Martha Woodruff

The mindfulness class was a genuinely valuable experience that helped me slow down, refocus, and become more aware of my daily thoughts and reactions. One of the strengths of the course was its balance between learning concepts and actually practicing techniques. Rather than simply talking about mindfulness in an abstract way, the instructor guided us through breathing exercises, short meditations, and reflection activities that made the ideas feel practical and applicable to real life. Over the duration of the class, I noticed myself becoming more intentional in simple moments, like walking between commitments or starting my day. The emphasis on non-judgmental awareness helped me recognize stress and negative thoughts without immediately reacting to them. I also appreciated the classroom environment, which felt calm, supportive, and open. Everyone was encouraged to participate at their own comfort level, so the practice felt very accessible even for beginners. The class did require consistency and patience, but the benefits made it worthwhile. I left with tools I can actually integrate into school, relationships, and self-care routines. Overall, I would highly recommend this mindfulness class to anyone interested in improving their focus, reducing stress, or simply becoming more present in everyday life.

The mindfulness class was a genuinely valuable experience that helped me slow down, refocus, and become more aware of my daily thoughts and reactions. One of the strengths of the course was its balance between learning concepts and actually practicing techniques. Rather than simply talking about mindfulness in an abstract way, the in …Read more

Professor Woodruff is clearly very passionate about philosophy. At the beginning of the first week of the semester, her course was overenrolled. She tried to scare some students away by saying the class would not be easy, that she does not give everyone A’s, and that students would need to work hard. While many students did drop, a good majority of us stayed, partly because of the integrity of midd-course reviews (lol). That being said, she turned out to be an easy grader. The readings, while enjoyable and well-selected to engage students in lecture, were not strictly necessary for success. Professor Woodruff also provided study guides that clearly outlined what would be on the exams, so nothing was ever a surprise. Additionally, the class included a peer tutor, and attending his review sessions basically gave you guidance on what to write for upcoming exams and quizzes. She felt fair, and I enjoyed the discussion aspect of the class, which helped consolidate the material from lectures. Lectures sometimes felt long, often carrying over an hour, which caused attention to wane at times. There was also a fair amount of writing: group projects for discussion, quizzes and exams that included writing mini essays and defining key terms, and a paper (four pages, double-spaced) with four options to choose from. Overall, this class was insightful, and I felt like I learned a lot.

Professor Woodruff is clearly very passionate about philosophy. At the beginning of the first week of the semester, her course was overenrolled. She tried to scare some students away by saying the class would not be easy, that she does not give everyone A’s, and that students would need to work hard. While many students did drop, a g …Read more

Professor Woodruff is a wonderfully passionate teacher, very accommodating, and knows the content of her course very well. Sadly, this class suffers from extreme over-enrollment. As it fulfills a distribution requirement and Woodruff is a pretty easy grader, expect a large part of the class to be totally tuned out during her lectures. Woodruff has the nearly impossible task of imparting each student (in my section there were about 40 of us) with the nuanced philosophies of Aristotle, Plato/Socrates, Descartes, Kant, and Nietzche. The discussion sections were the best opportunity to really get into the material.

Professor Woodruff is a wonderfully passionate teacher, very accommodating, and knows the content of her course very well. Sadly, this class suffers from extreme over-enrollment. As it fulfills a distribution requirement and Woodruff is a pretty easy grader, expect a large part of the class to be totally tuned out during her lectures …Read more