Professor Gantner's class is entirely based on the readings; the first day of class he told everyone their attendance and participation wouldn't affect their grades at all. The midterm and final (about 4 pages each) are based on topics from the readings, and they make up the entirety of the class grade. The due dates are pretty flexible, but that was a result of being incredibly vague (we were told different things on the syllabus, in class, and in office hours.) The class itself is interesting if you want to actually learn about California history (especially when Professor Gantner shows historic pictures) but entirely irrelevant if you just want to get a good grade in the class.