Pretty easy class overall. The lectures were pretty boring but most of the material was on the slides. There were a few times when things popped up that weren't on the slides, but for the most part if you understand what is going on on a slide then that's what was talked about in the lecture. The homework was easy as long as you went over the lecture material. It pretty much went over what we talked about in lecture and lab and just made sure you understood what we did. The labs were quite fun imo. As other comments said, they give you a step-by-step instruction of what you have to do and they are very helpful in troubleshooting any problems you have. The midterm and final was quite similar to the labs, but it didn't give you the directions and you did have to combine things learned in different labs. It also went into a little bit of the conceptual things so make sure you know why you are doing these labs and what the goal you're trying to achieve is. Overall, this is a fun class, especially if you're into rocks, and I would recommend taking it.

I would recommend taking this class to fulfill the science GE w/lab requirement. The workload wasn't bad at all. There are worksheets assigned during the lab section that you get one week to complete but they're super easy and usually everyone finishes during section. Also every week a short report is due where you pick a video/article from a list and just write a short 3-4 sentence summary.

I think I went to a total of three lectures and was able to finish with an A+. I just made sure to keep up with the lecture slides every week and do the labs/short reports + extra credit. The midterm wasn't too bad, mostly general concepts, and he lets you bring a one page handwritten cheat sheet which definitely helped. The final was harder because he asked some more detailed questions and made you use the equations mentioned in class, so the cheat sheet really helped me because I wrote down every equation and every bit detail about ground slip, rupture, magnitude, etc. about the earthquakes mentioned in the slides.

The grading scale is 30% labs, 30% midterm, 30% final, 10% short reports, and there's an opportunity to go on a field trip for 3% extra credit or to write a short earthquake safety report. He also drops your lowest lab grade.

I never went to lecture but the professor seemed really nice! I would recommend taking this class for a GE because the assignments are really easy/quick to do and you really just need to go over the lecture slides and take a bit of time to make your cheat sheet to do well on the exams. There's also easy extra credit!

Overall an okay elective though not the absolute best or worst.

The lectures were hella boring as they go into the physics and theory of remote sensing. The professor isn't the most engaging speaker, though he is clear and if you pay attention he does give important information. The lectures are mostly helpful in completing the homework, which aren't too long, but if you don't understand the lecture content well, you might have a tough time with completing homework questions.

The labs are the most interesting, and the instructions give you mostly step-by-step instructions on how to do things. You don't technically have to go to lab but it's helpful to ask questions if you get stuck, which you probably will.

The midterm and final are basically doing something like the labs but within a 2 hr window and with less context to walk you through. The midterm especially was a bit daunting when you first look at it cuz you realize that you depended a lot on the step-by-step instructions of the labs, so make sure you somewhat understand how to do different operations and such before coming into exams.

My TA didn't really seem like he knew what he was doing, so I mostly asked the professor for help. Professor Peltzer is helpful, though sometimes he assumes some knowledge is "obvious" as if you were a Geology major, so keep that in mind if you're and ES major taking this as an elective.

I am going to be honest, I hated this class. For a GE, this class was incredibly tedious and advanced. I am not a STEM major, so maybe that is why this class seemed extra difficult. The lectures were incredibly boring and we rarely finished the slides in class. I will say professor Peltzer is a very sweet looking professor. He clearly knows a lot about earthquakes. However, he is one of those professors that knows so much about his content, that it seems he expects we are just as familiar with the material. Most of which I will bet we have never seen before in school. The slides are posted, but there is no audio/video option I am aware of. That can be troubling since some of his slides are just abstract pictures.
The grade breakdown included 1 midterm, 1 final, 7ish labs, 7ish reflections, and an extra credit assignment I believe. The tests were largely memorization based and often queried about random one-off facts that seemed irrelevant. I did finish with an A, but that is only because I am a decent test taker. If you struggle on tests, it will be difficult to feel successful in this class. Definitely not an easy GE.

Peltzer is passionate about this class and is clearly knowledgeable. I went to class up until week 7 when I finally gave in and realized going through the slides in 20 minutes is just as helpful and way more efficient. The actual content is interesting and not very difficult - not the same can be said about the tests. There is one midterm and one final. Both are too hard for a GE. There is a 3% extra credit that requires you to give up one Saturday. However, there is no curve. From some emails, I learned that 6 kids got a 92.4+ but he refused to give any of them an A. In the end, a class like this should translate to an easy A but it did not for me. It may not for others who don’t study excessively for a GE class.

This is a very easy and interesting GE. The professor is nice and understanding. I recommend this class!

While I didn't find the material all that interesting, Gilles was still a fun guy to listen to. He's really nice and knowledgeable and is always willing to talk and explain things. Tests are based on details, details, details!

Professor Peltzer is probably the most caring professor I have had yet at UCLA. He is ALWAYS willing to meet with you, explain concepts, and talk about upcoming exams. The class is not very difficult: the tests are very fair, the labs are easy to finish in the class period, and there is an opportunity for 3 percent extra credit on your overall grade. Honestly, the only reason I can see that people wouldn't do well in this class is because they don't attend: at the end of the quarter, there were only about 40 of 200 students attending regularly. If you don't go, the lecture slides are posted online, but you obviously don't get the same depth of understanding by just reading the notes. Professor Peltzer is a very good lecturer, there is no reason to not go to class! Take this course, you won't regret it :)

Class is sometimes boring but he's a really caring professor. His midterm and labs are easy but the final is a killer. Not the easiest GE.

Overall, if you have another class in mind, take it.
I found this class to be pretty boring, although some parts were of interest since I live in California. The topic is very dry and it is hard to stay focused in class. He says exactly what is on his slides so most students do not attend class. He offers a 3% extra credit through a field trip or paper (one or the other). His final is CUMULATIVE. Also, he designs his test to that the average is about 80%. That means for an A make sure you study hard and memorize all of the slides.