Professor
David MacFadyen
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Most Helpful Review
This class was pretty easy given that it was a W2 class. We had to write three five pg essays based on each of the author's we read: Tolstoy, PUshkin, and Turgenev. He chooses short stories so we won't get bored with the longer works of russian authors so its pretty nice. He is a very entertaining professor who loves Russian works. This class is by far one of the most fun ones. As for the reading and work...You can slack off a little in the readings so long as you catch up by the time a paper is due. They're all short stories so its not bad. Longest story was about 100 pages but I think the minimum stories were about 35pgs. As for the pace of class, You read about 1-2 of these each week. Then you discuss them in lecture. These are pretty helpful to pay attention to to guide you with your essays. He pretty much makes up the essay questions in class with you after the first set of essay questions. You get to choose one of three essay questions to write about.You are given one week to write your rough draft and about 1.5-2wks to turn in the final draft. The only downside to this class is that your grade is given by the TA's. THe professor acts as a tie breaker. So if you get a bad TA, then its a bit harder. However, the professor is really fair about it if you talk to him. The class was enjoyable and I'd definitely take another class by this professor!
This class was pretty easy given that it was a W2 class. We had to write three five pg essays based on each of the author's we read: Tolstoy, PUshkin, and Turgenev. He chooses short stories so we won't get bored with the longer works of russian authors so its pretty nice. He is a very entertaining professor who loves Russian works. This class is by far one of the most fun ones. As for the reading and work...You can slack off a little in the readings so long as you catch up by the time a paper is due. They're all short stories so its not bad. Longest story was about 100 pages but I think the minimum stories were about 35pgs. As for the pace of class, You read about 1-2 of these each week. Then you discuss them in lecture. These are pretty helpful to pay attention to to guide you with your essays. He pretty much makes up the essay questions in class with you after the first set of essay questions. You get to choose one of three essay questions to write about.You are given one week to write your rough draft and about 1.5-2wks to turn in the final draft. The only downside to this class is that your grade is given by the TA's. THe professor acts as a tie breaker. So if you get a bad TA, then its a bit harder. However, the professor is really fair about it if you talk to him. The class was enjoyable and I'd definitely take another class by this professor!
Most Helpful Review
He was a really great prof and always had interesting stuff to say about Russian Literature. His accent's really cool, and we watched a ton of movies in his Russian cinema class. Nothing in lecture was ever tested on, which was great, and he was a fair grader for the papers (of which there are only 2, 1 midterm paper and one final paper). I recommend him highly.
He was a really great prof and always had interesting stuff to say about Russian Literature. His accent's really cool, and we watched a ton of movies in his Russian cinema class. Nothing in lecture was ever tested on, which was great, and he was a fair grader for the papers (of which there are only 2, 1 midterm paper and one final paper). I recommend him highly.
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Most Helpful Review
Russian120 - Literature and Revolution OK, I will admit up front that I dropped this class - after week six! And I've only ever dropped one class at UCLA (and that was in week two). I'm used to hard classes and sticking things through (Econ major), but I'm also used to hard classes that are reasonably hard - i.e., you put in the work, study hard, and you get results. As a person, he seems wry and interesting, full of 'British-isms' and dry humor. And he's also obviously very knowledgeable about all the Russian authors we had to read in our two books. However, when he lectures, there is NO STRUCTURE whatsoever. You wind up with so many disparate ideas jotted down in your notebook. Often, there are three or four authors (both our readings were books of short essays/stories/plays), and it was nearly impossible to gauge whether he has moved onto to a new person or whether he's returning to add a side note to an old topic. He's constantly interrupting himself to prove a tangential point, and often times he'll start providing a structured list and then distract himself by looking for a picture of a certain author on Wikipedia for the class. This is something we can do on our own! Please don't stop what you're saying to show us a picture of the author and then proceed to continue at a different place from where you left off... Overall, this class has no structure whatsoever. He only roughly adheres to the syllabus, and even then he's impossible to follow. I most definitely do not recommend this professor.
Russian120 - Literature and Revolution OK, I will admit up front that I dropped this class - after week six! And I've only ever dropped one class at UCLA (and that was in week two). I'm used to hard classes and sticking things through (Econ major), but I'm also used to hard classes that are reasonably hard - i.e., you put in the work, study hard, and you get results. As a person, he seems wry and interesting, full of 'British-isms' and dry humor. And he's also obviously very knowledgeable about all the Russian authors we had to read in our two books. However, when he lectures, there is NO STRUCTURE whatsoever. You wind up with so many disparate ideas jotted down in your notebook. Often, there are three or four authors (both our readings were books of short essays/stories/plays), and it was nearly impossible to gauge whether he has moved onto to a new person or whether he's returning to add a side note to an old topic. He's constantly interrupting himself to prove a tangential point, and often times he'll start providing a structured list and then distract himself by looking for a picture of a certain author on Wikipedia for the class. This is something we can do on our own! Please don't stop what you're saying to show us a picture of the author and then proceed to continue at a different place from where you left off... Overall, this class has no structure whatsoever. He only roughly adheres to the syllabus, and even then he's impossible to follow. I most definitely do not recommend this professor.
Most Helpful Review
The Russian Pop Culture class was a solid class that was well directed by Professor MacFadyen who has a very lively personality. After he covers the political base of the past 20 years he provides more detail into the cultural changes in various forms of arts, music, and movies that entertain the lives of Russians daily. I really took in alot of applicable information from just this one class and thoroughly enjoyed writing the two necessary papers. He will bring about so many different aspects of the life in Russia that anyone who takes this class will enjoy their time. Also a very understanding paper grader, if you show that you did your research he will reward you with an A.
The Russian Pop Culture class was a solid class that was well directed by Professor MacFadyen who has a very lively personality. After he covers the political base of the past 20 years he provides more detail into the cultural changes in various forms of arts, music, and movies that entertain the lives of Russians daily. I really took in alot of applicable information from just this one class and thoroughly enjoyed writing the two necessary papers. He will bring about so many different aspects of the life in Russia that anyone who takes this class will enjoy their time. Also a very understanding paper grader, if you show that you did your research he will reward you with an A.
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Most Helpful Review
Classes taken: Russian 129. One of the best professors I had at UCLA. Always available in his office, wants to help students (you feel very welcome and not a burden), and replies fast to emails! For the midterm (5 pages) you get a set of essay options you can chose from and he is very willing to help you shape your paper. For the final, you chose your own topic and write research on it (10-12 pages). He will also help you find info to shape your paper. In addition, he is a very fair grader and if you are Russian or from one of the former USSR satellite states (like I am) he will help you reconnect with your culture. Make sure to attend each lecture! His lectures (especially if you are writing about Russian animation for the bulk of your work) is CRUCIAL since the readings don't talk about it much! GO TO CLASS! Summary- take him!!!
Classes taken: Russian 129. One of the best professors I had at UCLA. Always available in his office, wants to help students (you feel very welcome and not a burden), and replies fast to emails! For the midterm (5 pages) you get a set of essay options you can chose from and he is very willing to help you shape your paper. For the final, you chose your own topic and write research on it (10-12 pages). He will also help you find info to shape your paper. In addition, he is a very fair grader and if you are Russian or from one of the former USSR satellite states (like I am) he will help you reconnect with your culture. Make sure to attend each lecture! His lectures (especially if you are writing about Russian animation for the bulk of your work) is CRUCIAL since the readings don't talk about it much! GO TO CLASS! Summary- take him!!!
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