I took this class in the Summer of 2012.

Going into the class, I did not know what to expect, but coming out of the class gave me a unique perspective on the world. Professor Bragin's class is definitely a unique one at UCLA and probably any other university. The class delves through almost every science and humanities disciplines and ties ideas from each to explain how patterns form in our natural world by following very simple rules of the universe. Professor Bragin really wants his students to understand the concepts behind the class and will gladly help you outside of class.

In a way, this class will relate to everything you do in life. Overall, I had a very good experience with the class and Professor Bragin, the class was very interesting and insightful, and my final grade expressed my interest in the subject.

I HIGHLY recommend this class! Take it if you can!

WARNING!
These posts are not a wholistic view of everyone's opinions of the course. I wrote an honest review of this course after I had taken it last summer and it was taken down because it didn't talk about how "this is the best class" "easy A" and so on. Also, the ratings keep changing every time I visit this page, so I don’t know how truthful those are either.

So I'll write my opinion about the class once more but it will probably be taken down because Bragin will start to feel insecure about his position as a professor. I do agree that the class is intellectually stimulating, especially as a science major myself. HOWEVER, this class is by no means easy. The quizzes are hard, almost unfair compared to what he goes over in lecture. There used to be a generous curve for this class, but it is gone. Notice how this class is listed as an engineering course and not under Human Complex Systems. Believe it or not, this makes a difference. If you have ever taken a course filled with engineering students and compare it to a class with any other major, I guarantee you, there will be much more competition, and therefore, less of a curve. IF YOU ARE LOOKING FOR AN EASY A TO SATISFY A GE REQUIREMENT, THIS IS NOT THE CLASS.

Also, the listening to Bragin ramble on for two hours can get very VERY boring. If you look around the room sometime in the middle of the lecture, you’ll see half the class dozing off and the other half screwing around on their computers. While the material itself is stimulating, Bragin is not.

So, if you are looking for a fun, easy GE, look elsewhere. Don’t make the same mistake I did and suffer hours through tedious lectures, and fail unfair quizzes where half the students end up cheating on anyways.

I was pleasantly surprised with Urban Planning 19: Urban Dynamics - as a Sociology major with absolutely no background in computer modeling or urban planning (but with an interest in both) I easily learned the foundations of city planning and began to understand the fundamentals of complex systems. Usually, fiat luxes are viewed by students as "easy-A, fluff classes," but this course turned out to be super interesting and introduced me to a new way of thinking about the intricacies (social, political, cultural, etc.) of planning a city.

Professor Bragin's lectures truly are works of art - every word serves a purpose, your time isn't wasted, and the material is fascinating. If you get the chance, talk to him outside of class, too - 10 minutes talking with Bragin is like talking to a human encyclopedia - you always leave the conversation having learned something new.

I highly recommend this professor and this course. (He plays really good music before and during lecture, too!)

Professor Bragin is one of the best professors I have had a chance to learn from throughout my academic career. He is extremely knowledgeable, eloquent, passionate and dedicated to his profession. He cares about his students a lot and goes out of his way to help them.

In order to succeed in this class one must simply follow his directions and ask for help when in need. It is that simple. If you work hard and show that you care about doing well in the class, you will definitely enjoy it and learn fascinating information.

I took this class during Session C of summer 2014 and I enrolled late during week two. Professor Bragin truly amazed me when he made it clear that he will help me as much as he can, as long as I do my part and work hard.

The material was intimidating at first, given that I was the only North campus student in the class, however Professor Bragin explained it to me in a way that allowed me to understand it well. I thoroughly enjoyed the class and I everything I learned and I will never forget Professor Bragin.