This is in response to the VERY negative review posted here from Fall 2019. I by no means want to invalidate this person's experience of the course, but I can tell you for sure that this was NOT how I felt taking Comm 1 with Dr. Kochian during that same time period!

Personally, I found that this course was one of the few courses I took at UCLA that I would truly describe as FUN. We had the creative freedom to give speeches on topics about which we were passionate, so it did not seem really difficult for me to prepare for my presentations. Also, while I spent some of my time in the course preparing to present, I had lots of periods in the quarter where I had a complete break from the course. When I did have a speech, as I had suggested previously, it was really fun because I got to talk about things I really like for a school assignment (Who wouldn't like that opportunity?!?!). Additionally, Dr. Kochian would take time at the end of each speech to talk to us and/or ask us about the subject matter of our speeches, which I appreciated because it showed that he wanted to learn about his students and their passions.

Moreover, while I definitely appreciate some of the concerns raised by the negative review, I would argue that (if the review is entirely truthful) these are honest, one-off mistakes and not reflections of Dr. Kochian as a professor. I feel like if these kinds of issues were a theme in Dr. Kochian's teaching, then there would probably be more reviews like this up here, but there are not! Virtually every review on this platform is positive, as it should be!

Lastly, while I do not want to go too far into the comments about race, I will say that I had my positive experience with this course as a non-athlete of non-European descent (I mean I've been told that I look white and that I look non-white, and I do an extracurricular activity that is kind of associated with athletics, but personally I doubt most people see me as either a stereotypical "white" person or an athlete.).

I was nervous about taking this class because I knew I would have to stand up in front of everyone and deliver speeches. However, I quickly got over this feeling after attending the first class because the professor does everything in his power to create a welcoming environment! He understands that not everyone enters this class as an excellent public speaker and starts the quarter off by allowing students to deliver their first speech in front of the class without having it be graded. This allows the students to get a feel of the room and realize that they are capable of delivering a speech. From day 1, I could see how passionate Kochian is about preparing students for success in public speaking. He listens attentively to your presentation and provides insightful feedback on the positive things that you're incorporating in your public speaking. He often asks questions about the topics we presented on because he is genuinely curious to know more, which makes you feel proud of your topic of choice! Overall, 10/10 recommend taking his class. The skills you learn here will actually benefit you in future classes and the real world!

Comm 1 was my first communications course at UCLA and it was really a great place to start. The class consisted of three speeches: a biography, informative, and persuasive speech. The final is a paper that is turned in on the last day of class and you have the entire final period to work on it if you so wish. Kochian is an incredibly understanding professor who creates an incredibly positive and light classroom environment since he understands that all students have varying levels of exposure to public speaking. Speeches are given in front of the classroom and Kochian is mindful to create an attentive audience environment by asking everyone to put their other work and devices away when people are presenting. At the end of the speeches, Kochian made sure to give plenty of feedback both on content and presentation style and tried to formulate a connection with everyone's topic, no matter how specialized or unique it was. He really strives to connect with his students and urges every one of them to learn from each other throughout the various presentations. Also, Kochian is just someone who you would have no problem holding a conversation with, for he is super lighthearted and easygoing. All of the skills I have learned from this class have made me more comfortable when speaking in front of large groups or even in interview settings where I am reminded of all the tips and pointers he had to give. Overall, a great class with a super chill professor!

I thoroughly enjoyed taking this class. Professor Kochian truly made Comm1 a delightful course from the first day. He is very engaging and tries to be relatable to his students, which is nice. Also, overall he is not a hard grader and is very clear about growth and wanting all his students to succeed. This course has taught me a lot about public speaking and enlightened me about things I did not know. I ended the quarter off with an A, and I feel like I am a better public speaker now have taken this class.

the grade is broken up into three speeches and a rhetorical analysis paper due on finals day. technically it is four speeches, but the very first one is just a simple, short introduction or story about yourself that is not graded.

there is an attendance policy, where you’re allowed to miss three lectures and not get penalized. afterwards, theres a deduction to your grade, but im not sure by how much or how strict he is about it, because he is a pretty lenient guy.

there is a course reader that has all the speech prompts and outlines, so you kinda have to buy it. but if you buy a used one its a lot cheaper. ($30ish)

personally, i would’ve never taken this class if i weren’t trying to be comm major lol! i have anxiety and public speaking (still) terrifies me. that being said, my lowest score was my first presentation where i got a 85, so you can see he’s very gratuitous with his grading. he also grades the final paper very easily (i got 100). the workload only happens when you’re preparing for your speech, but other than that, the only thing you have to care about is just showing up to lecture and listening to speeches. sometimes he’ll ask the audience to write notes on the speech presented and give it to the speaker afterwards.

the class will be difficult for anyone with anxiety, but if you have to take this class, then kochian is a great prof. he understands that most of us are nervous up there so he’s very forgiving on some of our mistakes.

as a professor, he’s a very fun guy, even though our class was shy and didnt speak much, he was always cracking jokes and lightening the mood. ik there are reviews saying he has favoritism towards student athletes, and i do see it, but tbh i find it hard to remember a moment where it hindered any of my presentations/grades/learning, so dont worry about it too much!

overall, it can be a stressful class only if you struggle with public speaking (but it gets easier). otherwise, it’s surely a guaranteed easy A. :)

This class was very straightforward. 3 speeches (each 30%) and 1 paper. The paper is extremely easy, only 5-6 pages of critiquing other public speakers/yourself. Prof Kochian wants to see students improve their public speaking skills so as long as you work on the feedback he gives, you will be fine. He grades very fairly - I never got below a 95% on a speech and I feel like he does this for pretty much everyone.
This class was a nice fit with my other classes, as there was no midterm or final. I definitely recommend taking it along with harder classes to give yourself a break.
Our class had a good mix of 1-4 years and a broad range of speech topics.
Prof Kochian is a nice guy and really tries his best to stay relevant. He makes jokes about brands like Supreme and Off-White and also tries to make relevant comments about students' speeches. Sometimes, however, these jokes kind of rubbed me the wrong way as his comments sometimes targeted different people of color in an unnecessary/inappropriate way...

Here’s the most honest review you’ll get of this class. I am a pre-comm major (freshman) so I took this to apply for the major. I was nervous at first to take this class because I definitely was not someone who was super comfortable speaking in front of a class, especially in college. But on the bright side the class is about 30 people max, so you get to know everyone pretty well. The class requires a reader that you could probably buy for much less from someone who previously had it, and the assignments for this class are really easy because all 4 are about yourself or things that interest you. You do an intro speech, a biography/icon speech , an informative speech, and a persuasive/sales pitch speech. Kochian grades very fairly (I never received under a 95 for a speech) and grades based off your personal progress. For example, if you had an issue with eye contact in the last speech, improve on it, and he’ll see that you’ve progressed as a speaker. The environment of the class is really fun and he’s always full of jokes. You’ll feel really comfortable with the people in the class because you all give anonymous positive feedback after each speech and it just makes you feel so wholesome.

Kochian is one of my favorite professors at UCLA because he has a very specific sense of humor and I think some kids are a little too sensitive and that’s why there’s the occasional bad review on here, but honestly he’s just a great guy.

I HAVE NEVER WRITTEN A BRUINWALK REVIEW. Keep that in mind because that’s how much you’ll like this class. I’m a freshman and haven’t experienced much but let me tell you this class is such a great experience.

Side note, there’s also a good mix of 2/3/4 year students in this class and a whole bunch of different majors (I had Kyla Ross in my class) so you get to know a lot of really different people.

Take the class . Literally just take it. It’s not a GE but even if you just need a filler class or you need this for pharmacy or comm, just take it because you will become a better speaker at the end of it all.

bro let me tell you the mf tea with this professor. since day one I knew something was off with this man. ill start from the beginning. from day one he walks in and addresses the athletes in the room. he had an obsession with the football players and any other athlete that was in that room. he assigns a course reader which is $60 and we do not even use/ need at all. anyway I couldn't afford it and asked if it was on reserve at the library or if I could see a copy if I came to his office hours. I asked him after class. he points to my phone in my hand and asks me, "who paid for that?" Um excuse me sir please do not challenge my financial stability. the next day in class, at the beginning of lecture in front of everyone he as he called my name for attendance he says, "I'm sorry for haggling you about the textbook." this man knew he had done wrong!! during the school year he had mistaken the one other colored person in the room for me and when that person went to talk to him about their speech he went off on them (thinking it was me) telling them negative things about MY speech (because he thought he was talking to me). the person was like, "umm... that wasn't my speech.." then he was like, " wait what's your name" to the student that he just said all these negative things about my speech to. the student told me after what had happen because the professor had told the student, "lets not tell ____ what had happen!!" It was already Week 7 at that point at this man had not taken the time to learn the 2 out of the 30 kids names who are colored, oh and not athletes. the last day when we had to turn in essays I went to his office to turn mine in and as I'm leaving he says, "you don't have to worry about your grade. hey, remember my reputation!!" basically I was set for getting a B because my speeches had been too short. this man had failed to recognize me as an equal student within the classroom because of my lack of "Extemporaneous" effort, my colored heritage, and the fact that I didn't look like the other prep, sorority girls in the class. He discriminated against me, embarrassed me in front of my peers, multiple times in other ways than the ones listed above, and finally as I was turning in my essay, was trying to silence my voice by asking that I "remember his reputation!" to not speak up about the things that had happen. Sir. This man is loved by many as can be seen in the comments. Beware of him. AND IF SOMETHING SIMILAR LIKE THIS HAPPENS TO YOU PLEASE DO NOT BE AFRAID TO REPORT IT!!! I hope that other students do not have to experience this but it you do, you're not alone and please don't be afraid to speak out.

one of my fav classes I've taken thus far! also selling the course reader for it. **********

He is super chill and as long as you practice your speeches you will be fine.

I am selling the Comm 1 Public Speaking 18th edition by professor Kochain. Text me **********