Jay Garfield - Smith College, Northampton, MA

Professor: Jay Garfield

Department: Philosophy

College: Smith College, Northampton, MA

Rating # 1

Overview:

• Course: LOG100
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 1.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: Yes
• Attendance: Not Mandatory

Comment:

I took Logic 100 with him and Jim Henle. This is a super interesting class. I've never thought that a huge lecture with 100 people can have so much fun. Though we have a lot of homework, we can learn a lot from the homework and lecture. You don't even need to read the book in order to understand the materials

Rating # 2

Overview:

• Course: LOG100
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

Jay teaches this class with Jim Henle, and they're both brilliant. He doesn't always understand what questions you're asking, but he always explains things in detail to make sure you've got it down. He was my section leader, and he learned my name quickly and personalized his teaching when I would see him during office hours.

Rating # 3

Overview:

• Course: LOG100
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

Course very humorous and engaging. Lecturers work well with each other. Sometimes Jay has more trouble figuring out what you're asking, and I got the sense that he put a lot of stock in his own opinions and wouldn't listen to you well outside of the course. Otherwise, great teacher who's written a wonderful textbook.

Rating # 4

Overview:

• Course: PHI108
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.5
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

He's arrogant, and yes he does think of himself and his own opinions as perfect. Interesting though..

Rating # 5

Overview:

• Course: LOGIC100
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

One of the toughest classes at Smith, but he's amazing!

Rating # 6

Overview:

• Course: LOG100
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

I absolutely loved this class! It was hilarious, Jay and Jim Henle are an awesome team!! Jay was my discussion leader and he was very willing to help with questions!

Rating # 7

Overview:

• Course: LOG100
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

This was a TOUGH CLASS. Team-taught with Jim Henle, and the two of them together are fantastic. The class was really engaging, and he and Jim would bake for us, sometimes.

Rating # 8

Overview:

• Course: LOGIC100
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

This course is the funniest thing that will ever happen to you. I was more interested in Henle's math perspective, but he and Garfield have such chemistry as dual lecturers I have to give them both equal props. The text-which they wrote!-is clear and filled with in-jokes(Look up "Surprise Exam" in the index). Garfield's approachable and helpful.

Rating # 9

Overview:

• Course: LOGIC100
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.5
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: N/A
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

Very engaging lecturer, Logic 100 is easily the most amusing class I've ever had - it runs like a comedy sketch. He does sometimes give the impression that you have the cranial capacity of celery if you don't instantly understand, though. If you take Logic, enjoy Jay for the lecture, but go to Jim Henle for out-of-class help.

Rating # 10

Overview:

• Course: REL108
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: N/A
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

I had Jay for Meaning of Life, which is not a representative class for him, I guess, but I thought he was a genius, he made me laugh a lot, the class was the best I ever took. He's intimidating, but I got to know him around campus and he was surprisingly friendly and helpful. TAKE MEANING OF LIFE!!!

Rating # 11

Overview:

• Course: LOGIC
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: N/A
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

i'd heard bad things, but in logic he was great, willing to explain things over and over again, very clear....maybe jim henle's niceness rubs off. overall he was a really good professor.

Rating # 12

Overview:

• Course: RELPHI108
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.5
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: N/A
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

He's a pretty interesting character, but I don't learn anything. He goes off into tangents a lot, and doesn't explain things well enough.

Rating # 13

Overview:

• Course: REL
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: N/A
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

greatly disliked his class. i felt that at times he could be extremely rude and unhelpful. i don't recommend ever taking a class with him.

Rating # 14

Overview:

• Course: LOGIC100
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: N/A
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

Great logic teacher. Took his class sophomore year and it helped me quite a bit on the LSATs.

Rating # 15

Overview:

• Course: LOG100
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 1.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: N/A
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

He is very interesting person. He usually kept me awake during the class. :)

Rating # 16

Overview:

• Course: REL108
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: N/A
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

Some of these comments are absurd. I think Jay is one of the finest teachers I've ever had. He's very approachable and very smart and if anyone has a chance to take a class with him, they should definitely take advantage of the opportunity.

Rating # 17

Overview:

• Course: LOGIC100
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.5
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: N/A
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: Mandatory

Comment:

Jay seemed at first like he would be a very amusing, if slightly nutty, professor. I was so excited about taking his class... but throughout the semester I've found him to be rather pretentious and sometimes just kind of mean. He's also not half as engaging as I originally thought he would be.

Rating # 18

Overview:

• Course: THESIS
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: N/A
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

I totally disagree with the last comment. Jay always explains comments, and they're always incredibly insightful and useful. Also, he's about the biggest male feminist I've ever met, so I highly doubt her claim that he's a chauvinist. More than this, he's brilliant and so amazing as a professor.

Rating # 19

Overview:

• Course: REL108
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: N/A
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

he's just a plain ****ing ****. he thinks he's funny and he critiques people and gives no explanations as to why he writes the comments that he does. He is a chauvinistic man who refuses to admit to any fault and likes to think of himself as perfect.

Rating # 20

Overview:

• Course: REL108
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: N/A
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

Very interesting and makes class fun.