This class is an easy A if you do your part. You need to memorize a sizeable amount of information, but it is pure memorization. On the midterm, I got a 92% and the mean was 85%, so I already knew I was on track for an A. The lab portion of the grade is an easy A as long as you participate at least once per discussion, do the bare minimum on the group project, and you do the 2-3 worksheets assigned throughout the quarter. I got bailed by not taking the final because I think I would have gotten a B+ on it and maybe ended with an A- instead of an A for my final grade. However, I might just be underestimating myself so just believe in yourself! Professor Gillespie is such a character! He made this class so great I actually looked forward to going to lecture, which is out of the norm for me. He is an amazing professor who gives easy tests as long as you memorize simple and straightforward information. I suggest you guys make a collaborative study guide through the discussion section on CCLE like my class did so you can answer the study guide questions as quickly as possible in order to have more than enough time to study for the midterm and final. All in all, I'd rate this class 10/10! No regrets!

This was one of the best classes I have taken at UCLA! Prof Gillespie was the most engaging prof I have ever had and I attended every lecture bc I legit wanted to. Class is super easy, he offered extra credit for ppl that got below a 70 on the midterm, and altered the class/final in a very fair manner due to the TA strike. Lectures were not recorded but slides are posted, however it’s helpful and fun to be in class. He often ended lectures early and lab rarely took the full 2 hrs. You have a super easy group project, mandatory lab sections a midterm, and a final and that’s it. Wish I could take it again!

All in all, I enjoyed this class. Dr. Gillespie is a funny guy who is super passionate about the material he teaches. As previous reviews have mentioned, he does enjoy ragging on Trump, but he does so purposefully, since he spends a lot of time discussing the state of our environment and energy sources and what we should do to preserve them. Class does end fairly early, and it can be quite common for lecture to end with 20 minutes left to spare or more. There is a midterm and a group project, and they did require some work but I did well on both of them. The final exam was cancelled due to the coronavirus outbreak, so he and the TAs decided to give everyone a 95 on it to make up for all the chaos. As nice as it was to end the class on that note, I wish the class went into more depth about environmental controversies in Los Angeles, especially during the city's development. Overall, would recommend.

While I needed this class for my major, I would recommend it to anyone needing a lab GE, a GPA boost, or some time off. Professor Gillespie often admits that this is one of the easiest classes at UCLA, and he's absolutely correct. Lectures are funny, easy to digest, and reliably end at least 20-30 minutes early. The study guides DR G gives out are very helpful. While the textbook isn't really essential, it's an easy read, it's the basis for a few questions on each exam, and you can use any edition (I got mine for $7 on Amazon). Lab attendance is mandatory. Lab activities include drawing maps, nature walks, and watching movies. It's a fun time- all UCLA students should take this class.

selling Visualizing Environmental Science for cheap. hmu **********

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Super straightforward class and Professor is interesting lecturer. A lot to memorize for the tests but everything is clearly laid out. Really fun class overall and a good GE

BEST PROFESSOR EVER BEST CLASS EVER TAKE THIS CLASS FOR FUN NOT EVEN FOR A GE

One of the best professors I have had thus far. The professor has a sense of humor, is passionate, understanding, modest (which is rare), cool, and genuinely cares about the students' success in the class. There is a ton of material to memorize, however some of it is already common knowledge and it is also profoundly interesting. He provides study guides that reflect the test to its entirety. For those interested in taking this class, I will give you one question that will be unequivocally on the midterm and final.

How do you say hello in the Tongva language?
miyiiha

This question will be on the midterm and final!!! He managed to tell us at least once every two weeks (which is good). Also, the fact that he cares about the people who inhabited the Los Angeles region tells you already how compassionate and invested he is.

If I could recommend any GE it would be this one. First of all, Gillespie is one of the coolest and more entertaining professors out there. Like I genuinely loved hearing this man speak every morning. There is virtually no work in this class (no textbook, reading, papers, etc) outside of what you complete during your lab time. And the labs are more like discussions with field trips to the botanical gardens. To pass the midterm and the final i'd argue you just need to pay attention during lectures and be good at memorization. To be fair, I had already taken AP Environmental Science before this class and to be honest because of that I already knew 80% of the information so to be fair it may be a little harder if you don't have that background.