Looking for a good science GE? This class is great. Gillespie really enjoys what he teaches, and it shows. The class is engaging, easy, and the perfect balance to a tough schedule, especially if you know you've got a bunch of tough essay writing next quarter. You'll learn up-to-date thing about how we are affecting the environment. It's very interesting, and I have a textbook if you need one. hipelsiehop@gmail.com

I just completed Geography 5 with Professor Gillespie and he was fantastic! I was not previously interested in geography but he made the class so interesting, I was actually excited to go every day! Gillespie is so funny and clever and really cares about his students. He even allows students that failed his tests to plant trees for extra credit and raises their grades to a C so that it is literally impossible to not pass. However, it is very easy to get a good grade anyway because there are no tricks on the tests: Gillespie gives you study guides that include everything asked on the midterm and final. The final grade consists of one midterm, one final, and a lab grade. In the lab, you have to do a project on an ecosystem but it is very easy as well. I ended up getting 94% on the midterm, 98% on the lab, 100% on the final, and an A+ in the class. If you are looking for an easy and very fun science GE I definitely recommend this class!

You're in for a fun filled quarter if you happen to get into Prof G's class. Gillespie is great at grabbing people's attention and delivering lots of laughs during class time. I actually looked forward to going to lecture, not necessarily because of the material, but the entertaining mannerisms of the professor.

Still, I would still say I got much more out of the class than I expected. At first, Geog 5 seemed like a rehash of AP Enviro Sci, but in fact, the information sticks in my head much better after lecture.

The blog project was easy, so were labs, although they were as some mentioned, a tad boring. We had a fieldtrip to Sage Hill and the Botanical Gardens. I would say you should read the textbook to review on terms before the midterm and finals.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. Professor Gillespie is the BEST. Geography 5 was a great class if you are interested in the environment around you. He is an awesome lecturer and makes lectures go by very quickly (most times ends early as well). First half is all about ecosystems, megafauna, plant species, etc. and second half is more about global warming, GIS, GPS. etc. I regret not attending all lectures and working harder in the class.

I would say this is an EASY and interesting GE class if you know how to study. There is a midterm (50 mc) and a final (50 mc) and in discussion a blog project and some other assignments. The blog you make is extremely elementary... if you know how to research and you take time to make your blog aesthetically pleasing, you will get an A.

I got a C- on the midterm (as I hadn't attended 1 lecture and decided not to study) a B+ on the final (I started going to class and enjoyed it a lot) and an A in discussion which resulted in a B+ for no good effort.

With a tad bit of effort this class is an easy A that will leave you understanding more about the world you live in.

Dr. Gillespie is the most entertaining professor at UCLA. He knows virtually everything about this subject, and you can definitely sense that he is passionate about this field of study.

The breakdown is simple. He has a midterm, lab, and a final. ALL OF WHICH ARE DOABLE TO GET AN A! Put in the work, go to lecture, go to lab, and you'll be fine!

I would advise people to not just take a class because it is easy, but I do recommend taking Geography 5 with Dr. Gillespie simply because he is hilarious and makes a morning class bearable.

Dr. Gillespie is an amazing professor! He keeps your attention throughout the lecture and is incredibly friendly. The class is pretty easy, just go to lecture (he doesn't use power points or record his lecture) take notes and when you get to the midterm and final he gives you a study guide that insures you a good grade if you study. On the midterm you have to accurately draw a world map but if you practice before it isn't too bad. Plus if you go to his office hours to talk about the midterm he will do all he can to give you some points back.

The lab section is pretty boring, its really long and you are never tested on the things you learn. You do have to do one project, make a blog about an ecosystem, but at least my TA was really laid back about it and it was basically a joke. There is one really fun lab that Dr. Gillespie runs where you walk around outside and he hacks at plants with a machete. Awesome.

Definitively take this class for a science GE, you learn a lot and even if geography isn't you thing, the stuff you learn absolutely applies to other fields. Lots of the stuff we talked about coincided with my Global Studies class.

His group project ruined my grade...even though my group dedicated a lot of time and effort to it

One of the best professors I've ever had. Shows how geography is interesting and useful. And he's hilarious.

Professor Gillespie is one of the best professors I've had so far at UCLA. He is extremely funny and makes the whole lecture hall laugh. He likes participation within class, like when he asks his students where is the most tropical place they've visited, etc. He made his lectures actually enjoyable to attend.

The class itself is very, very easy. You have to go to lecture, but they're fun anyways. Write down all the notes and Gillespie's explanations as he writes on the chalkboard. But you do not need to write down every word he says. He makes review sheets for the midterm and final. Simply make flashcards for each term he gives and memorize them. I did not do the reading and I still received an A+. But on the reviews there are reading questions - just look up the terms in the index and find out where it's located and write down the answer. The tests are straight verbatim from his lecture. Flashcards are the best way I believe.

The class overall was very enjoyable, especially the fieldtrip to the CA vegetation on the side of Hitch where he chops down plants with his machete.

I personally hated this course. Not to say the class wasn't easy. I dislike geography in general, and the professor wasn't great, either. Sure, he's fun and entertaining. But it's all rote memorization. Often times he said "Just memorize it. It'll be on the exam." That's really not encouraging me to learn anything. Studing for the midterm and final is a pain because it's all memorizing. I think that's why students like the course: because it's clear what you get tested on. Sure that can be easy, but that's not how I learn.

Sometimes he talks way too fast just to get all the material in lecture, and it can be really annoying eventually, cause you have to constantly write down everything he's saying (He doesn't deliver great notes on the board). You guys don't even need to read the entire book. The professor gives study guides for both midterm and final, and they tell you exactly which book questions he will be asking about, so you only need to read what's pertinent to the questions. Most of the material will come from lecture notes, though. The final exam is on the last day of lecture, which is cool cause that's one less final to worry about in Finals Week.

Also, he's extremely preachy. He tries to apologize for it, but he says something overtly political in EVERY lecture. That may or may not matter- most people on campus are liberal. But it's a bit silly to be tested on safe-sex matters in a geography class. He can be a bit crude as well, often referencing "topless beaches." He likes to be the "gnarly" professor.

Overall, it is a pretty easy class, though. You're graded fairly easily with the labs and Powerpoint presentation. And the professor always gives some sort of extra credit, which makes the class easier than it already is.