An introduction to the classification, structure, life histories, and habits of the major phyla of invertebrate animals (excluding annelids and arthropods), with emphasis on marine fauna of Santa Barbara area.
5
UnitsLetter
Grading1
PasstimeNone
Level LimitLetters and science
CollegeMost interesting class I have taken at UCSB, definitely going to remember this stuff forever! The class was pretty difficult because of the tests and the lab practicals, but studying for it really was beneficial to my learning. Totally recommend the class, and definitely go on the field trips! They really pulled the experience together.
Kuris is incredibly passionate about invertebrates and it shows through in his lectures. Though the exams and practicals are hard, if you take a lot of time to study, you'll do well. Go 2 lecture! The TA's this quarter care a lot about their students doing well, and both Kuris and the TA's have been making it clear what to focus on for the exams.
- Lab AND lecture midterm in the same week...I have other midterms that week, get a grip - Jump rule punishes those who do well on the first test - They make the class so difficult and unfair that a 50% has to be a passing grade - Expect you to remember an atrocious amount of taxonomy and anatomy - Don't care about students wellbeing or learning
Todd is a great lecturer and the midterms are fair but the lab portion of the class ruins it. the TAs my quarter were pretty unorganized and overall unhelpful. my class ended up scoring astoundingly low on the practical so they dropped the first one. it'd be easier to focus on Todd's lectures without chaos of the lab section.
Professor Kuris is an amazing teacher who has a tremendous knowledge of invertebrates. The invertebrate zoology classes are really fun if you like invertebrates, but they are also very challenging because of the amount of material you have to memorize.
Love this professor. Class is kinda dry but show up and you will be fine.