Be warned: This class is a TON of work-mainly reading. I can say without a doubt I read at least 2000 pages for his class. He also has quizzes at the beginning of each class based on the assigned reading for the day that are worth 2% each, so attendance is mandatory.

Good freshman, GE class. Interesting guy and fairly interesting class. Lots of reading, but can get by with skimming. One big paper, but not too bad. I would recommend it to those with an interest in Env Studies

There is a ton of reading for this class, make sure not to procrastinate on doing it! Much of the reading is included in the quizzes, and the reading check quizzes. The paper is not too bad, and the teacher is really interesting to listen to, but don't take this class unless you are really interested in it to start with.

Very good lecturer- speaks very clearly and does not waste time in class. Sometimes he does go too fast or too slow but overall the most clear&concise professor I've had. Very passionate about his class. Alagona's tests are fair and the class is very doable as long as you go to lecture and keep up with the reading (which is a pain).

Don't listen to these people!! Alagona is an amazing lecturer, the subject, although broad, was super interesting. The class was really well structured.....the readings were kind of ridiculous but definitely skimmable. Please take this class!! It's a really good intro to college level classes

Professor Alagona is a really captivating professor. He structures the class in a way that really teaches you a broad range of subjects in an efficient way. His test are fairly straightforward and he is an extremely fair grader. I did not do any of the massive amount of reading, got 85 on all 3 tests and got an A inthe class. I highly recommend him

He made everything interesting and he knows just about everything about the subject he teaches. He would go very in depth when answering students' questions. He was also funny and I always looked forward to his class.

A LOT of reading and we moved too fast for the information to sink in.. He was a good professor but I had trouble paying attention sometimes, which is not normal for me. Quizzes are okay if you know the lectures. Final was okay if you study, just a lot of essays. Worst part of the class was the 8-page paper we had to write.

Great class, well taught, Peter is passionate and informative and really wants the students to learn the information.

This was an awesome class. It was really easy.....just had to go to lecture and section but I also had a great TA. Research paper topics were interesting so it was easy to write. Typical class: two midterms, final, quizzes and paper. professor was great; only time I ever went to office hours to talk

He is awesome! He keeps things interesting by telling short stories at the beginning of each class and is extremely thorough in the material. He cut down the reader to be much shorter this year, so the reading isn't that bad if you stay on top of it. 3 quizzes and the final make up a majority of your grade, and they are not that bad/fairly graded.

lots of reading, but necessary - you can scan, but know the general idea, they will help you a lot with the final, which is all writing, compared to the midterms which were all multiple choice and not too hard. his notes are simple, so listen to what he says and elaborate.

He's a very helpful teacher. He made the class interesting with his sense of humor and relatable way of teaching the class - always starting off with an anecdote.

You'll never find a professor more interested in his students. His class was engaging, and the lecture material easy to comprehend. I recommend this class to any and everyone. Quizzes were relatively easy if you studied the lecture notes, and the final was simple. Great class, great professor

Super cool guy, class is not hard whatsoever if you do the weekly reading and go to lecture, or just read through the slides he puts online. 3 multiple choice quizzes are the midterms, there is an easy assignment due once a week, and the final is very easy.

ES 1 with Alagona was a great class! Really well organized, clear, and simple with some effort. Do the readings and study for quizzes and you will be fine. Also go see Alagona in office hours because he's really easy to talk to.

Attendance was pretty mandatory, as Peter would give short writing assignments randomly during the class, and as the lecture material was not really covered in the reader. The final was in a blue book but wasn't too hard, and Peter's just an all-around cool dude!!!! The material wasn't too interesting personally but class itself proved interesting!

One of the best profs at UCSB, really tries to engage students and get them to think critically. Excellent lecturer and has great slides (posts to gauchospace before class). I always look forward to attending his classes, which is more than I can say about most other classes. Be warned though, there is a LOT of reading for all his classes.

Alagona is amazing. Best class I've taken so far at UCSB. He's an engaging and interesting lecturer. Seems to really care about students. Reading for the class is interesting and not too much. I really recommend this class, It's awe-inspiring!

He's a great professor. Good, clear lectures. PPTs avail. on GS. Prepare your readings before lecture. 3 essay assigns, 2 quiz, & a final. He gives two-sentence pop quizzes each week to see if you did the reading. He's really into his subject, which I'm not, but he has me really engaged. I'd def take him again. Don't let the work deter you!

Peter's the best. Lots of reading (!!!provided on gauchospace!!!) but only tested with a weekly open-ended question to answer in the first couple minutes of lecture. Easy short-answer papers due in section, very discussion-based, perfect for starting out the enviro major. Really wants his students to thrive!

My new favorite professor at UCSB. He's a great lecturer and very organized. Lectures are all posted online. Textbook is a free PDF on gauchospace. The grading is super straightforward; two midterms each worth 15% and the final is worth 30%. The rest is made up of easy homework assignments and VERY easy one-question pop quizzes. Take this class!!

I skipped class pretty frequently and I'm getting a decent grade, like a BB+. Section is mandatory to turn in assignments. I had to take this for my major, but I wouldn't recommend it as an easy GE. It's tedious work. Not particularly difficult though. Alagona is very cool. 5 pop quizzes, but I just left after taking them

Peter is awesome, I would definetly reccomend him as a professor. Show up to lecture bc you will have pop quizes on the readings and beware of the MCQ's on the Midterms as they were fairly difficult, also be prepared ahead of time on the final and you should be good.

I skipped a lot of lectures and still did alright because he posts powerpoints online. Would have been an easy A had I gone to class more. Overall, he's an inspirational presenter and provides a lot of tips to doing well in the course. He's a cool guy!

Lecture slides are very organized with highlighted and underlined important themes but he doesn't drown the slides with a ton of words; so listen to what he's saying. His humor and passion for ES is very motivating and makes you wanna go to every lecture. Exams are not at all difficult, just attend lecture, know your material and you'll pass.

Favorite teacher so far at UCSB. He is extremely passionate and discusses environmental problems in an unbiased manner. Tests and final have a writing portion in section that sucks, but if you do the reading beforehand its not too bad.

Alagona is my favorite teacher at UCSB so far. Took ES1 my fall quarter freshman year and inspired me to change majors to ES. Easy class, all material from tests comes from the slides and reading. Reading is interesting and subject matter is cool. Lectures were fantastic and engaging. Would take the class again.

He made lectures very interesting and clear. Listen in lectures and you'll be fine.

Had Alagona for environmental studies 1, would recommend. Average work load for class, 2 readings a week and a weekly assignment (usually around 2 pages). His lectures are interesting for the most part and he puts all of his ppts online (although there's pop quizzes so you still have to attend)

He is super knowledgeable and charismatic. Articulates himself very well. His class is very organized. Only thing- be prepared for pop quizzes in lectures. Missed one and was unprepared for two, and it had a big impact on my grade. Also, we didn't have to purchase a textbook, which was awesome.

Best professor i have ever had. He is inspiring and enthusiastic, I actually loved attending his lectures. Plus one of the best things about his class is how everything is presented in an unbiased manner. I wish everyone could experience his class, it is knowledge that everyone should have.

Attend lecture for essay pop quizzes. The readings are fairly easy but some can be a bit too long. Lecture is entertaining. Pay attention to the sample quiz and final question in the powerpoint... they show up on the tests.

Not sure if it's the lighting in the lecture hall, but I dozed off more than I should have. However, he posts all of his lectures on Gauchospace, so if you miss lectures, it's not too bad. However, he does have pop quizzes/short writing exercises.

Was awarded Best Lecturer on campus and can be seen during each lecture. Every time I sat down it felt like I was listening to a TED Talk rather than a lecture. Made connections to real world events happening NOW rather than references we would get. The class fulfills a Writing Requirement, but there are no essays, so super easy if you need the GE.

More professors should strive to be like Dr. Alagona. He is so passionate about the subject, ridiculously organized, so impartial (which is hard, considering how political the subject matter is) and is very helpful during office hours (but he hates email). He provides a great learning environment. Definitely would take again

Being an upperclassman, majority of the material I had had previous exposure to, but that didn't take away from his class. He is an engaging lecturer if you're into it. Assignments are straightforward; subject matter is not difficult to grasp. Readings are important and come to class so you don't miss the quizzes. Put in some effort to get the A.

A great teacher to take, especially if you're deciding whether or not you want to go into the EnvSt major. Has fun lectures and is super easy to understand and very accessible to students. His tests are fair but you have to do the reading. Didn't require a textbook and instead offered a free reader, which was a plus. Occasionally gives pop quizzes.

Professor Alagona is one of the more stronger lecturers in UCSB. Was never bored at his lectures. He does give pop quizzes throughout the quarter so it is essential to do the reading. Was lukewarm about Environmental Studies, but became much more interested in it after this course. Would recommend to students interested in ES.

BEST CLASS EVER. Professor Alagona's lectures are the best and super interesting. This class is all about doing the work to earn the grade. No textbook but a PDF file of the readings. Do the reading and go to lecture because he gives pop quizzes. I'm not an Environmental Studies major but I ended up getting an A in the class with some hard work.

Great Class! Professor Alagona was the best professor I've had!! He is a really nice guy, and is passionate about Environmental studies. He gives you a PDF of the reader for free. He does give 5 pop quiz writing assessments on random days, so going to lecture is a must, but there was only 1-2 lectures were the lecture felt like it took forever.

I loved Peter Alagona! He's one of my favorite professors I've had. He provides the reading materials for free, each lecture is interesting, and he's so passionate about what he teaches. Even for non-ES majors, this class is a great GE.

Prof. Alagona is a really great lecturer; he's super funny and engaging and really is passionate about what he teaches. There is a term paper, but you get to work on it throughout the quarter. There are pop quizzes, but they're not difficult if you do all the reading. The midterms aren't hard - take notes and you'll do fine. would highly recommend!

Pete is an absolutely incredible professor To be fair, the course I took was an honors seminar in which we took a field trip up to the Eastern Sierra's, so not the best representation of a normal class, but nonetheless he was great. He seems to truly care about your input, and really wants you do gain a deep understanding of the material. 10000/10

Class consists of 2 midterms and and an essay and pop quizzes on the reading every so now and then. Great lectures and midterms are just flat out memorization of terms and a few questions on the reading so do it! Def recommend this class

Definitely the most organized professor I've had. Attending a lecture is like watching a TED talkAlagona knows the material very well and explains it in a way that's both interesting and easy to understand. Make sure to go to class in case of pop quizzes (short writing assignments). No final, just two midterms and a paper. Really loved this class.

Alagona was amazing! I loved this class. He was very organized and clear with grading policies and such, and even offered extra credit writing assignments (after the 5 pop quizzes given for a grade) for those who still attended lecture. I was excited to go to class every day, he was so passionate and concise with everything he taught!

Alagona was able to keep the class engaged during lecture. The midterms are based a lot on the lectures so study the definitions closely. We had a pretty extensive term paper due at the end of the quarter 8-10 pages but we worked on it from the beginning of the quarter in section. We didn't have a final because of it so it worked out well.

"Sustainability is not something we achieve. It's a road, a direction. The key is whether we are going in the right direction" "There is no reason for inaction". Just for these words, he is the best professor I ever met. He is super inspirational and patient. He gives amazing lectures, and he always welcome my questions after class. Thank you Prof

Great speaker. Worth going to lecture. Organized slides and engaged with the audience for good atmosphere. Two midterms were based on memorizing definitions. The final term paper replaced the final and we worked on it the entire quarter. He gave extra credit reading responses and provided all of the short readings online. Very considerate.

Dr Alagona is super passionate about the environment & bases his assignments on currents events to show how we are impacted daily by global changes. He is super engaged with the class and always makes sure to answer questions before proceeding with lecture. Super funny and truly intelligent man. Would recommend to anyone wanting to take Env S.

Seriously one of my favorite classes, he is an amazing professor and the lectures were always interesting and engaging. There are 4 short (1 page) papers due each quarter but they are super manageable and interesting so overall its an easy A if you put in some effort. This class is worth taking even if youre not an ES major.

Dr Alagona is an amazing lecturer who is really passionate about the environment and strives to get his students to see the importance in caring. No textbook used his assignments were fairly easy and helped relate the content with the outside world. Slides are organized and he delivers them greatly, makes the class laugh a lot

I love professor Alagona! I took ES1 the first quarter of my freshman year and I found this class very manageable and especially interesting. I actually enjoyed doing the 1-2 page homework assignments every week. I never missed a lecture as they were usually interesting and Alagona is able to keep the class entertained. Would highly recommend!!

Professor Alagona is a great guy and really cares about environmental. He posted all the slides on GS however there were some "participation cards" for lectures sometimes. Graded on work in section, a final, a reflection paper, the cards, and some small 1 page papers. There were opportunities for extra credit. Overall, a great professor I recommend

GREAT PROFESSOR and AWESOME LECTURES

Professor Alagona helped me decide to declare ES as my major. There's little notecard responses randomly at different lectures, so you do need to go, but his lectures are interesting and engaging. He truly cares, and wants his students to succeed.

pete was an amazing professor! everyone can tell that he really cares about the subject and presents information in a way that everyone can understand, regardless of their background in environmental science. i wish i could have him as a professor again, his class has definitely been my favorite since coming to ucsb.

Took ES 1 online for fall 2020. We basically read whatever the sources were, discussed in breakout groups, then submitted weekly PDF questions. no tests. no quizzes. TA's each grade differently. Professor Alagona really understands current circumstances & made the class for manageable and engaging at the same time. highly recommend!

I am honestly surprised by the negative reviews for ES1 Fall 2020! There were no tests and all the assignments were pass/fail. There was a lot of reading each week, but if you took the time to read and go to section it was an easy A. Really cool professor though, I wish I could've taken him in person because he didn't upload many lectures.

I had more interaction with my TA than with professor Alagona, but I went to office hours once (which is one on one) and he is very helpful and great at explaining the material. I liked the way the class was structured and learned a lot from all the readings, videos and podcasts. There is a weekly assignment which is fun, grading depends on TA tho

Prof. Pete is the best professor I've ever had. It's nearly impossible to take this class without wanting to dedicate your life to the environment. Lectures go by so fast, and the work is not only easy but also so interesting it doesn't even feel like work. Every student at UCSB should take this course or anything with Pete possible.

great professor. interesting lectures.

Amazing prof, so caring and inspirational. Tailors class to current events and keeps it relevant. No midterm, just a final and lots of group projects (graded individually). makes ES super interesting and super accessible outside of class. He really cares about his students and just wants you to learn.

This was one of my favorite classes I've taken at UCSB. Alagona is an AMAZING lecturer. He tailors the class to keep up with current events and teaches topics in a way that keeps you optimistic about the future but also helps you grasp the complexity and severity of environmental issues. This class made me switch my major to ES!

Prof Alagona was seriously one of THE best teachers I have had so far at UCSB. His lectures are super inspirational, informative, and interesting. You can tell he is super passionate about the subject. I would 10/10 take another class with him. Group work each week, short writing exercise, and a final. take this class!!!!

Prof Pete was fun, the lectures kept my interest for the most part and it never felt like we were doing busywork. The weekly readings were very relevant to current events, and the reading check quizzes were easy to bullsh*t if you read like one article. Maybe this was just my TA, but everything was graded quickly with good comments.

Prof Peter made this class extremely enjoyable. He's very passionate about keeping his content current and values collaboration between students. This was my first ENVS class at UCSB and it made me want to take more. The assigned materials were interesting and sections were fun. Overall a very personable prof and a very interesting topic to study!

Prof Alagona is the best professor I've had so far! He is super passionate about the environment, and his lectures are amazing. The structure of the class is great, and the TA's and sections are engaging and very helpful. The course materials that he puts together are interesting, and I learned so much in the class.

You can tell by his lectures that Pete really cares about his class. There's a handful of readings/podcasts to engage with each week before section, and the majority of your grade is based on your section quizzes + small group activities, which are very manageable. No midterms, final is extremely easy as long as you study the lecture slides!

Everyone of his classes feels like a ted-talk, weekly group discussion but with the same group so its only awkward the first time and you may end up with some bonus friends.

Pete was an excellent professor! He was very organized and the content was creative and interesting. The weekly reading were always incredibly relevant to current events. I gained a lot from this course and highly recommend it.

Best class I've taken at UCSB. Incredibly engaging lectures on relevant current issues. Peter is a great speaker and all around good dude. I recommend this class to everyone, regardless of major.

Overall, a good class and I would recommend it.

Professor Alagona's lectures are very engaging and interesting. He is an amazing professor and I would definitely take this class again. I highly recommend this class.

super passionate professor & interesting material. 0 papers/quizzes, & our final got cancelled due to the TA strike. lots of reading for the weekly preps (about 5 hours worth/week). biggest complaint is not being able to use electronics in class, which is annoying if you prefer typing over handwriting notes. would def take another class though!

Super interesting lectures. Very passionate and knowledgable about the subject. Obviously cares about his students and his TAs.

A lot of reading and the class is very lecture heavy but there are no tests or quizzes. He was very considerate when the TAs went on strike and ended up cancelling our final. Overall it was a great class and he was a really nice guy

genuinely such a kind professor, you can tell that he really cares about the material that he teaches. would definitely take one of his upper-div courses. only complaint is not being able to type notes in lecture/the no electronics policy

This is a Professor who walks the walk. He is passionate about teaching and the content he delivers. Role model citizen who gets nothing but respect from me. 10/10 would take again.

To anyone taking Environmental Studies 1 with Pete, you're in luck. He's one of the best, most passionate teachers whose class I've ever had the privilege of attending. There's about four hours of reading/video materials a week and lectures are definitely important to attend but if you're willing to put in that work you will get so much out of it!

Pretty easy. No midterm, final got cancelled due to TA strike. Prep materials each week (readings, videos, podcasts, etc) are somewhat long, but carefully chosen and actually interesting. Section quizzes are easy. Only criticism: no technology allowed, can't type notes in class. Otherwise highly recommend

Pete is a wonderful lecturer. He brings a lot of passion, and is extremely understanding of his students. During the TA strike this year, he was immensely understanding and fair. Everyone received strong grades

Professor Alagona was one of the best professors I had this quarter. He gives great lectures and the class is fairly easy. The TA's are understanding. There is weekly reading and short answer quizzes in section. Loved the class and would take again.

I've had professor Alagona twice now and seriously, I don't say this about every professor, this is the only one I'm saying it for, but he is my favorite professor at UCSB. Such a cool guy, he genuinely cares about his students, and has some really cool stories. His lectures also aren't boring, he makes class interesting and there's no BS homework!

INT 84ZX was definitely one of the best courses I've ever taken at UCSB. The five-day field trip to the Sierra Nevada was so much fun. Pete was kind and caring, and we were given so many opportunities to learn about the High Sierra. It was such a nice trip that I want to take this course again. I would recommend the course to any other student.

Such a great profesor! So passionate and inspiring, a great class with an even better profesor.

Amazing professor! My first quarter humbled me but this class got me through it. I absolutely loved attending this course and definitely will take this professor in the future if I get the opportunity. There are weekly preps which take about 4 hours but he makes them accessible by incorporating readings, videos and podcasts. Take this course!

Prof. Alagona is a great guy and laid out the course in a way that was easy to understand. There are many readings and group projects but overall, it is not a difficult course. He is not the most captivating speaker, but he does seem to care about the topic which I found nice.

Most boring ES class I've ever taken, but an easy enough class. Honestly expected a lot from an extry level ES 1, but easy to pass if you do the work. Weekly readings, weekly timed writing assignments, and weekly group assignments. If your group works well, everything should go smoothly and you can get an A easily.

He is a professor who not only makes the information fun to learn but also makes you think about how the subject translates to life outside of school. He is by far one of the best professors I have ever had. I would 100% take this class again.

Took this course as non ES major for my GEs, absolutely loved it! Professor Pete is an all around amazing professor with profound insight. His lectures can drag a bit, but you can tell he really cares about what he teaches. The group work and preps were not difficult, just time consuming. The final was a breeze. Cannot recommend this course enough!

Professor Alagona is so awesome!! He is so passionate about environmental studies and lecture was always interesting. You can tell he really cares about his students. I am an ES major and was expecting ES1 to be pretty boring review for me. However, I ended up learning so much in this class and really enjoyed it!! The grading was also very fair.

Interesting lecturer with extremely easy assignments that are essentially for completion. He had a single pop quiz that was pushed back to the very last lecture. Homework is relatively minimal and exams are very trivial as well.

The class itself is very easy, all writing exercises, and the final is basically a Quizlet. Lectures often boring bc a lot of the stuff was common sense, but prep materials were interesting. Really great course laying the foundations/basics for the rest of ENVS. Prof. Pete is the absolute goat, you can tell he cares about his students and field.

Chill guy, had weekly readings used for group and individual assignments. The group assignments took place during lecture. The individual assignments were during sections, and they were the hardest part since you only had 10 minutes to answer the question. No midterm. Final was multiple choice and not too difficult if you reread his posted slides.

My course was affected by the Fall 2022 strike. Finals were cancelled. He is technology adverse. Do not expect any electronic communication with him, he uses that as a last resort (and yes, I do mean he will find literally any other way to contact the class!). Great person but needs to be taught to use technology more.

Super great professor, very passionate. Understanding and material was interesting. Would definitely recommend taking!

Professor Pete is awesome! Lectures were interesting, and he really cares about his students. The class has easy assignments and exams, but don't slack off - unstuck study can help with study prep.

Super easy class with a really good prof. You can tell that prof Alagona really loves teaching, which makes the class enjoyable

Dr Alaona sets clear expectations, and is a very fair grader. do the work, you'll get a good grade.

I adored my time in this class. He used a combination of readings, books, and podcasts to explore a lot of interesting topics and really listened to student feedback. He worked really closely the TAs (who are also wonderful), and forced us to broaden our perspectives. The honors section was just as fantastic and I really learned so much from him.

Amazing teacher genuinely if you get the chance to have him take it. He gives great feedback in office hours and the class was easy. He's so smart and well prepared, go see him outside of lecture if you can!

Pete is a great prof, very knowledgeable and has a very calm demeanor. He seems like he cares a lot for his students. He supplemented his materials with different articles which were relevant to what we learned in class and where we (our current society and loc) are situated. I enjoyed attending lecture and reading the different materials.