POL SCI 10
Introduction to Political Theory
Description: Lecture, three hours; discussion, one hour. Exposition and analysis of selected political theorists and concepts from Plato to the present. P/NP or letter grading.
Units: 5.0
Units: 5.0
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Most Helpful Review
Fall 2018 - This is still one of my favorite classes I have taken here. Panagia is a great lecturer (he also gets points for snazzy dressing and humor), he is really good at explaining and elaborating on the readings. This is one of the few classes where I actually felt like I got genuine extra value from going to lecture as he introduced material and made the readings so much more clear and interesting. I think the content is quite cool to learn about as well and just expands your understanding of the world. That being said, the readings can be quite dense and the assignments were sometimes difficult, but nothing that can't be overcome.
Fall 2018 - This is still one of my favorite classes I have taken here. Panagia is a great lecturer (he also gets points for snazzy dressing and humor), he is really good at explaining and elaborating on the readings. This is one of the few classes where I actually felt like I got genuine extra value from going to lecture as he introduced material and made the readings so much more clear and interesting. I think the content is quite cool to learn about as well and just expands your understanding of the world. That being said, the readings can be quite dense and the assignments were sometimes difficult, but nothing that can't be overcome.
Most Helpful Review
Winter 2024 - Dr. Piano was definitely an interesting professor to have this quarter. She is extremely knowledgeable on the course materials, and it is clear she cares a lot about what she is teaching; but perhaps she does not care as much about the actual students. There were moments where Dr. Piano was quite harsh; she once or twice remarked that we were all “horrible writers” and, in the first few days of the course, went as far as to deny entrance to the classroom to students when they arrived at 2 o’clock or 2:01 (lecture began at 2). She was extremely adamant on no technology (which some people still used), requested that we buy the physical textbooks, and loved taking questions (to a fault—we would not get through all of the lecture material because she let too many people ask questions). The course itself is not difficult—yes, readings were quite long but that was not really her fault. She did only have 10 weeks to cover 8-9 authors who wrote about wildly different concepts, and to her respect, she did a great job. If you can sign up for a PLF session, please do so! It helped so much during the quarter! “Homework” was a weekly discussion post that was very simple to complete and the midterm was a paper. The TA’s were very supportive and also eased the material’s understanding. Overall, Piano honestly did have a great mastery on the topics, but this sometimes made it easier for her to exert her sense of superiority over us. She wasn’t the worst, so don’t get scared off by the reviews. If you can handle lengthy readings and a professor like her, you’ll be fine!
Winter 2024 - Dr. Piano was definitely an interesting professor to have this quarter. She is extremely knowledgeable on the course materials, and it is clear she cares a lot about what she is teaching; but perhaps she does not care as much about the actual students. There were moments where Dr. Piano was quite harsh; she once or twice remarked that we were all “horrible writers” and, in the first few days of the course, went as far as to deny entrance to the classroom to students when they arrived at 2 o’clock or 2:01 (lecture began at 2). She was extremely adamant on no technology (which some people still used), requested that we buy the physical textbooks, and loved taking questions (to a fault—we would not get through all of the lecture material because she let too many people ask questions). The course itself is not difficult—yes, readings were quite long but that was not really her fault. She did only have 10 weeks to cover 8-9 authors who wrote about wildly different concepts, and to her respect, she did a great job. If you can sign up for a PLF session, please do so! It helped so much during the quarter! “Homework” was a weekly discussion post that was very simple to complete and the midterm was a paper. The TA’s were very supportive and also eased the material’s understanding. Overall, Piano honestly did have a great mastery on the topics, but this sometimes made it easier for her to exert her sense of superiority over us. She wasn’t the worst, so don’t get scared off by the reviews. If you can handle lengthy readings and a professor like her, you’ll be fine!
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Most Helpful Review
Took Stats 10 with him - it was his first time teaching it. His lectures were all ppt based, and though he seemed to be engaged with the class, ultimately it felt like he's just reading off the slides and not teaching the concepts. If I hadn't taken AP stats, I would not have understand most of what was presented in class. Course had weekly hw, biweekly labs, two midterms, final - there is no curve! final grade is what it is based on score on all assignments.
Took Stats 10 with him - it was his first time teaching it. His lectures were all ppt based, and though he seemed to be engaged with the class, ultimately it felt like he's just reading off the slides and not teaching the concepts. If I hadn't taken AP stats, I would not have understand most of what was presented in class. Course had weekly hw, biweekly labs, two midterms, final - there is no curve! final grade is what it is based on score on all assignments.
Most Helpful Review
Definitely one of the worst professors I've taken at UCLA. He doesn't really care about you learning anything. I've attended every single lecture, took extensive notes and he gave me a C in the class. He doesn't have the notion of positive feedback, seeing as his criticism on the essays due were: "This concept is wrong" or "Not necessarily true". In addition, when asked if I could go over the grade of the paper in detail, he replied with: "I believe that students lack the expertise and the knowledge of the subject to discuss grades with me" At the same time I was taking an upper division course, and putting in the same amount of work for each class, I received an A in the upper division course, and a C in the lower division course. How does that make sense?
Definitely one of the worst professors I've taken at UCLA. He doesn't really care about you learning anything. I've attended every single lecture, took extensive notes and he gave me a C in the class. He doesn't have the notion of positive feedback, seeing as his criticism on the essays due were: "This concept is wrong" or "Not necessarily true". In addition, when asked if I could go over the grade of the paper in detail, he replied with: "I believe that students lack the expertise and the knowledge of the subject to discuss grades with me" At the same time I was taking an upper division course, and putting in the same amount of work for each class, I received an A in the upper division course, and a C in the lower division course. How does that make sense?
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