Aaron Zimmerman

112 reviews
Graded by few things Get ready to read Hilarious Tough grader Skip class? You won't pass. Amazing lectures Clear grading criteria Participation matters So many papers EXTRA CREDIT Tests are tough Tests? Not many Would take again Gives good feedback Respected Lecture heavy Test heavy Accessible outside class
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PHIL4 . 11 Months Ago

Prof Zimmerman was so funny and I really enjoyed his lectures. He explained complex ideas in a way I could understand. BUT your TA really matters! Mine sucked and made me even more confused. Grade is based on 2 papers and one, very long, written final. lAttendance is not mandatory but it you won't do well if you don't go to lecture.

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PHIL100D . 1 Year, 3 Months Ago

I don't think Zimmerman is a bad professor, just not for me. Most of the class is just him talking through the concepts which for me was hard to keep up with. I got a good grade on the papers but basically had to teach myself the material. I'm sure some people loved him but his style was not for me at all.

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PHIL100D . 1 Year, 3 Months Ago

The reading materials were difficult and he sometimes couldn't explain them clearly. Obviously, he was using the previous classes' handouts and didn't prepare well.

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PHIL100B . 2 Years Ago

Only take this class if you're seriously interested in philosophy. The course material was very dense and it was easy to get lost if you weren't paying attention. The handouts helped a lot, but epistemology is a hard topic no matter what. Zimmerman's lectures were fun, but he takes a lot of time to answer questions. 2 papers, and 1 take-home final.

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PHIL4 . 2 Years Ago

Prof Zimmerman is an excellent lecturer. Unlike the textbook of this course, he never fails to catch my attention during the lectures. He is also open to all kinds of questions. If you are confused, just ask, and he will thoroughly answer your question.

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PHIL004 . 3 Years Ago

don't take this class if you don't like debate style conversations. very heavy readings (very old papers). 2 papers and a writing final that was 4 essays, 800 words each. lectures were all over the place, not much structure. section attendance is mandatory, TAs provide paper outlines. as an ex-stem student, this class was awful. take another class

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PHIL134 . 5 Years Ago

All quarter he was a relatively chill, only 2 papers and he was lenient on grading. Then finals came around and he released the longest study guide I have ever seen. His expectation for the final exam was completely unrealistic even though we had 3 hours for the final. Beware.

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PHIL4 . 5 Years Ago

Go to lecture! Some of the material is hard to grasp but his lectures are engaging, interesting, and so helpful in passing the class. He's a pretty funny guy and will answer your questions to make sure everyone is understanding what's going on. Having a good TA definitely helped me in the class. One of my favorite classes I've taken so far.

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PHIL176 . 5 Years Ago

Zimmerman is an intellectual powerhouse who holds his students in high regard, expecting they already have a wide range of philosophical knowledge going into the class. He teaches in stream of consciousness, which means the class flows like a long conversation and he forces students to come up with their OWN answers to tough philosophical questions

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PHIL4 . 5 Years Ago

Lectures are all over the place and not engaging at all. He doesn't make philosophical concepts accessible and this doesn't seem to give a great intro to ethics. He takes questions in lecture but interrupts people a lot. Final exam was brutally long but doable if you work on the study guides (those save lives).

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PHIL176 . 5 Years Ago

Despite Zimmerman's delicious booty, he is by far one of the most nit-picky, intense, and difficult professors I've ever had. He's incredibly passionate, inspiring, and eclectic. However, if you do not understand the material inside and out, he will RIP you APART. MAKE SURE YOU GO TO HIS office hours to make sure your papers are WHAT HE WANTS.

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PHIL100B . 6 Years Ago

I wanted to like this guy, but Zimmerman was so hard to follow. The wording on the handouts (while there were not many), were SO overwhelmingly confusing. I am a philosophy minor and I highly recommend taking a different class. Although it may have simply been the content of Epistemology that was hard, he certainly did not make it any easier.

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