Professor
Hector Calderon
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Most Helpful Review
Winter 2023 - I would 100% recommend taking Calderon. I loved all the novels he had us read. He also dedicates 3 lectures for each book to have analysis as a class. I would say taking notes during class will help with the two midterms. He is always willing to answer any questions and is super nice.
Winter 2023 - I would 100% recommend taking Calderon. I loved all the novels he had us read. He also dedicates 3 lectures for each book to have analysis as a class. I would say taking notes during class will help with the two midterms. He is always willing to answer any questions and is super nice.
Most Helpful Review
I took Calderon in Fall '08 and he's probably the worst professor I've had at UCLA so far. Basically, he's really flaky-he took a good 3 weeks to grade our midterms and it's the 2nd week of Winter quarter now and I have yet to receive my grade for Fall. It's been almost 5 weeks since we took the final. He just didn't bother to turn it in. He told us we could e-mail him questions about our term papers and then he didn't bother to respond to them. Besides the grading fiasco, he just doesn't seem to care too much about teaching. Our lectures almost always ended about an hour early, which of course I don't really mind, but it just shows his lack of enthusiasm and dedication. Also, he has an air of arrogance about him. He constantly name-drops and talks about the prestigious universities he's attended and taught at and is pretty rude and condescending to his students. Obviously, I didn't have a great experience in his class and I definitely would not recommend him.
I took Calderon in Fall '08 and he's probably the worst professor I've had at UCLA so far. Basically, he's really flaky-he took a good 3 weeks to grade our midterms and it's the 2nd week of Winter quarter now and I have yet to receive my grade for Fall. It's been almost 5 weeks since we took the final. He just didn't bother to turn it in. He told us we could e-mail him questions about our term papers and then he didn't bother to respond to them. Besides the grading fiasco, he just doesn't seem to care too much about teaching. Our lectures almost always ended about an hour early, which of course I don't really mind, but it just shows his lack of enthusiasm and dedication. Also, he has an air of arrogance about him. He constantly name-drops and talks about the prestigious universities he's attended and taught at and is pretty rude and condescending to his students. Obviously, I didn't have a great experience in his class and I definitely would not recommend him.
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Most Helpful Review
NOTE: I ACTUALLY TOOK SPANISH 155 I think Calderon is a good professor. He only takes half the class time, and lets the class out an hour early every day (seriously, how awesome is that?). He chooses interesting books and there is no work required besides reading and being engaged in class. You will do well on essays if you use what he says (and thinks!) in your themes. He can be a little bit boring to listen to, and often he would spend an entire hour talking about the author's history, which sometimes seemed irrelevant but he did end up tying it in. The absolute COOLEST thing about Calderon is that he knows like all of the Chicano Narrative authors he teaches. They come in for a Q&A after we've read their novel. I haven't had any other teachers make that kind of effort for student learning before.
NOTE: I ACTUALLY TOOK SPANISH 155 I think Calderon is a good professor. He only takes half the class time, and lets the class out an hour early every day (seriously, how awesome is that?). He chooses interesting books and there is no work required besides reading and being engaged in class. You will do well on essays if you use what he says (and thinks!) in your themes. He can be a little bit boring to listen to, and often he would spend an entire hour talking about the author's history, which sometimes seemed irrelevant but he did end up tying it in. The absolute COOLEST thing about Calderon is that he knows like all of the Chicano Narrative authors he teaches. They come in for a Q&A after we've read their novel. I haven't had any other teachers make that kind of effort for student learning before.
Most Helpful Review
Spring 2020 - Summary of this class: You read works of Mexican literature (and also a Mexican screenplay). There are only 2 grades; midterm 1 and midterm 2, equally weighted (50-50). Both of the midterms contained 2 essays each. Each essay could be 5 pages max. The essay questions were very difficult, and even more difficult if you didn't take good notes in lecture. When I was writing the essays, I was frustrated and often didn't know what to write. But, I pulled through, found some good points to support my thesis and wrote them down. And I did very well (straight A's)! Can't say the same for the rest of the class though... I'm not sure what he looks for in his grading because it appears I never did anything wrong! Anyways. Overall I recommend. Here's a great professor and funny too. Side note: I took his class online during corona time.
Spring 2020 - Summary of this class: You read works of Mexican literature (and also a Mexican screenplay). There are only 2 grades; midterm 1 and midterm 2, equally weighted (50-50). Both of the midterms contained 2 essays each. Each essay could be 5 pages max. The essay questions were very difficult, and even more difficult if you didn't take good notes in lecture. When I was writing the essays, I was frustrated and often didn't know what to write. But, I pulled through, found some good points to support my thesis and wrote them down. And I did very well (straight A's)! Can't say the same for the rest of the class though... I'm not sure what he looks for in his grading because it appears I never did anything wrong! Anyways. Overall I recommend. Here's a great professor and funny too. Side note: I took his class online during corona time.
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Spring 2024 - Easily the worst class I have taken at UCLA. If I could put a negative score for clarity I would. The work is easy with the entire class being two midterms. Each midterm is a three hour timed test where you have to answer 2 essay prompts that are released at the same time the test is opened. The professor knows what he wants but is terrible at conveying that. On the first day when asked how long each essay response was he told us he does not see pages he sees paragraphs, and then went on to show examples in which they were all three pages exactly in length. Every lecture is just him talking in circles for 30 minutes not making sense and right when you think he is about to make a point he moves on to the next subject. Worst professor I have ever had but if you want an easy grade and be confused after every class take this class.
Spring 2024 - Easily the worst class I have taken at UCLA. If I could put a negative score for clarity I would. The work is easy with the entire class being two midterms. Each midterm is a three hour timed test where you have to answer 2 essay prompts that are released at the same time the test is opened. The professor knows what he wants but is terrible at conveying that. On the first day when asked how long each essay response was he told us he does not see pages he sees paragraphs, and then went on to show examples in which they were all three pages exactly in length. Every lecture is just him talking in circles for 30 minutes not making sense and right when you think he is about to make a point he moves on to the next subject. Worst professor I have ever had but if you want an easy grade and be confused after every class take this class.
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