*A 5 star workload is an easy workload; a 3 star is average; whereas a 1 star workload is extremely hard.
Comments:1308 - His MLK Philosophy class stuck with me even as junior. Very good discussions and manageable workload if you do your work on time. Also was open to office hours constantly. Amazing teacher - Grade In Class:A
Comments:3312 - Dr. Buras is fantastic. Concepts are well-explained, he is accommodating and helpful, and he truly enjoys the course material and interacting with students. - Grade In Class:A
Comments:PHI-1306 - I honestly don't know how anyone has anything poor to say about Dr. Buras. He is super kind, caring, and regardless of what some of the other reviews have been, he DOES try to learn the names of all of his students. He is also NOT absent-minded -- although I can see how someone might think this. Quite the contrary, Dr. Buras is a brilliant professor who can effectively lecture the subject from memory, however, his verbal instructions cannot keep up with his brain sometimes. You can literally see the wheels turning in his head at times. Logic is great for any pre-law students, but I also encourage it to anyone looking for a challenging but rewarding course. There is ZERO homework, however, if you don't do the homework, you probably won't pass the class. The entire class is graded on three exams and a final paper. Dr. Buras is also always available and goes out of his way to make sure his students are successful. - Grade In Class:A
Comments:phi1306 - I love Dr. Buras. Nicest professor I have ever had! He is so amazing at teaching! As long as you pay attention to him in his class you are good to go! He is the type of teacher who is very patient and actually care about how much you learned. - Grade In Class:A
Comments:Honors Logic - Overall Buras is a fantastic professor. He made the lesson fun to learn and was extremely helpful and understanding. You should definitely take him. - Grade In Class:A
Comments:Intro to Logic - This class was kind of odd. The material can come rather unnatural and can be learned if you do the homework. This class was honestly not that difficult. Our TA did a lot and was very, very helpful. Dr. Buras could kind of seem unorganized and would often come in not really knowing what we were doing. He frequently made mistakes on the board while he was teaching. The tests were kind of difficult, but we were given opportunities to retake all of them. We also had a paper to work on throughout the semester that wasn't very difficult. All around, a pretty easy class. However if you're looking to take it to prepare you for the LSAT, it doesn't really do that. - Grade In Class:A
Comments:Honors Logic - Don't believe the negative things others (ie the person 2 down from me) have to say about Dr. Buras. He made extra-special effort to learn everyone's names in my class, and was super-helpful, almost to the point of absurdity. This is likely because he was overcompensating for the negative review as I'm pretty sure he actually reads these to gain constructive criticism, because (surprise, surprise) he cares about his students and genuinely wants them to learn the subject he teaches. The class wasn't easy but I knew that Dr. Buras was a reliable source of help should I have needed it. I don't know how anyone could think that he was pretentious or condescending, given that he was very upfront about his humble origins, very helpful to his students, and generally a great guy. Keep on keeping on Dr. Buras, you're the best. Take him, you won't regret it. - Grade In Class:A
Comments:FYS 1399 - The things I learned in this class, I will be able to use for the rest of my life. The class gave me a genuine interest in philosophy. The readings, lectures, and discussions were all engaging! I am so glad I took this FYS/class. Buras obviously cares for his students, and our TA was great too (our TA actually held a philosophy writing workshop and a review session or two). Buras is willing to take the time and effort to speak with you. He really cares for his students. That said, the bar is set high (not impossibly high but high). Essays require time and much thought. The class seemed to grow more difficult as the semester carried on-the volume of the reading increased and the grading grew more gradually difficult as we were expected to improve. Don't let this deter you! It was a great class, and a formative experience. - Grade In Class:A
Comments:Logic - Is very unhelpful to some students, did not even bother to learn a few of their names. Is generally unavailable and the TA was not much help either. The class was very hard, there were some assignments that everyone failed. Was condescending and slightly pretentious, I did not get a good vibe from him at all. Would not recommend AT ALL, I am relieved that we are getting a new faculty master at the HRC. - Grade In Class:B+
Comments:FYS 1399 - Dr. Buras is the quintessential absent-minded professor: brilliant, friendly, and terribly forgetful. He has been a huge inspiration in the difficult transition to college, and cares for his FYS class like they are his own kids. His lectures are clear and engaging, and he encourages students to interrupt him when he is being unclear. This can sometimes lead to a tangent, however, so proceed with caution. His only other flaw is that he is so spread out that he rarely has time to meet outside of class unless you sort of follow him around. He grades critically and fairly, with a special eye to improving your philosophical prowess. I look forward to taking him again next semester. - Grade In Class:A
Comments:Faith and Reason FYS - This class was a formative experience for me. Dr. Buras is great about presenting the material so that those who are new to philosophy understand it, but those who have had experience with it are not bored. We had lectures Monday and Wednesday and discussions Friday. Dr. Buras was very good at facilitating our discussions, which were invariably interesting. He is a very fair grader, I would go so far as to say generous at times, but only as long as its clear you know the material. Dr. Buras really cares about your success at Baylor and he is great about answering any tangential questions in his office hours. I highly recommend him as a professor and this class in particular to anyone who can possibly manage it. - Grade In Class:A
Comments:FYS 1399 - If at all possible, take a class with Dr. Buras. This has hands down been my favorite class at Baylor thus far, and Dr. Buras is an amazing professor. He is very knowledgable about his subject, but able to explain complicated concepts to students easily. Sometimes a hard grader on the essays, but not that bad. Take Dr. Buras! - Grade In Class:A
Comments:PHI 1306 - During class, he gets easily mixed-up and turned-around on his own words; it's almost as if he needs to study the material he's teaching. His tests are fair, nothing out of the ordinary, same deal with quizzes. Homework is assigned from the book, is very manageable, and necessary to learning in his class since he teaches from the book. In his case, however, teaching from the book is detrimental - not to the student but to the teacher because it allows him to be lazy (which is probably the reason for his in-class screw-ups). As far as personality, he seems like a really cool guy to hang out with - easy-going, good sense of humor, etc. - Grade In Class:C
Comments:PHI 1321 - Dr. Buras is one of the great professors at Baylor, and he is a perfect Intro to Philosophy class professor. For anyone thinking about getting into Philosophy, or just wanting to get their feet wet, you should totally take his course. He is a great professor, and his course does a great job of introducing one to philosophy. Overall, the workload is fine, he is a great prof, and you should take this course - Grade In Class:A
Comments:1321 - Best professor by far that I have ever had. Even with written tests and weekly journals i still like this guy. He is friendly and helpful (responds to emails within 1 or 2 hours). Just listen to his lectures and you have an easy A. Thanks Buras for being one of the few professors in baylor who has not been terrible. - Grade In Class:A
Comments:1321 - This is the best professor I've had so far. I learned alot for how little work we had to do. Hes a great teacher and I would deffinatly recommend taking his intro class. By far the best philosophy teacher. Hes always available for help. FOR THE INTRO CLASS: The tests are all take home essays and as long as your creative in what you write you'll get a high B at the least. The only other work you have to do is answer some reading questions for reading he gives (Which is quite alot of reading but I always either made up the answers or skimmed the reading for 10 minutes) and you pretty much always get full credit on it. VERY EASY. VERY INTERESTING. Great guy. Great teacher. TAKE HIM IF YOU CAN!!!! - Grade In Class:A
Comments:1321 - Dr. Buras is so nice and helpful. He tries to learn everyone's name and actually likes students to come in for a chat. As long as you keep up with the daily readings and daily questions you should be fine on the tests. Always ask about something you don't understand because concepts are important for the tests, which are essays. He's a great professor to take intro to philosophy. - Grade In Class:A
Comments:1321 - Todd is a nice guy and is very passionate about defending the case of God in philosophy. Though he is clear about his views, he offers both sides of the argument which is nice. Very good at explaining the material, always responds to emails, available after class, but the workload sucks. Two LONG readings a week with a journal entry every week. You must also do study questions on one of the essays a week. Tests are essay format and somewhat easy if you have a good feel with the material. I was loaded down with other exams and didn't study much for his final and got an A which I definitely wasn't expecting. Advice: stay up with readings and do study questions! - Grade In Class:C+
Comments:Intro to Phil - Dr. Buras is great! Definately the best professor for intro! He really understands the material well, and wants to help students learn because he cares about students and the material. The tests are not too bad, but you must study! They are all essay with several short answer. He teaches the class by subject rather than by studying different philosophers. Our class' theme was "God, Evil, and Free Will, and so we studied different philosophies about that. Great class, take Buras! - Grade In Class:A
Comments:1321 - Intro Phil- um... Todd Buras is a king among men... do you hear me? A KING AMONG MEN. PERIOD. - Grade In Class:B+
Comments:1321 - Dr. Buras is awesome. If you're going to take an Intro Class, TAKE THIS ONE! - Grade In Class:A
Comments:1321 - Buras is a baller; I'd definately take more phil classes with him in the future - Grade In Class:B+
Comments:Intro to philosophy - He is my favorite professor by far and i dont even really like philosophy. He knows everyones name in the class and really cares about his students. The test are not to bad if you study. Do what ever you can to get him. - Grade In Class:B
Comments:1321 - Do yourself a favor and TAKE THIS COURSE! Intro to Philosophy with Dr. Buras is the best class that I have taken at Baylor. As a biology major, I am completely envious of any philosophy student who is fortunate enough to take multiple classes from Dr. Buras. - Grade In Class:A
Comments:Intro to Philosophy - Dr. Buras is one of the best professors I've ever had. I loved the way he set up the Intro course. Instead of giving a broad overview of philosophy, he teaches you how to read and understand philosophy. The workload was not terribly difficult. We used class time for discussion, so we could really understand the material. Buras was good about having review sessions, which really helped on the tests. If you think you might be interested in taking any philosophy classes after the intro, take Dr. Buras. - Grade In Class:A
Comments:1312 - Fresh out of Yale. Need I say more? Well, I will. Not only does he look like Tim Robbins from such films as Shawshank Redemption and Arlington Road, but he is also a very intellectual and understanding man. For example, he has intellect and he understands stuff. No seriously, take this class. - Grade In Class:A
Comments:1321 - Hands down my favorite professor of freshman year. He's pretty young and just got his doctorate, so he's pretty in touch with his students. He's unintimidating and completely approachable, probably because he's just awesome. I would highly recommend him. He's a very fair grader on the three essay tests, but you have to know your stuff. There five short answer questions daily over the assigned reading (it's for the best), and he takes up one of those each week. If you're going to take Intro to Philosophy, this guy kicks ass. - Grade In Class:B