Professor Cavanaugh is a very clear and engaging lecturer. He genuinely cares about his students and is always asking for feedback and recommendations. Overall one of my favorite professors and classes at UCLA! The material is not challenging and the final was entirely multiple choice. If you've taken any type of environmental science class before, this class will be a breeze.

Selling "Visualizing Environmental Science" 4th Edition $40
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Okay. I would definitely recommend this class for a GE. Honestly. I suck at Geography. I had absolutely no background knowledge on it (believe it or not) but I ended up with a B. So let me tell you. I got a D on the midterm and a C on the final and I got a B! Yes. It’s true. Honestly, the lab counts way more than the actual tests. It’s a lot of busy work but it’s worth it. You just have to post hw’s Every week, attend labs, and do class assignments. The midterm and final weren’t even hard, I’m being serious, I just suck at Geography and I was lazy. Anyways, I’m sure it’s super easy to get an A if I was able to get a B when I’m dumb. TAKE THIS. Just go to the labs. ALSO he gives you 1% to your overall grade if you answer a question or ask a question during class. You can get up to 2% extra credit. SUPER GENEROUS.

Excellent class. Professor Cavanaugh cares very deeply about the environment and that comes through in the class material. Very helpful and always willing to give advice to students in regards to future academics.

I really enjoyed taking Professor Cavanaugh's class. I learned a lot, he's a fun lecturer, and because the material was interesting, the class was a breeze.

Not sure if he is still using "The Environment and You" by Norm Christensen and Lissa Leege, but I am selling it if you're looking to buy.

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Grade breakdown: 20% midterm, 30% final, 50% weekly labs, and up to 2% extra credit for asking questions in lecture.
This class is really interesting and getting a good grade is pretty doable. Cavanaugh is an engaging professor who uses slides and uploads them, and all the main information you need to know is on the slides. Lecture attendance isn't mandatory. The textbook is good for going over concepts you don't understand and I usually just skimmed the assigned chapters. The write-ups for labs are easy and a big part of your lab grade is a group paper and presentation you do in section. If you study off the slides and go over concepts from lab you'll do well on the midterm and final. I'm glad I took this class and would recommend it as an easy GE.

This class exceeded my expectations regarding level of interest as well as practicality. Going into this class, I expected to be somewhat interested in the topics discussed, hoping to achieve a more solid foundation as to how humans affect our world. Although the first half of the quarter was a bit cumbersome in terms of rote memorization and the sheer number of concepts, the second half of the course truly fascinated me. Professor Cavanaugh covers each topic relating humans to the environment in depth, causing me to pause and be conscious about my own personal effects on the environment. If nothing else, this class made me reconsider my position on Earth and how to live within my--and the Earth's--means. All in all, Professor Cavanaugh genuinely wants to see students succeed and hopes that they gain a firm grasp on the topics at hand and how humans impact the world, both positively and negatively.

Cavanaugh is an excellent professor but be prepared because this class is not as easy as it once was. Prof. has specifically stated that he has been working to change the format of this class, and it is reflected by the difficulty. Entire course is worth 1000 pts and you earn those through labs, iclicker questions, a group project, and the exams. You can earn 2% extra credit on your final grade so definitely take advantage of that as there are many opportunities to earn the EC throughout the quarter. Book is required but you can do fine without reading. Labs *aren't* required but are worth a LOT of points so basically you have to go. He drops two iclicker days off your final score, which you are graded on participation - not accuracy. There is a big group project in the lab requiring a 7-10pg paper and a 10min presentation. Totally doable but annoying in addition to all the other work out there. I thought the material was fairly easy, especially if you pay attention to climate change, GMO arguments, and generic weather info. There are some concepts that may be more difficult like hydrologic cycle and wind patterns but this is definitely not a hard science class.

Overall: SUPER EASY GE. Take this class if you just want to get a GE out of the way. Professor Cavanaugh is so nice and really cares about his students, even though it is a giant lecture. The class material is not hard to grasp and this is coming from someone who hates science. It's basically just environmental science, so if you took APES in high school you're chilling.

Homework: There is no homework besides reading the textbook. If you skim the chapters and just take notes on the bolded words, you're fine. Even if you don't do that, he has slides in class that he posts online that covers what you would have read anyways. The lectures are also Bruincasted so you can go back and watch them. I listened to music during lecture and didn't really pay attention, as the lecture slides were posted so as long as you take those notes, you don't really have to pay attention. Plus, it's a huge class so he won't even notice. Also, if you talk twice in lecture, you can get extra credit.

Attendance: He started using iClickers this year so you do have to go to lecture to get those participation points. He drops two iClicker points though so basically you get two free absences. Lab attendance is mandatory.

Tests/Quizzes: There are no tests or quizzes besides the midterm and final. There is a final research paper about a topic of your choosing that is 10 pages, as well as a presentation based on your research. It sounds scary, but it's a group project so each person just has to write 2 pages each. Also, if you go to his office hours, he'll tell you what he's looking for and what you need to fix.

Midterm/Final: The midterm was 50 questions with short answer and multiple choice. He doesn't have a concrete study guide but he puts the objectives and iClicker questions as the study guide. Just go through lecture notes and study the topics from the objectives he gives you & review the iClicker questions because he uses them on the test! The final was 60 multiple choice questions and it was NOT cumulative so it isn't bad.

TAs: I had Hudson Spivey as my TA and he wasn't terrible. Although he made us do pre-lab assignments, the labs were super easy; they were normally just questions based on an article or a website. He often said that your answers don't really matter, he just wants people to participate and get the gist of the topic. On the final paper, he can be nitpicky about stupid stuff, but he stressed that he wanted the paper to be fun to read (I think he just doesn't want to be bored while reading them). Overall, a pretty average TA, bordering on the dry side.

Cavanaugh is a sweetheart! He cares a lot about students and teaching and this class is extremely easy. The LA specific content is particularly interesting, and while lectures are often very very dumbed down and a bit boring, you can't complain about an easy A. Labs are somewhat mind-numbing in a feels like high school way, but not graded harshly at all. Great class if you want an easy GE and I also actually learned something. Also s/o to Remy and his mangroves