Michael W Suman
Department of Communication
AD
3.2
Overall Rating
Based on 319 Users
Easiness 2.2 / 5 How easy the class is, 1 being extremely difficult and 5 being easy peasy.
Clarity 3.6 / 5 How clear the class is, 1 being extremely unclear and 5 being very clear.
Workload 2.5 / 5 How much workload the class is, 1 being extremely heavy and 5 being extremely light.
Helpfulness 3.2 / 5 How helpful the class is, 1 being not helpful at all and 5 being extremely helpful.

TOP TAGS

  • Tough Tests
GRADE DISTRIBUTIONS
14.4%
12.0%
9.6%
7.2%
4.8%
2.4%
0.0%
A+
A
A-
B+
B
B-
C+
C
C-
D+
D
D-
F

Grade distributions are collected using data from the UCLA Registrar’s Office.

18.2%
15.2%
12.1%
9.1%
6.1%
3.0%
0.0%
A+
A
A-
B+
B
B-
C+
C
C-
D+
D
D-
F

Grade distributions are collected using data from the UCLA Registrar’s Office.

20.4%
17.0%
13.6%
10.2%
6.8%
3.4%
0.0%
A+
A
A-
B+
B
B-
C+
C
C-
D+
D
D-
F

Grade distributions are collected using data from the UCLA Registrar’s Office.

16.7%
13.9%
11.1%
8.3%
5.6%
2.8%
0.0%
A+
A
A-
B+
B
B-
C+
C
C-
D+
D
D-
F

Grade distributions are collected using data from the UCLA Registrar’s Office.

16.4%
13.6%
10.9%
8.2%
5.5%
2.7%
0.0%
A+
A
A-
B+
B
B-
C+
C
C-
D+
D
D-
F

Grade distributions are collected using data from the UCLA Registrar’s Office.

17.9%
15.0%
12.0%
9.0%
6.0%
3.0%
0.0%
A+
A
A-
B+
B
B-
C+
C
C-
D+
D
D-
F

Grade distributions are collected using data from the UCLA Registrar’s Office.

14.9%
12.4%
9.9%
7.4%
5.0%
2.5%
0.0%
A+
A
A-
B+
B
B-
C+
C
C-
D+
D
D-
F

Grade distributions are collected using data from the UCLA Registrar’s Office.

15.4%
12.8%
10.3%
7.7%
5.1%
2.6%
0.0%
A+
A
A-
B+
B
B-
C+
C
C-
D+
D
D-
F

Grade distributions are collected using data from the UCLA Registrar’s Office.

21.2%
17.7%
14.1%
10.6%
7.1%
3.5%
0.0%
A+
A
A-
B+
B
B-
C+
C
C-
D+
D
D-
F

Grade distributions are collected using data from the UCLA Registrar’s Office.

20.4%
17.0%
13.6%
10.2%
6.8%
3.4%
0.0%
A+
A
A-
B+
B
B-
C+
C
C-
D+
D
D-
F

Grade distributions are collected using data from the UCLA Registrar’s Office.

23.9%
19.9%
15.9%
11.9%
8.0%
4.0%
0.0%
A+
A
A-
B+
B
B-
C+
C
C-
D+
D
D-
F

Grade distributions are collected using data from the UCLA Registrar’s Office.

20.4%
17.0%
13.6%
10.2%
6.8%
3.4%
0.0%
A+
A
A-
B+
B
B-
C+
C
C-
D+
D
D-
F

Grade distributions are collected using data from the UCLA Registrar’s Office.

19.6%
16.4%
13.1%
9.8%
6.5%
3.3%
0.0%
A+
A
A-
B+
B
B-
C+
C
C-
D+
D
D-
F

Grade distributions are collected using data from the UCLA Registrar’s Office.

24.4%
20.3%
16.3%
12.2%
8.1%
4.1%
0.0%
A+
A
A-
B+
B
B-
C+
C
C-
D+
D
D-
F

Grade distributions are collected using data from the UCLA Registrar’s Office.

16.8%
14.0%
11.2%
8.4%
5.6%
2.8%
0.0%
A+
A
A-
B+
B
B-
C+
C
C-
D+
D
D-
F

Grade distributions are collected using data from the UCLA Registrar’s Office.

21.3%
17.7%
14.2%
10.6%
7.1%
3.5%
0.0%
A+
A
A-
B+
B
B-
C+
C
C-
D+
D
D-
F

Grade distributions are collected using data from the UCLA Registrar’s Office.

18.1%
15.0%
12.0%
9.0%
6.0%
3.0%
0.0%
A+
A
A-
B+
B
B-
C+
C
C-
D+
D
D-
F

Grade distributions are collected using data from the UCLA Registrar’s Office.

20.4%
17.0%
13.6%
10.2%
6.8%
3.4%
0.0%
A+
A
A-
B+
B
B-
C+
C
C-
D+
D
D-
F

Grade distributions are collected using data from the UCLA Registrar’s Office.

20.3%
16.9%
13.5%
10.2%
6.8%
3.4%
0.0%
A+
A
A-
B+
B
B-
C+
C
C-
D+
D
D-
F

Grade distributions are collected using data from the UCLA Registrar’s Office.

21.2%
17.7%
14.1%
10.6%
7.1%
3.5%
0.0%
A+
A
A-
B+
B
B-
C+
C
C-
D+
D
D-
F

Grade distributions are collected using data from the UCLA Registrar’s Office.

17.6%
14.6%
11.7%
8.8%
5.9%
2.9%
0.0%
A+
A
A-
B+
B
B-
C+
C
C-
D+
D
D-
F

Grade distributions are collected using data from the UCLA Registrar’s Office.

23.4%
19.5%
15.6%
11.7%
7.8%
3.9%
0.0%
A+
A
A-
B+
B
B-
C+
C
C-
D+
D
D-
F

Grade distributions are collected using data from the UCLA Registrar’s Office.

18.8%
15.7%
12.6%
9.4%
6.3%
3.1%
0.0%
A+
A
A-
B+
B
B-
C+
C
C-
D+
D
D-
F

Grade distributions are collected using data from the UCLA Registrar’s Office.

18.6%
15.5%
12.4%
9.3%
6.2%
3.1%
0.0%
A+
A
A-
B+
B
B-
C+
C
C-
D+
D
D-
F

Grade distributions are collected using data from the UCLA Registrar’s Office.

25.3%
21.1%
16.8%
12.6%
8.4%
4.2%
0.0%
A+
A
A-
B+
B
B-
C+
C
C-
D+
D
D-
F

Grade distributions are collected using data from the UCLA Registrar’s Office.

16.8%
14.0%
11.2%
8.4%
5.6%
2.8%
0.0%
A+
A
A-
B+
B
B-
C+
C
C-
D+
D
D-
F

Grade distributions are collected using data from the UCLA Registrar’s Office.

18.2%
15.2%
12.2%
9.1%
6.1%
3.0%
0.0%
A+
A
A-
B+
B
B-
C+
C
C-
D+
D
D-
F

Grade distributions are collected using data from the UCLA Registrar’s Office.

20.0%
16.7%
13.3%
10.0%
6.7%
3.3%
0.0%
A+
A
A-
B+
B
B-
C+
C
C-
D+
D
D-
F

Grade distributions are collected using data from the UCLA Registrar’s Office.

24.3%
20.2%
16.2%
12.1%
8.1%
4.0%
0.0%
A+
A
A-
B+
B
B-
C+
C
C-
D+
D
D-
F

Grade distributions are collected using data from the UCLA Registrar’s Office.

18.6%
15.5%
12.4%
9.3%
6.2%
3.1%
0.0%
A+
A
A-
B+
B
B-
C+
C
C-
D+
D
D-
F

Grade distributions are collected using data from the UCLA Registrar’s Office.

22.3%
18.6%
14.9%
11.2%
7.4%
3.7%
0.0%
A+
A
A-
B+
B
B-
C+
C
C-
D+
D
D-
F

Grade distributions are collected using data from the UCLA Registrar’s Office.

16.7%
13.9%
11.1%
8.3%
5.6%
2.8%
0.0%
A+
A
A-
B+
B
B-
C+
C
C-
D+
D
D-
F

Grade distributions are collected using data from the UCLA Registrar’s Office.

17.5%
14.6%
11.7%
8.8%
5.8%
2.9%
0.0%
A+
A
A-
B+
B
B-
C+
C
C-
D+
D
D-
F

Grade distributions are collected using data from the UCLA Registrar’s Office.

20.6%
17.1%
13.7%
10.3%
6.9%
3.4%
0.0%
A+
A
A-
B+
B
B-
C+
C
C-
D+
D
D-
F

Grade distributions are collected using data from the UCLA Registrar’s Office.

19.2%
16.0%
12.8%
9.6%
6.4%
3.2%
0.0%
A+
A
A-
B+
B
B-
C+
C
C-
D+
D
D-
F

Grade distributions are collected using data from the UCLA Registrar’s Office.

23.5%
19.6%
15.6%
11.7%
7.8%
3.9%
0.0%
A+
A
A-
B+
B
B-
C+
C
C-
D+
D
D-
F

Grade distributions are collected using data from the UCLA Registrar’s Office.

24.4%
20.3%
16.2%
12.2%
8.1%
4.1%
0.0%
A+
A
A-
B+
B
B-
C+
C
C-
D+
D
D-
F

Grade distributions are collected using data from the UCLA Registrar’s Office.

21.5%
17.9%
14.3%
10.8%
7.2%
3.6%
0.0%
A+
A
A-
B+
B
B-
C+
C
C-
D+
D
D-
F

Grade distributions are collected using data from the UCLA Registrar’s Office.

21.8%
18.2%
14.6%
10.9%
7.3%
3.6%
0.0%
A+
A
A-
B+
B
B-
C+
C
C-
D+
D
D-
F

Grade distributions are collected using data from the UCLA Registrar’s Office.

ENROLLMENT DISTRIBUTIONS
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Sorry, no enrollment data is available.

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Reviews (291)

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Add your review...
Quarter: Fall 2016
Grade: B+
Dec. 24, 2016

This class had the most workload and I just slept for 3 hours before my final. Suman is a decent lecturer in the sense that he spoon feeds you information but he also gives a lot of examples so it can be hard to know what to retain and what to omit. The material itself is not tough but what makes the class so painful is the amount of information that you are tested on. You have one midterm and a final and one essay which is independent to the material that is covered in the course . He has online readings, textbook readings and class lectures and all three are unconnected to each other. The way to get by in the lectures is to write down information about whatever topics he writes on the board. He also gives 20 pages of open notes in the class which is all related to online material and class readings so my tip would be start writing your notes way before the test. I found the discussions to be mostly pointless because they revolved around the readings and you just need to know the crux of what the author is discussing. The grading on his tests is definitely tough.

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Quarter: Fall 2016
Grade: B-
Dec. 23, 2016

Overall, I really loved class, especially because I am very interested in Comm and the material in general. If Comm doesn't interest you then I think you would strongly dislike this class. Suman is an awesome professor. He is very strict about electronic devices, no phones or laptops out or he will totally call you out. He doesn't use slides so it's important that you listen to every word he says, write everything down. The workload outside of class if pretty heavy because there is a lot of reading. READ THOROUGHLY. There are online readings as well as 2 books and some articles from another book. You are allowed to have notes for both the midterm and final. 10 pages back and front. These notes can be on everything but lecture so all of the outside readings. Write down as much as you can because the questions on both the midterm and the final are very specific. There is a curve on everything so an 80% is an A for example. I got a B+ on the midterm but did not do as well on the paper and final. On this note, do not choose Mario Ornelas as your TA. She is excellent in discussion and fosters great conversation but she is a HARSH HARSH grader and will rip you work apart way more than the other TAs. I definitely could have gotten an A- if she wasn't my TA. This GE requires tons and tons of effort. You need to know every term, every list, everything. If you're lazy this is not the GE for you. I would recommend this course though because the information is so interesting. Freshmen, don't be scared! I survived and I loved it

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Quarter: Fall 2016
Grade: B-
Dec. 22, 2016

Professor Suman is extremely direct about his expectations in the class. This is not a GE course that you can put little effort into. It is essential to do the readings THOROUGHLY, and participate in discussion. I would highly recommended studying terms early for the midterm and the final because you must know exact definitions in order to get full credit.

Aside from these warnings, the class is extremely interesting. The content is intriguing, and Professor Suman will answer any questions or repeat things during lecture with no problem. It is possible to receive an A in this course, and had I invested more time into the assigned readings, I would have attained it.

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Quarter: Winter 2016
Grade: B-
Dec. 11, 2016

Suman is a great professor in the sense that he really cares about his students and their learning. What his lectures lack in entertainment value is made up for by his clarity. He's not going to try to trick you on exams. If you go to office hours he will outline exactly what you should know and the class already allows open notes. My issue with this class was not the professor, but the class itself requires an incredible amount of time. It covers alot of information, even with the notes allowed. Just know that this class will require intense, constant work in order to get an A. The paper is graded very hard!

Helpful?

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Quarter: Winter 2016
Grade: C+
Nov. 16, 2016

I went into this class thinking it'd be an easy GE, but it wasn't. Material wise it was all boring to me, I don't know if that is because of his monotone lectures or I am just not interested in the subject. He went on and on about theories and did not support them with any evidence, studies, or anything. He does not use slides so if you doze off for one second it's impossible to know what you missed unless you ask people around you. A lot of the information seemed opinionated, and that I did not like.
The material also seems like common sense but when it comes to the exam he is very particular about the answers he wants. There is a lot of reading, but that's a given for any GE of this nature.
I got a B- on the first exam and a C+ on the second.
I would not recommend this class to anyone.

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Quarter: Fall 2015
Grade: A-
Sept. 29, 2016

A lot of work, but if you keep up with everything and study you can get an A!

Selling some course material text me if you are interested **********

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0 0 Please log in to provide feedback.
Quarter: Summer 2016
Grade: C+
Sept. 23, 2016

Selling the Tannen "You Just Don't Understand" and Jones "Losing the News" required readings for combined $25 or B.O. Email me @ ************* if interested.

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0 0 Please log in to provide feedback.
Quarter: Spring 2016
Grade: A
Sept. 14, 2016

So many people say that this class is hard, but the concepts are actually pretty basic - there is just A LOT of material. You definitely can't skip lectures (if you have to, get someone to send you pictures of their notes) and you should try hard not to zone out during them either. One good thing about this class is that it made me realize that taking handwritten notes really is better for learning/remembering things - Professor Suman is very adamant about that. I used the full 20 sheets of paper for writing notes on the readings for the midterm and the final, and that ended up being a really good idea. However, I didn't actually read Taking Sides or Losing the News, I just took good notes during discussion and that ended up being ok, although some people probably would recommend reading everything. Overall you just have to study A LOT for the midterm and the final. And if you get Hector as a TA I would try to switch because he was probably the most unhelpful TA I have ever had. If you are considering being a Communications major, I would SERIOUSLY advise taking this class before applying -- don't worry about your GPA, it's a really good introduction to the material and focus of Comm. Although I did well in the class, taking it made me realize that I didn't want to apply to the Comm major, so I'm glad I did.

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Quarter: Fall 2016
Grade: C+
June 22, 2016

This is NOT an easy GE. The material is extremely interesting but the midterm and final are kind of difficult. You have to memorize a large number of lists in order to do well. If memorization is your thing, then this is the class for you! The discussions are often empty unless a test is coming up because attendance is not mandatory. The only three grades you get are the midterm, final and one paper. The class was graded on a curve so that also helps a little bit.
Prof.Suman is very clear however it's SO important you pay attention during every minute of every class because the lectures aren't podcasted and there are no powerpoints or anything.

Despite not receiving a good grade, I would definitely take this class again just because it was so interesting!

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Quarter: Spring 2016
Grade: B
June 22, 2016

Suman is a very friendly and intelligent professor. His lectures are interesting the first few times, but you quickly realize how formulaic and scripted they are. It makes it difficult to pay close attention-and you MUST. Lectures are not podcasted and required careful note-taking because you must memorize the material nearly verbatim in order to get an A.
Yes, the class if difficult. It's not because of the workload, it's because of what you are expected to know. To put it simply, you must memorize pretty much every list and term Prof. Suman mentions in lecture and also memorize all of his online articles and outside readings. The precision and breath of knowledge required for the midterm and final is overwhelming. It requires a good amount of dedication and effort to get a B or a C. But, it requires extraordinary interest in the subject and dedication, not to mention, possibly a photographic memory, to get an A.
If you want an easy GE, it's probably not the best idea to take this class. I'd only recommend taking it if you are:
A: interested in Comm. Studies
B: able to handle a difficult course

Helpful?

0 0 Please log in to provide feedback.
Quarter: Fall 2016
Grade: B+
Dec. 24, 2016

This class had the most workload and I just slept for 3 hours before my final. Suman is a decent lecturer in the sense that he spoon feeds you information but he also gives a lot of examples so it can be hard to know what to retain and what to omit. The material itself is not tough but what makes the class so painful is the amount of information that you are tested on. You have one midterm and a final and one essay which is independent to the material that is covered in the course . He has online readings, textbook readings and class lectures and all three are unconnected to each other. The way to get by in the lectures is to write down information about whatever topics he writes on the board. He also gives 20 pages of open notes in the class which is all related to online material and class readings so my tip would be start writing your notes way before the test. I found the discussions to be mostly pointless because they revolved around the readings and you just need to know the crux of what the author is discussing. The grading on his tests is definitely tough.

Helpful?

0 0 Please log in to provide feedback.
Quarter: Fall 2016
Grade: B-
Dec. 23, 2016

Overall, I really loved class, especially because I am very interested in Comm and the material in general. If Comm doesn't interest you then I think you would strongly dislike this class. Suman is an awesome professor. He is very strict about electronic devices, no phones or laptops out or he will totally call you out. He doesn't use slides so it's important that you listen to every word he says, write everything down. The workload outside of class if pretty heavy because there is a lot of reading. READ THOROUGHLY. There are online readings as well as 2 books and some articles from another book. You are allowed to have notes for both the midterm and final. 10 pages back and front. These notes can be on everything but lecture so all of the outside readings. Write down as much as you can because the questions on both the midterm and the final are very specific. There is a curve on everything so an 80% is an A for example. I got a B+ on the midterm but did not do as well on the paper and final. On this note, do not choose Mario Ornelas as your TA. She is excellent in discussion and fosters great conversation but she is a HARSH HARSH grader and will rip you work apart way more than the other TAs. I definitely could have gotten an A- if she wasn't my TA. This GE requires tons and tons of effort. You need to know every term, every list, everything. If you're lazy this is not the GE for you. I would recommend this course though because the information is so interesting. Freshmen, don't be scared! I survived and I loved it

Helpful?

0 0 Please log in to provide feedback.
Quarter: Fall 2016
Grade: B-
Dec. 22, 2016

Professor Suman is extremely direct about his expectations in the class. This is not a GE course that you can put little effort into. It is essential to do the readings THOROUGHLY, and participate in discussion. I would highly recommended studying terms early for the midterm and the final because you must know exact definitions in order to get full credit.

Aside from these warnings, the class is extremely interesting. The content is intriguing, and Professor Suman will answer any questions or repeat things during lecture with no problem. It is possible to receive an A in this course, and had I invested more time into the assigned readings, I would have attained it.

Helpful?

0 0 Please log in to provide feedback.
Quarter: Winter 2016
Grade: B-
Dec. 11, 2016

Suman is a great professor in the sense that he really cares about his students and their learning. What his lectures lack in entertainment value is made up for by his clarity. He's not going to try to trick you on exams. If you go to office hours he will outline exactly what you should know and the class already allows open notes. My issue with this class was not the professor, but the class itself requires an incredible amount of time. It covers alot of information, even with the notes allowed. Just know that this class will require intense, constant work in order to get an A. The paper is graded very hard!

Helpful?

0 0 Please log in to provide feedback.
Quarter: Winter 2016
Grade: C+
Nov. 16, 2016

I went into this class thinking it'd be an easy GE, but it wasn't. Material wise it was all boring to me, I don't know if that is because of his monotone lectures or I am just not interested in the subject. He went on and on about theories and did not support them with any evidence, studies, or anything. He does not use slides so if you doze off for one second it's impossible to know what you missed unless you ask people around you. A lot of the information seemed opinionated, and that I did not like.
The material also seems like common sense but when it comes to the exam he is very particular about the answers he wants. There is a lot of reading, but that's a given for any GE of this nature.
I got a B- on the first exam and a C+ on the second.
I would not recommend this class to anyone.

Helpful?

0 0 Please log in to provide feedback.
Quarter: Fall 2015
Grade: A-
Sept. 29, 2016

A lot of work, but if you keep up with everything and study you can get an A!

Selling some course material text me if you are interested **********

Helpful?

0 0 Please log in to provide feedback.
Quarter: Summer 2016
Grade: C+
Sept. 23, 2016

Selling the Tannen "You Just Don't Understand" and Jones "Losing the News" required readings for combined $25 or B.O. Email me @ ************* if interested.

Helpful?

0 0 Please log in to provide feedback.
Quarter: Spring 2016
Grade: A
Sept. 14, 2016

So many people say that this class is hard, but the concepts are actually pretty basic - there is just A LOT of material. You definitely can't skip lectures (if you have to, get someone to send you pictures of their notes) and you should try hard not to zone out during them either. One good thing about this class is that it made me realize that taking handwritten notes really is better for learning/remembering things - Professor Suman is very adamant about that. I used the full 20 sheets of paper for writing notes on the readings for the midterm and the final, and that ended up being a really good idea. However, I didn't actually read Taking Sides or Losing the News, I just took good notes during discussion and that ended up being ok, although some people probably would recommend reading everything. Overall you just have to study A LOT for the midterm and the final. And if you get Hector as a TA I would try to switch because he was probably the most unhelpful TA I have ever had. If you are considering being a Communications major, I would SERIOUSLY advise taking this class before applying -- don't worry about your GPA, it's a really good introduction to the material and focus of Comm. Although I did well in the class, taking it made me realize that I didn't want to apply to the Comm major, so I'm glad I did.

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Quarter: Fall 2016
Grade: C+
June 22, 2016

This is NOT an easy GE. The material is extremely interesting but the midterm and final are kind of difficult. You have to memorize a large number of lists in order to do well. If memorization is your thing, then this is the class for you! The discussions are often empty unless a test is coming up because attendance is not mandatory. The only three grades you get are the midterm, final and one paper. The class was graded on a curve so that also helps a little bit.
Prof.Suman is very clear however it's SO important you pay attention during every minute of every class because the lectures aren't podcasted and there are no powerpoints or anything.

Despite not receiving a good grade, I would definitely take this class again just because it was so interesting!

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Quarter: Spring 2016
Grade: B
June 22, 2016

Suman is a very friendly and intelligent professor. His lectures are interesting the first few times, but you quickly realize how formulaic and scripted they are. It makes it difficult to pay close attention-and you MUST. Lectures are not podcasted and required careful note-taking because you must memorize the material nearly verbatim in order to get an A.
Yes, the class if difficult. It's not because of the workload, it's because of what you are expected to know. To put it simply, you must memorize pretty much every list and term Prof. Suman mentions in lecture and also memorize all of his online articles and outside readings. The precision and breath of knowledge required for the midterm and final is overwhelming. It requires a good amount of dedication and effort to get a B or a C. But, it requires extraordinary interest in the subject and dedication, not to mention, possibly a photographic memory, to get an A.
If you want an easy GE, it's probably not the best idea to take this class. I'd only recommend taking it if you are:
A: interested in Comm. Studies
B: able to handle a difficult course

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17 of 30
3.2
Overall Rating
Based on 319 Users
Easiness 2.2 / 5 How easy the class is, 1 being extremely difficult and 5 being easy peasy.
Clarity 3.6 / 5 How clear the class is, 1 being extremely unclear and 5 being very clear.
Workload 2.5 / 5 How much workload the class is, 1 being extremely heavy and 5 being extremely light.
Helpfulness 3.2 / 5 How helpful the class is, 1 being not helpful at all and 5 being extremely helpful.

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