Jepson was a great Intro to Soc professor. The 2 hour 8am lecture isn't easy to sit through, but if you do the readings, you will enjoy the class more. Each lecture is based on one reading, and in discussion you do one, so there are 30 articles total. Most of them are interesting, some tougher than others.

While most of the people in the class understood the material thoroughly, that did not ensure most did well on the midterm and final. Even if you understood the material, the tests were not easy.

The layout of the class is 5 short response papers to readings 30 readings (3 each week), and a midterm and final. Make sure you know that the midterm is worth the same amount as the final, and the final is not cumulative (covering weeks 6-10). Each exam was 50 multiple choice and 2 short answers.

Overall, I wouldn't take this class as just a GE- there are much easier GEs out there- but if you need to take it as a prereq, definitely take it with Jepson.

The class is interesting in general; some topics are more interesting than others. Professor Jepson is great. His lectures are not boring at all, he often makes jokes which make the lectures more enjoyable. He assigns 3 readings a week, some are more dense and difficult to read than others. But don't let that discourage you because he goes over them in lecture in great clarity. To get an A I highly recommend thoroughly reading all the articles (not just skimming through them). Then take really good notes in class because what he says in lecture often comes on the midterm/final multiple choice questions almost word for word!

I thought this class was rather interesting in some aspects. As it is an intro class, we went over weekly readings about a variety of topics. In my opinion, some were interesting and engaging (e.g. race, grief) while others were not (e.g. government, religion). I think this class was a good overview to show what the field of sociology is about. Jepson definitely lectured for the entire two hours and since it was an 8:00 am class, it was tough to get through some days. At the beginning I found it a little weird that he doesn't use a microphone since it's a rather decent sized lecture hall. It was an adjustment for me to hear him well but it really wasn't that bad and I don't believe anyone complained about the sound. It was just an observation that I found kind of weird. But back to the readings, three were given a week and they're pretty doable. I kept up with them until the midterm and felt like I was adequately prepared. I got a B on it so I wasn't complaining. You get two study guides, one from the discussion and one from lecture. They felt like a lot but I think they were helpful. After the midterm I stopped keeping up on the reading and missed a few here and there but Jepson goes over two of the readings in class so you can pretty much get the gist of what you didn't read. As for the third reading, it's covered in discussion so I'd suggest making sure you read that since you have discussion questions to answer in groups. But overall I'd say it was a rather easy-going GE and I'd recommend it.

I enjoyed the class, but I didn't love it. Waking up at 8 AM was incredibly tough, especially because Jepson does not use slides and the lectures aren't entirely engaging. The first half of the quarter I attended every lecture but struggled to stay awake, but the second half I skipped a lot more.
Mostly because the midterm and final are almost completely based on the reading assignments. There are 3 readings each week ranging from 6-20 pages, though most average around 12-15. Most of the readings cover interesting ideas and material, and the subjects that the class itself is about are interesting to think about. However, the lectures also clarify/summarize these readings which can help with the midterm, though I think it is possible to get and A through just the readings (and occasional videos that he shows in class). Jepson also provides a study guide/review for the midterm and final that if you know the answers to, you should get an A. The final is not cumulative.
While I think it is an interesting subject, I went into the class deciding whether or not I would like to major in sociology and decided against it. Nevertheless, the class introduced new concepts that may change your perceptions of the world around you.
Regarding the workload, it's easy to fall behind on reading because you are not held accountable until the midterm/final. Only one reading a week is discussed in discussion and that's usually the only one I would read weekly. However I did still complete all of the readings. In discussion, you are required to turn in two abstracts on the readings, two news article analyses connecting a reading to the news, and a "sociological imagination" paper that connects a reading/concept learned in sociology with a personal event or aspect of your life. All of these assignments must be one page or less, doubled spaced in 12 pt font. The grading can be picky but if you know exactly what the TA wants you'll be fine. Discussion section is very important for your overall grade, so attendance is required.
Overall, the class was not very difficult and covered interesting concepts, and I would recommend it as a GE. However, the fact that it is so early is a deal breaker for me and I'm not sure if it's worth it unless you're really engaged in the material. I personally would not take it again, but I do not regret taking it.

This class enlightened me on a lot of social phenomenons that I never paused to think about before. It was a fascinating course, even though the lectures were boring at times at 8AM. However, I'd definitely take this class again. The workload was relatively light, and really all you need to do to succeed in this course is to do the readings and attend lectures. The only downside is that you don't know where you stand in term of grades until the very end, since this class is graded on a curve based on your discussion section. I like how that works though, because it accounts for the grading differences between TAs.

I feel like sociology 1 has really changed how I view society and has sparked my curiosity in the subject (even though I am a south campus major). I highly recommend this course not only as a relatively easy, straightforward GE but as a course for personal growth.

Mr. Jepson is very engaging and effective at clarifying concepts and connecting the text to current events. However, his lectures are at 8am and it is hard to stay awake sometimes, so you can technically skip if you understand the article that will be discussed well enough. Sometimes (check the syllabus ahead of time), he will show films which I recommend taking notes during or looking over summaries after because they WILL be tested as either multiple choice questions or writing prompts.

You will be expected to completely 5 1-page papers throughout the course. They are easy and straightforward, but be sure to stay within the page limit and don't write too little either. Jepson also gives a study guide for both the midterm and the final, so be sure to complete that thoroughly. Study groups highly recommended.

Professor Jepson is awesome. He is super funny and always goes off on a tangent. Easy GE and totally worth it even though most of his classes are 8am. Textbook readings are helpful and very interesting. Jepson's lectures are based on the readings so if you don't do the readings he goes much more in depth in class.

If interested, I'm selling his reader. My email is *************

Professor Jepson does a great job at keeping this class interesting. He allows for students to discuss their opinions on the subject matter in class. The workload is light. There are 2 tests, which are not hard as long as you pay attention and take notes in lecture. They only cover whatever was taught that half of the quarter, so you don't have to worry about remembering things from week one on your final.

This class is incredibly interesting. You read article on a wide variety of fascinating topics. You are meant to read 3 articles a week which total to about 15 pages a week. This class is easy as F**K . But that doesn't mean its an easy A. The midterm/ final was harder than expected. I think because its SO easy, everyone knew their stuff but not everyone can get A's.

Jepson is amazing. His lectures are like interesting stories. He is truly passionate/caring about he issues he discusses.

I recommend this class!

Jepson is an interesting lecturer and really knows his subject. It's true that he doesn't have any slides and just straight up talks for 2 hours but I'm a soc major so I found it all interesting. During lectures he literally goes over the reading you had for class so you can do what you will with that info. There's 1 or 2 readings for the class and reading for discussion so every week you have 3 readings that add up if you don't keep up. I thought I did better than I actually did on the midterm but got a lower grade so the questions can be tricky. I'd suggest you really know the reading and have a good TA because mine was a pushover and always lead unorganized discussions.