PHIL 2420

I thought “this can’t be that hard” “it’s good for the lsat” “I’m not average, I’m super smart so I will do well”… I am no different than everyone else. This was quite literally the hardest class I have ever taken at UVA. For a 2000 level course this is crazy. I felt like I really understood but somehow the exams did not reflect this. Only take this is you have to. I took it for fun and I really wish I had not. It’s not worth the damage it will do to your gpa. It’s interesting, but when will you ever use it if you’re not computer science?? Never! DONT DO IT.

I'm a CS and philosophy double major. I also hate attending 8ams. So i did not attend any of the lectures. And I aced the assessments because I kept up with the handouts that were posted online. I will say I have done a lot of math before, I've also taken the CS equivalent of this course (DMT1), so DO NOT do this if you're not a math person. Sometimes near the beginning of the semester I'd sit in lecture and listen to Prof explain stuff and think "if i weren't a math person or if i didn't already have prerequisite knowledge of XYZ concept...i'd be so confused right now..." So, this advice is for CS math-inclined majors ONLY.

In general (for everyone) though, there isn't that much content that is covered, because a lot of time is spent explaining topics that are difficult to understand. There is also no homework. Just three take-home tests. Logic is also a lot of fun. And he has a really fun accent to listen to. When I think through logic problems now sometimes I hear a Scottish accent explaining stuff to me. Nice professor.

I was very worried before taking this class and reading comments, but it turned out to be a great class!! I am not a CS or math major, and I think the last time I did math was in high school.
Grades consist of three take-home exams (graded A, A-, B+, etc.), and the average of these exams determines the final grade. Prof. Cameron will explain this in more detail. 2.5 hrs each!
First exam (propositional logic): This is the easiest one. If you do the practice problems and review the materials, getting an A is very doable.
Second exam(predicate logic): Step up from the first exam. 1 or 2 questions are a little bit tricky. If you study (I mean by just being able to solve practice problems, that's all), there are no surprising questions at all. You can definitely target A- or A.
Third exam (natural deduction): I found this personally the hardest, and the professor graded a bit more harshly than the other two. The last couple of questions are complicated, and you might have to use your own way to solve them (takes time). Except that, it is fine. Even if you do not successfully do those 'hard' questions, you can do easier ones, which is an A- cut.
Lastly, Prof. Cameron is very nice and super helpful, and he is happy to answer any questions (even if they may sound basic). He also holds Q&A sessions and extra office hours.