Jenkins, Ryan  

If you have the opportunity to take a class with Professor Jenkins, do it. He was always working to understand what the students needed and made sure that even the most difficult of concepts were clear to us. He provided worksheets for the class in which to practice the skills that we had learned that day and made sure that we were fully prepared for what was going to be on the exams. I was dreading taking a logic course that seemed way out of my comfort zone but he made it seem easy!

Professor Jenkins is the homie. He's a cool guy and a really caring professor. He is very concerned with his students' needs and is really approachable and eager to help. I definitely recommend and plan on taking him as a professor in the future.

It's true-- helping students understand the material is Jenkin's first priority. Sometimes students would get frustrated when they didn't understand things, and Jenkins was always willing to bend over backwards to see how he could help explain the material so that they could. He gives out super helpful worksheets, and pre-tests that are pretty similar to the actual test, which is always amazing. My tip would be to actually go to office hours. Jenkins really is knowledgeable about the subject and seems to like engaging in conversation over it-- take advantage of that, especially if your a PHIL major.

Ryan is awesome. He doesn't use powerpoints and just lectures and writes on the board. He gives you handouts, but also talks about other information that isn't on the handouts and I'd recommend having another piece of paper/notebook where you can write that stuff down too. His tests were very fair and he prepared you so well. I was so scared to take PHIL but Ryan made it really enjoyable. I walk away from this class with a genuine interest in philosophy and actually learned a lot.

Great professor. Would absolutely recommend him if you can get him. Very passionate about philosophy, and translates his knowledge well into his teachings. He doesn't profess to know everything, and therefore encourages class participation, but will also not single out the quiet students who aren't as comfortable speaking in classes. He has a handout for every lecture, and though he posts them online, it's worth going to class because the handouts have questions, he answers the questions, and questions of that nature will be on the exams. Class was originally slated to be graded on three exams and an essay, but was revised to three exams and three pre-exam assignments (may be amendable because he was absent three days and subsequently assigned the three pre-assignments). The grading scale can be a bit challenging, as the class is a 100-point scale, with the assignments being worth 6, 13, and 14 points and the exams being 24, 20, and 23 each. He also offers a few extra credit points as a potential buffer. The exams are fair (he even has you rate the difficulty of the test so that he can adjust accordingly). They are based primarily off the handouts given in class and a few things he writes on the board (note-taking is advised), and he isn't unreasonable in that he expects you to know every little detail about each philosopher. Exams are blue-book format, with 8 short answer (5-6 sentences) that you pick 3 from, and 6 long-answer (8-10 sentences) that you pick 2 from. He made the class fun for an engineering major, and unless you use your phone the entire time, you will likely enjoy the course and leave it having learned a lot.

This guy is the man. Absolutely take him. His class is easy to do well in if you pay attention and take notes. The exam questions are essentially the same as the ones he hands out. He is engaging and extremely knowledgable. One of the most approachable professors I have ever had. He's the kinda guy you want to get a beer with and talk about life. I would take him again for another class if I get the chance.

Ryan is a great teacher, I definitely recommend taking a class with him. He is very clear about what he expects from students and his test are straight forward (mix of long and short answer with several prompts to choose from). It was a class that I actually looked forward to going to and I learned a lot. He's new to Poly but I expect his classes to start filling up quick in the future - take him while you can.

Ryan is awesome! I was nervous about taking Philosophy because let's just face it, it's philosophy and freaked out because I didn't do the credit no credit option but it was worth it because the class is really easy to understand. Ryan lectures in a way that makes Philosophy less intimidating and easy to learn. The midterms are reasonably challenging but not really hard. Just make sure you go to every lecture, they aren't worth missing because everything is explained to you there.

Ryan is a great professor. His lectures are clear and engaging and I always found myself raising my hand to add to the discussions. His exams can be challenging, but if you're reading the material, paying attention in class, going to office hours, and reviewing your notes you'll get an A. I enjoyed this class so much and got so excited about the subject that I changed my major to philosophy. Take this class!

He's alright. Really nice guy, and really funny too. But he lets people in the class go on constant tangents that don't relate to the important material. A lot of the time he doesn't get around to finishing lectures, because he spends most of the class period letting other people talk. The only reason I go to class is so that I can fill out the 1-page handouts that are going to be on the test. Other than that, I feel like class time is totally useless. To be honest I haven't learned anything worthwhile.

Without a doubt, Ryan Jenkins is the best professor I have had in my 2+ years at Cal Poly. Philosophy is dense and conceptual, but Ryan explains everything thoroughly and makes even the most incomprehensilbe readings easy to understand. The class is fair, and if you show up to the lectures and take notes the tests won't contain any unexpected material. He has a great sense of humor and will often make the entire class laugh several times during a lecture which is a rare feat. I'm considering taking him again for another PHIL class, not because it fulfills any of my GE's but just because I love him so much as a professor.

Straight up, great course and an even better professor. Study the handouts and show up because class hours are where you get the important information for the tests and assignments. You can easily pass with jotting down basic notes and reviewing them beforehand. Professor on the other hand: hands down the best I've had in all my 4 years at Cal Poly. Ryan is REAL and won't give you some bs. He's more of a friend that genuinely wants you to succeed in the class and in life. Teaching style is entertaining but also intuitive. Not to mention his fashion style is always on point.

Great teacher, someone else complained about letting other students go off on tangents, but I think it was really nice of him. He wanted to discuss our concerns and make sure we understood the material, plus some of them were very interesting (there was a russian guy in our class and we went over communism, so his point of view was great to hear). I took the class in the summer, so 3 books (idk if it's different during the rest of the school year). I didn't read any of them and I feel pretty good about taking the class. There's also supplemental readings to do online, but once again, I didn't read them. Everything you need to know is discussed in class so GO TO CLASS, TAKE GOOD NOTES, WRITE DOWN EVERYTHING (tests are open book, so maybe take notes in the book?) He's very friendly, it's easy to find something to talk about in class even if you didn't read.

Ryan is, without a doubt, the best professor I've had in my 3 years at Poly. He sincerely cares about his students. He wants us to learn and he wants us to be successful. I was dreading taking philosophy but Ryan made the class actually enjoyable. I want to say that he has enthusiasm for the subject he teaches but that's not quite what it is. He's not obnoxiously enthusiastic or gung ho or anything like that. He just genuinely cares. I went to office hours once before each of the three exams which was extremely helpful. He's approachable with questions, related to the class or not. He presents material in a logical and simple way so that students who have no background in philosophy can understand and still get something out of. In this class there were 3 tests on the 3 different books. I recommend keeping up on the reading which is definitely doable but if you miss a day of reading here and there like I did you can kind of skate by with just paying attention in the class discussion and lecture (his lectures are that good). The tests were fair. For the short answer and essay questions you pick 2 or 3 to answer out of 7 so it's not like you have to know everything extremely in depth. I did well with a basic knowledge of the books and extensive knowledge of a few details about each book. If you get the chance, take a class with Ryan. You will not regret it.

He is amazing! I took this class as a 5 week online summer course, and I thought it was going to be overwhelming to fit a whole quarter of information into five weeks, but Ryan made it doable for everyone. The workload was reasonable and the tests were very fair. It wasn't that hard of a class as long as you do your work and pay attention to the material being presented. He doesn't overload us with work or put too much pressure on us which I really appreciated. We had 2 midterms, a final, 3 homework assignments, and 3 quizzes. He's very understanding, eager to answer questions, and cares about every student. He's not only one of the best professors I've ever had, but I thought this class was also an easy A! Take Ryan if you get the chance!

This dude is amazing! So understanding, so clear, so funny, and so freaking smart. I came into the class really dreading PHIL and I'm ending it feeling really enlightened. He is so passionate about the subject and it shows. He makes you feel accountable without it feeling condescending, he really really cares about your enjoyment and fulfillment from the class, and overall he's just a fun guy to talk to.

You have been visited by Ryan Jenkins. Happiness and an easy A will come to you, but only if you comment “Thank you, Mr. Pointy Head”.

He's the man. Super interesting to listen to, and you can tell he really thinks about every student question and does his best to give accurate honest answers (even though people ask some weird ass questions). Its a little intimidating that your grade is essentially 100% exams, but it helps that he only counts the higher of your 2 midterm grades and the final. I never did the reading, just went to class and always did well on the exams. Probably could've gotten an A if i had put a little more time in. Would definitely recommend Jenkins if you take Philosophy at Poly

Astounding Professor. Gives interesting and entertaining lectures every class--he's a great speaker. It feels as if we're all having a discussion together rather than someone simply stating ideas and moving on. Highly recommend.

Ryan is one of the best professors you could possibly hope for. He is extremely respectful of his students. When people speak their opinion in class, Ryan never argues that they're wrong. He simply listens and explains. He accepts every idea, even when he is argued against. I was never one to speak up in class, but that doesn't matter with Ryan. He won't randomly call on you - he respects students that are more reserved. I went to office hours a lot during the quarter and one thing that I really appreciated was that I could ask him anything, even things that he had already gone over during lecture. He is always willing to repeat himself. I never felt afraid to approach him. In this class there were optional reading questions. When I was unsure about every single question, he simply went down the list and discussed them with me - he never accused me of not trying to answer them on my own first. Our grades consisted of 3 exams (each an hour long, including the final) and a few alternative assignments. His exams are extremely fair and easy (you learn everything you need in class). On the first exam a few students apparently had trouble with the vocabulary so Ryan made sure to use words that everyone would understand on the next exam. How many professors would really do this for their students? How many professors would care? The alternative assignments are pretty easy, especially since it's just his way of seeing what students think before diving into a new topic. Ryan is a wonderful professor and if you could, take him! You won't regret it.

Ryan is the man. It's clear from the first day of class that he legitimately enjoys the hell out of teaching philosophy. He tries his best to make the class material relevant and interesting for you as a student, because he genuinely wants you to love it as much as he does. The tests and assignments are all fair assuming you actually did most of the readings/reading questions. As a Phil major, he has become one of my favorite professors here at Poly.

Truly a gem of a professor, cares about his students understanding the material and wants us to succeed. Very available in office hours and just genuinely a coll guy.

Definitely a professor that you should take if possible at Cal Poly. Listening to his lectures were always great and the topics he gave were interesting. He explained everything clearly and nothing was too difficult as long as you went to class

Dr. Jenkins is probably one of my favorite instructors I've ever had. He is helpful, organized, and presents all material clearly and fairly. His class material is challenging, but also interesting so it is easy to stay focused and do well on his assignments and tests. As a Philosophy major, I have seen many professors try to keep their GE's friendly for all majors, but Dr. Jenkins does the best job by far. He uses simplistic vocabulary that's easy to follow and doesn't make the course dependent on previous knowledge in Philosophy.

For this class you are graded on participation, your case studies (700 word responses to cases), an original case study, and the final case study response. Overall this was a pretty interesting course. I took it because I am an STS minor. Although a lot of engineers and non CLA majors also take this course so it was ridiculously easy. It kind of took the backburner to the rest of my classes due to its easiness. The discussions were good, but pretty basic. The same point would be reiterated ad nauseam. And because I had heard a lot of the points beforehand, and done a lot of the readings, in my ISLA class for STS minor, I tended to skip this class a bit. I still got a B with very little effort. But as far as a challenging course that stimulated my intellect, this class was not. Professor Jenkins is great though. He is really clear and cares about student success.

Dr. Jenkins was probably the best professor I have ever had at Cal Poly. Super fun and open guy, so good at being neutral to a discussion yet keeping it going in the way he wanted it to go. Cal Poly seriously lucked out getting this guy because he is on top of it. He also takes student suggestions very seriously and it really helps students care about the class. 10/10 would take again.

Dr. Jenkins is an OUTSTANDING professor! I was terrified to take any class at Cal Poly that began with the prefix "PHIL" but Jenkins has completely changed my mind. I have never felt compelled to write a polyrating in all my years at Cal Poly, but he deserves one. His lectures were two hours long (and he gave us a 10 minute break half way) but I never felt bored or tired. He was always engaging and presents super interesting and relevant material every class! Course load was super manageable, assigned article reading for every class (but most were short or he only tells you to read certain parts, all super interesting though!), two case study responses (500-700 words), and original case study that you had to put research into, participation quizzes (that he gives you the question a few days before), and a final case study response (600-800 words). Can not tell you enough to take this man's class!!! I wish I could go back and have taken more of his classes, because most importantly, I came out of the class at the end having a stronger, more developed, and more complex perspective on so many aspects of life. And that's what's most important right?

Ryan is one of the best teachers at Cal Poly. He is clearly passionate about the subject he teaches, and tries to (succeeds in my opinion) pass that passion on to his students. Philosophy can be very abstract at times, different from STEM classes (I'm a STEM major), and Ryan's ability to convey difficult topics is amazing. The best advice for this class I can give you is read before lecture (does not matter if you comprehend the material but try your best) and then give Ryan your attention for 4 hours a week and he will make all of the important topics clear. He is very clear on what material will be on the test and provides review sessions the lecture before the test, so bring any questions you may have to that lecture. He also provides study guides, which are very straightforward and representative of the class. There are 2 homework assignments (responses to arguments in the class) as well as a prospective (at beginning of quarter) and retrospective (at end of quarter) along with two exams that make up the grade for the class. Overall this was a great GE and very applicable to life, even outside of religious philosophy and applying reasoning learned to other aspects of life. Ryan is a great guy and great professor, you should take him!

During this entire quarter all I could think about was how this professor reminded me of that small little dog that runs through the back of scene 23 in The Incredibles by Pixar. Seriously, if you look it up you will only be able to see it...