not a good professor. I would rather be behind in my coursework than fail trying to follow him.
He does not know how to teach, he does example after example in class and nothing else. He is unclear when he speaks and does not give simple answers to students because "they should know them". If you don't read the book and work examples you will not do well. I do not recommend taking This teacher or even PHIL-120. Take BUS 160 instead.
TERRIBLE. Its like teaching math without showing the steps. its so hard and makes no sense. he only gives examples and no explanations
I hated this class. The material is confusing and the professor sucks. Lectures are reallllly long and boring and he's very repetitive. If you read the textbook and do exercises you'll be fine and the tests aren't that hard.
I don't really do the reading and I get Cs on his tests (not a good test taker), but I participate a lot in class and that matters. Sit up front and participate or you'll fall asleep. Do the online quizzes because they can really boost your grade. This class was sometimes fun and tbh I'd take him again because I know his style now.
He is the worst! Very patronizing and un-accommodating. He does not make a syllabus for this course and says things like "the test will be around week 9," therefore not allowing adequate time to plan for assignments. The class is very slow paced and boring, so I was able to attend once every 2 weeks and still pass the class.
HORRIBLE. do not take this class. he is the worst professor. he has no idea what he is doing, and his lectures do not make sense at all. The tests are so hard because he doesnt lecture anything important. STEER CLEAR
One of the worst classes I have taken. There were over 100 people in my class and Dr. A didn't use a mic so hearing him was near impossible. Seeing the board was also difficlt, so going to class seemed pointless. Dr. A didn't follow my ODS accomodations even after I had discussed it with him multiple times. Would not take him if can be avoided!
He doesn't make much sense in lecture and tends to repeat himself the whole time. He uses the same examples the whole semester but makes it hard for them to correlate with each chapter and it gets confusing a lot of the time. His class is not mandatory but you are not allowed to takes notes on your computer. Most work is from the textbook.
Don't. Hardest and worst gen ed I've taken so far. Lectures were all over the place and he spent the entire class doing practice problems. Material was challenging so the textbook is your best bet.
Don't take Dr. Adajian for PHIL120. The material is not difficult as long as you do the reading, but his lectures are very disorganized and confusing. He gives very condescending responses when questions are asked in class ("you should know that" or "go look at the textbook"). Often made mistakes on tests/quizzes.
This class isn't too difficult content wise, but the way he structures class makes everything harder than it should be. Lectures are confusing and long. Your grade is dependent on quizzes that you get full credit for by completing them on time, 3 exams, and a final. There is no other homework other than the quizzes so it is hard to boost your grade
This was by far the hardest class I have taken, never mind it being a GenEd. His tests (worth 50% of your grade) are confusing along with the lectures. He basically just goes over what we had to read beforehand and makes it even more confusing. He seems like a sweet guy but was a terrible professor.
Having pass or fail quizzes was a good thing, and made raising your grade easier. However, the class itself is beyond boring. It is impossible to pay attention and the way he explains things makes it even more confusing. He's a nice guy and can be funny at times, but the topic itself makes no sense.
Absolutely terrible. Insulted students for asking questions. Poor explanations, if any. Lectures were incoherent at best. Basically, he knows people only take his class because they are required, so he chooses to make everyone miserable. I can't believe he's still allowed to teach. Went to office hours for help once and was promptly insulted. 0/10
The worst prof I've ever had. He barely teaches and just goes over examples during the whole class, stuck in the dark ages and won't let students use any technology to take notes. He treats us like children, and makes the class feels like a giant middle school class as he won't let you have your phone with you or a smart watch. Avoid at all costs.
Taking Adajian would be the worst mistake of your life. He insults students when they ask questions and doesn't know how to teach. Only does example after example EVERY SINGLE CLASS. He even sometimes puts incorrect answers on the board. I once asked him a question about an incorrect example and was promptly yelled at. Avoid him like the plague.
Not the best professor but not the worst. You don't need to go to class but if you want to do well you should. Tests arent awful. Know the vocab and keep up with practice questions in the textbook if you want to succeed. He is rude sometimes. Also will give class some tests answers. He curves exams so your grade will end up being decent.
He is not as a bad as people make him out to be. The content you learn isn't the most exciting stuff so the lectures are pretty boring. You only get graded on 2 things, the QP's and the Tests. The QP's are graded on completion and the tests are curved. I didn't put in a lot of work in the class and it showed but I still passed.
He constantly only uses examples when teaching, when people ask for help he just does more examples and never explains anything. You will review the same examples of the same topic for weeks and then that won't be on the test like he says it will. He doesn't use technology at all. Please avoid him at all costs.
He was alright but the lectures are brutal. He expects you to spend a lot of time studying on your own for a freakin gen ed cluster. Really boring, and does no review before the tests. Felt like two weeks into the next unit I would understand what was on the last test.
He's not as bad as people make him out to be. His classroom rules are strict: no technology and no leaving during class. The content isn't difficult and the lectures can be boring but if you pay attention even a little bit you'll be fine. Graded by QPs and tests. QPs are completion and tests are curved and he gives three free answers per test.
Dr Adajian is given a bad rap just because he can be condescending, but he's not that bad of a professor. Adajian does a decent job at introducing the concepts, but the class is boring. Weekly homework assignment online that can be done by completion if you don't wanna do it. Every class you just work through problems and it's honestly not that bad
Takes numerous days to respond to emails,makes this class extremely hard for a gen ed,lectures are super boring but also don't make sense,if you ask for an explanation,he just goes to a completely different topic, only grades are tests and homework which are graded on completion but he will review one concept for weeks & it won't be on the test
Real piece of trash. Avoid at all costs
I would not recommend this professor. He was quite abrasive at times and mildly (but not so) defensive when students would disagree with his opinions. Class was graded on three tests, a group project, and a handful of pop quizzes. He was scatter-brained and jumped around content often. Was excited for this class, but not fun at all :(
Lectures are so long and if you have questions he tells you you should know it. attendance isn't mandatory but if you're in class and he sees your phone out you will get your grade brought down, so not really worth going to class. You can teach yourself outside of class, but its very difficult to find materials on canvas its nor organized at all
To get the most out of his class, you have to have a decent work ethic. Yes, it sounds strict that he does not allow notes to be taken through laptops or tablets, but there is a reason for it -- with Critical Thinking, it does require an open mind to get the material. I worked with him and he genuinely helps to get me where I want to be.
Attendance isn't mandatory but you need to go if you want to pass, since tests are heavy on notes. He does have a tendency to be a little bit sassy if you're not prepared for class or if you're on your phone, but if you do what you're supposed to you won't have any problems.
Professor Adajian's lectures can be dry, but the content is manageable if you stay engaged. The grading is largely based on tests and weekly assignments, which are graded leniently. Unstuckstudy AI was a lifesaver for reviewing key concepts before exams.
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