pros:
* prof Illes is extremely helpful and nice.
* class material is very intriguing, and prof lectures in a very engaging way
* wildlife from the wildlife learning center was invited over during the last lecture (WE GOT TO SEE A BABY SLOTH)
cons:
* participation is not mandatory, but prof does not upload slides or anything. If you do not attend the class, you are on your own to obtain class notes.
* prof does not allow late work, no matter the circumstances.

Grading:
Weekly papers: 10% (one-page analytical analysis of readings. Remember to follow the instructions on formatting)
Introduced species paper: 30% + 5% (6 pages SINGLE SPACED) (This is not that hard, but do start early. She does not grade this harshly. You still need to put a lot of time and effort into this though)
Midterm: 25%
Final: 30%
Exams are hard (the median was 74/100 for the final and 82.9 for the midterm). Prof tends to ask questions on the fine details. Remember to review thoroughly and spend more time on the essay questions. Writing more for the essay questions will only do you good (and always read the prompt multiple times and answer every single thing she asks for)

Overall, not an easy A class, but you do get to learn a lot (AND WE GOT TO SEE A BABY SLOTH CLOSE-UP OMG)

The actual content of the class was very interesting, but the professor made it very difficult to learn. Lectures were difficult to follow along because the slides were minimal and did not correspond well with what the professor was teaching. Even though I sat near the front I had trouble understanding and hearing because of the mask muffling and no microphone. The weekly quizzes always had at least one misworded or incorrect answer so every week students had to email the TAs about changing the quiz. The midterm had so many typos I couldn't even understand what the question was asking at times, and they were highly specific. To get an A you practically had to memorize specific quotes from the book or something the professor said once in lecture. It felt as if the goal was to try and trick us through oddly worded questions and answers rather than to test our knowledge on the concepts learned. Everything felt very disorganized and thrown together last minute.

Not an easy A. The midterm and final will surprise you with specific material that you don't remember learning about. That being said, she's an alright professor. Lectures were mildly interesting and she seems pretty nice/funny.

This class is NOT an easy A with her. She asks ridiculously detailed questions that she mentions(?) in class. The material isn't hard but she words the problems in her midterm and finals weirdly, making them impossible. I wouldn't take this class again. I also felt that she was unnecessarily rude to her students. On the plus side, her lectures were entertaining.

I've already rated the professor, so I'm just rating the course. I definitely recommend it. I learned SO much about Eastern and Sub-Saharan Africa. There are a plethora of issues going on in these areas that I knew nothing about and I felt very enlightened about world issues by the end of 10 weeks. She has spent a lot of time in African countries, so it's cool to hear her two cents about certain regions as well. For example, during her lecture on elephants when she was talking about how people often treat them like horses when it comes to riding them she said rather nonchalantly that the only time she's ever ridden an elephant was in Nepal to get across rapids.

I got an A in the class and didn't feel like it was an overwhelming effort. I definitely recommend it to Environmental Studies and IDS majors.

Illes is a very funny, engaging professor in lecture but acts more cold & disinterested in office hours. This course definitely pushed me from being an ArcGIS novice to actually understanding a lot of the things you can do in the program. There are weekly projects which are pretty straightforward because she presents them in a step-by-step tutorial way. She's a fairly easy grader and this class is a great way to walk away with UCLA with a tangible skill that shows that you are capable of learning technology & analyzing data--even if you don't end up pursuing a career that uses GIS.

I heard that Geog 5 is a renowned easy GE, but definitely not with Professor Illes. Her materials are fair, but her wording is difficult to understand. To get an A, you have to do well on weekly assignment, lab, midterm and final. Again, NOT an easy A.

Took this class during last summer. Awesome lecturer! MC questions on both midterm/final. Homework assignments and an online project weights most part of the grade. Definitely an easy A class.

NOT an easy A. Took it thinking it was going to be, but she is the "hardest" Geo 5 professor. I only knew 1/15 of the people I knew in that class who got an A on the exams. I read all the chapters twice before the final and highlighted and got 100% on all the homework (meaning I did read all the chapters), but ended up with an 84% on the final (I got a B+ on the midterm). I was SHOCKED to say the least. She words her test oddly and expects you to know all the little details both in the book and in the lecture and at most times, how they differ. I regret taking this class. The only plus side is she's got a sense of humor and her lectures are fun. And the material is so so easy compared to the "real" science classes.

But definitely not an easy A.
You're gonna get a B

Professor Illes is a great teacher and very knowledgeable of California. I loved her class as it provided me a deeper insight to the state we live in. Her class grading is based on a midterm (in calss), long essay (you have to visit the place), and final. She is fair and fun. If you want to learn about California take her. Attendance is mandatory as the midterm and final are based on those notes you take. So you must be a good note taker to take her class.