Review posted on Wed 10 Jun 2009
Course(s) Taken: Geography: 135

I agree with the review below. Carney ain't so hot. She really thinks her opinion of the state of Africa and how to fix it is the only thing that matters. Lectures consist of her just repeating, every week, on how everyone who does stuff for Africa is wrong.

That being said, I thought some of the topics she mentioned were interesting (though I didn't appreciate her interrupting these topics with her random "fight the power" rantings). She's a cool person but GAH. Come on.

The class was okay. 3 hour lecture is pushing it, though, even with a quick break. My notes all tend to look good for the first half and consist of doodles for the second half. The exams were pretty straightforward, with a good mix of definitions, multiple choice, essays. Gotta do the readings and watch the films shown in lecture though, to write a decent and acceptable essay. Oh, and you gotta agree with Carney's opinions. Of course.

Review posted on Tue 24 Mar 2009
Course(s) Taken: Geography: 136

Geography 135

I am incredibly surprised by the positive evaluations of Professor Carney. She is a windbag, know it all, blowhard, who thinks its her job to harangue students about how evil the US is and how we should all care about Africa. I didn't learn anything substantial whatsoever in that class. If you already love Africa and plan on being an NGO or human rights worker there, then this is the class for you. If you're anyone else, STAY AWAY!!! It's boring and the lectures are disjointed and scattered. She also has a very high (undeservedly so in my opinion) opinion of herself that gets on the nerves after a couple weeks. STAY AWAY, DONT BE FOOLED BY THE OTHER REVIEWS!!!!!

Review posted on Wed 25 Jun 2008
Course(s) Taken: geog 132, 135

I Highly recommend Professor Carney. She is one of my top 3 of the best UCLA professors I've taken. Like the other reviews have said, she's always got a smile - until she starts worrying if the class isn't getting the material or if they're not contributing. She likes to open up the class for discussion every now and then, which is neat and shows she cares about what we may have to offer. She is so passionate and tries to convey the material in a way that appeals to everyone. The readings are interesting and help to build a solid understanding of the subject matter. On the tests: Carney reiterates certain themes and with her style you can almost predict what's gonna come up. My only gripe is that her tests were often too long for the hour of class time we had! write fast!

Review posted on Fri 23 Jun 2006
Course(s) Taken: Geography: 132

This course is not difficult at all, in fact it's very interesting about a modern topic in America, food! Prof. Carney expands on this topic thoroughly and enthusiastically and emphasizes on what concepts we should focus on for exams. She is a professor that actually believes in the student! I was about to change my mind in continuing the class, simply because of my weekness in geography, but she convinced me that I could do it.

Review posted on Wed 07 Jun 2006
Course(s) Taken: 132, 135, 233

Obviously I have taken a few courses with Professor Carney, which should indicate how much I enjoy learning from her. After reading a few reviews I can concur with a few of the comments: she does walk into the classroom with a huge smile every class, she has a positive outlook, she is determined to motivate her students, and she is undoubtedly inspirational. Although I have heard a number of comments about the 132 course not being as good as the 135 course, I would simply state that they are meant to be different; one is on Africa and the other is on the environment and agricultural systems. She is passionate about Africa, and she attempts not to overwhelm those who have taken her Africa course with the same reading and lecture material. The 132 class is equally as interesting, however the topic is a little more general. For all that I have learned from Professor Carney, I am sincerely grateful and appreciative.

Review posted on Fri 09 Jul 2004
Course(s) Taken: Geography: 135

Prof. Carney is truly inspirational. She knows a lot and does go through the material fast, but use your common sense to pick out what is important. She even gave us a take home final! Take this class- it's worth it, and aside from the readings (which aren't even that crucial to the test), this class is not a lot of work.

Review posted on Tue 15 Jun 2004
Course(s) Taken: None

Professor Carney is one of the reasons UCLA is a great university! Carney is a professor that is full of compassion, wit and intelligence. I took Geog 135 and Geog 132 and I've enjoyed every minute. She does tend to cover a lot of information in class, but if you're genuinely interested in the developing world, such as in Africa, you will enjoy her classes.

Review posted on Mon 14 Jun 2004
Course(s) Taken: Geography: 132

Professor Carney is a wonderful teacher and a wonderful person. She always walks into class with a huge smile on her face and seems like she is just bursting to tell you about whatever subject she has planned for the day. Her lectures are sometimes a little hard to follow but she reinforces the important themes (things on the tests) over and over again and as long as you go to lecture and keep up with readings you will do well. She likes to know what students think, and the in class discussions are very interesting. She is extremely knowledgeable about everything she teaches and you can tell she really enjoys what she does. She is very kind to students and makes herself available after class for questions and just to talk. I can't wait to take another one of her classes!

Review posted on Wed 15 May 2002
Course(s) Taken: None

Let's just say the lectures were hard to follow because it was difficult to pick out what was important material from amongst all the ongoing tales of Africa told by Professor Carney. She would zip through topics almost as if she were telling stories and you couldn't tell wich facts to pick out. Readings became very lengthy and yet, played very minimal roles on test questions. The TA seemed "spacey" and didn't seem to have a firm grasp on most concepts. She's be better off aiding in class, but not teachig students.

Review posted on Sat 09 Mar 2002
Course(s) Taken: None

I really enjoyed the subject matter and I really love my TA Marlin. The only complaints I have are the unstructured, unorganized lectures and the speed that Dr. Carney goes during them. She tends to go off on tangents. However, I think it is a worthwhile class and I would reccoment it.