CLASSIC 144
Topical Studies in Ancient Culture
Description: Lecture, three hours. Requisite: one course from 10, 20, 30, 40W, or 41W. Investigation of one problem in ancient culture that involves discussion of both Greek and Roman material. May be repeated for credit with topic change. P/NP or letter grading.
Units: 4.0
Units: 4.0
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Most Helpful Review
Spring 2024 - Professor Nguyen is such a treasure. Her class is funny, engaging, and very inspiring. Most of the students in this class are also super nice too (I guess not everyone is interested in these niche topics). Regarding to grade, I think most people in my class got an A-range grade. She does value participation a lot though (I think no one in my class got full participation grade?), so I would recommend speak up in class a lot and going to her office hour (she would provide delicious tea and snacks!). Overall, this is my favourite Classics course here at UCLA. Definitely would take again.
Spring 2024 - Professor Nguyen is such a treasure. Her class is funny, engaging, and very inspiring. Most of the students in this class are also super nice too (I guess not everyone is interested in these niche topics). Regarding to grade, I think most people in my class got an A-range grade. She does value participation a lot though (I think no one in my class got full participation grade?), so I would recommend speak up in class a lot and going to her office hour (she would provide delicious tea and snacks!). Overall, this is my favourite Classics course here at UCLA. Definitely would take again.
Most Helpful Review
A rare professor who actually makes ancient subjects interesting and comprehensible. I took CLS 30, which I had attempted with a different professor and couldn't hang, and CLS 144 (the hero class). Both were fun and easy. Definitely recommend his classes and seeing him in office hours. He's laid back and approachable, not to mention he's been on pretty interesting things like Ancient Aliens. So do take him if you get the chance, and yes, he is attractive.
A rare professor who actually makes ancient subjects interesting and comprehensible. I took CLS 30, which I had attempted with a different professor and couldn't hang, and CLS 144 (the hero class). Both were fun and easy. Definitely recommend his classes and seeing him in office hours. He's laid back and approachable, not to mention he's been on pretty interesting things like Ancient Aliens. So do take him if you get the chance, and yes, he is attractive.
Most Helpful Review
Winter 2016 - Dr. Richlin was very helpful for such a difficult class. She does a good job of explaining the overarching themes governing Roman Law as well as gives anecdotes referring to certain cases, proving that she really knows her stuff. The books, honestly, I skimmed through, but she will expect you to draw specific examples from them on her tests, so pay attention to those when you can. She especially likes references to the role of women and is herself an avid feminist with a great sense of humor. I took this class as a first year, so it took me awhile to catch up to the pace of the class, but she really took an invested interest in all of the students and noticed when I improved on tests and case studies, which was SO encouraging. I ended the class with an A- when I thought I was doomed with a C. The midterm and final are taken within the class's scheduled time, an include explications of phrases, with three "juicy factoids" per term, an essay component, and a case study, where she gives a situation and you act as a lawyer and spell out the laws involved in the case. The bulk of your grade will come from 4 of these case studies, given about a week before they are due. You'll have to cite the law from the book by paragraph (The textbook is REALLY helpful, just not the two additional books), and she'll give you points per point of law you get correct, so you have to make sure you get ALL of them. I suggest starting these as soon as their assigned, even if you just dog-ear some pages that you think might help. They take longer than you think, maybe 6 hours per assignment. She also loves to have demonstrations in class, which means volunteers come up and act out scenes with her. Obviously, if this terrifies you, don't volunteer, though she may make you stand up in front anyway, but she LOVES people who volunteer to act or answer and ask questions. Overall, a really interesting course taken by students of diverse majors that still makes me think about the course material a year later. Would definitely take again.
Winter 2016 - Dr. Richlin was very helpful for such a difficult class. She does a good job of explaining the overarching themes governing Roman Law as well as gives anecdotes referring to certain cases, proving that she really knows her stuff. The books, honestly, I skimmed through, but she will expect you to draw specific examples from them on her tests, so pay attention to those when you can. She especially likes references to the role of women and is herself an avid feminist with a great sense of humor. I took this class as a first year, so it took me awhile to catch up to the pace of the class, but she really took an invested interest in all of the students and noticed when I improved on tests and case studies, which was SO encouraging. I ended the class with an A- when I thought I was doomed with a C. The midterm and final are taken within the class's scheduled time, an include explications of phrases, with three "juicy factoids" per term, an essay component, and a case study, where she gives a situation and you act as a lawyer and spell out the laws involved in the case. The bulk of your grade will come from 4 of these case studies, given about a week before they are due. You'll have to cite the law from the book by paragraph (The textbook is REALLY helpful, just not the two additional books), and she'll give you points per point of law you get correct, so you have to make sure you get ALL of them. I suggest starting these as soon as their assigned, even if you just dog-ear some pages that you think might help. They take longer than you think, maybe 6 hours per assignment. She also loves to have demonstrations in class, which means volunteers come up and act out scenes with her. Obviously, if this terrifies you, don't volunteer, though she may make you stand up in front anyway, but she LOVES people who volunteer to act or answer and ask questions. Overall, a really interesting course taken by students of diverse majors that still makes me think about the course material a year later. Would definitely take again.
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Most Helpful Review
Spring 2024 - I'm very sad that professor Zenios is leaving the classics department at UCLA. This class was fantastic. Professor Zenios assigns challenging texts, but he always has such rich commentary on them, that you'll get something out of the class even if you don't read a single one. My favorite section of the class was the modern literature, but the ancient texts were interesting, and even the political theory was worthwhile. The texts themselves are challenging, but I would much rather read them and actually discuss the texts in detail than read something simpler and never analyze it in class, which has been my experience in some other classics classes. Overall, Professor Zenios is an extremely passionate person, and one of the most intelligent and thoughtful professors I know. I highly recommend him as a professor in case he ever comes back as a lecturer.
Spring 2024 - I'm very sad that professor Zenios is leaving the classics department at UCLA. This class was fantastic. Professor Zenios assigns challenging texts, but he always has such rich commentary on them, that you'll get something out of the class even if you don't read a single one. My favorite section of the class was the modern literature, but the ancient texts were interesting, and even the political theory was worthwhile. The texts themselves are challenging, but I would much rather read them and actually discuss the texts in detail than read something simpler and never analyze it in class, which has been my experience in some other classics classes. Overall, Professor Zenios is an extremely passionate person, and one of the most intelligent and thoughtful professors I know. I highly recommend him as a professor in case he ever comes back as a lecturer.
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