<p>I saw a thread like this on the UCLA forum and thought it would be interesting to see what USC students thought were their best classes and/or professors and why. :)</p>
<p>GEOL-108lg Crisis of a Planet- Anderson. The only professor I think that can make geology interesting to non-majors. Super energetic, funny, interesting, easy-going. Best of cat IV in my opinion. Despite teaching Ge’s he tries to remember everyone’s name and always helps his students as much as possible. 
Took this freshman year, now a Junior, but this is still probably my favorite class I’ve had so far. </p>
<p>I’ve also heard
HIST200-The American Experience- Seip, is an amazng course for Cat.1. Everyone’s taken american history several times, but he manages to make it interesting. everyone dislikes getting up at 8am, but everyone I’ve heard who took this class said he made it worth it (which says a lot in college).</p>
<p>Definitely IR 210 with Lamy, that guy will open your eyes to the world of international relations like never before. There are a ton of people not in the major that take it, i’ve even seen people sit on the floor of the class a few times.</p>
<p>I’m taking a really sick class so far with a CIA professor - Godinez, on international terrorism and liberal democracy too, and she’s a hilarious teacher to have too. It’s funny seeing her talk and then pause to try to rephrase something that she could potentially not be authorized to say, plus her projects for the class are great; the first half of the class you operate as a terrorist organization and the second as a counter terrorist organization in forming and dismantling plans.</p>
<p>The NAUT series of classes, Deepwater Cruising, AKA Sailing. In the first class, you have about 6 sessions of lecture, then you go on an overnight sailing trip. On the second one, there’s a 4-day cruise. The professors (captains) are awesome, really laid back, and the trips are great.</p>
<p>Theatre 125 - Dramatic Analysis, Fletcher.</p>
<p>Best class ever.</p>
<p>Any more? :D</p>
<p>THTR 130 - Intro to Theatrical Production (Shop Track).</p>
<p>The lectures are absolutely dreadful, but the 3 hours you spend each week in the scene shop sawing, painting and drilling makes it worth it!!</p>
<p>Any current students have any suggestions for film or business classes?</p>
<p>I hear from everyone CTCS 466 is supposed to be a class you can’t miss, especially if you take it pass/fail. You basically just watch new movies each week. Its hosted by Leonard Maltin, the film critic on Entertainment Tonight.</p>
<p>CTCS 467 is the television version of the same thing.</p>
<p>Any suggestions for a really, really easy 4 unit elective?</p>
<p>Anyone know of a fun, 2 unit class to take pass/fail? I was thinking of doing beginning guitar.</p>
<p>The best professor I’ve had so far is Manson for Writ340 (Arts/Humanities). The material is tough but interesting if you like counter cultural stuff, and he does an excellent job at breaking it down.</p>
<p><em>I must say it is important to note that even though you take the “same” course, if it’s with a different professor you may have an entirely different experience</em></p>
<p>Best classes i’ve taken so far at USC:</p>
<p>CHEM 322a Organic Chemistry A w/ Williams and Jung. Yeah, it’s ochem. Fun class with these two profs though. Both like teaching and are very good at explaining complicated concepts. They are both easy to approach and I felt that they had the best office hours. Ochem B w/ Hogen-Esch on the other hand was one of the worst…</p>
<p>EALC 317 Advanced Korean II w/ Cho. It was a really fun class with a good mix of translations, oral presentations, Hanja, and essay writing. Extremely small class size (<10) provides a good opportunity to get to know your classmates.</p>
<p>ARLT 100 Knowledge and Imagination in Science Fiction w/ Shugarman. Not a good lecturer but the essay topics and reading list were really interesting. Grades very generously.</p>
<p>MATH 208 Introduction to Statistics w/ Bartroff. I suck at math and I found this to be a fun class where the exams are fair and the professor makes the material easy to understand.</p>
<p>BISC 307 General Physiology w/ Herrera. One of the funniest and highest rated professors at 'SC. Definitely a lot of difficult material and a lot of work if you want to get a good grade but one of the most relevant courses if you want to go into the health field. </p>
<p>EALC 120 Japanese I w/ Mukai. Fantastic teacher, incredibly friendly and enthusiastic about teaching. Makes you want to come to class because it’s genuinely enjoyable.</p>
<p>At the moment I’m taking two courses that I really like:</p>
<p>PHYS 135a Physics for the Life Sciences w/ El-Naggar. I thought I’d hate physics since I dislike math, but I actually want to go to class solely because he’s such a good lecturer.</p>
<p>EALC 429 Gender in Korean Film and Literature w/ Park. I thought I would hate this class (“what am I doing in a gender studies course??”) but after the initial readings involving seminal feminist essays, this class has really been great. Small class size, and very mature (as a 4th year student, I’m one of the youngest students). I enjoy the format, which is film screening on Mondays, Blackboard bulletin posting due on Tuesdays, and Socratic seminars on Wednesdays.</p>
<p>I need to take some elective courses (otherwise I’m taking advanced japanese but I’ll be studying abroad in japan anyhow) any more recommendations?</p>
<p>Registration is right around the corner… any more recommendations for fun, 2 unit classes?</p>
<p>international ballroom dance with jesus fuentes is an easy 2 unit</p>
<p>one of my favorite GEs is ARLT 100 On Beauty</p>
<p>PHYS 161: Mechanics - This is the honors physics course geared towards engineering majors (as an engineering major, you are required to either take PHYS 151 or PHYS 161). All engineers have to take a calculus based physics course. That’s besides the point…My friend who is taking PHYS 161 LOVES the professor who teaches it. Professor Gene Bickers (Vice Provost of College of Letters, Arts, and Sciences). He is fun and entertaining during lecture periods. However, the class is really difficult and many students complain about the difficulty, but if you’re up for a challenge, then take PHYS 161 (there is a prerequisite for PHYS 161).</p>
<p>ACCT 416- Financial Reporting and Analysis, taught by Dean Beatty of Leventhal. As a business major (financial analysis and valuation) this course was amazing. All about valuation, industry analysis and forecasting. </p>
<p>Dean Beatty is the most enthusiastic professor I have ever had and the feeling you get while in this class is one of “I will own the world” with this information. He was voted by Business Week as one of the “12 masters of the classroom” and was previously a professor at Wharton.</p>
<p>If your at all interested in investment banking, I cannot recommend this course more. It is a very rigorous course and even being only 2 units, you will find yourself putting in far more time than you ever did for a 4 unit course, but you will get more out of it than you can imagine and not just in material but in how to conduct yourself throughout your career and life.</p>
<p>Any more…</p>
<p>PHYS 161 is awesome. Prof Bickers is one of the best physics teachers in the world (he is technically vice provost for undergrad programs, for the whole university)</p>
<p>Just make sure you are comfortable doing physics…PHYS 161 will challenge your skills I promise</p>
<p>Hoping more students will come in and add after the exams are over…</p>