The class is very work intensive. I did learn a lot about the bodymind and what it means in terms of improving ourselves. However, Lauri is a very harsh grader. I thought this would help push myself to be a better writer, but I really have no idea if I improved or not because grades were so ambiguous and unclear throughout the quarter. Oftentimes, Lauri was also unclear about assignments, and instructions seemed contradictory or ambiguous at times. Deadlines seemed a bit rushed at the end, especially for our final essay in which we were given such little time to complete (this caused quite some stress as I was also busy with so many other finals and had to write a 10-page essay within 1-2 weeks). She also takes quite a while to grade, so you will not know your standing in the class until way after finals are done. This could be frustrating if you wanted feedback to check how you were doing midway in the quarter, but for the most part I felt quite lost about where I stood in the class. I wish I could have known how I was doing so I could best see how to improve my participation or learning in the class. However, because Lauri was so ambiguous and wanted to de-emphasize grades, I could not do this. I almost felt shameful to ask about my grade throughout the quarter. Thus, I wish we could have been given clearer feedback about our grade and participation so I could know how to improve and not be so shocked by the final grade. If you don't really care for your gpa, take this class. But, if you want a more reasonable grader who gives clear and timely feedback for the sake of your gpa, don't take this class.

I absolutely loved this class, one of the best at UCLA. You do have to apply to get in, but if you are able to, it will most likely be the highlight of your quarter. This class focuses on the interactions between body and mind, and how those are portrayed in literature. Lauri is such an amazing professor. She not only wants you to succeed but enjoy her class, which is easy to do with the readings and writing assignments she assigns. For all of our writings, we always had the ability to correct and improve, and I felt as though I was writing a story and not an essay. Lauri greatly valued mindfulness and movement, so we would take time to meditate or go for walks around campus during our 3-hour Wednesday class. I highly recommend this class, especially as a Writing 2.

Lauri was an incredible professor, and I am so grateful I got to take her course so early on in my career at UCLA. Her energy could be felt even over Zoom, and I genuinely looked forward to her class each week (even though it was about 3 hours on Zoom). Lauri never wastes your time and keeps you engaged and mindful throughout class time.

Unlike most classes at UCLA, this course does physically engage you (in the best way possible). I definitely recommend taking this course even if it seems outside of your comfort zone. I am much more confident in myself and my writing abilities because of Lauri and enjoyed the change of pace from my other courses.

The readings were incredibly engaging and never felt overwhelming. There are weekly writing assignments to reflect on the readings with no set length. Participation is a big part of your grade in this class and will allow Lauri to better guide you through the bigger writing assignments. Take advantage of peer editing and meetings with Lauri!

Lauri is one the most engaging, introspective, thoughtful, and understanding professors at UCLA. This class is phenomenal. The class environment is very relaxed and allows you to develop a personal relationship with both peers and Lauri. We often started the class by just taking a minute to take a break and practice a bit of mindfulness. We once had a walking class where we simply walked around campus in small groups and discussed the readings. For the last class, we met in the botanical garden and did casual presentations. I found the readings very interesting and this made it manageable to write the papers. Lauri is very understanding and will even grant extensions for deadlines if you ask. I loved this class! Must take!

Lauri is one of the best professors here at UCLA. She is very understanding, funny, and overall like a second mother. There is no way in hell you will be able to be distracted during her class; it is very engaging and participation is key. She is a fair grader.

I am selling the course reader. **********