Professor
Daniel Snelson
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Most Helpful Review
Fall 2023 - I LOVED Introduction to Graphic Fiction. This class is a GE that I highly, highly recommend to any students who want to take an engaging GE and actually enjoy it. It is a class about comics/anime/manga. Even though it seems really simple, this was my favorite class because it was funny but also really thought-provoking simultaneously. Our lectures would sometimes consist of funny activities (we started off class with a Virtual Kissing Simulator once) and sporadically, there would be guest speakers who came to talk about their own comics and the writing processes. We also would watch videos about different famous comics in class. Attendance was taken for each lecture, but it was in a fun way: doodles were mandatory in order to get attendance points (and if the professor likes the doodle, then he could put it on the board next class!). I will say that the workload was not a complete breeze, as there are long comics assigned for homework (but reading comics for homework is really not bad at all). You also need to write a short reflection (can be literally 4 sentences) about your thoughts on the comics you read for the two weekly prompts, called "reaction comics." Professor Snelson is an awesome, fun, engaging and really intelligent lecturer. The final project is completely and entirely open-ended (the only guideline is that it is a creative piece of work and that effort is put in), but what you decide to create is completely up to you and encourages creativity. I got really creative with this class and got an A for it, so if you want to have fun while learning and not have to worry about doing too much work, take this GE!
Fall 2023 - I LOVED Introduction to Graphic Fiction. This class is a GE that I highly, highly recommend to any students who want to take an engaging GE and actually enjoy it. It is a class about comics/anime/manga. Even though it seems really simple, this was my favorite class because it was funny but also really thought-provoking simultaneously. Our lectures would sometimes consist of funny activities (we started off class with a Virtual Kissing Simulator once) and sporadically, there would be guest speakers who came to talk about their own comics and the writing processes. We also would watch videos about different famous comics in class. Attendance was taken for each lecture, but it was in a fun way: doodles were mandatory in order to get attendance points (and if the professor likes the doodle, then he could put it on the board next class!). I will say that the workload was not a complete breeze, as there are long comics assigned for homework (but reading comics for homework is really not bad at all). You also need to write a short reflection (can be literally 4 sentences) about your thoughts on the comics you read for the two weekly prompts, called "reaction comics." Professor Snelson is an awesome, fun, engaging and really intelligent lecturer. The final project is completely and entirely open-ended (the only guideline is that it is a creative piece of work and that effort is put in), but what you decide to create is completely up to you and encourages creativity. I got really creative with this class and got an A for it, so if you want to have fun while learning and not have to worry about doing too much work, take this GE!
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Most Helpful Review
Fall 2020 - An all-time favorite teacher, if not my favorite teacher I've had so far at UCLA. Even in a remote time, this was able to be a fun and engaging class with a sense of community. Using discord for the class, something most people might find an unexpected combination was a highlight of the class. Both the way it allowed an organization for the class and the materials, as well as allowing space for the community to build and engage constantly even after class had ended completely was an enlightening experience. For this class specifically, the projects and formats were new to me and I felt like I both learned a lot and came out of the class with excitement for using some of the ideas and platforms I used again in the future. Snelson, as a professor, is very humble and inviting of what the students want to engage with, often adjusting or planning within the first week with students for what the syllabus will contain for that quarter. The projects will vary in difficulty. One week you might have to make a single page description for a board game, and another week you might have to learn how to code with Twine (my favorite). There were a couple of group projects, which ended up being more fun than the usual hastle. Ultimately, the work is pretty manageable, you'll probably have a final that is very open to what you want to do if you're taking one of his more creative-mediums-based classes. At the end of the quarter, he sat down with us (virtually) to go over the strengths and weaknesses of the course as a class discussion. He cares about his students, a student interested, and ultimately wants everyone to enjoy themselves and do what they want to. His flexibility can be a big plus when it comes to that. I encourage anyone who is interested to take a class with him- it could end up being a highlight class for you.
Fall 2020 - An all-time favorite teacher, if not my favorite teacher I've had so far at UCLA. Even in a remote time, this was able to be a fun and engaging class with a sense of community. Using discord for the class, something most people might find an unexpected combination was a highlight of the class. Both the way it allowed an organization for the class and the materials, as well as allowing space for the community to build and engage constantly even after class had ended completely was an enlightening experience. For this class specifically, the projects and formats were new to me and I felt like I both learned a lot and came out of the class with excitement for using some of the ideas and platforms I used again in the future. Snelson, as a professor, is very humble and inviting of what the students want to engage with, often adjusting or planning within the first week with students for what the syllabus will contain for that quarter. The projects will vary in difficulty. One week you might have to make a single page description for a board game, and another week you might have to learn how to code with Twine (my favorite). There were a couple of group projects, which ended up being more fun than the usual hastle. Ultimately, the work is pretty manageable, you'll probably have a final that is very open to what you want to do if you're taking one of his more creative-mediums-based classes. At the end of the quarter, he sat down with us (virtually) to go over the strengths and weaknesses of the course as a class discussion. He cares about his students, a student interested, and ultimately wants everyone to enjoy themselves and do what they want to. His flexibility can be a big plus when it comes to that. I encourage anyone who is interested to take a class with him- it could end up being a highlight class for you.
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