@summertriangle, it’s a professor rating site, along with grade distribution for courses. It’s just for the UCs. Berkeley uses it and a couple other UCs. Just google ninja courses.
It has a ton of berkeley prof ratings, but berkeley also uses schedulebuilder which is part of ninja’s platform, so that might account for the surge of listings.
UPDATE: just checked – UCLA is on ninja.
Ninja and bruin walk were both great. Thanks for that guys.
So, I’m getting the impression that TA’s are pretty significant in the UD classes. For those already enrolled at UCLA what has been your experience with TA’s? From the reviews of English courses it seems the TA’s are even more important than the professors, as if the professors do the lectures but the TA’s handle all the papers, including grading, etc. Is this true?
Can anyone tell me what a plaza double/private bath/den would be? Is that truly a private bath or a shared one? I didn’t think a single room was possible/likely, but I really just wanted a private bathroom, but I don’t know if I got it or not? 
@fullload that is very true. Your TA has way more to do with your grades and what you’re graded on than the professors. I had one course where the TAs even designed the midterm in the final. The TA will grade your papers and your exams. You definitely want to get to know your professors, but you also really want to get to know your TAs. Because the TAs do the grading, it’s important to know what they think is important to focus on. Often times it’s the teaching assistant who write letters of recommendation as well. The professor will sign them, but the TA will write them.
Thanks, candles. So what is the typical education of these TA’s? I mean, these aren’t just senior students are they?
They are all graduate students at UCLA - they are working on their PhD’s. It’s really 50-50 as to whether or not you get a good one. I’ve had some TAs who were awesome. They were very knowledgeable and could easily answer questions and make the material more understandable. I also had some that, while they were knowledgeable, they really have not come into their own as far as teaching goes.
Ah, I’m so torn about living on campus!
Has anyone heard word about the Transfer Experience housing? Did it say somewhere or on your email that you were in the program?
Also, does anyone have a link to how the rooms are laid out?
@fullload, this has been the story of TAs since before I even went to college. They are graduate students, and as such, sometimes feel the need to be stricter than the actual teacher would be (it’s an alpha thing). The TA has major power over your grade, so if you get a bad TA try and switch out as soon as you can, if possible.
When you get on campus, try to do some reconnaissance on good TAs, so you’re prepared, if needed.
Can someone who is a current student, or that knows about the meal plans for on-campus students, please inform me of the meal plan you chose and if it worked out well for you? I am torn between picking the 14P meal plan or the regular 19 meal plan. Thanks.
OOH THIS WAS SO MUCH FUN TO PLAY WITH
@luckie1367 I applied for themed housing but my offer didn’t say anything about it. It said that I was in De Neve Plaza, but not whether I was accepted into one of the communities or not. So I’m really not sure!
@gdkane Thats where I"m at as well…
Also, I’m a little confused on the whole DN thing, since it seems like DN is a grouping of buildings?
Could @Cayton or @2016Candles explain? Is DN Plaza all of the buildings named after trees?
@gdkane and @luckie1367 , I sent an email today and asked if the offer would tell if I had been accepted for theme housing but this is what they replied: “Your offer will not state whether or not you are in the theme. If you are offered to the hall where the theme is located, your request for the theme is still being considered. You will be notified of your specific room assignment in August”.
By contract, teaching assistants are not allowed to have more than 75 students per class per quarter. So if a class had 75 or fewer students, then there is likely only one teaching assistant. Teaching assistants are typically added in increments of 75 students. So if there are 75 students there will be 1 teaching assistant, 150 students 2 teaching assistants, 225 students 3 three teaching assistant, and so on. Typically HTA will have one day of classes. So if there are discussions that meet on Tuesday and discussions that meet on Thursday, teaching assistant #1 will have Tuesday, and teaching assistant #2 will have Thursday.
@luckie1367 I don’t know anything about on-campus housing. Sorry.
I know Berkeley will sometimes add sections to increase a lecture size (I guess that’s the only way they can add more students). Not sure if this is available at UCLA?
Thats okay @2016Candles, thanks though!
@Manda001 Thanks!
@luckie1367 did you get your housing assignment yet? As my kids say, **** gets real.
@lindyk8 I did!
I’ll PM it to you.
I’m now really torn though, since the original plan was to live at home…
The **** has gotten very real
What’s the difference between Deluxe and Classic residence halls?