HIST 143A
Constitutional History of U.S.: Origins and Development of Constitutionalism in U.S.
Description: Lecture, three hours; discussion, one hour (when scheduled). Designed for juniors/seniors. Particular emphasis on framing of Federal Constitution in 1787 and its subsequent interpretation. Judicial review, significance of Marshall Court, and effects of slavery and Civil War on Constitution. P/NP or letter grading.
Units: 4.0
Units: 4.0
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Most Helpful Review
Fall 2023 - literally such a terrible prof. u will not get an a on the essays. he is very unfair and will give you a huge prompt with a short word limit. then he will get mad that you didn't elaborate enough. no one got 100s on the essay. the very top was a 98. very tough grader and slides don't have any info. this is not easy do not take it.
Fall 2023 - literally such a terrible prof. u will not get an a on the essays. he is very unfair and will give you a huge prompt with a short word limit. then he will get mad that you didn't elaborate enough. no one got 100s on the essay. the very top was a 98. very tough grader and slides don't have any info. this is not easy do not take it.
Most Helpful Review
Fall 2023 - I was really interested in the subject so that probably helped, but the class only consists of two assignments. 40% midterm and 60% final. They're both short essays but it's hard to effectively cram in all the details and evidence you need with the word limit. I'd recommend going to office hours and getting feedback about the midterm to help for your final.
Fall 2023 - I was really interested in the subject so that probably helped, but the class only consists of two assignments. 40% midterm and 60% final. They're both short essays but it's hard to effectively cram in all the details and evidence you need with the word limit. I'd recommend going to office hours and getting feedback about the midterm to help for your final.
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Most Helpful Review
Overall suggestion: don't, unless you must. Content: in-class midterm and in-class final, both with a mix of multiple choice, short answer, and essay prompts. Moderate difficulty. Lecture: good lord I hated this class. Going into it I enjoyed US history, especially colonial-era. Very unique, very intriguing, very eventful. The course, however, managed to dampen that love for a whole quarter, leaving me a sad, broken man. Lectures are ridiculously fast-paced...I took around 10 pages of notes a lecture, recorded lectures on top of that to fill in what I missed (because typing at 90+ wpm is NOT fast enough to cover more than 2/3 of the GENERAL stuff he brings up), and STILL had tons of gaps in what was covered. Plus, readings involve primary documents, which are pretty rough by themselves, plus a few history texts on top of that, so come crunch time to go over the study guide, you're basically trying to pour a gallon of milk into a shot glass. Too much information to be invested in any one thing, so it just becomes a matter of retaining what you think the prof thinks is important, and regurgitating what he says. I ended up with a B- in that class, and that's after contesting a grade I got from one of the readers over some comments that, in hindsight, surprisingly makes me more irritated now then I was back then. There was a dispute over me wording a short answer question "properly"...I was given credence that what I said was indeed true and correct, but because I didn't *word* it in the terms that he and the readers agreed upon, he didn't change the grade. It was a situation where it would have boosted a grade from a B- to a B, and in the big picture, am I going to survive? Yes. Still, it's really annoying to have, and this is still the lowest grade I've gotten at UCLA. Second instance, however, of a prof telling me "yes, you are correct, buuuuut I'm still going to side with the readers' grade"
Overall suggestion: don't, unless you must. Content: in-class midterm and in-class final, both with a mix of multiple choice, short answer, and essay prompts. Moderate difficulty. Lecture: good lord I hated this class. Going into it I enjoyed US history, especially colonial-era. Very unique, very intriguing, very eventful. The course, however, managed to dampen that love for a whole quarter, leaving me a sad, broken man. Lectures are ridiculously fast-paced...I took around 10 pages of notes a lecture, recorded lectures on top of that to fill in what I missed (because typing at 90+ wpm is NOT fast enough to cover more than 2/3 of the GENERAL stuff he brings up), and STILL had tons of gaps in what was covered. Plus, readings involve primary documents, which are pretty rough by themselves, plus a few history texts on top of that, so come crunch time to go over the study guide, you're basically trying to pour a gallon of milk into a shot glass. Too much information to be invested in any one thing, so it just becomes a matter of retaining what you think the prof thinks is important, and regurgitating what he says. I ended up with a B- in that class, and that's after contesting a grade I got from one of the readers over some comments that, in hindsight, surprisingly makes me more irritated now then I was back then. There was a dispute over me wording a short answer question "properly"...I was given credence that what I said was indeed true and correct, but because I didn't *word* it in the terms that he and the readers agreed upon, he didn't change the grade. It was a situation where it would have boosted a grade from a B- to a B, and in the big picture, am I going to survive? Yes. Still, it's really annoying to have, and this is still the lowest grade I've gotten at UCLA. Second instance, however, of a prof telling me "yes, you are correct, buuuuut I'm still going to side with the readers' grade"
Most Helpful Review
Professor Tooney tends to lecture in a monotone manner which leads to many falling asleep or leaving class early. He puts the slides on the class website which basically means coming to class to hear him read them to you is not necessary. The class was comprised of a midterm (30%) and final (70%). Although I do have to credit the professor for being very flexible with makeups or rescheduling exams that have a time conflict. If you don't mind being bored, take this class and you should do fine with reading the slides and minimal reading.
Professor Tooney tends to lecture in a monotone manner which leads to many falling asleep or leaving class early. He puts the slides on the class website which basically means coming to class to hear him read them to you is not necessary. The class was comprised of a midterm (30%) and final (70%). Although I do have to credit the professor for being very flexible with makeups or rescheduling exams that have a time conflict. If you don't mind being bored, take this class and you should do fine with reading the slides and minimal reading.
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