Professor
Kevin Coffey
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Most Helpful Review
Fall 2021 - I took this class as a freshman at UCLA in my fall 2021 quarter. Everyone on BruinWalk said it was really easy, the professor was great, etc., so I decided to take it for my science GE lab credit. However, don't be fooled by these reviews, as this class is not as easy as everyone says. Professor Coffey is great and gives pretty engaging lectures. He makes learning about rocks as interesting as it can be. But he went into pretty vivid detail about the concepts and I was surprised by how much we were required to know for an intro level course. (To be fair, I am not a science person, so if you love science, you probably won't struggle too much in this class.) The material isn't hard to understand, but there is a lot of it that you have to know. I studied maybe 3-4 hours each for the 2 midterms and the final and got a fairly low grade on each one. I had to pass/fail the class because the tests and labs were pretty difficult and were bringing down my grade. Some of the labs are tricky as well. We did the labs through CCLE and they were mostly multiple choice with a few short answers, but you do not really receive partial credit for anything in the labs. The labs consisted of identifying different types of rocks (harder than it looks when you have 10 black rocks in front of you that look exactly the same) and going through Google Earth stimulations (these were pretty easy as you just follow the instructions that guide you through it.) There is also a 5 or so minute presentation on a science book at the end of the quarter. This presentation is pretty easy and you can skim the book, make a slideshow, and still get an A. Overall, this class wasn't necessarily hard, but it is definitely not a super easy science GE. You are required to go into pretty vivid detail on the midterms and final in order to get an A. You really need to know the material inside and out because the TAs are looking for detailed, specific answers on the exams. You definitely can't bs your way through this class, and you have to put in a pretty big amount of effort to get an A. There is basically no math in this class besides converting measurements, and it is easier than any chem, physics, or bio class I have taken previously. Also, I had Jake as my TA and he was pretty chill, nice, and funny. He let our lab section retake a lab because the average score was like a D or something like that. Anyway, this class is overall one of the easier science GEs at UCLA, but is by no means easy. Put in a LOT of effort into really studying and memorizing the material, and take the labs seriously (don't slack off), and you should be fine.
Fall 2021 - I took this class as a freshman at UCLA in my fall 2021 quarter. Everyone on BruinWalk said it was really easy, the professor was great, etc., so I decided to take it for my science GE lab credit. However, don't be fooled by these reviews, as this class is not as easy as everyone says. Professor Coffey is great and gives pretty engaging lectures. He makes learning about rocks as interesting as it can be. But he went into pretty vivid detail about the concepts and I was surprised by how much we were required to know for an intro level course. (To be fair, I am not a science person, so if you love science, you probably won't struggle too much in this class.) The material isn't hard to understand, but there is a lot of it that you have to know. I studied maybe 3-4 hours each for the 2 midterms and the final and got a fairly low grade on each one. I had to pass/fail the class because the tests and labs were pretty difficult and were bringing down my grade. Some of the labs are tricky as well. We did the labs through CCLE and they were mostly multiple choice with a few short answers, but you do not really receive partial credit for anything in the labs. The labs consisted of identifying different types of rocks (harder than it looks when you have 10 black rocks in front of you that look exactly the same) and going through Google Earth stimulations (these were pretty easy as you just follow the instructions that guide you through it.) There is also a 5 or so minute presentation on a science book at the end of the quarter. This presentation is pretty easy and you can skim the book, make a slideshow, and still get an A. Overall, this class wasn't necessarily hard, but it is definitely not a super easy science GE. You are required to go into pretty vivid detail on the midterms and final in order to get an A. You really need to know the material inside and out because the TAs are looking for detailed, specific answers on the exams. You definitely can't bs your way through this class, and you have to put in a pretty big amount of effort to get an A. There is basically no math in this class besides converting measurements, and it is easier than any chem, physics, or bio class I have taken previously. Also, I had Jake as my TA and he was pretty chill, nice, and funny. He let our lab section retake a lab because the average score was like a D or something like that. Anyway, this class is overall one of the easier science GEs at UCLA, but is by no means easy. Put in a LOT of effort into really studying and memorizing the material, and take the labs seriously (don't slack off), and you should be fine.
Most Helpful Review
Fall 2023 - I took this class kind of for fun becasue I heard that you get to spend two weekends out in the desert. As someone who loves the outdoors, I was like why not! Turned out to be a good decision overall because I learnt so much about Geology through this class. For this class, even though EPS SCI 1 is a pre-req, Kevin taught it assuming you did not know anything which was great becasue that was my situation. Kevin is such an engaging lecturer and definitely one of the best teachers I have ever had in my life. You can just feel his passion for the subject matter and he is so approachable. He will always make time for you to answer any questions you may have. The field trips were also incredibly fun and everything kind of just clicked after that. The objective of the trips was to create a geologic map (hence the title) so be warned that it is not that easy and does take a lot of effort on your part. The tests were relatively straightforward and goal based so it was easy to study for them. There were also weekly labs which were challenging but are essential for you to be able to make the map again. A very rewarding expereince and definitely something I will take away as a great memory from college.
Fall 2023 - I took this class kind of for fun becasue I heard that you get to spend two weekends out in the desert. As someone who loves the outdoors, I was like why not! Turned out to be a good decision overall because I learnt so much about Geology through this class. For this class, even though EPS SCI 1 is a pre-req, Kevin taught it assuming you did not know anything which was great becasue that was my situation. Kevin is such an engaging lecturer and definitely one of the best teachers I have ever had in my life. You can just feel his passion for the subject matter and he is so approachable. He will always make time for you to answer any questions you may have. The field trips were also incredibly fun and everything kind of just clicked after that. The objective of the trips was to create a geologic map (hence the title) so be warned that it is not that easy and does take a lot of effort on your part. The tests were relatively straightforward and goal based so it was easy to study for them. There were also weekly labs which were challenging but are essential for you to be able to make the map again. A very rewarding expereince and definitely something I will take away as a great memory from college.
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Most Helpful Review
Spring 2024 - Kevin is an excellent lecturer, and his engaging teaching style made this class highly enjoyable. His enthusiasm and expertise significantly enhanced the learning experience. However, there are several structural aspects of the course that could be improved to enhance student understanding and retention of the material. Firstly, the course is structured in a way that begins with the present day and moves backward in time. While this unconventional approach initially seems intriguing and aligns well with the field trip (which was incredibly fun and educational), it ultimately proves to be confusing. The backward progression is counterintuitive because cause and effect naturally move forward in time. As a result, the sequence of historical and geological events becomes jumbled, making it difficult to form a coherent understanding of the material. Another issue is the heavy reliance on student presentations. While peer-led presentations can be valuable, the quality and effectiveness of these presentations vary widely. Some students deliver excellent presentations that enhance understanding, but many others fall short, leading to gaps in knowledge and a fragmented grasp of the sequence of events. This inconsistency makes it challenging to develop a comprehensive understanding of historical and regional geology. To address these issues, I believe the course would benefit greatly from Kevin taking on a more central role in lecturing. If Kevin delivered the majority of the content, the course would be far more cohesive and structured, significantly enhancing our grasp of the material. Additionally, if student presentations remain a component of the course, it would be beneficial for Kevin to meet with each student a week or two before their presentation. This quality control step would ensure that the presentations meet a certain standard and are effective in conveying the necessary information. Overall, I still enjoyed this class and would recommend it. Learnt a lot of cool things but I really wish I had learnt more.
Spring 2024 - Kevin is an excellent lecturer, and his engaging teaching style made this class highly enjoyable. His enthusiasm and expertise significantly enhanced the learning experience. However, there are several structural aspects of the course that could be improved to enhance student understanding and retention of the material. Firstly, the course is structured in a way that begins with the present day and moves backward in time. While this unconventional approach initially seems intriguing and aligns well with the field trip (which was incredibly fun and educational), it ultimately proves to be confusing. The backward progression is counterintuitive because cause and effect naturally move forward in time. As a result, the sequence of historical and geological events becomes jumbled, making it difficult to form a coherent understanding of the material. Another issue is the heavy reliance on student presentations. While peer-led presentations can be valuable, the quality and effectiveness of these presentations vary widely. Some students deliver excellent presentations that enhance understanding, but many others fall short, leading to gaps in knowledge and a fragmented grasp of the sequence of events. This inconsistency makes it challenging to develop a comprehensive understanding of historical and regional geology. To address these issues, I believe the course would benefit greatly from Kevin taking on a more central role in lecturing. If Kevin delivered the majority of the content, the course would be far more cohesive and structured, significantly enhancing our grasp of the material. Additionally, if student presentations remain a component of the course, it would be beneficial for Kevin to meet with each student a week or two before their presentation. This quality control step would ensure that the presentations meet a certain standard and are effective in conveying the necessary information. Overall, I still enjoyed this class and would recommend it. Learnt a lot of cool things but I really wish I had learnt more.
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