<p>Im currently attending Mt SAC community college and all of the lower level political science classes have been completely essay based usually involving one big essay question and 5 short essays questions. In all of the classes we have been given the questions in advance in order to prepare our essays for the exams; we aren't allowed to bring in our prepared essay but can memorize them for the exam. I was wondering if this is how UCLA's political science exams are or if you have to determine yourself from lectures and readings what topics are going to be on the exam and pray that you studied the right material? I might transfer to UCLA next fall so I was just wondering what I should expect.</p>
<p>I’m a poli sci major and most of the classes I’ve taken are only a midterm and final (either 50%-50% or 40%-60% each for total grade). Sometimes they throw in a research paper in there as part of the grade as well. The tests themselves are usually 1 or 2 long essays or 1 essay with a definitions and short answers section. As for format, you don’t usually get the questions handed to you beforehand you just study everything covered in lecture, but sometimes the professor or T.A. will kinda guide you in your studying on important topics. Also, a lot of poli sci professors have take-home midterms or finals, usually 1 or 2 long essays probably about 8-12 pages total that are given anywhere between 2 days to 1 week in advance.</p>
<p>That doesn’t sound too bad. Do the Poli Sci professors at UCLA let you use voice recorders for lectures? Are the poli sci exams you have taken based mostly on lectures or books, a mixture of both, or did it depend on the professor?</p>
<p>I’d say most pol sci professors tend to assign a good deal of reading but emphasize lecture over reading in exams.</p>
<p>I don’t think most professors would have a problem with you recording a lecture for study purposes, but sometimes professors will post lecture notes or outlines or your classes may be podcasted, which might eliminate the need to. Here are two examples (some classes are protected so that only those in the class can see the lecture):</p>
<p>[Political</a> Science 6 - Lec 2 — UCLA Office of Instructional Development](<a href=“http://www.oid.ucla.edu/webcasts/courses/2010-2011/2011spring/polsci6-2]Political”>http://www.oid.ucla.edu/webcasts/courses/2010-2011/2011spring/polsci6-2)
[Political</a> Science 171C - Lec 1 — UCLA Office of Instructional Development](<a href=“http://www.oid.ucla.edu/webcasts/courses/2010-2011/2011spring/polsci171c-1]Political”>http://www.oid.ucla.edu/webcasts/courses/2010-2011/2011spring/polsci171c-1)</p>
<p>I’m from Mt. SAC as well, and I’m on my way to finish my junior yr here at UCLA. As long as you do well in Professor Stone’s class, you’ll be well prepared when you get here :)</p>
<p>Oh yeah, don’t take Stats @ SAC. You’ll be taking PS6 when you arrive here. Good luck!</p>
<p>Stats here sucks!! BEWARE!</p>
<p>My friends took PS6 and I was stuck with stats 10 to fulfill the stats requirement. Definitely stick to PS6 unless you feel like going to class 5 times a week at 9 AM.</p>
<p>Thanks for the tips everybody. I aced all of Professor Stones Poli 5 exams so thats good to hear.</p>
<p>I don’t have the PS6 requirement completed, so does that mean I can’t take any upper division poli sci classes until I complete PS6? I will have Poli 1, Poli 2, Poli 5, and Poli 9 done at the end of this Spring semester; Are there any other pre-reqs I will have to complete when I get to UCLA before I can declare Poli Sci as my major? If there is, what are they?</p>
<p>You only need the 4 lower divs plus the stats course completed to declare poli sci as your major. Just about every poli sci applicant comes in as pre-poli sci because of the stats requirement which isn’t offered at too many CCs. You’re free to take upper div classes in the areas you’ve completed your lower divs in even before declaring the major, so hopefully for most of you you’ve completed your IR and American lower divs because that’s where the most classes are generally found.</p>