Decker is terribleeeee lol we always have a joke about how much he sucks. Vavreck and Fink are g's though, I absolutely love them. The class itself is really interesting, don't do the reading though, don't buy the course reader it's $60 and you'll open it once. Super fun and entertaining, would recommend.

Professor Decker is so fucking boring; by the end of the second quarter I hated his lectures with passion. The other professors were somewhat better, specially Fink, but overall the class gets really tiresome by the Winter quarter. However, I would advise sticking with it until the end, as the Spring seminar was quite fun and enjoyable (I took it with Tom, but it is different for every TA and year, so YMMV). Personally, I think it's worth the extra credit.

This is not a review for Professor Decker. This is for the Cluster 60 in general. I decided to take this cluster for its credit (satisfies 4 GE, writing II, diversity, etc). I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS CLASS. Clusters do have the reputation of having a greater workload but it is not the case for this one. I'm so glad that I stuck with this cluster for my freshman year. It's pretty interesting and definitely a GPA booster in my opinion.
It's not the easiest A as you do have to pay attention to lecture, do the readings (at least for the first quarter. I stopped using the course reader after the midterm of fall quarter and was perfectly fine). This class helped me adjust to college along with making new friends and strong bonds with my TA.
Another benefit for this class is that you get priority for Eng Comp 3 (if you need to take it) for your winter/spring quarter. Based on what I heard from my peers, Eng Comp 3 and writing classes general are EXTREMELY hard to get in since everyone needs to take at least one writing class. You won't have to worry about it as you receive your writing II credit during your spring quarter, which is basically a three hour seminar one a week. You also don't have to worry about not getting a class since you are guaranteed enrollment to the course for winter and spring .
I assume that you are reading this review to decide to take this class or not. Well I would like to say TAKE IT because it is extremely rewarding and you won't regret it. I benefited a lot from this class and it satisfied most of my GE requirements as a STEM major.

Don't listen to everyone saying not to sign up for the clusters!!! I am a stem major and totally recommend the history cluster. It was fun and relatively easy. Basically the four different profession rotate giving lectures. Your fall grade consists of the midterm and two papers. Some lectures are suppperrr interesting, (I liked Vavrek and the musicology teacher) but Decker is so boring I stopped going to his lecture. There is very little to no homework at all. Fall quarter you read two books and choose one of them to write an essay on. I actually enjoyed the books we read. The midterm was pretty easy but you get docked off a lot of points for the smallest mistakes. If you have a good TA (shoutout to Leslie) then they will help you get good grades on the papers which will ensure a good grade in the class. Since there is no final for the class I skipped lots of classes after the midterm since all we had left was the Polling Paper which had nothing to do with the lectures. Not sure if winter quarter is just as easy but if you like history I def recommend taking the cluster to knock out a bunch of GEs.

Decker is probably the sweetest but most boring professor I’ve had at UCLA. The dude is a little boring but you manage to get through it. However, again he’s a very nice guy. Would not recommend taking this cluster, take another one if you want the credit. This cluster is an interesting time in history but the faculty is very disorganized in teaching it. As a history major, they do a poor job of keeping it on a time sequence. The class bores you with readings that are too long and focusing on things that are very bland in the Sixties with no time frame whatsoever. Adam Bakr is an awesome TA though, if he’s a TA next year you should Forsure take it.

Okay you guys... I took this cluster Fall 2020-Spring 2021 and I thought I should finally give my thoughts just in case there is a freshman like me who has no idea if this cluster is right for them. I decided to take this cluster by literally winging it, I remember there was literally only one spot left when my enrollment time came. Anyways, after taking this class for a year I would say...... drum roll please.... TAKE THIS CLUSTER. I recommend especially if you were like me and came in with no GE's satisfied. This course is definitely worth it and when I look at my DARS, so many GE's are out of the way. This cluster is especially useful if you are pre-med bc it gets a ton of those GE's out of the way. The workload isn't that bad tbh in 60A you have 2 essays and the same for 60B and 60CW is different for every TA. **Side note I had Sam for my TA and she's the best people were literally fighting over her lmao but def recommend her. She doesn't grade on participation, doesn't grade harshly, and super helpful on essays. For 60CW I took Hanslowe (the seminar on cults) and he grades easy too and participation isn't strict.***

To get to my kinda point...
Take this class not only because of the GE's it gets out of the way but also because you do not have to stress about finding another class that isn't full by the time your enrollment appointment comes up, you get your writing II out of the way, and if you have not yet satisfied EngComp 3 you LITERALLY GET PRIORITY.

Don't listen to those Reddit posts saying that taking clusters ruins your GPA bc they're lying. If past me was reading this I hope I convinced her. ALso I am not re-reading this to check for mistakes, I'm too lazy. But you're welcome.

GE Clusters 20A and 20B (Interracial Dynamics)

Selling the Fall 2014 (20A) and Winter 2015 (20B) course reader needed for this cluster; it contains all the articles required to read. Price is negotiable.

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GE Cluster 20A and 20B

Selling Interracial Dynamics 20A and 20B course readers. Price is negotiable.

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This course is, for all purposes, a continuation of the pre-requisite course Clust 60A held the quarter prior. The lectures are still held Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9:30 am to 10:45 am at the De Neve Auditorium which is especially convenient for students who live on the hill in the dormitories (especially those who live in De Neve!!). The discussions are 1 hour and 45 minutes long and meet depending on which teaching assistant you have. The only differences are that the reading assignments are no longer assigned/required and instead of a final paper there is an exam. Like before, the reading assignments are excessive for a general education course, as is to be expected with a Cluster course, of course. Their time consumption can be combatted easily through skimming texts (I sometimes even went so far as to only read the first and last page of them!!) and by watching videos at a two times speed (I sometimes even went so far as to play them in the background while doing other homework although I'm not sure how effective this strategy was...). As for the papers - these can be easily completed so long as one practices time management, as with any course. The exams are not nearly as hard as they make it seem although they are slightly more difficult this time than with the previous course since they are cumulative regarding the content from both quarters being subject to appear on them. Just be sure to study basic key concepts and know the music well for that portion of the tests (I believe there are already many spotify study playlists available although the songs in question may vary with each iteration of the class). There is also a mandatory movie viewing outside of lecture hours (in the evening) at the De Neve auditorium. While it is easy to obtain an excuse for this, it is pretty entertaining and I would highly recommend going if your schedule allows for it. As for Professor Decker himself, his lectures are very engaging and interesting. Professor Decker was always enthusiastic and energetic when presenting, although his passion for the course sometimes resulted in students being dismissed after the scheduled dismissal time period. His lectures were not, however, as interesting as the lectures held by Professor Fink, Professor Vavreck, and Professor Avila (the other professors teaching the class for the 2022-2023 calendar school year).

60a is a great way 2 start ur time as a student at the ucla. lecs r held from 9:30 am 2 10:45 am on tues and thurs at the de neve auditorium which is a lil early (at least 4 me!!) but extremeley convenient if u live in the dorms on the hill (especially if u live in de neve!!). discussions r 1 hr 45 min long and their timing varies depending on who ur teaching assistant is, ofc. the readings r def excessive 4 a ge course, as 2 b expected w a clust course though 2 b sure. their time consumption can b countered and avoided by skimming texts (sometimes i only read the 1st and last pages of things) and watching the videos at 2x speed (sometimes i played them in the background while doing other hw although im not sure how effective this strategy was...). there r also mandatory weekly reading assignments but these were v much manageable. there was 1 midterm and 1 final paper. the final paper is v easy as long as u manage ur time, as w any other class. as 4 the midterm, it isnt nearly as scary as they make it out 2 b. j study basic key concepts and know the music well (i believe there r alrdy many study spotify playlists available although the songs may vary w each iteration of the course) and u should b fine. there is also 1 mandatory movie viewing outside of lecture time (in the evening) at the de neve auditorium. while this is easy 2 get an excuse 4, it is pretty entertaining so i wld highly recommend going if ur schedule allows 4 it. as 4 prof decker specifically, i found his lectures 2 b v engaging. i will say, however, that his lectures werent quite as interesting as those led by prof avila, prof fink, and prof vavreck (the 2 other profs who led the clust when i took it during the 2022-2023 school yr. in general, all the profs r super enthusiastic and energetic when presenting - although their passion 4 the course sumtimes caused them 2 dismiss us late, after the scheduled end time 4 the class.