COURSE TAKEN!!!: GE CLUSTER 66A: LOS ANGELES

You could tell that he knew what he was talking about but he couldn't always articulate it in an understandable way. His lecture were really boring and it made many student want to fall asleep. Even though I did not go to his office hours he was easier to talk to after class and often explained concepts better then as well.

most knowledgeable professor i've had at UCLA, the people who rated him are out of their minds. if you go to the lectures and take notes (and you'll take a lot) you'll be fine for the exams. he's a bit of a visionary and cares about all kinds of social and spatial relationships more than about structure which makes it all very interesting. very critical and subtle, never banal, sometimes he'll say something really funny. loved both him and his class.

Art History: 113C (not as it says above)
American Houses
awesome guy. makes lecture interesting. knows his stuff. tests are heavy on writing and conceptual knowledge. not toooo much memorization. haven't gotten final grade yet. but i thoroughly enjoyed this class

LOS ANGELES THE CLUSTER

Upton's lectures tended to be long and boring. That being said it's very clear that he really puts an effort into his presentations and he does really care about his students. For the most part going to lectures wasn't the most necessary thing for the course. At the end of the day the most important material was only taught about a week before an assignment is due and because there are no tests nobody is really checking to make sure you did the work. Highly recommend taking Los Angeles cluster. It's a great way to learn about the city we go to school in.

dell is pretty boring and he murmurs a lot..so a lot of times i could not really hear him // also i fell asleep a lot of times

but you will walk away with this class with something... at least i appreciate architecture a little bit more

the textbook is not necessary at all. just make sure u do ur readings! (long...and boring most of the times)

i found my section a lot more helpful than lecture. my ta was kristina and she is super helpful and always up for meeting you outside office hours and helping you review!

You don't have to necessarily go to lecture, but it can be helpful sometimes. Going to discussion is what is mandatory and will ultimately determine your grade. It is a lot of reading. There is no midterm., but there is a final. Overall, it is one of the easier clusters that UCLA offers.

His exams were very straightforward and the readings were short for the most part. I was blessed with a wonderful TA which probably helped a bit in this course. His lectures, though often tiring, are full of information applicable on the test. A lot of memorization of buildings and facts. Overall pretty easy class. Definitely would recommend for a GE.

Lectures are really dry but overall the classes is pretty easy. The discussions are so helpful to the class. The actual lecture is pretty much Upton mumbling a bunch of facts that barely anyone pays attention to. The midterm / final is based on how well you can memorize different architecture and readings. Not the most interesting class but I did like learning some of the sections!

Came into this not knowing a single thing about art or architecture, but I felt like I came out with a bit more appreciation for it. Grade is based on discussion participation, pop quizzes (could be in discussion or lecture), midterm exam, final paper, and final exam. He posts lecture notes with bolded buildings which will be what the exams are based off of. He is the dullest lecturer and he mumbles a lot, but make sure to write down everything he says on those bolded buildings.

Took this class as a GE and honestly didn't pan out too badly. Managed to get full grades on all the quizzes without having to study for them (this was mostly a result of passively listening during lecture). Make sure to use the study aids as your primary resource - these are the only buildings you truly need to pay attention to. Office hours are useful if you didn't catch something he said in lecture. The TAs are extremely helpful and willing to share their resources and tips with you (I had Heather, she was great!). The exams are part rote memorization and part BS (you can get through them by just knowing the basic artistic movements)

Would recommend as a GE but definitely have to put a little effort in to get your grade.