this class was overall a great class. the lectures were interesting, informative, and the material (other than the fact that there was waaaay too much of it) keeps you interested and is pretty straighforward. most of the stuff in lecture is common sense so if you're paying attention it isn't too hard. down side: one of the TA's (mine, of course) was such a hard grader, that while everyone else was getting A's we were all getting B's. also, watch out for the final! it was 5 page-long identifications, an essay on a film clip he shows during the final, and THREE 2-3 page essays, all in 3 hours. walking out my wrist felt numb, and everyone was looking around at each other says, "what just happened? we thought proffesor presner liked us?" i'm sure he does, he's just such a brilliant guy (i swear he isn't over 30 and he's writen like, 3 books or something) that he thought the final was easy. overall a good class to take, although by the end you tend to be a little numb to all the pictures of emaciated children - i don't know if that's a good thing or not. but hey, presner's really cute so i'd say it's worth it.

Professor Presnor was one of the better professors I've had here at UCLA. He has a genuine concern for the subject and does everything he can to make his students feel as passionate about the subject as he does. Although there is a good amount of reading for the class, they weren't difficult to complete because they were so interesting and mainly stories, not text books.
It is pretty difficult to get anything lower than a B as long as you do the readings, attend the film screenings, and at least listen at lecture. The midterm is a take home test and pretty easy as long as you know the material. The final wasn't bad either and as long as you put thought into your papers and exams you have a good shot at getting an A.
I highly recommend this class to anyone. It is a great way to get a GE out of the way and to understand a part in history that is important to know about. Plus, all the TA's and Professor Presnor do a great job at making you feel comfortable and they make you want to understand the material. Definitely take this class if you can.

Undoubtedly one of the easiest classes at UCLA. Before, I thought easy meant slacking off and getting a good grade, but I've learned the UCLA definition of easy through bruinwalk:

Easy = relatively low work, EASY to get a B, fairly easy to get an A [meaning you still have to work for the A].

Take this class if you could. It's pretty interesting, and the professor is good. I would recommend most of the T.A.'s too.

If you ever space out, you could just stare at him and not turn blind... and make sure you sit in the back if you plan to sleep, cuz he pointed out that he could see you sleeping. lol, I'm joking... kinda. :-P

Listen, people! TAKE THIS GUY! He is extremely funny, his knowledge of his subject is astonishing, class is never boring, and it is very easy. This is an excellent way to get rid of a GE while watching movies and writing a few papers that virtually anyone with half a brain gets an A on. Presner was one of the best profs I took at UCLA!

Professor Presner is young, clean-cut, and a snazzy dresser. One of my friends thought he was a student - he looks younger than the TAs even.

Don't let his boyish looks fool you though. He is quite knowledgable in his subject (despite the fact that he mispronounces more than a few words). I found his choice of readings and films to be interesting and the workload to be more than fair.

However, lectures sometimes stretched the limits of my credibility. I often wondered if all the analyzing of the works of literature was just for the sake of analyzing - most of the time the themes and motifs he draws make sense, but some of them are way out in left field. You are expected to write on what he discusses in class, so if you try to go off on your own tangent in your papers, be prepared to get a slap on the wrist.

Overall I enjoyed Professor Presner and his Holocaust class, but frankly, it's hard for me to see how anyone could teach a boring class about the Holocaust in film and literature.

yeah, the professor is great but if you end up with a bad TA then your grade is pretty much set. While all the other TA's seemed to be giving out A's, mine was giving out B's. Otherwise, the class is interesting and the reading is a breeze

I had Prof. Presner in his first quarter of teaching here at UCLA and he was amazing. To think he will only get better makes me want to take him again. I took Holocaust in Film and LIterature with him and it was an awesome course that he taught very well. He chose great pieces of literature as well as movies that are not as mainstream as others. He is an eloquent speaker and is really concerned about your learning and gathering of your OWN thoughts. Considering the class was on a sensitive topic, he could not have taught it better. You actually WANT to read all the assigned readings in this class. He came from Stanford and is very intelligent. He was even able to bring a HOlocaust survivor into class. Tips for those taking the class: Go to lecture so you can get great concepts to build your papers on. Don't be general in your concepts in your papers and don't do them in a hurry. IF you take your time doing your short reflection papers, it will pay off and you will barely have to study for the final. Sit close to the front because he writes small.

Professor Presner is wonderful-- he is pretty young, and always upbeat and interesting. He is very approachable and his German 59 (Holocaust in Film and Lit) class was relatively easy, and very informative also. I would love to have him again in another class, and I would recommend him to everybody!
(Another plus: he's really good-looking)