Selling the 2015 course reader for MCDB 60. It's in perfect condition; never even opened.

I'm asking $20.00 for it (price in the UCLA bookstore is $30.00). Please call/text me if interested!

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I lovelovelovelove Dr. Cvrkel. I wish she had more classes to take, and I would take them for fun if I could. I took both of her classes and got A's in both.

It isn't a braindead easy class, but it isn't stupidly hard. The effort required I'd say is about 2 hours a week to read, and about 30 minutes of homework. (hw is super easy dont worry. its pass/fail)

She is an excellent lecturer, very funny, chill, and sarcastic in her lectures not just outside the class. Lectures are very engaging, and super interesting to listen to. You won't be bored and its not a chore to go to class

To do well in the class:
1) Go to class

2) Take notes

3) Practice formulating arguments. She'll teach you step by step how to do it and you'll be going over examples everyday in class. You dont need to worry about teaching yourself

Notes are very important, don't skip on it. They are your guide to an A. Try to go over the examples discussed in class because the midterm/final questions are literally the same examples

Tests: you just need to explain an example, or why the example's argument works or doesn't work, and maybe provide a counterexample.

Missed points are usually because you forgot one of the arguments talked about, or you missed an important point in your argument. This can be avoided with good notes.

Do you want an easy A? Don't take MCDB 60. Do you want to take a mentally stimulating class with an engaging and funny professor? If yes, then MCDB 60 is for you.

Grading:
5% Attendance
10% Homework
15% Midterm 1
20% Midterm 2
20% Ethical Issue paper
30% Final - Cumulative

Attendance is taken every lecture and discussion. A sign in sheet is passed around at some point during the class. It might get to you in the first five minutes, or it might get to you in the last ten.

There is homework after every lecture, but it is just a 3-5 slide powerpoint teaching the most important argument that was discussed that day. It won't ever take more than 20 minutes and it is pass/fail. All halfway decent attempts get a pass.

The midterms consisted of 3 essay questions and you had the entire class (1 hour and 20 minutes) to finish. This is not simply regurgitating information, but rather forming arguments, finding objections, and evaluating positions. It sounds easy, but I assure you it is not.

The paper is on a moral issue that is relevant to you, but your topic must be approved. It is only five pages, but it is not the type of paper you can crank out the night before and get a good grade. It requires thorough planning and a strong understanding of how to write an argument. Dr. Cvkrel even said it was the hardest part of the class.

The final is just like the midterms, only it is cumulative. It takes place during the last class of week 10.

Nobody can deny that Dr. Cvrkel is an amazing lecturer. She is funny and engaging, so attending lecture never felt like a chore. My biggest complaint about her is availability. She has office hours every week, but they are always filled with people, so it can be hard to get more than a minute or so of her time unless you are willing to wait a while. The paper was also due the Monday after Thanksgiving, which sucked considering it was a very challenging paper to write.

The TA, Jen, is also excellent. She typically had everything graded within a reasonable amount of time. Discussion sections helped clear up everything that came up in lectures. My only complain about her is that her office hours were Tuesday and Thursday mornings in Hershey, so a solid 25+ minute walk from the hill.

Overall, this was an awesome class. It won't constantly bombard you with work, but it is definitely not easy. Take it if you want an interesting class, but pass on it if you need a GPA boosting GE.

I took this course in Fall 2013, my first quarter in UCLA. This is the hardest course I've ever taken, although not the one I got the worst grade. The exams and the paper are hard, since you can't just memorize and you have to go far beyond what you've been taught and sometimes challenge your cherished beliefs. This course really helped a lot for critical thinking and greatly influenced my style of argument. However, there's one thing that I don't really like about the professor, is that she's a bit arrogant and makes fun of people who get wrong.