Professor Terraciano is a really good professor. I went to his office hours a couple of times, and he went over the material he covered in lecture, which was very helpful. He is very approachable, and really cares about his student's learning. He replies to emails really quickly and thoroughly- he'll answer all your questions and even add more information. The tests were very fare, there is one midterm and one final, both worth 50% of your grade, but he takes attendance so if you attend regularly, I am pretty sure he gives you extra credit. The tests were matching and then one essay. The only hard part for me was the matching because it is mostly indigenous terms. If you pay attention in class, briefly read the books and the readings he assigns, you'll do great in this class. I spent very little time in this class, and managed to get an A. I would definitely recommend taking him.

Professor Terraciano is the best professor I have had the pleasure of learning from in my 3+ years here at UCLA. Testing and grading is fairly straightforward, but the guy is a champion lecturer, extremely passionate about the history of Latin America and the people there, and his classes will leave you with a newfound respect for Latin America, his ability as a professor, and our university.

I took both 8A during my freshman year rand 157B recently. Pay attention in lecture, know the primary sources very well, cram the terms (although you won't have to if you pay attention in lecture), and you'll easily get an A. And that's how college should be, right? His classes aren't easy, but his teaching style encourages you to be engaged and follow along with the course. That is the mark of an effective professor. Many others at UCLA could learn a ton by sitting in on just one of Professor Terraciano's classes.