This is the second course I've had with Professor Jurkowski. His classes are very easy and he wants you to succeed. I recommend his courses for GEs, even if the lectures can be boring at times.
Very accessible outside of class and very approachable. Just not a very helpful professor, assigns a lot of homework as if we don't have other courses we are taking, and then grades very harshly on it. Doesn't post any lectures, so if you miss class your are simply screwed. Just overall doesn't give you the tools you need to succeed normally.
Really easy class. Said in the syllabus that attendance was required but I never went to class once and got an A. All you have to do is take an online weekly 5 question quiz and alternate between a 300 word and 600 word response based on the weekly reading. The weekly reading is short and discussed in section too, sort of interesting, good GE.
Interesting lectures if you're interested in musical history at all! It doesn't stay on like 18th century guys the whole time, gets real interesting when it gets to the 20th century. Professor is enthusiastic and his lectures are great. Lots of short/informal papers.
No Final/Midterm Exam! Just a big paper to be honest. Material in class was interesting as we worked through many time periods and many styles of music from different regions of the world. He made class very interesting and constantly tried switching it up all the way from guest speakers, to guest performers. Super sweet!
I cannot express how much I LOVE this man. Dr. Jurkowski is extremely knowledgeable about this subject and very passionate as well. The beginning of the class can seem a little bit slow (especially if you have prior experience with music) but is very interesting towards the end. Easiest class I've ever taken at UCSB, def recommend for ur arts cred!
Passionate professor. Pretentious, but actually very knowledgeable of his field and of the history of music. He would sometimes get heated during lectures, but in general, he is very understanding. There is a written assignment every week, but most of them are easy and can be completed in an hour for with little effort. I recommend this class.
Jurkowski definitely takes pride in what he teaches, but his class has a heavier workload than what I was expecting. The work itself isn't particularly hard, but I've done more writing for this class than I've done for ENG10 and PHIL1 combined. Definitely takes up a good chunk of time, so if you're looking for a light and east GE, this isn't it
This is a very easy GE! The professor is really nice and sometimes there are in-lecture performances. There is also a weekly writing assignment, but it is totally doable as long as you go to lecture.
Professor Jurkowski is the best. His lectures are really easy to digest and he is very accommodating and accessible. I had a family emergency during the quarter and the professor along with my TA Benny was extremely accommodating and helpful. I would definitely take this class again if I could. The performances during class are an added bonus :)
he is really nice, the lectures are pretty fun and very important for writing every weeks papers. the grading isn't harsh and u get to listen to cool music (sometimes there r performances), the required concert can be a hit or miss depending on whats showing but the class is pretty easy and interesting overall.
I enjoyed this class - not too difficult, but you do have to put in a good amount of effort. Attend lectures and keep up with the notes! Lengthy readings, but I didn't always complete them. They do provide more context for the lectures. Nathan was a great TA - always reviewed the readings and was understanding and easy to talk to for help.
Class wasn't that interesting, but prof was very passionate about material so I managed to pull through. Class was work heavy, many readings, and notes to take. Forum posts every week as well. Also a final paper, but TA helps out a lot! Midterm and final exam were 3 short essays each. Would recommend if you're ready to put in the work!!
I had to take this class for my major. It's dry as you might expect, Prof tries his best to make it interesting, but the material is still pretty boring. Overall it wasn't too much work, very predictable, well-structured course that's not going to give you any grief. Some readings that weren't entirely necessary but not too long
Overall a pretty good professor with good lectures and a good personality. Was not a big fan of the class itself as it was pretty writing heavy and overall just a little bit too much work for a class that people only take as a GE. Not terrible at all though!
Super nice guy! Keeps lectures fun, and the weekly homework is a 10 question quiz that comes directly from his posted slides from each lecture. Midterm and final are 3 short essay questions pulled directly from a study guide that he hands out the week before. If you plan your studying right, this along with the final essay should be no problem!
Be warned: you do have to put in a decent amount of work and take notes during lectures. I probably spent around 2-4 hours a week doing the assignments. But Professor Jurkowski is very clear about how to get a good grade & I found the class interesting. I'd recommend it if you need a GE with arts and a writing credit.
Do NOT take this class for a GE, its not an easy A. TA is such a tough grader and you are expected to just brain dump on the midterm and final to get a good grade. There is also a final paper and a final which is so unnecessary. Material is also just so boring as well. Sections are a waste of time but mandatory. Horrible grading.
Professor Jurkowksi genuinely just loves what he does and he reduces the content you have to learn to very specific artists and pieces so there's not a lot to memorize and if you just pay attention you don't have to study at all.
If u took AP music theory the entire 5 series is review. I don't know what this course, or the other 5 series class would look like to someone learning theory for the first time. Got a B because I didn't try very hard lol Talking theory with him is fun. My impression is a laid back person.
Most items are from lectures and weekly readings. His PowerPoint is not recorded so you have to go to the lecture. He is passionate about his work but with so many students, it's hard to find a connection. It does get boring after a while and drags on. The grade is based on section attendance and mostly midterm/final.
The homework is very light and usually only one thing every week or every other. The lectures can be a bit boring but not hard to understand, he doesn't post the slides online. Only 1 final essay that's 3-4 pages and midterm and final are just 3 short answer questions. The final is not cumulative. Pretty easy GE.
Really fun class! Lectures could get dull, but you can tell how much he cares about what hes which makes it a lot better. Few short writing assignments and 1 paper over the quarter, good choice of a class!