Professor
Daniel McLean
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Most Helpful Review
Professor McLean's lectures are wonderful. They are funny and well-organized, and his techniques for helping students learn grammar rules are helpful as well as highly entertaining. Exams and quizzes are fair (and even--dare I say it?--fun), and he goes out of his way to make sure his students are getting all the help they need. The result is that you learn a lot, and you have a lot of fun doing it. Great sense of humor, easy to talk to, and knowledgeable about his subject; if he doesn't know the answer, chances are he knows where to find it. Professor McLean made Latin 1 & 2 two of the best classes I've taken at UCLA so far. I highly highly recommend him.
Professor McLean's lectures are wonderful. They are funny and well-organized, and his techniques for helping students learn grammar rules are helpful as well as highly entertaining. Exams and quizzes are fair (and even--dare I say it?--fun), and he goes out of his way to make sure his students are getting all the help they need. The result is that you learn a lot, and you have a lot of fun doing it. Great sense of humor, easy to talk to, and knowledgeable about his subject; if he doesn't know the answer, chances are he knows where to find it. Professor McLean made Latin 1 & 2 two of the best classes I've taken at UCLA so far. I highly highly recommend him.
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Most Helpful Review
McLean is an amazing professor. He is absolutely hilarious and can make anything funny. I mean if you can make ancient Greek amusing, then what can't you do? He has a very sarcastic sense of humor though so if you can't take being mocked then don't take a class with him with a small amount of people in it. He'll do anything to make sure that you understand, he's always around in his office to answer questions or just to chat. He is definetly my favorite prof at ucla.
McLean is an amazing professor. He is absolutely hilarious and can make anything funny. I mean if you can make ancient Greek amusing, then what can't you do? He has a very sarcastic sense of humor though so if you can't take being mocked then don't take a class with him with a small amount of people in it. He'll do anything to make sure that you understand, he's always around in his office to answer questions or just to chat. He is definetly my favorite prof at ucla.
Most Helpful Review
It is unfortunate that the classics department cannot "muster" up the cash to bring Dr. McLean on staff. He is as equally bright as he is witty, which the study of anything remotely related to Classics must have. In addition to this, McLean makes the Classics so relevant to other subject areas, that the department would only be stronger if they kept him on board. I have taken two classes with Dr. McLean-- Latin 100 and Classics 143A, Ancient Tragedy. I not only learned about the subjects we studied in class, but also the relevance that those subjects had in other subject areas. Dr. Daniel McLean has a genuine passion for his subject, and delightfully witty in the sort of way that is productive in brining his points through to the class. This is a very important attribute of McLean's method that cannot be ignored by the department. The fact is that many students from other departments enjoy minoring in Classics. Whether it be Political Science or Molecular Biology, Philosophy or Physics, Classics has a unique 'niche' in the history of all these subject areas. The UCLA Classics department must invest in professors like McLean if they want the Classics to take root outside Dodd Hall. Some may see the application of classical thought to other subjects as a compromise, and that the one who does this is somehow diluting the rich tradition. I understand this concern, but McLean presents a rich and thoughtful lecture on the ways of the ancients in such a way that his lectures enlighten both the graduate student of Classics, and the undergraduates whose interests are invested elsewhere.
It is unfortunate that the classics department cannot "muster" up the cash to bring Dr. McLean on staff. He is as equally bright as he is witty, which the study of anything remotely related to Classics must have. In addition to this, McLean makes the Classics so relevant to other subject areas, that the department would only be stronger if they kept him on board. I have taken two classes with Dr. McLean-- Latin 100 and Classics 143A, Ancient Tragedy. I not only learned about the subjects we studied in class, but also the relevance that those subjects had in other subject areas. Dr. Daniel McLean has a genuine passion for his subject, and delightfully witty in the sort of way that is productive in brining his points through to the class. This is a very important attribute of McLean's method that cannot be ignored by the department. The fact is that many students from other departments enjoy minoring in Classics. Whether it be Political Science or Molecular Biology, Philosophy or Physics, Classics has a unique 'niche' in the history of all these subject areas. The UCLA Classics department must invest in professors like McLean if they want the Classics to take root outside Dodd Hall. Some may see the application of classical thought to other subjects as a compromise, and that the one who does this is somehow diluting the rich tradition. I understand this concern, but McLean presents a rich and thoughtful lecture on the ways of the ancients in such a way that his lectures enlighten both the graduate student of Classics, and the undergraduates whose interests are invested elsewhere.
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Most Helpful Review
Ancient Epic with Professor McLean was one of the most enjoyable Classics courses I've taken at UCLA (and I've taken my fair share). The material was presented in a fun way, the exams were exactly what was to be expected, and relatively easy nonetheless, and McLean himself is the funniest professor I've had. We even had the opportunity to take a field trip during class to the Getty Villa. Overall I'd highly recommend Professor McLean if you enjoy learning, laughing, and getting a good grade at the end.
Ancient Epic with Professor McLean was one of the most enjoyable Classics courses I've taken at UCLA (and I've taken my fair share). The material was presented in a fun way, the exams were exactly what was to be expected, and relatively easy nonetheless, and McLean himself is the funniest professor I've had. We even had the opportunity to take a field trip during class to the Getty Villa. Overall I'd highly recommend Professor McLean if you enjoy learning, laughing, and getting a good grade at the end.
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