CLUSTER 70A
Evolution of Cosmos and Life
Description: (Formerly numbered General Education Clusters 70A.) Lecture, three hours; discussion, two hours. Course 70A is enforced requisite to 70B, which is enforced requisite to 70CW or 70DW. Limited to first-year freshmen. Use of concept of evolution, as it applies to biological organisms, Earth, solar system, and universe itself, to introduce students to both life and physical sciences. Examination of evolution of universe, galaxy, solar system, and Earth. Letter grading.
Units: 6.0
Units: 6.0
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Most Helpful Review
Fall 2020 - Cluster 70A is a great class for non-stem majors. It is super interesting and you can really learn some fascinating and interesting things if you open yourself up to it. Throughout the quarter the main grades were five quizzes, a paper, and some lab assignments. The quizzes were 10 multiple choice questions and a few free responses. The free response was generally straight forward, but sometimes the wording could be a bit confusing on the MC. The paper was also not too difficult and there was a lot of opportunity to work on it. In addition to these assignments there were lab assignments. These were not too difficult but could all build up if you procrastinate. Professor Friscia was a great lecturer. He was super informative, answered questions well, and used his slides effectively. Overall, he was really clear and covered a lot of information without the lecture feeling too dense.
Fall 2020 - Cluster 70A is a great class for non-stem majors. It is super interesting and you can really learn some fascinating and interesting things if you open yourself up to it. Throughout the quarter the main grades were five quizzes, a paper, and some lab assignments. The quizzes were 10 multiple choice questions and a few free responses. The free response was generally straight forward, but sometimes the wording could be a bit confusing on the MC. The paper was also not too difficult and there was a lot of opportunity to work on it. In addition to these assignments there were lab assignments. These were not too difficult but could all build up if you procrastinate. Professor Friscia was a great lecturer. He was super informative, answered questions well, and used his slides effectively. Overall, he was really clear and covered a lot of information without the lecture feeling too dense.
Most Helpful Review
Fall 2020 - This cluster is really cool and gets plenty of your GE's out of the way if you aren't in STEM. The class itself is pretty fast paced and covers a vast amount of information so it is important to pay attention to the professors' slides. The cluster was taught by different professors, depending on the subject being taught at the time, so every professor was well equipped with knowledge and experience in regards to the topic they were teaching. Professor Jewitt is remarkable! He is very well accomplished in his field of study and has very good knowledge of the topic. The workload is pretty heavy - there are labs almost every week, and in my case because of COVID-19, there were quizzes on lecture every two weeks instead of midterms. There is also a fall writing assignment that requires you to do a lot of research, but the benefits from taking the cluster are amazing! I highly recommend this cluster, and TA Jesus Salas is so funny and helpful.
Fall 2020 - This cluster is really cool and gets plenty of your GE's out of the way if you aren't in STEM. The class itself is pretty fast paced and covers a vast amount of information so it is important to pay attention to the professors' slides. The cluster was taught by different professors, depending on the subject being taught at the time, so every professor was well equipped with knowledge and experience in regards to the topic they were teaching. Professor Jewitt is remarkable! He is very well accomplished in his field of study and has very good knowledge of the topic. The workload is pretty heavy - there are labs almost every week, and in my case because of COVID-19, there were quizzes on lecture every two weeks instead of midterms. There is also a fall writing assignment that requires you to do a lot of research, but the benefits from taking the cluster are amazing! I highly recommend this cluster, and TA Jesus Salas is so funny and helpful.
Most Helpful Review
Fall 2019 - My classmates would groan upon finding out that Lawrence was giving the next lecture for the cluster. For the most part, this professor is incoherent during lecture and leaves students hopelessly confused about what he discusses. The cluster as a whole is worth taking, but be prepared to put in a little extra work trying to make sense of the material this professor attempts to teach.
Fall 2019 - My classmates would groan upon finding out that Lawrence was giving the next lecture for the cluster. For the most part, this professor is incoherent during lecture and leaves students hopelessly confused about what he discusses. The cluster as a whole is worth taking, but be prepared to put in a little extra work trying to make sense of the material this professor attempts to teach.
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