what cluster do you want to take?

Colleges & Universities A-Z University of California - Los Angeles
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<p>Assuming most people here will take a freshmen cluster course this year, I'm just curious to see which ones people are most interested in. (The page for cluster courses is here: <a href="http://www.college.ucla.edu/ge/clusters/default.htm%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.college.ucla.edu/ge/clusters/default.htm&lt;/a&gt;)&lt;/p>

<p>I think the "East Asia" one sounds the most interesting, but now, after watching the movie "Crash," I'd love to take "Interracial Dynamics" too! Basically, I think all the social science ones are really interesting.</p>

<p>Do any current students have any suggestions? Also, should one take a cluster related to their major, or not? For instance, since I know I'm NOT going to be a science major, should I take a more science-related cluster?</p>

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<p>they all sound really interesting! i personally would take a science related cluster to get that GE done because my major doesn't require science.</p>

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<p>while the idea of a cluster may be appealing, most of my friends that took a cluster hated it. They tend to be quite difficult and time consuming. Fortunately, I never took one because it didn't fit with the constraints of my double major.</p>

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<p><a href="http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showthread.php?t=65521%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showthread.php?t=65521&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

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<p>"Do any current students have any suggestions? Also, should one take a cluster related to their major, or not? For instance, since I know I'm NOT going to be a science major, should I take a more science-related cluster?"</p>

<p>if you're REALLY INTERESTED in the cluster, then by all means, do it. however, my suggestion is to take clusters outside your major because your major will most likely fulfill some social science GE's already, and taking a social science cluster is redundant in that aspect. taking, say for example a science cluster, will help you get rid of science GEs. However, i do have to note that the clusters are a little more demanding (you get honors credit for it if youre in the honors program), and you can take easier classes to fulfill those science GEs. </p>

<p>the east asia cluster sounded appealing but to help me get rid of GEs, i decided to take the biotechnology one instead. overall my experience with it was okay. the professors are average. the TA was horrible, maybe that's why i dont have a too positive review. a lot of reading, labs weren't bad, papers were moderately difficult, but exams were hard. and because it was curved, all the competitive pre-meds who were really interested in the topic did well. but if you're really interested in biotechnology, i think you'll find a lot of the topics both interesting as well as very relevant to society and our future. i am, however, enjoying my spring quarter seminar. it's much more interactive since the class is capped at 20 students.</p>