This class is a bit complicated I have to say–it requires the ability to really visualize concepts which is a bit of struggle. This class consists of:

2 midterms - the first one is more information based where as the second is more about the understanding of concepts (labeling, drawing). Midterms will consist of a couple true/false questions, some free response questions– labeling, defining, and drawing.

Lab exercises - these will be hard–genuinely–my friends and I literally stuck to our TA's side for the entirety of lab towards the end of the quarter. In fact, to this day I cannot look at a stereonet without getting flashbacks.

Presentation - you're going to choose a paper about a geologic feature and present on it to your class ( if you don't want to present in front of a large group–choose a time towards the end of the presentation period).

Final examination - this will be stressful, I suggest going through the goals for each slide deck and really understanding things conceptually.

TLDR: You will learn how to map with your class, you might freeze, you will definitely slip, and you will definitely consider getting a headlamp.

I did enjoy this class, you will learn the foundations of geologic mapping and you will bond with people within your department. But while I did enjoy this course, many people in this class have been accused of academic dishonesty especially with the final mapping project.

This class consists of:

- 1 midterm - Kevin provides goals for each unit, and it's best to go over these one by one and make sure you understand them.
- several lab assignments: these are a little difficult, but do not despair (everyone will be confused). I highly recommend getting help from the TA and not dwelling on it, there are a couple of these so one bad score won't ruin your grade.
- a final - about the same difficulty as the first midterm. Study the goals and be prepared to remember specific things like geologic symbols and the rule of v's
- a mapping exam - you will complete this on your second weekend in Rainbow Basin and you will be miserable, and you might give up–but just draw what you see and you'll be fine I swear
- a final mapping project - this one is for all of the marbles. Mapping Rainbow Basin is a rite of passage that we all have the misfortune/fortune of completing and you will be better for it. Kevin is a bit nitpicky about academic honesty and I have heard of students getting reported for trivial things like "similar colors" and similar notation so I'm just going to say that you should NOT work on your maps in the presence of others. In fact, DON'T EVEN BREATHE in the direction of someone else's map.

One of the greatest professors I had at UCLA. He is very clear and understands that it is an introductory class filled with students who are trying to fulfill GE req, especially those students from non-STEM backgrounds. He is always willing to help through email, office hours (both regular office hours and 1-on-1 appointments if those hours don't work), and through review Zoom sessions before exams. He is very clear and teaches extremely well. His class made me interested in earthquakes and natural stuff that I never knew I would be interested in. Even though it has been more than half a year since I took this class, I still know why earthquakes in LA is much less harmful than those in Japan. The lab sessions is also very important, but if your TA is chill, it won't effect your grade so much unless you slack off significantly.

Grade breakdown:
- Midterm exam #1 = 15%
- Midterm exam #2 = 15%
- Weekly laboratory exercises (total) = 25%
- Homework (total) = 10%
- Popular Science Book Presentation Project = 15%
- Final exam = 20%

I would definitely recommend this class for those who need to fulfill lab-credit science GE.

Kevin is an excellent lecturer, and his engaging teaching style made this class highly enjoyable. His enthusiasm and expertise significantly enhanced the learning experience. However, there are several structural aspects of the course that could be improved to enhance student understanding and retention of the material.

Firstly, the course is structured in a way that begins with the present day and moves backward in time. While this unconventional approach initially seems intriguing and aligns well with the field trip (which was incredibly fun and educational), it ultimately proves to be confusing. The backward progression is counterintuitive because cause and effect naturally move forward in time. As a result, the sequence of historical and geological events becomes jumbled, making it difficult to form a coherent understanding of the material.

Another issue is the heavy reliance on student presentations. While peer-led presentations can be valuable, the quality and effectiveness of these presentations vary widely. Some students deliver excellent presentations that enhance understanding, but many others fall short, leading to gaps in knowledge and a fragmented grasp of the sequence of events. This inconsistency makes it challenging to develop a comprehensive understanding of historical and regional geology.

To address these issues, I believe the course would benefit greatly from Kevin taking on a more central role in lecturing. If Kevin delivered the majority of the content, the course would be far more cohesive and structured, significantly enhancing our grasp of the material. Additionally, if student presentations remain a component of the course, it would be beneficial for Kevin to meet with each student a week or two before their presentation. This quality control step would ensure that the presentations meet a certain standard and are effective in conveying the necessary information.

Overall, I still enjoyed this class and would recommend it. Learnt a lot of cool things but I really wish I had learnt more.

Though this class was a major requirement (so I really had no choice), if I could go back, I'd take it again and again. Kevin is an extremely passionate, outgoing person and both of these attributes made his lectures extremely entertaining.

The workload of the course was extremely light: There were weekly lab assignments for the first 7 weeks which often only took 1 hour out of the 2 hour lab time to complete; 4 total homework assignments which often only involved looking at Google Earth, watching short videos, and answering multiple-choice questions; a quarter-long project in which you chose a popular science book to read and present to your lab section in the final week; and of course two midterms and a final exam (all of which were entirely MCQ).

The course content was, in my opinion, very fascinating as we sruveyed numerous earth-science related subjects without getting bogged down in the nitty gritty.

If you have the oppurtunity to take this class with Kevin, I would HIGHLY recommend!

I took this class kind of for fun becasue I heard that you get to spend two weekends out in the desert. As someone who loves the outdoors, I was like why not! Turned out to be a good decision overall because I learnt so much about Geology through this class. For this class, even though EPS SCI 1 is a pre-req, Kevin taught it assuming you did not know anything which was great becasue that was my situation. Kevin is such an engaging lecturer and definitely one of the best teachers I have ever had in my life. You can just feel his passion for the subject matter and he is so approachable. He will always make time for you to answer any questions you may have. The field trips were also incredibly fun and everything kind of just clicked after that. The objective of the trips was to create a geologic map (hence the title) so be warned that it is not that easy and does take a lot of effort on your part. The tests were relatively straightforward and goal based so it was easy to study for them. There were also weekly labs which were challenging but are essential for you to be able to make the map again. A very rewarding expereince and definitely something I will take away as a great memory from college.