Took this class during last summer. Awesome lecturer! MC questions on both midterm/final. Homework assignments and an online project weights most part of the grade. Definitely an easy A class.

NOT an easy A. Took it thinking it was going to be, but she is the "hardest" Geo 5 professor. I only knew 1/15 of the people I knew in that class who got an A on the exams. I read all the chapters twice before the final and highlighted and got 100% on all the homework (meaning I did read all the chapters), but ended up with an 84% on the final (I got a B+ on the midterm). I was SHOCKED to say the least. She words her test oddly and expects you to know all the little details both in the book and in the lecture and at most times, how they differ. I regret taking this class. The only plus side is she's got a sense of humor and her lectures are fun. And the material is so so easy compared to the "real" science classes.

But definitely not an easy A.
You're gonna get a B

Professor Illes is a great teacher and very knowledgeable of California. I loved her class as it provided me a deeper insight to the state we live in. Her class grading is based on a midterm (in calss), long essay (you have to visit the place), and final. She is fair and fun. If you want to learn about California take her. Attendance is mandatory as the midterm and final are based on those notes you take. So you must be a good note taker to take her class.

AMAZING PROFESSOR. You learn A LOT about the subject. The class I took was very interesting because she was really passionate of the subject. Very knowledgeable of African Wildlife. Class is based on 4 things. 1) Weekly 500 word responses to videos or readings she posts. 2) Midterm. 3) Final. 4) Final 2600-3000 word conservation paper. The paper is not bad at all. Illes is VERY fair about grading.

No matter how much she says that you do not need rote-memorization, trust me you do !

I didn't go for many lectures ans still got an A-. The stuff is really really simple. So basically, you have to update your blog every week with a write up and post an image of your lab. There is this software called ArcGIS which is used to create maps. You just make different maps every week and write a paragraph on it and that's your post.

There are 2 exams one midterm and one final. You sit in front of the computer and they are multiple choice ! (35% each exam). Just memorize (throughly) her lecture slides a day or two before the exam and go give it. The question are straight out of the slides.

I would say take this GE if you want to get done with a requirement and want an easy A

This class is so easy! I took it over the summer. 40% of your grade is online homework and an online project which are very doable and, again, easy. I bombed the midterm (I got a C) and I still got an A in the class. Midterm + Final =60% of your grade. Her grading scale is really lenient since there are no in betweens (as in -/+) so anything from 90-100 is an A!
If you need a GE or a boos to your GPA, take this. She is wonderful and funny and her lectures actually teach you important things about our world; things you'll remember and use later on. :)

Hey Just want to reply the message below. THERE IS IN BETWEENS. THERE IS + and -. Although it said 90-100% means A on the syllabus, my final grade is A-. But so true that you can bomb both midterm and final because hw and online project pulled up a lot on your grade.

Professor Illes is perhaps the most sarcastic, rude, and condescending Professor I have ever come across in my 4 years at UCLA. However, she is very knowledgeable and her lectures are not the least bit boring. If you can get over her bad attitude, her classes are an easy A!

So far I have taken 5 courses with Professor Illes. I could study for 2 weeks for her exams but I will never ace them. I'm not sure what it is, but sometimes I believe that my brain just doesn't fully comprehend her wording. Nevertheless, she is one of my favorite professors at UCLA. I retain so much valuable information from her lectures, she's so attentive and effective in her office hours, and it amazes me how broad of a spectrum she teaches.

I could not disagree more with the recent reviews of 168 and the bitter souls who wrote those reviews will certainly struggle even further with 170 and further GIS courses.

I have to agree that Geog 168 with Prof. Illes is misery. I have not encountered another instructor so rude, dismissive, and unhelpful on this entire campus. Very little instruction is provided. She takes a strange pleasure in kicking people out of the computer lab as some form of public humiliation; unfortunately half of them so far have been her enrolled students that she doesn't recognize. Requests for assistance with software glitches and problems uploading/sharing files are returned with bizarre tirades about how we will never be able to function professionally. She has implemented a mandatory 2 day cooling off period between assignments that nicely overlaps with her office hours. The TA struggles to respond to everyone's questions while she leaves early. I think this is outrageous. If she hates teaching so much why is she here?