I took this my first quarter at UCLA and I thought it was pretty easy. The lectures are very surface level and it was about animals and the environment, the class is about memorizing basically. The lab section was an absolute joke though, learned nothing, but easy points. I feel like I had somewhat of a unique experience though since my TA left halfway through the quarter so she lightened up on the lab assignments. So it was easy, but not the easiest. We had a final presentation on an extinct animal and a multiple choice final and midterm. Pay attention to the little reviews that she does during class before the tests, she basically gives you all the answers then. Be sure to pay attention in class and take notes and you will do well!! We also talked about current events in the beginning of every class which was interesting.

I enrolled in this class because I was very interested in learning about the history of Los Angeles, especially as someone who did not grow up in the area. I enjoyed the opportunity to explore the city, and the mandatory field trip was a highlight. However, I found the course content to be somewhat disorganized, and lectures sometimes went off topic, which made it hard to follow. While I appreciate the professor’s knowledge, I would likely not take another class with her, as her tone occasionally felt discouraging to students. I also felt like the grading was pretty harsh at times, and it really depended on which TA you had this quarter.

Prof Illes was funny and engaging. The class was very accommodating for remote learning as it was asynchronous, minus weekly quizzes on the lecture material. There were three 3-page papers we had to write about movies in different eras of LA history. The final and midterms were solely based off lecture, multiple choice with one or two short essays and were open note. Overall the class was super interesting and made so much sense as someone who has always lived in Metro LA. This class has forever changed my view of LA and it's history. Thank you!

i love la and she made the cool content of this class clouded in bs. disorganized, condescending, unfunny, and a chore.

Please don't even look at her for GEs, because for 100% of the time, she will screw you over. Class was fine with the help of good TAs and their engagement to try to provide the students with the proper guidance. Other than the TAs, I felt like the Professor would've failed everyone. Taking the test means you should already have consumed all the materials (lecture videos, etc.) she assigned in each module. First midterm average was a D, while the final was a little bit better, around a C. She would not offer students any curve and will NOT give you any chances to help improve your grade unless the whole class begs for it. Save yourself from this one.

This class is not easy. Averages on both the midterm and final were about 65%. The high on the midterm was an 83%. Homework was manageable but tests are a large portion of your grade. You basically have to memorize her lectures to do well on the exams. You also cant take the class pass/fail so would not recommend if you're taking for a GE.

I think this class was really interesting and provided a lot of practical, base-level information on the climate crisis. I would definitely recommend that others take this, because the information in this class is very relevant and important. There isn't too much of a workload, but the online lectures can be long (4-6 lectures per week that are 30-40 minutes long). Her quizzes are kind of difficult so the written exams are usually easier (my TA was more lenient with grading, too). Labs are mandatory attendance and (usually) you can't make them up, but the labs are really easy.

So let me start by saying, I took this class a GE and I really though it was gonna be like an easy GE. This class is on the tougher side and the way to do well on the tests is by attending every lecture and legit writing down everything she says. Some of the questions on the midterm and final are very specific. The labs are very easy and if you can take it with Frida, she is the best. Here is the breakdown for the class.
Labs 20%
Midterm 1: 35%
Final: 35%
Project: 10%
I got a 100% on the labs, 80%, 98% on the project, 80% on the midterm and 96% on the final. The final is also significantly easier than the midterm. The class was super interesting and if you plan on taking this class the best way to do well is to study notes. She also gave an extra credit assignment that saved everyone's grade too. Good thing to know for the Midterm it covered weeks 1-4, and week 5 was the midterm. The final covered only week 6-9 where and week 10 was the final with like 1-2 questions from the midterm. Overall the professor is very engaging and it is a good class. I recommend just study and you will do good.