Olav Smith

PHILER · PHIL2 · PHILESRL · PHIL6 · PHIL18 · TEMP · PHIL4 · PHILPHIL · 50 lifetime ratings

AI rating: 55/100
RMP rating: 3.4/5
Take again: 62.96%
Difficulty: 2.9

The decision

Take him if you can handle reading-heavy philosophy and a dry lecture style, especially online, but if you need energetic teaching or .

Best fit · Effort For RewardKnowledgeable but monotoneMixed grading fairnessReading and quizzesOnline-friendly structureBoring lectures

Online classes are usually clearer and .
Grades can be achievable with , and quizzes, but .
Students often call him knowledgeable, but as boring or disorganized.

Key questions

Four answers before you build your schedule.

Is this an easy A?

FairEffort

68/100

An A is realistic if you keep up with readings, posts, and quizzes, but and .

Online evidence leans easier with repeat quizzes and discussion posts, while in-person evidence ranges from easy .

Is the course easy?

Standard

58/100

The course content is often introductory, but , and lecture-heavy delivery make it harder for some students.

Online sections sound more structured and easier to follow, while unclear.

Is attendance flexible?

Varies

55/100

and some in-person reviews saying showing up is important for passing.

Online reviews focus on asynchronous work, while and skipping class hurting performance.

Is this professor recommended?

WorthIt

61/100

and philosophy content, but many hesitate because lectures can be boring and grading can feel rigid.

Online students are more likely to recommend him, while and exams.

Course guide

See how this professor fits your week.

Grading

Fair

52/100

, and clear criteria in some classes but harsh grading complaints in others.

Format shift

Online reviews mention both and harsh grading, while but also difficult tests.

Workload

Moderate

60/100

The workload is usually steady rather , and occasional exams or papers.

Format shift

Online workload is usually weekly posts and quizzes, while but heavier on lecture notes and studying.

Teaching experience

Average

60/100

He is knowledgeable and sometimes helpful, but repeated , and dull delivery hold the experience down.

Format shift

Online teaching is described as more accessible and organized, while or lecture-heavy.

Assessment method

Balanced

56/100

Assessment uses a mix of discussion posts, quizzes, exams, and occasional papers, with .

Format shift

Online sections rely more on posts, quizzes, and a final paper, while , and multiple-choice exams.

Luni fit check

Weigh these signals against your actual schedule.

Get help balancing workload, grading, and timing when no option is an obvious fit.

Course format

Compare the in-person and online experience.

Classroom format

In person

36 reviews

High confidence · Best fit for Hardcore Learner

In-person reviews are more polarized, with students praising his knowledge but frequently criticizing monotone lectures, heavy memorization, and uneven organization.

Main concern

The main concern is boring lecture delivery and .

What students said

“PowerPoint after PowerPoint in this class. !”
PHIL18

“You also get 10 points a week for and !”
PHIL2

“Work hard, focus, and you will succeed.”
PHIL18

Remote format

Online

14 reviews

High confidence · Best fit for Effort For Reward

Online reviews , and manageable weekly work, though some report harsh grading and confusing deadlines.

Main concern

The main risk is unclear deadlines or .

What students said

“Put some effort into the , and one paper as the final--and you're set.”
PHILPHIL

“A also due each week.”
PHIL2

“ . As well as and rigid.”
phil-4

Exam style

Know what to expect from exams and major assignments.

Exam friendliness varies because some quizzes are open-note or repeatable, but as difficult.

Repeat QuizzesOpen-Note Quiz EvidenceMidterm and Final Can Be HardNo Clear Proctoring Evidence

Assessment risk

Varies

58/100

Low score means less forgiving assessment conditions.

In person

, and difficult or detail-heavy exams, but they do not clearly prove a universal closed-book policy.

Open-Note QuizzesThree Quiz AttemptsWeekly TestsDetail-Heavy Exams

“You also get 10 points a week for and !”
PHIL2

“ and are based off of the material he covers in class.”
PHIL6

“the and very detail-oriented with no surprises.”
PHIL18

Online

Online , and a difficult midterm and final, but they do not clearly prove webcam, proctoring, Lockdown Browser, or open-book exams.

Repeat QuizzesFinal PaperDifficult Midterm and FinalNo Clear Proctoring Evidence

“A also due each week.”
PHIL2

“Put some effort into the , and one paper as the final--and you're set.”
PHILPHIL

“the final and ”
PHIL6

Student evidence

See what students actually said.

Top student voice
“Super chill class. You read through PDFs of his lecture material and then write a and .”
Voice snapshots generated from 50 reviews, highlighting repeated themes in , and . Credibility rating: High.

🎯 Teaching Quality

60/100

“He is so approachable and kind. and clear.”

⚖️

52/100

“As well as and rigid.”

📚 Workload and Structure

60/100

“Every week you get 2 sets of and a quiz.”

👍 Recommendation Rate

61/100

“ .”

Theme 1

👨‍🏫 About Teaching Style

Very boring class. Just reads off a PowerPoint everyday and in a monotone voice.
Dr. Smith includes extremely valuable information in his lectures.
His lectures are a bit boring/dull though.

Theme 2

📈 About Difficulty and Grades

This is truly an easy class if you just do the work.
If you're not prepared to try really hard to understand this subject and be super engaged in lecture, don't bother.

Theme 3

📝 About Exams and Assignments

and 10 question quizzes.
as because the first couple chapters are very hard to grasp.
and are very tedious and boring.

Theme 4

💬 About Support and Flexibility

He was extremely friendly and accommodating.
he actually .
He changed the date for the and then changed it back without any of the students knowing.

Data context

See exactly what the AI read.

Analysis sample

Recent reviews read by the AI

Lifetime ratings

92/100

Evidence confidence

Credibility is high because 50 reviews span many years and formats, with repeated themes despite some old and conflicting comments.

Inside 50 stored ratings

Quality ratings

5 out of 517

4 out of 511

3 out of 510

2 out of 57

1 out of 56

Course coverage

PHIL1818 reviews

PHIL615 reviews

PHIL210 reviews

PHILPHIL3 reviews

phil-41 review

Show 3 more courses

PHILER1 review

PHILESRL1 review

TEMP1 review

Reported outcomes

A range results lead the reported letter grades.

26 reported outcomes

A range

A+ 5 · A 8 · A- 2

B range

B+ 1 · B 2

C range

C 3

D range

No reported values

F

No reported values

No letter grade reported

Drop/Withdrawal 1 · Not sure yet 3 · Rather_Not_Say 1

Olav Smith

Take him if you can handle reading-heavy philosophy and a dry lecture style, especially online, but x x if you need energetic teaching or x x.

Four answers before you build your schedule.

FairEffort

Standard

Varies

WorthIt

See how this professor fits your week.

Compare the in-person and online experience.

Know what to expect from exams and major assignments.

In person

Online

See what students actually said.

🎯 Teaching Quality

⚖️ x x

📚 Workload and Structure

👍 Recommendation Rate

👨‍🏫 About Teaching Style

📈 About Difficulty and Grades

📝 About Exams and Assignments

💬 About Support and Flexibility

See exactly what the AI read.

Quality ratings

Course coverage

A range results lead the reported letter grades.

A range

B range

C range

D range

F

No letter grade reported

Take him if you can handle reading-heavy philosophy and a dry lecture style, especially online, but if you need energetic teaching or .

⚖️