I was dreading my last science GE, and I'm definitely glad I chose EPS SCI 3. It's an interesting enough class, I guess. Not really. It was interesting when we learned about the planets and that stuff, but we also had to learn about biology, which is something I wasn't so interested in. The class doesn't go super in depth, but I'm an econ major, so any biology is something I don't really like.

I didn't buy or really need the textbook, but apparently it's very light reading and can be purchased at a fair price.

I did like how there wasn't much work involved, as there are just really simple homework I did during discussions, one midterm, and one final. All the exams are multiple choice. Nothing was incredibly hard. Definitely easy to get a B in, maybe a liiiiittle bit harder to get an A.

There was still that question of the bridge being knocked down on the final!! I read it, and I was like "Wow Bruinwalk doesn't lie." WIND. Wind is the answer! Contrary to the previous review, I did see the relevancy. I don't know if that reviewer went to class, but we did watch a video during lecture where the wind was shaking the bridge, and it crumbled because of the resonance. Something like that.

There's also extra credit, which hardly really helps, but is still a good excuse to go out and do some educational things! I went to the Griffith Observatory, which was a fun, especially if you drag along a buddy. You just need to take a couple of timestamped pictures and write a paragraph or so.

I'm sure it's one of the easier science GEs, but not really exciting.

This class was, despite the pandemic, a lot of fun. Astrobiology is a really interesting topic, and I think the perspectives Profs. Margot and Treude brought to the table were unique. On Zoom, though there were some glitches, they were very good about answering questions (say, 10 minutes out of a 90 minute class). For over an hour of reading Zoom slides, it was a little boring, but a funny quip here or there did bring me back into the loop. I personally would have them lecture me again — though maybe that's just me.

In terms of easiness, this is where things get murkier. I had some previous experience with intro astronomy and physics, so Prof. Margot's lectures and content were easy to remember. By contrast, without any biology / lifesci experience, I had to do content memorization and concept work to make more sense of Prof. Treude's lectures, but it certainly wasn't excessive. Homeworks could be done with just posted lecture slides, but for the midterm and final, you definitely had to either re-watch the posted lecture videos while taking it OR take comprehensive notes to get every bit and detail. Not only that, but a few questions came from textbook concepts that weren't covered in class, so make sure you have a copy (or a pdf) of the book with you so you can look for it (either with Ctrl+F or the index).

TL;DR: Easy-ish A, especially with prior experience in physics and biology. Easy homework, but don't underestimate the exams — though open-note and all-MC, sometimes really specific lookup (textbook/lecture slides/recordings) is needed to get the answer if you don't know it already.

This class is an easy GE at least when taken online. The midterm and final were almost straight out of the notes and reading (you don't really need to do the reading although it's a pretty simple book; I used a lot of ctrl + F). The homework assignments, which are formatted as multiple choice "quizzes," are pretty short but don't rush through them — read the answer choices very carefully because the difference between true/false statements usually boils down to a single word and it's super easy to lose points.

You also have an opportunity for extra credit; you can visit a museum online (website)/in person and just have to take pictures and write a short blurb. It takes like 20-30 minutes at most.

You will alternate professors; first prof. Margot will start with basic physics and astro, then prof. Treude will explain criteria for life + examples of life in extreme environments, and then prof. Margot will finish with potential places to look for life + SETI. They're both good lecturers and the subject material is pretty interesting.

I loved this class! I took it (virtually) for fun and would recommend it to anyone who wants to gain some foundational knowledge in astronomy or biology. I would definitely recommend it to first year students, because it covers a wide breadth of introductory material for different fields. Also, lectures are live but do not require attendance!

This was the course breakdown:
Homework 40% (drop 2 of 8)
Take-home midterm exam 30% (multiple choice)
Take-home final exam 30% (multiple choice)

There were also 10 points of extra credit, and the weekly homework and exams were open-notes.

Dr. Margot taught more of the astronomy content and was very clear and knowledgeable. I attended his office hours and had a great time talking to him about SETI. He also has his CV published on the SETI page and he's done some very cool things, including lots of consulting for astronomy/sci-fi shows. The tests and homework were easy, although there are a few quantitative questions on the exams, which could be tough for people less knowledgeable in physics. I am a life science major with some (not much) background in math/physics and a lot of space knowledge, so I did not have issues with the material, but if you do not have a STEM background, it might be more difficult. Also, there were a few questions on the exams pulled directly from the textbook, so make sure to at least skim it before the exams!

Took ESS9

Super easy GE, easy A. Ended up with an A+ put little work into the class. Selling textbook for the course, new and no marks on it.

Message me crosales17@ucla.edu

This is a good professor and a good class to take for an easy GE.
if you're at all interested in astronomy or space, or even if you're not, this is a fairly interesting class.
Prof Margot is very fun and enthusiastic about his teaching and loves questions. His 1 midterm and final were challenging but fair and there is a generous curve.
He posts his slides from lecture online and no other study tools, but this is OK because these are all you need.
You do NOT need to buy or even read the textbook, although it could help some (and the readings are reasonably short). If you do choose to buy the textbook, he allows you to buy even very old versions of it, which you can find online for under $10.
My grade in this class was an A+

Professor Margot is phenomenal! He's one of the most amazing professors I had at UCLA so far. He makes ESS9 very reasonable, especially for North Campus majors. As a South Campus major (physics), the first half of the course was review of basic properties of nature from your average high school science class (Ex: What is science vs. what isnt?, atoms, light, Newton's Laws, etc.) But I still went to lecture since Professor Margot is a brilliant lecturer. He posts his lecture slides night before which definitely help. Even if you already know and understand, he is definitely able to captivate you... especially with the demo's. If you're a North Campus major and have forgotten all your basic science, don't fear! Professor Margot usually has multiple demos per lecture to help you understand the concepts. The second half of the curriculum was spent applying the principles of nature we learned from the first half of the quarter to understand the planets and our solar system. This way, Professor Margot shed light on properties of celestial bodies without having you memorize rote facts. Because he thoroughly explains the underlying principles, facts that you should know become logical. In addition, our TA (Sebastiano Padovan) was awesome! Attending discussion sections was mandatory since we had weekly quizzes consisting of 4 questions at the end of section. Quizzes, in-class midterm, and final were all very reasonable. Sebastiano did a great job with helping us understand key concepts that may have been briefly touched in lecture using "labs" (aka. worksheets). Perhaps the only drawback for North Campus majors are the little math that was involved. But honestly, you will see math in any physical science course. But dont worry since the scariest math you will see is your multiplication tables on your homework. Homework was always pretty simple. I usually started homework about 30 minutes before it was due every week and always finished on time.

Overall, Professor Margot was amazing! Great lecturer/professor! (His research is also quite fascinating and definitely relevant to the course!) If I had the opportunity, I'd definitely take him again. Took this class for fun and I don't regret it! Final Grade: A+

He's a great professor but its not as easy as the way people before me saying this is a really easy class. I got a 52 and 50 on my midterm and final (both slightly below the mean), aced all the quizzes and hw and ended up with a B-. This isn't an easy GE class like people say. If you are interested in astronomy, this is a great class to take but be warned about what grade you get.

SELLING textbook for Earth and Space Sciences 9:

"The Cosmic Perspective: The Solar System"
Authors: Bennett, Donahue, Schneider, Voit

There's no markings or high lightings in the book. The edges are a little worn but it's in good condition.

Message me at aluchay@ucla.edu if you're interested!

This is a super easy GE... Easy A!

Professor Margot is an excellent lecturer. He is very passionate and his lectures are fun. This course was easy, just basic biology, geology, and astronomy. TA's were excellent too. The textbook is not necessary, as the tests are based on the lectures. The book is a great read, but you'll be fine with a PDF or not buying it at all if you don't want to spend +$100 for it.
The homework and classwork is really easy, and is given every week by the TA during discussion, where the TA goes over the material discussed in the lecture. And there is a midterm and final of course.