You might find Professor Steavu a little hard to approach at first, but he is very nice. His live Zoom meetings are always really fun (I bet that its even better when its in person). There is no right or wrong answer of interpretation of text and everyone is still learning, both students (us) and the professor, prof Steavu is very open minded.

Very lecture heavy, be sure to go to them and take notes since he doesn't post his slides online. Overall though he's a pretty nice guy and is very chill (strict no phones and technology policy in class and he will *jokingly* call you out if you're late to class). Nice eye candy too lol. We had a short midterm essay and an in-class final.

Steavu is an interesting guy, you'll either love him or tolerate him. He rambles at times, but the important stuff is on the slides. He does not allow any kind of electronics in class, no phones/laptops/tablets, you have to take handwritten notes. I really enjoyed the class, it was a nice easy break from my major courses on a topic I love.

Super chill and cool guy. You can tell he is really interested in the things he teaches and the things he teaches are really interesting! This was the first time this course was ever offered and Dominic was really chill and relaxed with it. Definitely recommend this professor.

I enjoyed intro to Buddhism. Very organized class and interesting material!

Absolute lad. Coolest professor at sb, and he is actually great at teaching. Lectures were engaging and interesting, so it wasnt hard to keep my head in the class. Readings are optional, and the midterm and final were only on lectures. As long as you review your notes or make a study guide the class is a breeze. Again, steavu is an absolute lad.

Took this class over summer, if you show up and take notes on what he says, youll do just fine! The class showed me how interesting Buddhism is and how many misconceptions we have about it, seriously recommend it as a GE! Prof Steavu was really knowledgeable and excited about the topic, definitely the coolest prof Ive had at UCSB.

Took this class over summer and it was awesome. Steavu is a super chill guy and really makes you interested in the topic. I never thought Buddhism was so cool until I took his class.

Definitely the best! Very clear lectures. He knows how to explain concepts and makes historical facts interesting. Simple tasks: 1/3 final grade for attendance, group presentation, and final paper each. Very approachable and gives good academic and life advice. I've taken almost all of his classes and he's basically the reason why I major in RG ST.

Of the 2 lecturers for this class, he was definitely the better one. He was more willing to wait for students to write down slides (because they are not accessible outside of class) and he was easier to follow in lectures. He seemed like an alright prof. for an alright class. Material was interesting enough but readings sometimes dry/unnecessary.

Really knowledgable and great at explaining. Answers questions well and although class isn't always exciting it's usually interesting and occasionally funny. Tests are doable if you study, but you really need to pay attention in lecture and take detailed notes.

This class was very interesting and Prof. Steavu presents the material very well. He says dorky jokes sometimes in lectures that make students feel more comfortable , and I personally loved the jokes. Everything you need for the tests are in lectures, so don't miss class and take good notes, as detail on exams is key to getting an A

i dose off in his lectures but just because I'm not very interested in the content itself. readings are a bit boring but you must read to pass.

Took a few classes with him - all challenging but he makes the course work interesting and is always kind of joking around and talking casually to students to make them comfortable. Really smart guy, definitely gained my respect as one of the best professors at ucsb. And he's pretty cute.

Interesting material and lectures. Just keep up with the readings and you'll do very good in his class.

Incredible prof. I decided to major in RS after this class. Clear lectures, makes the material very interested. Puts less weight on lower grades lower in the quarter as long as you do better later on. Do the readings for every class, attend classes, and you'll get an A. Highly Recommended.