Recommended classes
Students want to know, “What’s a good class?” So those of us at New Student Services did what we could—we asked more than 2500 undergraduates for their opinions, and the following is what they said.

You also might want to check out these student hosted web sites:
reshall.berkeley.edu/academics/resources/recommendedclasses/
ratemyprofessors.com

Note: A dagger (†) by the professor’s name (in parentheses) means that he or she has received a Distinguished Teaching Award (up to five people from the entire faculty are selected each year, so this is a big deal).

A bullet (•) in front of a class description means that this class, taught by the particular professor mentioned, is being offered in fall 2008.

Another note: Because we don’t bite the hand that feeds us, we do not list classes that students don’t like.

Bioengineering
•Bioengineering 24 (1 unit), Aspects of Bioengineering (Liepmann): “If you’re even curious what Bioengineering is all about, then take this seminar. It’s more information than you’ll find on any booklet, and it comes from Professor Liepmann, who knows what he’s talking about.” “If you even think you might be interested in Bioengineering, this is the class to check out. Excellent, informative seminars, in a very relaxing atmosphere.” “It’s also a perfect little class to take if you’re short a unit. There’s no homework and Professor Liepmann is hilarious!” “This class is informative yet relaxed. The required work for the class is minimal, and you learn something new about the bioengineering field from a new guest speaker each week.” “This is an interesting class focusing on different aspects of bioengineering, and graded solely on attendance.” “Students get a chance to hear about various careers in the bioengineering field.” “It’s really cool because you get to see the latest research in the department and field.”

Bioengineering 100 (3 units), Ethics in Science and Engineering (Budinger): “It’s an interesting class about ethics that anyone could relate to, especially with all the real case studies. Part of the class involves having debates every couple weeks, like whether a serial killer should recieve the death penalty. Overall, the class is well structured with online lecture slides and resources. Take it!”

Biology
•Biology 1AL (2 units), General Biology Laboratory (Meighan): “I found Biology 1AL to be a very challenging but engaging class. It is taught by Professor Meighan and requires much more work than your average two-unit class. Even though this was one of the hardest classes I have had to take at Berkeley, I feel that I got so much out of it - not just knowledge about general animal biology, but even about studying methods and time organization. The way this class is planned out forced me to learn the material well. I retained most of it and now find myself instructing other students for this class.” “I encourage taking biology 1A lab because it was very interesting! Even though it is a tough class, I think what you learn out of it is worth the pain.”

Biology 1B (4 units), General Biology (Feldman): “This may sound like a boring general Biology class, but the class will blow your mind. Take it, study it, love it!”

•Biology 1B (4 units), General Biology (various professors): “After I took this class, I decided I wanted to study biology. This class is great because there are no prerequisites, and it’s really fun if taken seriously.” “This is a great class to get started in if you’re trying for a bio-related major. Professor Carlson was so enthusiastic that I now have a new way of looking at plants.” “Take Biology 1B if Professor Carlson is teaching the plant section-this fungus man will tell you to run into the forest and eat everything!” “I think that anyone who is contemplating studies in the life sciences should check out Bio 1B; it really gives you a general sense of the holistic approach to the biological sciences. Awesome course for non-bio majors, too!”

•Biology 1B (field section) (1 unit), General Biology (various professors): “This special lab section gives you an opportunity to try out field research. It’s taught by enthusiastic GSIs and makes research more accessible and makes the Biology department feel so much smaller.”

Biology 11 (3 units), Introduction to the Science of Living Organisms (Jones): “This class is a great introductory course to the field of biology-informative and is challenging, but not overwhelming. I’ve had a wonderful time, especially in the labs. One lab was spent watching bacteria mating.”

Buddhist Studies
Buddhist Studies 50 (4 units), Introduction to the Study of Buddhism (Kellner): “This is a wonderful course that teaches the fundamentals and principles of Buddhism. The information is very basic but very valuable for students who are interested in religious exploration.”

Celtic Studies
•Celtic Studies 70 (4 units), The World of the Celts (Klar): “Everyone learns about the glory of Greece and Italy during their Classical/Golden eras, but few know what was happening in the rest of Europe. This is a great class for learning the truth about a mighty culture that populated most of Europe before the expansion of the Roman Empire.”

Celtic Studies 119B (4 units), Welsh and Arthurian Literature of the Middle Ages (Rejhon): “It’s Welsh Medieval literature with an emphasis on King Arthur. Some of the translations were a little difficult, but the subject matter was extremely interesting.”

Celtic Studies 129 (4 units), Aspects of Modern Celtic Cultures and Folklore (Klar): “It’s a good introduction to a friendly and personable department. Klar discusses the origins of Celtic culture and tracks how it has influenced societies and cultures all over. It’s a small class, and she invites lots of discussion.”

•Celtic Studies C168/Religious Studies C109 (4 units), Celtic Mythology and Oral Tradition (Rejhon): “This course is taught by an excellent teacher with loads of really interesting pieces of information. She’s enthusiastic about her subject.”

Chemistry
Chemistry 1A (4 units), General Chemistry (Nitsche): “Nietzche made Chemistry come alive, especially when his coat jacket (accidentally) caught on fire!” “The demos are great and he keeps it lively.” “This course, along with Math 1A, encompass mostly all science majors, as well as math and computer science. This is good if you don’t know what you want to do or have some general idea of what you want to do.”

Chemistry 1A (4 units), General Chemistry (Pines†): “Simply the coolest science course on campus. Well-organized, lively, and brilliant—don’t graduate without having taken it!” “Pines is just an amazing teacher; his lectures feel more like free shows instead of a hardcore academic class (although you definitely do have to study for the course).” “It fulfills the L&S Physical Sciences breadth and is also a premed requirement.” “The best chemistry class that I’ve ever taken because it integrates technological telecommunications resources into class lectures.” “The professor is very animated and well-organized. Pines is a great speaker, opens the floor up for students to interact with one another as class is in session, thereby making the learning experience all the more fun.” “Pines is so cool that he can find a reason to drink champagne in class or smoke a cigar for his explanations.” “He’s the only professor I know with a fan club—the ‘Pine-Nuts’—and he deserves it.” “This class is a good indicator for whether or not molecular and cell biology majors will want to remain in that major.” “He almost won the Nobel Prize.” “The demos are amazing; it’s probably one of the most interactive science courses I’ll ever take.”

Chemistry 1A (4 units), General Chemistry (Saykally†): “He enjoys doing in-class demonstrations (especially blowing things up), so if you’re looking for a fun chemistry professor, he’s your guy.” “An interesting, engaging professor whose crazy experiments are sure to set the tone for the rest of your Cal career.” “I’m not a Chemistry major, but who knew it could be so fun with the professor exploding things and serenading us with his guitar!” “There is nothing more satisfying than telling your friends, when they ask you what you learn at the top public school in the world that you learned how to create an explosion using a donut.” There is never a dull moment and the professor makes it all the more entertaining.” “Professor Saykally is a fantastic teacher, very interesting and considerate.” “I thoroughly enjoyed the great enthusiasm and fascinating demonstrations that he provided during his entertaining and informative lectures.” “The class was great because of the spectacular and fun demonstrations; plus, Saykally’s an enthusiastic professor!”

•Chemistry 1A (4 units), General Chemistry (Stacy†): “Professor Stacy is great! She makes chemistry exciting, and the lectures are always entertaining! Her topics deal with things in everyday life, like why certain objects have bad odors.” “Stacy’s teaching is clear and coherent. In high school, I hated chemistry, but now I’ve come to enjoy it.” “Stacy was very enthusiastic and had many exciting demonstrations to help illustrate different concepts. Also, this class fulfills many different types of requirements, so it is a good class to start with.” “While many students groan about this ‘weeder’ course, Stacy teaches the material at an intuitive level so that you feel as though you made each chemical discovery on your own.”

Chemistry 1B (4 units), General Chemistry (Saykally†): “He was a wonderful lecturer and brought in many refreshing quirks to lecture.” “This is a small, non-weeder class; it’s more relaxed and less competitive.”

Chemistry 3A (5 units), Chemical Structure and Reactivity (Fréchet): “Fréchet was awesome! He is animated and his accent made lecture seem like a cooking show.” “It’s hard no doubt, but it gets interesting when you can start explaining all the reactions that occur around you.” “Professor Fréchet explains things so clearly and uses words that aren’t so professional that everyone can follow the lecture.” “Professor Fréchet is a great lecturer, he’s fun, and his exams are straight-forward.” “This is a fascinating and instructive class. The professor is engaging, and the material is far more interesting than Chemistry 1A.”

Chemistry 3A (5 units), Chemical Structure and Reactivity (Vollhardt): “If you put some time into the class, you will learn a lot of new material and do well in it.”

•Chemistry 3A (3 units), Chemical Structure and Reactivity (Pederson): “Professor Pederson is really approachable and gives you all the resources to do well in the class. His exam questions are fair and he seems like he’s there to ensure that you do well.” “This class is beyond difficult, but Pedersen clearly and concisely teaches the material, making him one of the best professors I’ve had thus far.” “Professor Pederson is a very talented professor who knows his material. He will give you every possible study tool and example to make the class less stressful.” “He is by far the best professor I had the past three years at Cal. With his enthusiasm for the subject and his eagerness to explain any confusing topics students might have, he really gets any student who has taken his class to develop a passion for the subject.”

Chemistry 3B (4 units), Chemical Structure and Reactivity (Pedersen): “Chemistry 3B is a course for students who love to be challenged and want to know about how applications of chemistry affect us everyday, including how ‘carbonless paper’ works!” “Dr. Pedersen helps illuminate the mysteries of organic chemistry. He teaches without making assumptions about a student’s previous chemistry background and presents fair but challenging material.”

Chemistry 4A (4 units), General Chemistry and Quantitative Analysis (Cohen): “The best class to take. Required if you’re majoring in chemistry. A fun class where you learn a lot, and Professor Cohen is a god!” “Chemistry 4A is much better than Chemistry 1A. It makes you work harder, but it’s way more fun.”

Chemistry 4A (4 units), General Chemistry and Quantitative Analysis (Head-Gordon): “It’s challenging, but you get a good overview of what chemistry is all about.” “The professor taught the material thoroughly and made the class interesting with his accent and demos.”

Chemistry 4A (4 units), General Chemistry and Quantitative Analysis (Mathies): “It’s definitely a hard class, but you learn so much more here than in Chemistry 1A. You feel ready to tackle any other class you may take at Cal.” “If you want to know everything about chemistry and are not afraid to put some work into the class, Chemistry 4A is the class for you. It will be the most challenging and rewarding class you’ll ever take.”

Chemistry 4A (4 units), General Chemistry and Quantitative Analysis (Moreto): “This course provides an interesting introduction to Chemistry and is not restricted to Chemistry majors.”

•Chemistry 4A/4B (4/4 units), General Chemistry and Quantitative Analysis (Saykally†): “Saykally makes some of the most complex ideas understandable and enjoyable to learn. Can you say boom?” “Although this is the hardest beginning chemistry course you may take, it is definitely worth taking, not only for its smaller class size, but also because it’s taught by animated Professor Saykally (aka Captain Hydro). The second semester special project allows students to really be creative. We get a lot of respect for being able to design our own experiments and research.” “If you can survive this class, you can survive anything.”

Chemistry C96/Chemical Engineering C96 (1 unit), Introduction to Research and Study in the College of Chemistry (Pines): “If you’re interested in Chemistry or research at all, I suggest that you take this first year seminar class Chemistry C96 (required for the College of Chemistry). It’s only one hour a week, and you get to listen to a speaker talk about his or her research.”

Chemistry 100 (2 units), Communicating Chemistry (various professors): “This class is very interesting because it is not like other ‘traditional’ type of lectures. We learn mainly through active discussion and activities. We are taught how to teach science to elementary kids. And the fun part is we have a chance to apply our theories by actually going to local schools to teach lessons. It serves as two-units for electives courses for majors in the College of Chemistry.” “This class is unique. You spend two hours every Friday up on the hill at the Lawrence Hall of Science learning about education and techniques for teaching science to elementary school children. The second half of the semester includes a field component, where students are assigned to local schools to get real experience teaching kids science.”

•Chemistry 103 (3 units), Inorganic Chemistry in Living Systems (Chang): “I thought it was really neat how inorganic atoms function, and this course really got me thinking about how essential the inorganic minerals are to biological function.”

•Chemistry 112A (5 units), Organic Chemistry (Ellman): “He has neat handwriting, well-organized lectures, and clear explanations.”

Chemistry 112A (5 units), Organic Chemistry (Peterson): “Don’t take this class during summer session because it’s really fast-paced and takes a lot of energy to keep up. Instead, take it during fall or spring with Peterson; he is great during lectures and a dedicated teacher.”

Chemistry 113 (3 units), Advanced Mechanistic Organic Chemistry (Toste): “To be honest, this class is pretty challenging to most people. However, if you understand the material, then you can actually go outside and find a research paper and be able to tell what they are doing.”

Chemistry 120A (3 units), Physical Chemistry (Miller): “If you’re a Chemistry or Chemical Biology major, then Chemistry 120A is a required class. It’s a very hard but fun class. Take this class with professor Miller and you’ll enjoy it. Take this class because it confuses you in a way in which you need to change your whole perspective of the world so that you’ll understand some of it. But as Professor Miller said, “Confusion is the first step to illustration!”

Chemistry 120B (3 units), Physical Chemistry (Geisler): “Chemistry or Chemical Biology majors have to take physical chemistry, so make sure to take this course. Geisler has good notes and his lectures are really interesting. The class is hard, but if you have him as your professor and you put in lots of time into this class, then you will do fine.”

Chicano Studies
•Chicano Studies 50 (4 units), Introduction to Chicano History (Saragoza): “This class is taught by an upbeat and knowledgeable professor. The course offers a look into Chicano history that will educate students on a subject that is not taught anywhere else but college.” “Professor Saragoza’s lectures were great! He is very enthusiastic and makes the class enjoyable.” “He is a great teacher. He makes class fun and interesting.” “He will keep you engaged with his humor and leave you enlightened with his knowledge.” “This class is for people with short attention spans because Saragoza never leaves your mind in an idle state. You actually want to go to class and never want it to end.” “Saragoza is a dynamic speaker who sprinkles his lecture with his own hilarious personal anecdotes. He cried on our last day of class and I felt like crying, too.” “Professor Saragoza is an engaging professor, and every class is like a performance. He is a great lecturer and you will learn a lot about American History from a Chicano/Latino perspective.”

Chicano Studies 143 (3 units), Chicano and Latin American Literature (Saldivar): “This class has been one of my favorites because Professor Saldivar uses a lot of different literature in the Chicano/Latino field that are not commonly taught. He is a great professor who makes class interesting.”

Chicano Studies 165 (4 units), Cuba, the United States and Cuban Americans (Saragoza): Professor Saragoza is an awesome instructor who keeps you on your toes and makes class enjoyable.” “Saragoza really knows his stuff. Despite the intensity of the reading, the class is very interactive, with video, dance and a field trip to Miami.”

Chicano Studies 172 (4 units), Chicanos and the Educational System (Chavez): “Everything I learned about our nation’s educational system, particularly in California, shows how much reform is needed to ensure that students of all backgrounds are not denied the opportunity to become eligible for higher education.” “This was a very informational class—Professor Chavez is a very smart woman.”

Chinese
•Chinese 1A (5 units), Elementary Chinese (Yang): “This is a great class to learn Mandarin. Professor Yang is fun, and the class is small, which makes it easier to meet people.”

Chinese 1AX (3 units), Elementary Chinese for Mandarin Speakers (various professors): “This is a great class for Mandarin speakers. It’s only three units and provides a fun opportunity to learn your mother language and meet friends.”

•Chinese 1AY (5 units), Elementary Chinese for Speakers of Other Dialects (Zhang): “I took the class my freshman year, and yes, even though that meant classes on Friday, it was worth it. She went at a good pace for a language class and was very nice to all her students. She made herself very approachable. Professor Zhang even invited her students to her house for Thanksgiving in case there were students who could not go home.”

•Chinese 7A (4 units), Introduction to Premodern Chinese Literature and Culture (Varsano): “If your major is Chinese (or even if it isn’t), Chinese 7A is a great class to take. The discussions that go on in that class about Chinese literature of the past are very thought-provoking.”

Chinese 7B (4 units), Introduction to Modern Chinese Literature and Culture (Volpp): “The professor is so nice, and the material is very fun to read!”

City and Regional Planning
City and Regional Planning 110 (4 units), Introduction to City Planning (Collignon): “Professor Collignon brings a lot of experience to the classroom as a former member of the Berkeley City Council. This class is a great introduction to the field of City Planning and current issues facing our urban and rural areas.” “Here at Cal, some large classes fail to show you how to apply knowledge to the real world. This class is not one of them. Due to the interactive nature of this class, you’ll learn what it’s really like to be a city planner and have a little fun too.”

City and Regional Planning 111 (3 units), Introduction to Housing: An International Survey (Alsayyad†): “Provides an amazing perspective on the way people around the world live, in particular the millions in substandard housing and slums.”

•City and Regional Planning 112A (3 units), The Idea of Planning (Cohen): “This class teaches you economics in a manner where you forget how boring it can be. Professor Cohen’s lectures are excellently prepared and presented in a fun, enjoyable way.”

•City and Regional Planning 113B (3 units), Community and Economic Development (Blaustein): “Community service is such an important part of our society. No one depicts the impact of community service better than Professor Blaustein.”

•City and Regional Planning 115 (4 units), Urbanization in Developing Countries (Roy†): “Although the course is centered on urbanization of developing countries, the topics covered are applicable in a US context as well. Professor Roy teaches you how to think critically through analysis and deconstruction of arguments posed both in and outside the classroom. This is an excellent course taught by an outstanding professor.” “Professor Roy is a wonderful teacher. She speaks with passion and truth; she doesn’t preach, she teaches.”

City and Regional Planning 118AC (3 units), The Urban Community (Blaustein): “I wish I had discovered this class sooner—I would have done a city and regional planning minor! See how the urban landscape can improve the quality of city life. Instead of just talking theory or pointing out what is wrong in the world, this class can show you tangible ways to improve or prevent urban destitution.” “A great class with a great professor. The reading is actually interesting and most of the lecture consists of just talking with the class. It also fulfills the American Cultures requirement.”

Civil and Environmental Engineering
Civil and Environmental Engineering 24 (1 unit), Freshman Seminars (Dracup): “It has really cool field trips!”

•Civil and Environmental Engineering 60 (3 units), Structure and Properties of Civil Engineering Materials (Monteiro): “Professor Monteiro is a really great guy and incredibly knowledgeable on this subject. He presents the course material in often funny ways and is full of interesting stories about how the course applies to current lawsuits. Also, maybe the best part of the class is that it comes with a super low stress lab where you get to make concrete samples and then smash them with intense equipment.” “You get to do something you never did in high school-smash concrete!” “Unparalleled hands-on experience.”

•Civil and Environmental Engineering 92 (1 unit), Introduction to Civil and Environmental Engineering (various professors): “I recommend taking this class because it gives you a wide-range of existing possibilities for an engineer in this field.” “It’s a class that teaches you a lot about civil engineers, like what they do and such. It’s a great class to help you decide whether you should major in civil engineering.” “Really chill, not much work, no lab, one hour of class a week. And most importantly, the class brings in professionals from the field (in the real world), and they talk to you, telling you what they do—not what they think you should do. Really helpful when trying to decide what field of Civil Engineering you want to be in.”

•Civil and Environmental Engineering 111 (3 units), Environmental Engineering (various professors): “It’s a great class for anyone to take because it informs you about basic environmental issues we all need to deal with. It gives you enough information to understand and evaluate all the talk of global warming, and also gives you important insight into how cities provide clean drinking water and remove wastewater.”

Classics
Classics 10A (4 units), Introduction to Greek Civilization (Griffith†): “This class has quite a bit of reading, but it pays off. The professor is really funny and easy to talk to.” “You’ll feel like an intellectual elite (or snob) after this class!” “He really knows his material inside and out and can draw connections from ancient history and themes to the modern era without any trouble at all. It’s a good way to determine if you would like to major in humanities.”

Classics 10A (4 units), Introduction to Greek Civilization (Kurke†): “This is an amazing class. She is the best lecturer I’ve had so far, and she provides new insights on familiar Greek myths and plays.” “Gods and goddesses, war and love, the whys and wherefores of the nature of things, and best of all, insight to one of the greatest civilizations in history—Classics 10A is for you!” “Professor Kurke is a great lecturer, the reading is interesting, and the assignments aren’t too difficult, so it’s perfect for students making the transition to college-level literature courses.”

Classics 10A (4 units), Introduction to Greek Civilization (Long): “This class about ancient Greek civilization is very interesting. We covered topics such as the gods, the role of women, sex, love, and philosophy. Surprisingly, the reading load wasn’t too heavy or dry.”

•Classics 10A (4 units), Introduction to Greek Civilization (Mastronarde): “Three hours of lecture and one hour of discussion translate into four units applicable to one of three L&S breadth requirements. Reading load provides insight to the foundation of western civilization. The diversity of information (literature history, art, language, and archaeology) provides any serious student with a head start in many studies of the western humanities. Overall it was great!” “The course material and readings are excellent and entertaining to anyone who has even the slightest interest in Classics, and Professor Mastronarde is a great lecturer.”

•Classics 17A (4 units), Introduction to the Archaeology of the Greek World (Greenewalt): “A great class to see how early Bronze Age and classical Greek culture developed, as well as their tie to present day culture.”

Classics 28 (4 units), The Classic Myths (Bulloch): “Lectures are like story time during class, and you really learn a lot about myths and the type of ideas that myths were founded upon.” “This class is great as a breadth requirement, though many people that take it end up checking out the Classics major! “You should take Classics 28—I liked it because Greek Mythology was very interesting to me and the books are very cheap!” “Classics 28 is a great class that satisfies the Philosophy and Values breadth requirement. It’s fascinating and Professor Bulloch is more than willing to help you outside of class to understand Greek Myths. He is also a great source of general advice about being a University student. I would love to take this class again!” “Great class to take if you are interested in Greek mythology.” “This satisfies the L&S Philosophy and Values requirement and is incredibly interesting.” “The readings aren’t dull, there is only one paper, and Greek mythology is neat-o. He even had a test question comparing Greek myth to Star Wars—that’s just great!” “This class is wonderful, for not only does it give an excellent survey of Greek mythology, but this class also takes myths up a notch by relating them to everyday ancient Greek life.” “Attending lecture is like going to story time, where a grandfatherly British man regales you not only with thrilling Greek myths, but also with their significance to morality and life today.”

•Classics 35 (4 units), Greek Tragedy (Griffith†): “This class not only gets one of your general requirements out of the way, but it is a very interesting and enjoyable class if you have any interest at all in Greek tragedy. This class served as a nice transition from the amount of work that was necessary in high school to the amount of work that is expected at a major university like Cal.” “This is an interesting class that not only goes into description and analysis of the text, but also the history of Greek tragedy and the way it was performed in ancient Greece versus contemporary performances.”

Classics 36 (4 units), Greek Philosophy (Ferrari): “This is one of the better courses I’ve taken at Cal. Interesting material and a great professor.”

Classics 39D (4 units), Freshman/Sophomore Seminar (Ferrari): “This seminar about utopia was a cheerful experience. It was a lot of reading, but we always had lively discussions and debates about them in class. The professor always brought his poodle to class, and from the first day that ball of fuzz lightened the mood to get everyone to talk.”

•Classics 121 (4 units), Ancient Religion (Bulloch): “Professor Bulloch in an enlightening teacher who caters to the class and not to the syllabus.” “Professor Bulloch is an energetic and eccentric professor who makes any subject he studies fun for his students.”