Quarter Taken:
N/A
Submitted June 29, 2010
Grade Received:
N/A
Course: IR of the Middle East
You will learn a TON in this class, but prepare to be worked. And I mean WORKED. Not like 'oh I have reading tonight,' but rather 'let me lock myself in my room for 48 hours while I dissect the royal mess that is Lebanese politics.' This class covers literally the ENTIRE Middle East, including Iraq, Iran, Lebanon, the Persian Gulf, Egypt and Turkey, as well as British and US impact on the region. Realistically you could have an entire course on each individual country and it would be challenging and complex. This course combines all of that in 10 weeks. Not trying to scare you away, as I think you'll find it worth taking, but you should be aware of what you're dealing with before you take it. I'm a political science major, IR concentration, raking in the top 10% of my class, and this was by far the most difficult PS class I've taken at UCLA. And I'm going into my senior year. Spiegel is incredibly brilliant (to the point where it's immediately obvious that he's just on a whole different level, intellectually speaking), and certainly 'knows his stuff.' However, he does have a lot of trouble bringing it down to the level of a student who is unfamiliar with the region. I did well in this class, but have taken classes and self-studied the region previously. Had I not done this, I think it would be very difficult to obtain a grade above a B. You will learn a lot, but take the class to learn the region, not to worship at the alter of an A, because it will be hard to acquire, even for the best students.
Also, you absolutely MUST do ALL of the readings if you want even a B+ or A- in the class. You simply cannot afford to slack, because Spiegel's lecture style is not one that affords this; he is hard to follow. But do see him in office hours, it will be well worth your time and he has some great stories to tell.
Also, try to get Matt for a TA. I've heard he's the best. I had friends in Leah's section who mentioned that she was nice, but not very effective at giving information that benefited the students when studying for exams. They also seemed to not do quite as well as they normally do on the midterm and final, so I'd avoid her section if possible.