Tsouna is a incredibly knowledgeable of her field and holds students to a high standard because of that. However, she recognizes the difficulty of her class and offers a lot of grade bumps, too. The graded assignments are really just some essays and a final, so make sure you start those in advance and you're fine.

Very passionate about philosophy and has lectures well ordered. she is engaging and allows people to ask question in class despite the large size of the class. The papers were tough, but the grades really depended on the TA. The average on the first paper was a C+ and the second a C-. I love philosophy so I've done well so far, but Voula helped.

Tsouna was a nice lady and meant well, but it just didn't work out. Lectures always seem disorganized, dry, and it was almost impossible to take notes because she'd just talk in circles. You can find all the textbooks online for free, and the final is open book. I didn't go to lecture or read at all in the second half of the course and got an A-.

She made the coursework very interesting but she is a very slow talker (that can be a good thing and a bad thing, I guess). I learned a lot more in section because we broke down the larger concepts she goes through in class.

Two major essays regarding themes and ideas from readings, so don't forget to read. She's very sweet but can sometimes have hard-to-read handwriting. Don't be scared to ask questions, she's very nice.

The class is pretty confusing and even the TA's don't know what is going on at times. Tsouna's accent is thick and takes a while to get used to and she just talks in circles sometimes. It's not a ridiculously hard class, but is not a great one nonetheless. If you want a semi-easy class this one is, but I don't really recommend it.

You can pass without going to lecture and just reading the book. Your grade is based off of two essays and a final so you are at the mercy of your TA. Only go to section if you have a good TA otherwise you can do everything on your own. Easy class but it is so boring and not very interactive.

Grade is entirely based on three essays, so you're at the mercy of your TA as to what you'll end up with in the class. I found the material interesting, and most of the lectures weren't necessary.

Really easy class. Not the most entertaining, but you don't need to read or to attend lecture really. You can get a good grade just by going to section. Even the TA's have no idea what is going on so they grade pretty easily. She has an accent but she is still easier to understand than most.

The class was relatively easy (got an A-) but lectures are unbelievably boring. She is hard to understand with her accent and doesn't bother to get you interested in the subject. Don't bother going to lecture, just do the readings and use your TA.

Genuinely ensthusiastic about the topic, seems to have been teaching it for a long time. Grades are based on essays, which boil down to only a few topics for the whole quarter, so most of the reading is unnecessary. Section meetings are very useful for clearing up confusion.

She was alright. reading is unnecessary, just go to every lecture& section. She talks in circles & I'd type what she'd say verbatim because it was so confusing, then find she said the same thing 4 times after reviewing. Nail in the coffin was my TA: Nat Tabris. Useless & boring. No lesson plan. Get Janessa or David. Form Study Groups for final.

Ugh...not an engaging class at all. The subject matter seems interesting, but she drones on day after day; you have very few assignments...thus a boring class. To her credit, she clearly tries her best in promoting understanding, for example, by using metaphors. She's very nice, too. However, I wish she would make her lectures more exciting.

she knows her ancient philosophy. her lectures are rich in information, and very helpful. she is greek, so she has a strong accent, but also knows mistranslations. really, really thorough and explains arguments very well. i loved the class. even if presocratics are crazy.

She is very nice and has extensive knowledge of philosophy. Since she's actually from Greece, some things get lost in translation, so make sure you ask if you are unclear on the way something is said.

she is an excellent lecturer and a very kind person.but since i've never taken any philosophy class before, so i was a little lost even with good notes.your TA determines your grade, and all of them are different in grading. midterm and final are considerably easy: 6 questions, pick 3 and write

Although the course has no prerequisite, she assumes everyone knows a lot about philosophy. Her lectures can be very confusing for someone who is taking philosophy for the first time. Only take the course if you previously have an interest in philosophy. I was bored most of the time!

tsouna is an excellent professor. she really cares about what she is teaching, structures her lectures well, and can answer ANY questions that come her way. definitely a good class to take!

She is cool and hot. But lets get real the TA's are the ones that determine your grade in these courses, so make sure you get a good TA.

She is AMAZING! Her lectures are informative and easy to understand (unlike other phil teachers I've dealt with!) You grade depends more on who you have as a TA than anything else. (I recommend Richard Glatz)

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Second time taking a class by this professor and it's always engaging and interesting. There are a lot of readings but I mostly attended lecture instead of reading everything.

I'm an alumnus of UCSB and Voula Tsouna is hands down the most inspirational and brilliant professor I've ever had. You will not succeed if you don't read. She will not be happy if you ask a question whose answer is obvious from the reading. Come to every class prepared to ask questions and raise objections, and you'll be duly rewarded.2 classes

Professor Tsouna is brilliant. She is competent (not only in Greek philosophy, but also history and culture), accessible, and accommodating. The content was philosophically rigorous, so I recommend attending lecture. Also, there was a good amount of reading, which one may want to tackle strategically.