Professor
James Gelvin
Most Helpful Review
Fall 2023 - This class was very good as far as GEs go. Professor Gelvin is really knowledgeable and delivers the lectures in a very straightforward manner that I liked. He doesn't use slides so that might be difficult for people who are more visual learners (but he writes uncommon words on the board as he uses them). To succeed in this class, make sure to take very good notes, especially when he starts rattling off lists because it will be really helpful for the final. There a readings for each week, but they pretty much cover the same stuff as the lectures so I would say to do one or the other (I didn't do the readings but I went to almost every lecture and I was fine). But, attendance isn't mandatory so you can get by on not going and just doing the readings. The only assignments in the class are one-page (double spaced) critiques about a reading each week. You then talk about the readings in your discussion. You also have two papers due during each midterm session about a book. As long as you read the book in a timely manner, they aren't too bad. Lastly, the final is a hand-written, in-class essay, but you are given the prompts beforehand. Overall, I would definitely recommend this class as a GE because it isn't took bad, but be warned that it isn't super easy either. You still need to pay attention in class and do well on the papers and exam to get an A.
Fall 2023 - This class was very good as far as GEs go. Professor Gelvin is really knowledgeable and delivers the lectures in a very straightforward manner that I liked. He doesn't use slides so that might be difficult for people who are more visual learners (but he writes uncommon words on the board as he uses them). To succeed in this class, make sure to take very good notes, especially when he starts rattling off lists because it will be really helpful for the final. There a readings for each week, but they pretty much cover the same stuff as the lectures so I would say to do one or the other (I didn't do the readings but I went to almost every lecture and I was fine). But, attendance isn't mandatory so you can get by on not going and just doing the readings. The only assignments in the class are one-page (double spaced) critiques about a reading each week. You then talk about the readings in your discussion. You also have two papers due during each midterm session about a book. As long as you read the book in a timely manner, they aren't too bad. Lastly, the final is a hand-written, in-class essay, but you are given the prompts beforehand. Overall, I would definitely recommend this class as a GE because it isn't took bad, but be warned that it isn't super easy either. You still need to pay attention in class and do well on the papers and exam to get an A.
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Most Helpful Review
Fall 2020 - Gelvin was great! The only work in this class was one reading per week which we'd discuss the next week in our seminar. I feel like I actually learned a lot about the new Middle East and Gelvin was really great at facilitating conversation. He was also pretty funny. Take this fiat lux!
Fall 2020 - Gelvin was great! The only work in this class was one reading per week which we'd discuss the next week in our seminar. I feel like I actually learned a lot about the new Middle East and Gelvin was really great at facilitating conversation. He was also pretty funny. Take this fiat lux!
Most Helpful Review
Apparently I'm cataloged in the minority group as well, but i just wanted to note to incoming Gelvinites that the work this man demands and the grades that he subsequently doles out are definitely not correlated. I am not contesting his value to the UCLA Hist. dept. as a knowledgeable professor in the affairs of the history of the middle east; he is a very intelligent individual. What was disappointing was his complete lack of care for students, as he does not allow protestation of test grades, as, in my case, the TA failed to add up the points correctly and subsequently i found myself in a genre of grade that has been unprecedented for me at UCLA. Guess there is a first time for everything, but he pissed me off enough to leave my first bruin-walk post. Between the combination of his TA's that can't count, his redundant lectures that all seem to focus on the ECONOMIC history of the middle east, and his overinflated ego that leaves the class in awkward silences forcing people he's looking at to laugh, it's a bit much..
Apparently I'm cataloged in the minority group as well, but i just wanted to note to incoming Gelvinites that the work this man demands and the grades that he subsequently doles out are definitely not correlated. I am not contesting his value to the UCLA Hist. dept. as a knowledgeable professor in the affairs of the history of the middle east; he is a very intelligent individual. What was disappointing was his complete lack of care for students, as he does not allow protestation of test grades, as, in my case, the TA failed to add up the points correctly and subsequently i found myself in a genre of grade that has been unprecedented for me at UCLA. Guess there is a first time for everything, but he pissed me off enough to leave my first bruin-walk post. Between the combination of his TA's that can't count, his redundant lectures that all seem to focus on the ECONOMIC history of the middle east, and his overinflated ego that leaves the class in awkward silences forcing people he's looking at to laugh, it's a bit much..
Most Helpful Review
It's obvious I'm an exception because I do NOT like Prof. Gelvin. I actually prefer Prof. Morony over Gelvin, and that alone says a lot. He's condescending and passive aggressive- two characteristics I absolutely hate in a person. He wastes time joking around with students, which is cool, if he's not gonna talk an extra 5 minutes at the end of class to make up for it. We were always let out late and I was consistently late to my next class. His class focuses on the why and how instead of the what. To me, though economy is important in developing the Middle East into what it is today, I don't want every lecture about it. I'm not taking an econ class. His papers are ridiculous. He asks so much for the second one and expects you to answer about 15 questions (5 total questions with 3 sub-questions each) in just a 6 page paper. He's too demanding. The questions on his final are so broad, I don't know how he expects his students to memorize the whole narrative of the M.E. from the 16th century on. If you don't have to take him, don't. But hey, my opinion is obviously the minority so you just might like the class as other people obviously do!
It's obvious I'm an exception because I do NOT like Prof. Gelvin. I actually prefer Prof. Morony over Gelvin, and that alone says a lot. He's condescending and passive aggressive- two characteristics I absolutely hate in a person. He wastes time joking around with students, which is cool, if he's not gonna talk an extra 5 minutes at the end of class to make up for it. We were always let out late and I was consistently late to my next class. His class focuses on the why and how instead of the what. To me, though economy is important in developing the Middle East into what it is today, I don't want every lecture about it. I'm not taking an econ class. His papers are ridiculous. He asks so much for the second one and expects you to answer about 15 questions (5 total questions with 3 sub-questions each) in just a 6 page paper. He's too demanding. The questions on his final are so broad, I don't know how he expects his students to memorize the whole narrative of the M.E. from the 16th century on. If you don't have to take him, don't. But hey, my opinion is obviously the minority so you just might like the class as other people obviously do!
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Most Helpful Review
he is very self indulgent and in the three assignments, basically just wants you to repeat his point of view back to him. three five-six page papers and one ten page final or an in class final dependent on a class vote. the papers cover a lot of information and it was difficult to not exceed page limit but doable. I feel like I learned a lot in this class (history 109b) and really liked his lectures, but there were other people in the class who rolled their eyes every time he opened his mouth so it it subjective.
he is very self indulgent and in the three assignments, basically just wants you to repeat his point of view back to him. three five-six page papers and one ten page final or an in class final dependent on a class vote. the papers cover a lot of information and it was difficult to not exceed page limit but doable. I feel like I learned a lot in this class (history 109b) and really liked his lectures, but there were other people in the class who rolled their eyes every time he opened his mouth so it it subjective.
Most Helpful Review
This guy is a genius, he is really smart, and an organized lecturer whom practically presents an outline of what he wants you to know. You have two papers, and one final (for which we got to vote on for an in class or take home final). He is a funny guy and he gives off an assholish persona which makes him that much funnier, seriously take him you won't regret it!
This guy is a genius, he is really smart, and an organized lecturer whom practically presents an outline of what he wants you to know. You have two papers, and one final (for which we got to vote on for an in class or take home final). He is a funny guy and he gives off an assholish persona which makes him that much funnier, seriously take him you won't regret it!