CHIN 50
Chinese Civilization
Description: Lecture, three hours; discussion, one hour. Not open for credit to students with credit for course 50W. Knowledge of Chinese not required. Introduction to most important aspects of Chinese culture. Topics include early Chinese civilization, historical development of Chinese society, issues of ethnicity, Chinese language and philosophy, and early scientific and technological innovation. P/NP or letter grading.
Units: 5.0
Units: 5.0
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Most Helpful Review
i really liked this class. in fact, it was my fav class last quarter, made it almost easy to wake up at 8 (tho, not all the times). but prof chou is exactly what everyone else says. he's a really nice and friendly guy and always tries his best to answer any questions asked. on that same token tho, he gets off track a lot and usually winds on about something not relevant to the class. aside from that tho, i learned a lot and very much enjoyed this class. the tests are very straight forward. out of the notes, memorization and the essay questions are just regurgitating with a mix of thoughtful analysis. nothing too difficult, and he gives out extra credit to everyone who attended discussions at the end.
i really liked this class. in fact, it was my fav class last quarter, made it almost easy to wake up at 8 (tho, not all the times). but prof chou is exactly what everyone else says. he's a really nice and friendly guy and always tries his best to answer any questions asked. on that same token tho, he gets off track a lot and usually winds on about something not relevant to the class. aside from that tho, i learned a lot and very much enjoyed this class. the tests are very straight forward. out of the notes, memorization and the essay questions are just regurgitating with a mix of thoughtful analysis. nothing too difficult, and he gives out extra credit to everyone who attended discussions at the end.
Most Helpful Review
Fall 2019 - If you're taking this as a GE, you're probably better off finding an easier one. As people have mentioned, if you take this class, copy down everything from her slides, as she doesn't post them online. There are weekly discussion posts, and participation in discussion section matters. Each exam only covers half the quarter, but they are both extremely comprehensive and include identifying passages from a number of texts that you are required to read. Reading the textbook before the exam really helps you remember all the terms because it puts everything in a sort of storyline.
Fall 2019 - If you're taking this as a GE, you're probably better off finding an easier one. As people have mentioned, if you take this class, copy down everything from her slides, as she doesn't post them online. There are weekly discussion posts, and participation in discussion section matters. Each exam only covers half the quarter, but they are both extremely comprehensive and include identifying passages from a number of texts that you are required to read. Reading the textbook before the exam really helps you remember all the terms because it puts everything in a sort of storyline.
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Most Helpful Review
Fall 2020 - ***You can find more reviews for this class if you look up "Li Min!" That is the Chinese arrangement of his first name and surname! I took this class remotely, so I can't say how it is normally. With that said, it's not a free A. I wouldn't consider it an easy GE. The majority of the class (including myself) was confused as to what was happening for much of the quarter. I think the only reason this class was alright for me is because I had a pretty good understanding of Chinese history beforehand. Grades were based on a scores from 4 pop quizzes, a presentation, discussion participation, a midterm, a final exam, and a final paper. We didn't have any other assignments, so this really is one of those classes that relies on just a few assignments. As for the professor, his lectures didn't feel useful. He's an archeologist, and the first half of his lectures reflect that quite a bit. Lectures felt pretty unorganized, so after the midterm, I honestly just stopped watching the lectures and relied on the textbook instead. PLEASE GET ACCESS TO A TEXTBOOK IF YOU CAN!! It's probably the only reason I got the grade I did. For the final paper, I'd 100% recommend asking your TA for feedback before you submit. It helps you know exactly what they're expecting, which was important since we didn't get a rubric or anything. Final paper was 20% of our grade. Other than that, just be sure to put effort into your presentation and try to talk during discussions.
Fall 2020 - ***You can find more reviews for this class if you look up "Li Min!" That is the Chinese arrangement of his first name and surname! I took this class remotely, so I can't say how it is normally. With that said, it's not a free A. I wouldn't consider it an easy GE. The majority of the class (including myself) was confused as to what was happening for much of the quarter. I think the only reason this class was alright for me is because I had a pretty good understanding of Chinese history beforehand. Grades were based on a scores from 4 pop quizzes, a presentation, discussion participation, a midterm, a final exam, and a final paper. We didn't have any other assignments, so this really is one of those classes that relies on just a few assignments. As for the professor, his lectures didn't feel useful. He's an archeologist, and the first half of his lectures reflect that quite a bit. Lectures felt pretty unorganized, so after the midterm, I honestly just stopped watching the lectures and relied on the textbook instead. PLEASE GET ACCESS TO A TEXTBOOK IF YOU CAN!! It's probably the only reason I got the grade I did. For the final paper, I'd 100% recommend asking your TA for feedback before you submit. It helps you know exactly what they're expecting, which was important since we didn't get a rubric or anything. Final paper was 20% of our grade. Other than that, just be sure to put effort into your presentation and try to talk during discussions.
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Most Helpful Review
Fall 2018 - OVERVIEW: Discussion: 30% >>> 12% Quizzes, 13% Participation, 5% Presentation Midterm: 20% >>> 20 possible points; consisted of multiple choice and fill-in-the-blank Final Paper: 20% >>> literary analysis on one of several preassigned topics Final Exam: 30% >>> over 40 possible points; consisted of multiple choice and short answer While I recognize many faults in this course, I admit that I enjoyed it. The content itself is interesting and Professor Li is very knowledgeable. However, this course was also a huge source of stress early in the quarter. Therefore, this review is somewhat mixed, as was my overall experience with the course. Unlike many other courses I took, there were no clicker questions or practice problems to gage how well I understood the material, which made it especially stressful when preparing for midterms. This was only amplified by the fact that the midterm consisted merely of 20 multiple choice questions, so each missed question was a percentage point off the final grade. There also seemed to be a discrepancy between the TAs' quizzes and Professor Li's tests. The quizzes often drew on details from the reading, some of which seemed insignificant when preparing. Meanwhile, Professor Li's tests were, fortunately, very straightforward and tested on major themes from his slides. He never gave us trick questions and drew mostly on the textbook. His lectures were sometimes unclear, as much of the content he covered (mainly archaeological material) was complex and did not appear on the tests. He also used a ton of wordy slides, over a 1000 in total, which made studying for the final very time-consuming. Despite the course's flaws, there were many aspects I enjoyed. I took this course because I loved learning about China in AP World History, which I took back in high school. This course really expanded on China's history and, impressively, managed to do so in the span of a few weeks. The textbook and sourcebook were both very interesting to me. One of my favorite assignments was watching the film "To Live" when studying the People's Republic, which really enriched the course. The TAs did a great job at selecting readings and assignments. Professor Li's archaeological studies, while they sometimes made his lectures more confusing, were really interesting to me. He has a very comprehensive knowledge of Chinese history and is eager to talk to students after class and during office hours. Last, but most importantly, he and the TAs are very open to feedback and made significant improvements between the midterm and the final. The final exam was significantly longer than the midterm and consisted of short answer questions (including an extra credit question) that allowed students to demonstrate their overall knowledge of the course. The papers seemed to have been graded fairly and the TAs were very helpful in addressing student concerns. Professor Li also created study guides and, if you answered each part of them using his slides, they made the tests a lot easier. I feel like, if the course hadn't had such a rocky start, I may have gotten a lot more out of it. The course is a mixed bag, not because there is anything wrong with the professor or the curriculum, but because the way its organized made it a lot more stressful. However, Professor Li is very concerned with student success and is willing to work with anyone who is struggling. I'd recommend this course for those with a genuine interest in Chinese history and/or archaeology. If you just want to get rid of a GE, this might not be the best course, as I often considered it my hardest course over my STEM prerequisites. However, it's a very rewarding experience if you put the time and effort into it. Overall, I'd give this course a 3.5/5, although I feel the last few weeks warrant a higher score.
Fall 2018 - OVERVIEW: Discussion: 30% >>> 12% Quizzes, 13% Participation, 5% Presentation Midterm: 20% >>> 20 possible points; consisted of multiple choice and fill-in-the-blank Final Paper: 20% >>> literary analysis on one of several preassigned topics Final Exam: 30% >>> over 40 possible points; consisted of multiple choice and short answer While I recognize many faults in this course, I admit that I enjoyed it. The content itself is interesting and Professor Li is very knowledgeable. However, this course was also a huge source of stress early in the quarter. Therefore, this review is somewhat mixed, as was my overall experience with the course. Unlike many other courses I took, there were no clicker questions or practice problems to gage how well I understood the material, which made it especially stressful when preparing for midterms. This was only amplified by the fact that the midterm consisted merely of 20 multiple choice questions, so each missed question was a percentage point off the final grade. There also seemed to be a discrepancy between the TAs' quizzes and Professor Li's tests. The quizzes often drew on details from the reading, some of which seemed insignificant when preparing. Meanwhile, Professor Li's tests were, fortunately, very straightforward and tested on major themes from his slides. He never gave us trick questions and drew mostly on the textbook. His lectures were sometimes unclear, as much of the content he covered (mainly archaeological material) was complex and did not appear on the tests. He also used a ton of wordy slides, over a 1000 in total, which made studying for the final very time-consuming. Despite the course's flaws, there were many aspects I enjoyed. I took this course because I loved learning about China in AP World History, which I took back in high school. This course really expanded on China's history and, impressively, managed to do so in the span of a few weeks. The textbook and sourcebook were both very interesting to me. One of my favorite assignments was watching the film "To Live" when studying the People's Republic, which really enriched the course. The TAs did a great job at selecting readings and assignments. Professor Li's archaeological studies, while they sometimes made his lectures more confusing, were really interesting to me. He has a very comprehensive knowledge of Chinese history and is eager to talk to students after class and during office hours. Last, but most importantly, he and the TAs are very open to feedback and made significant improvements between the midterm and the final. The final exam was significantly longer than the midterm and consisted of short answer questions (including an extra credit question) that allowed students to demonstrate their overall knowledge of the course. The papers seemed to have been graded fairly and the TAs were very helpful in addressing student concerns. Professor Li also created study guides and, if you answered each part of them using his slides, they made the tests a lot easier. I feel like, if the course hadn't had such a rocky start, I may have gotten a lot more out of it. The course is a mixed bag, not because there is anything wrong with the professor or the curriculum, but because the way its organized made it a lot more stressful. However, Professor Li is very concerned with student success and is willing to work with anyone who is struggling. I'd recommend this course for those with a genuine interest in Chinese history and/or archaeology. If you just want to get rid of a GE, this might not be the best course, as I often considered it my hardest course over my STEM prerequisites. However, it's a very rewarding experience if you put the time and effort into it. Overall, I'd give this course a 3.5/5, although I feel the last few weeks warrant a higher score.
Most Helpful Review
Evan made this GE way harder than it needed to be. Way too many readings assigned in this class! There are even readings assigned for discussion, and none of them are really relevant to the midterm or final. Discussion would be better off if the TA's reviewed the readings assigned during lectures rather than just piling on more work. His teaching style is to throw as much information as possible to his students which is just not effective. Lectures are boring and could be more engaging. He basically talks from his notes at the podium and includes lots of confusing details. Chinese history can be really dense and dry, so it's easy to miss something that he's saying. If you're taking this class, a tip would be to don't do the readings assigned before class until after he lectures on them. His midterm and final involve a part that has quote recognition, but he only tests it off the lecture slides. That way you can save a lot of time and not read the other assigned readings that are irrelevant. There are also four 2-3 page writing assignments assigned throughout the quarter. I had Meng and it was hard to get a perfect score with her, and she didn't explain what was wrong with my paper very well.
Evan made this GE way harder than it needed to be. Way too many readings assigned in this class! There are even readings assigned for discussion, and none of them are really relevant to the midterm or final. Discussion would be better off if the TA's reviewed the readings assigned during lectures rather than just piling on more work. His teaching style is to throw as much information as possible to his students which is just not effective. Lectures are boring and could be more engaging. He basically talks from his notes at the podium and includes lots of confusing details. Chinese history can be really dense and dry, so it's easy to miss something that he's saying. If you're taking this class, a tip would be to don't do the readings assigned before class until after he lectures on them. His midterm and final involve a part that has quote recognition, but he only tests it off the lecture slides. That way you can save a lot of time and not read the other assigned readings that are irrelevant. There are also four 2-3 page writing assignments assigned throughout the quarter. I had Meng and it was hard to get a perfect score with her, and she didn't explain what was wrong with my paper very well.
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