Professor
Teofilo Ruiz
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Most Helpful Review
I took this class online during the Summer, because I wanted to see what all the fuss about Ruiz was about. I must say, taking his class in 6 weeks was one of the most challenging experiences I've ever had. It was a painstaking amount of reading. They assigned 6 books that had to be read in 6 weeks, plus extra online readings; I don't know how, but I got an A- without reading a single book, other than a few chapters from two of the textbooks, and a summarized version of another. Every Friday, there were two mini essay reports due based on lectures and readings, a 5-page midterm, and an 8-page final. I wish I would've taken this class during the normal school year in 10 weeks, as I know I would've been able to enjoy it much more. About the class itself: I normally don't care much for history, but I must say that the reviews about Teo are very accurate... Yes, he teaches you about life itself, he will change your outlook on things, he teaches with an incomparable passion (Remember, I'm writing all this having only seen him on a video lecture; imagine what he's like in real life). I HIGHLY recommend taking him during the 10-week quarter.
I took this class online during the Summer, because I wanted to see what all the fuss about Ruiz was about. I must say, taking his class in 6 weeks was one of the most challenging experiences I've ever had. It was a painstaking amount of reading. They assigned 6 books that had to be read in 6 weeks, plus extra online readings; I don't know how, but I got an A- without reading a single book, other than a few chapters from two of the textbooks, and a summarized version of another. Every Friday, there were two mini essay reports due based on lectures and readings, a 5-page midterm, and an 8-page final. I wish I would've taken this class during the normal school year in 10 weeks, as I know I would've been able to enjoy it much more. About the class itself: I normally don't care much for history, but I must say that the reviews about Teo are very accurate... Yes, he teaches you about life itself, he will change your outlook on things, he teaches with an incomparable passion (Remember, I'm writing all this having only seen him on a video lecture; imagine what he's like in real life). I HIGHLY recommend taking him during the 10-week quarter.
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Most Helpful Review
Fall 2022 - This was my favorite class I took during my very first quarter at UCLA. Teo is an incredible lecturer and has a fascinating life story. Lectures are recorded and posted online in a timely manner, but this isn't a class you'll want to skip. The workload is pretty light. There are three assignments for this class: a midterm due week 4, a second midterm due week 7 and a final exam. These are all essays, but the second midterm can be substituted for a performance based on the class materials during finals week. There are also weekly readings which are discussed in section every week, and participation and attendance are counted towards your grade. The readings aren't totally necessary for weekly discussion, but they're quite helpful when writing the essays. If you go to the Undergraduate Writing Center for essay feedback/help, you can get extra credit! I have always loved history, but I'm sure that those who don't have a natural affinity for the topic will also have lots to gain from taking this class.
Fall 2022 - This was my favorite class I took during my very first quarter at UCLA. Teo is an incredible lecturer and has a fascinating life story. Lectures are recorded and posted online in a timely manner, but this isn't a class you'll want to skip. The workload is pretty light. There are three assignments for this class: a midterm due week 4, a second midterm due week 7 and a final exam. These are all essays, but the second midterm can be substituted for a performance based on the class materials during finals week. There are also weekly readings which are discussed in section every week, and participation and attendance are counted towards your grade. The readings aren't totally necessary for weekly discussion, but they're quite helpful when writing the essays. If you go to the Undergraduate Writing Center for essay feedback/help, you can get extra credit! I have always loved history, but I'm sure that those who don't have a natural affinity for the topic will also have lots to gain from taking this class.
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Most Helpful Review
Winter 2021 - What can I say about Teo that hasn't already been said? He's a master lecturer, a true OG Professor. He is so sweet and his lectures are so engrossing. He's old school so he doesn't use slides, but try to write down as much as he can cause he's got so many words of wisdom. This particular Fiat Lux I took was on Plato's Republic, and I could listen to him talk about Greek history for hours. It's as if he's sitting on an armchair and cracking open this very old volume of history's secrets and reading from it aloud. Lovely lovely man, visit him in Office Hours.
Winter 2021 - What can I say about Teo that hasn't already been said? He's a master lecturer, a true OG Professor. He is so sweet and his lectures are so engrossing. He's old school so he doesn't use slides, but try to write down as much as he can cause he's got so many words of wisdom. This particular Fiat Lux I took was on Plato's Republic, and I could listen to him talk about Greek history for hours. It's as if he's sitting on an armchair and cracking open this very old volume of history's secrets and reading from it aloud. Lovely lovely man, visit him in Office Hours.
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