Western Kentucky University / V / Arvin Vos
Averages:
Overall Rating
OKv
Grade Received
Av
Course Difficulty
Difficultv
Quantity of Notes
Overkillv
Tag Summary:
True/False: 2
Multiple Choice: 1
Matching: 2
Fill in the Blank: 5
Essays: 36
Problem Solving: 1
Mandatory Final: 28
Cumulative Final: 12
Textbook Required: 26
Extra Credit: 16
Attendance Required: 14
37 Total Evaluations
PHIL-201 : Love & Friendship - Posted 4/21/2010
Overall Rating:
Poor
Grade:
B
Quantity of Notes:
Not Specified
Difficulty:
Not Specified
Comments
I hated this class. I enjoy reading but Dr. Vos took this to the extreme. You have to read constantly to keep up and between the reading you have to write papers and journal entries. I guess the class wouldn't have been that bad if he hadn't been teaching it. If you don't have the same opinion as him on something he will grade you down for it so you have to learn to write what he wants. Also if you make a comment he doesn't agree with in class he will get smart with you and basically say your wrong. This is not a class I would recommend to anyone that doesn't have to take it.
PHIL-201 : Love And Friendship - Posted 1/4/2010
Overall Rating:
OK
Grade:
Not Specified
Quantity of Notes:
Moderate
Difficulty:
Difficult
Comments
I really enjoyed this class but Vos is "old school" in the sense that he does not really encourage free thought. He want you to arrive at the same conclusions that he has. (I thought it would be like poetry, where if you can support why you think it's that way then it's true.)
You'll get a lot out of this class... just follow what HE says, attend class, and read.
PHIL-202 : Love And Friendship - Posted 12/20/2009
Overall Rating:
Poor
Grade:
A
Quantity of Notes:
Not Specified
Difficulty:
Not Specified
Comments
I didn't enjoy this class at all. It sounds interesting but Dr. Vos makes sure it isn't. He grades based upon if you have the same opinion as him. I got an A because I learned to write what he wanted not what I really thought. If you don't have to take his class I suggest you don't.
PHIL-201 : Love And Friendship - Posted 12/13/2009
Overall Rating:
OK
Grade:
B
Quantity of Notes:
Moderate
Difficulty:
Difficult
Comments
I loved this course at first, but about midway through it just got crazy. There are several books and readings and at the end of the semester he just crammed them all into a few weeks. We spent the first part going over 2 of the books slowly and in detail. Then it just turned into a new book every week and I got very confused as to where we even were in the class. He grades very easily though. If you show up to class and pay attention to the concepts, you will be fine.
PHIL-201 : Love And Friendship - Posted 2/27/2009
Overall Rating:
Good
Grade:
A
Quantity of Notes:
Moderate
Difficulty:
Not Specified
Comments
Mr. Vos's class was soo easy! If you have to take a philosophy class for gen. ed. I recommend this one because it is more interesting than a standard intro to philosophy class. It could get VERY boring sometimes because it was a lecture/discussion class, but as long as you read the material you would do fine. The only really irritating thing about this class is the fact that there is no ONE textbook. We read about 7 different books and you had to buy them all which was really annoying, but they were pretty cheap. There were three papers that were overall pretty easy and you had to have at least 12 journal entries over the course of the semester, but the final exam WAS open book/open notes which was really nice. If you want an easy A take this class!
PHIL- : Love And Friendship - Posted 10/31/2007
Overall Rating:
Poor
Grade:
A
Quantity of Notes:
Moderate
Difficulty:
Moderate
Comments
The class material was interesting. However, Mr. Vos is not! He always "thinks" he is right and he is very overbearing. He has the tendency to make you feel like an idiot. I got an A in the class but only b/c I worked my but off. If you can take anyone else, DO! You will not like Vos. Plus you have to buy a BUNCH of books!
PHIL-120 : Honors Intro To Philosophy - Posted 5/19/2006
Overall Rating:
Good
Grade:
A
Quantity of Notes:
Moderate
Difficulty:
Difficult
Comments
I think that Dr. Vos is a very good professor. The class was difficult but Dr. Vos helped to make the material enjoyable and understandable.
PHIL-120 : Honors Intro Philosophy - Posted 4/4/2006
Overall Rating:
Poor
Grade:
Not Specified
Quantity of Notes:
Overkill
Difficulty:
Difficult
Comments
Yuck!! Is all I can say. However, I am a science/math person. I would STRONGLY remcommed that you halfway enjoy learning about this subject, or this class will be strictly a burden. I find no pleasure in this course whatsoever. Vos is a very poor teacher. There are times when he starts talking about random stuff, like who's biography he's read, and so on. When he gets off track, I get frustrated because I dont understand the material anyway, and he's the teacher, shouldn't he be teaching instead of bragging?
PHIL-201 : - Posted 3/16/2006
Overall Rating:
Poor
Grade:
Withdrew
Quantity of Notes:
Few/None
Difficulty:
Moderate
Comments
This class is a complete waste of time, but if you like reading authors that you disagree with 180 degrees in opinion then you'll enjoy it. Vos stands up there and speaks in monotone the entire period, tells silly jokes, disrespects our president, and makes an ass of himself by trying to spout his liberal crap; that is why I dropped the class. This class was a general ed. for me and this is the only lesson I learned from it: stay away from philosophy classes!!
PHIL-201 : Love And Friendship - Posted 12/18/2005
Overall Rating:
Poor
Grade:
A
Quantity of Notes:
Moderate
Difficulty:
Difficult
Comments
I started out liking this class, but at the end I hated it and couldn't wait to get out. The tests were extremely difficult and covered way too much information. Luckily, the final was open note/open book, and he let us go to the library to type it up. He gave us 3 hours, and it took me the entire 3 hours plus 5 minutes, and my exam was 6 pages long, single spaced. It was ridiculous! Make sure you have plenty of time for his class because there are 7 required books for his class, and I didn't have time to read any of them.
PHIL- : Love And Friendship - Posted 9/12/2005
Overall Rating:
Good
Grade:
A
Quantity of Notes:
Moderate
Difficulty:
Moderate
Comments
This course is probally the most useful I will ever have while in college. The material is dense, but not unbearable. Some of the text is quite interesting. The final is cumulative, but open book. Dr. Vos is a very intelligent man, and was always respectful to the opinions of students when I took the class (Spring 2005). The journal writing is simple if you are open in them, and the essays on tests are very general. If you attend class and listen, you'll do well.
PHIL-201 : Philosophy - Posted 6/20/2005
Overall Rating:
Good
Grade:
A
Quantity of Notes:
Moderate
Difficulty:
Moderate
Comments
I took Dr. Vos in the first summer/3 week session and loved this course. I wish I had been able to take it during a full semester and had more time to focus on the readings and work. It is a lot of work. Six books and a novel during the three weeks and about 10 papers to write. Dr. Vos is a wonderful instructor with a lot of insite. You do have to participate, he does learn your name and will know if you have read the material, and it is a lot of material. I learned much and recommend him for anyone who likes to read, study and learn. If not, don't take him.
PHIL-120 : Hon Intro Phil - Posted 5/22/2005
Overall Rating:
Poor
Grade:
A
Quantity of Notes:
Few/None
Difficulty:
Moderate
Comments
I would not recomend this class to anyone unless you like random topics that have nothing to do with the class which becomes a waste of your time. He is a very nice and helpful man but often gets sidetracked and does NOT stay on track. Be prepared to be confused 99% of the time as to what topic he will move to next or how to prepare for class. His assignments are not always clear as to what he expects. However, if you go to class regulary and participate you will get an A.
PHIL-120 : Intro To Philosophy - Posted 1/12/2005
Overall Rating:
Good
Grade:
A
Quantity of Notes:
Moderate
Difficulty:
Moderate
Comments
Vos is a very intelligent man and gets his students to think about things they ordinarily may not. Any time my class did bad on an assignment he gave us the chance to redo it. There were three papers to write, and the quizzes, midterm, and final were either essay, quote identification, or both. Going to class, listening, and taking notes will help you out big time!
PHIL-201 : Love And Friendship - Posted 12/16/2004
Overall Rating:
Good
Grade:
B
Quantity of Notes:
Moderate
Difficulty:
Difficult
Comments
He is a great professor, and the most liberal one you will ever meet. I have never met anyone so laid back and relaxed such as Arvin. I believe he was a strong Hippy back in the day. However, this class was difficult, yet very connected to the real world. He gives you plenty of extra credit, but make sure you read all the books.....all 7-8 books for this class!!! Not only reading is a must, but understanding!! Remembering the text does not help. You must read, understand, connect, and relate. That is how you will excell in his class. Again, he's a very understanding professor, and very lenient. Do take this class, he'll make you learn!
PHIL-201 : Love And Friendship Philosophy - Posted 10/20/2004
Overall Rating:
Good
Grade:
A
Quantity of Notes:
Moderate
Difficulty:
Moderate
Comments
If you enjoy reading and writing you'll enjoy this class. There are several books to read, but they are easy to read and he doesn't assign very much at a time. He'll assign a bit of reading and you will discuss it in class. A couple quizzes that are short answer/essays, a few papers over what you read. Journals about how what we study relates to your life - he asks for a lot of these but they are basically your opinion and feelings so if you just sit down and write, and be honest with yourself, you'll get an A on the journal entries. It's a fun class overall.
PHIL- : Love And Friendship - Posted 6/16/2004
Overall Rating:
Poor
Grade:
Withdrew
Quantity of Notes:
Overkill
Difficulty:
Difficult
Comments
I didn't go into this class thinking it was going to be easy, but it was entirely too difficult. You have to buy a lot books and although they aren't huge, it is a lot of reading. I dropped because of the horrible grade I got on my first paper. He grades with a too specific idea of what the paper should contain. He does give good opportunities for extra credit, though. My friend continued to take the course and got a good grade but had an unbelievable amount of work that made me thankful for having dropped it. Unless required DO NOT take this class! It's not fun, it's not enlightening, it is a waste of time and energy.
PHIL-120 : Honors Intro To Philosophy - Posted 5/13/2004
Overall Rating:
Poor
Grade:
Not Specified
Quantity of Notes:
Overkill
Difficulty:
Difficult
Comments
Vos sucks. He's one of those asshole honors teachers who thinks all honors students have to do with their time is study and so he assigns massive amounts of reading. He's also extremely opinionated and if your opinions on things differ from his, too bad for you.
PHIL-120 : Intro To Philosophy - Posted 5/1/2004
Overall Rating:
Good
Grade:
A
Quantity of Notes:
Moderate
Difficulty:
Moderate
Comments
I loved this class--it really makes you think. It's not that difficult and Dr. Vos is really helpful.
PHIL-120 : Honors Intro To Philosophy - Posted 4/4/2004
Overall Rating:
Poor
Grade:
A
Quantity of Notes:
Moderate
Difficulty:
Moderate
Comments
I absolutely despised this class. Going to it just ruined my day. Vos is incredibly narrow-minded. He also assigns a lot of reading. On tests, he gives you a quote and expects you to know what book it came from, who said it, what the context was, and what it means. This is pretty difficult when you have several works to choose from.
PHIL-201 : Love And Friendship - Posted 3/5/2004
Overall Rating:
Poor
Grade:
C
Quantity of Notes:
Moderate
Difficulty:
Difficult
Comments
This class is horrid. Dr. Vos can't teach at all. In his class, you will have 6-7 books to read. Take note that you will have to know EVERYTHING the author wrote about for the exams. If you're good at memorizing whole books, this class will be cake. If not, it will be the worst experience of your life.
I can say one (only one) good thing about Dr. Vos...his papers weren't that hard. The papers saved my ass.
PHIL-120 : Intro To Philosophy - Posted 2/3/2004
Overall Rating:
Good
Grade:
B
Quantity of Notes:
Moderate
Difficulty:
Moderate
Comments
I ended up taking Philosophy because I registered so late. I heard some scary things about the course, but it ended up being alright. Vos is a sweet old man (with abnormally large hands!). The class was kinda boring, but attendance wasn't mandatory. He's very understanding and he lets you make up work and gives really good extra credit. (My class had a 65 pt extra-credit assignment.) He basically tells you the answers to the tests beforehand and as long as you read most of the books and listen in class, you'll do fine. Just make sure you answer back to him his own opinion!
PHIL-120 : Intro To Philosophy - Posted 12/28/2003
Overall Rating:
Good
Grade:
Not Specified
Quantity of Notes:
Moderate
Difficulty:
Moderate
Comments
Best class I have ever taken at WKU. Was skeptical at first about the subject, but loved it! Vos is a wonderful professor. He is very open to discussion (which is what the class is, is just one big group discussion). You have multiple books to read, which are kind of hard to understand, but if you go to class then you will come to understand and appreciate them. You don't have to take notes, but they will help. You just need to pay attention and be in class and you will leave a lot! There is no homework, just reading on your own time. Wonderful class and teacher! I went on to take him for 210 which is Love and Friendship and that is a wonderful class also, though i didn't get to finish the semester because of difficulties with family life. He's a wonderful teacher! Take Vos!!!
PHIL-201 : Love & Friendship - Posted 10/29/2003
Overall Rating:
OK
Grade:
Not Specified
Quantity of Notes:
Moderate
Difficulty:
Moderate
Comments
Dr. Vos is an intelligent man, but a few of his comments in class directed at students were uncalled for. But most of the time he knows what he's talking about and does a good job teaching the class. Just a warning, there is a lot of reading and writing, but he grades fairly.
PHIL-201 : Love And Friendship - Posted 10/25/2003
Overall Rating:
Good
Grade:
A
Quantity of Notes:
Moderate
Difficulty:
Moderate
Comments
I came into this class as a freshmen, the syllabus is extrememly intimidating. However, I really enjoy this class. If you do perform well, the sense of achievement is great! Be ready to read several books and remember them for tests, all essay. It is quite easy to pick up what is important and what will be covered on the exams. The papers aren't hard, but they are long, as long as you know what he is looking for.
PHIL- : Honors Intro To Phil - Posted 6/1/2003
Overall Rating:
Good
Grade:
A
Quantity of Notes:
Moderate
Difficulty:
Moderate
Comments
If you like to think about what makes us who we are, have wondered what our vaue system as a society and culture is based on, or would just like an introduction to the classical philisophical understanding about human morality and values then this class is for you.
Prof Vos is not about seeing things any certain way, but I did get the feeling in his intro class that he might not be as apt to accept half-baked last minute ideas, as the works of creative originality that some other intro level classes might.
If you like to read, think, and write in a moderatly challenging setting then the class is for you, if you want the easiest possible 3 hour credit available then...
PHIL-201 : Love And Friendship - Posted 12/11/2002
Overall Rating:
OK
Grade:
A
Quantity of Notes:
Overkill
Difficulty:
Difficult
Comments
This could be an interesting course if it were taught in more modern ways, but you have to have about 9 books and they are all difficult theories from ppl like Plato and Aristotle. If you are a Literature person you will like this class. The tests are hard and long. You have to write a few papers that turn out to be rather long and keep a journal that summarizes your view on class topics. He also likes to give pop quizes and you have reading assignments each night. This course makes you work alot!
PHIL-201 : Love And Friendship - Posted 11/27/2002
Overall Rating:
Good
Grade:
A
Quantity of Notes:
Moderate
Difficulty:
Difficult
Comments
after reading some of these evals i had to post one....even though i took the course two years ago. you come to college to learn. you don't come to get mad at professors when they try to open YOUR mind a little bit. just because a professor challenges you and your deeply held views does NOT make him or her a 'closed-minded pig'. if you think this way, look in your mirror to find the pig. dr. vos does not baby his students and does not dumb down his material. if you want to take a college course meant for college students, take this class...you will learn. if not, go back to preschool.
PHIL-120 : Intro To Phil - Posted 10/27/2002
Overall Rating:
OK
Grade:
A
Quantity of Notes:
Moderate
Difficulty:
Moderate
Comments
Taking notes is the key to the class, he will tell you the answers to possible essay questions. Having the answers given to you from him is the guaranteed A for his essay tests. He is very stubborn about his opinions, but welcomes discussion from others.
PHIL-201 : Love And Friendship - Posted 4/1/2002
Overall Rating:
Poor
Grade:
Not Specified
Quantity of Notes:
Not Specified
Difficulty:
Difficult
Comments
The professor treated some of the students in my class like they were morons. He made quite a few crude comments about answers some of my classmates gave, even though it was thier opinion. You have to give exactly the answer he wants on papers, test, etc. This was the worst class I've had.
PHIL- : Love And Friendship - Posted 12/17/2001
Overall Rating:
Poor
Grade:
Not Specified
Quantity of Notes:
Overkill
Difficulty:
Difficult
Comments
I worked my buns off in this class and i made a C overall. Had an A up until the final but my 5 page hand written essay wasnt good enough! Over 6 books to be read... good class but i think its a little much for just a general ed class. Dont take it if you have other hard classes.. its suicide!
PHIL-201 : Love and Friendship - Posted 6/30/2001
Overall Rating:
Good
Grade:
A
Quantity of Notes:
Few/None
Difficulty:
Difficult
Comments
The class was truly a great experience. I loved it so much I even kept the books! The class changed my perspectives on many issues. However, it was very difficult!!! The workload was overwhelming at times, but in hindsight I would do it again in a heartbeat. This was probably the best class I have had since the beginning of my college career.
PHIL-120 : Honors Intro to Philosophy - Posted 4/22/2001
Overall Rating:
Poor
Grade:
A
Quantity of Notes:
Overkill
Difficulty:
Moderate
Comments
Hated this class. Vos was closed minded pig.
PHIL-201 : Love & Friendship - Posted 11/30/2000
Overall Rating:
OK
Grade:
B
Quantity of Notes:
Moderate
Difficulty:
Difficult
Comments
Dr. Vos is a nice guy. He is understanding about late papers and problems you may have. Unfortunately, the amout of work required for this class is so much, it is almost to the point where that is all you will do is Love and Friendship. Now I will say that the class is interesting, but if you aren't ready to put some massive time into the class, it is not for you. Such things include: 4 papers that you must rewrite if he doesn't like, 28 journal entries about your life and stuff covered in the course, a midterm and final, 9 books to read and understand, and I emphasize understand, one or two small presentations about selected topics, and massive class discussions. A word from the wise: always be ready for class, he may call on you. Again, the class is chock full of information and you will leave with a sense of accomplishment, but it isn't an easy road getting there.
PHIL-201 : Love and Friendship - Posted 9/5/2000
Overall Rating:
Good
Grade:
A
Quantity of Notes:
Moderate
Difficulty:
Moderate
Comments
Arvin Vos is probably the best teacher I have ever had, anywhere. He is very, very intelligent and passionate about what he teaches. Very wise and inspiring. He requires you to work, but it is well worth the effort. His classes are helpful to anyone, no matter what major, what job interests, or what plans they may have. His classes teach students about life. They are not just information regurgitation. I love Dr. Vos. A word of caution. . . Dr. Vos has high expectations. Writing assignments must be of the highest caliber.
PHIL-201 : Love and Friendship - Posted 8/31/2000
Overall Rating:
Good
Grade:
A
Quantity of Notes:
Moderate
Difficulty:
Moderate
Comments
Be prepared to work in this class. There is a lot of reading and writing. He grades fairly and is understanding. If you have a good reason he will accept papers late. The class is very interesting, and you can get a lot out of it.
PHIL-499 : Seminar on St. Thomas Aquinas - Posted 4/13/2000
Overall Rating:
Good
Grade:
C
Quantity of Notes:
Not Specified
Difficulty:
Difficult
Comments
Very good discussions taken from the Summa. Difficult if you have no prior philosophy background. Vos is a great teacher and very understanding.
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