The content of this class is amazing, for learning about other cultures gives great perspective and is so necessary for understanding our place in the world. However, Roberts' lectures are not amazing, in my humble opinion. I prefer a class that has a definite lesson plan, with lectures that directly discuss the readings at hand- I do not feel as though Roberts did this. I'm not asking to have my hand held through a class, but I should at least be able to get decent notes from each class. Roberts is so insistent on the importance of the teacher/student contract, that students must uphold their end of the contract, however he failed me on his end of the contract- which is simply delivering lectures that result in good notes! His lectures are exhausting to listen to, as he tends to ramble about things and adds too much unnecessary information that detracts from the discussion. Roberts means well and always brings treats to class- which is such a plus because it helped distract me from how frustrating his lectures were. If you want to listen to a dad talk about his good old days, what his son is doing during his gap year, and other anecdotes that make it almost impossible to take good notes- this is the class for you!

I took the Myth Magic and Mind class this past Spring 2012 and it was by far one of the most engaging classes I have taken at UCLA. Although many people on this forum accuse Prof. Roberts of not answering questions and rambling during lecture, I feel that if you actually came to class with SPECIFIC questions and did the reading prior to lecture you wouldn't be stuck feeling as if he was not babysitting you throughout the course and talked about nonsense. Do the reading, come prepared (and early since he starts right off the bat) and really practice for the exams and research paper.

There was a midterm (30%) a final (30%) and a research paper (30%) with the additional 10% for class participation. I found lecture interesting, fun and engaging because Prof. Roberts would bring in an artifact from the reading and pass it around so it made everything super interesting to read about it and then actually see it for yourself. The exams were 60 minutes each, by far the greatest challenge since the information is at times dense and the exam is essay questions and short answer. It's A LOT of reading and sometimes can feel like too much but manage your time and be very serious about this class. Its rewarding, fun and challenging (exactly what you are all here for at UCLA) so be excited and all will be well.
ps- great, fair grader.