Michael W Suman
Department of Communication
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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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Reviews (291)

21 of 30
21 of 30
Add your review...
Quarter: N/A
Grade: N/A
Aug. 29, 2011

THIS IS A WEEDER CLASS FOR THE COMMUNICATION STUDIES MAJOR. DO NOT TAKE IT UNLESS YOU A CS MAJOR.

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Quarter: N/A
Grade: N/A
Aug. 29, 2011

ONLY TAKE THIS CLASS IF YOU ARE A CS MAJOR, EVERYONE WHO THINKS THIS IS AN EASY GE, THINK AGAIN.
This class is a nightmare of memorization, regurgitation, and excessive note taking (he talks fast, bring tape recorder). Suman likes to subtract points just to subtract points, yet curves the class back up. He does this in all his classes. Make sure you get a good TA, I had Eloise, and she was really nice. Suman is very monotone and boring, good luck.

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0 0 Please log in to provide feedback.
Quarter: N/A
Grade: N/A
April 15, 2011

I really enjoyed this class. That said, there are some downsides to this class (to be covered later).

The material really interested me. The class is divided into two parts in order to give a brief introduction into the communications major. I thought interpersonal communication was pretty fun, and I actually quite enjoyed mass communication. I'd say that the latter half of the class was a little more difficult as there weren't as many "lists" but rather more details scattered over the history of the development of various media such as newspapers, radio, film, TV etc.

Definitely take notes in this class (and make sure to get everything because Professor Suman talks fast), especially the terms he writes on the board because it WILL be covered in the exam.

Content aside, your grade in the class is based solely on a midterm, paper and final. Exams required a lot of memorizing and writing. There are around 20-30 short IDs and 3 essays (to be done in 2 hours for the midterm and 3 hours for the final). To do well on the exam, make sure you are very specific with your answers. The essays will be on the bigger "lists" that are given. Make sure to include EVERY bullet point in that list or you will lose points. For the final, Professor Suman gave out two of the three essay topics in advance. It would pay to write out (or at least outline) those essays before the final and memorize them.

The paper is observational and must be very specific. I thought this was a little more difficult but I'd recommend running your thesis by the TA.

As for studying, just make sure to memorize everything related to the terms written on the board and from the reading. Discussions aren't mandatory but I'd recommend going because this is the only time the readings are covered.

Overall, I'd say this class is difficult. You need to put in a lot of work and memorization to get an A. I wouldn't recommend taking this as a GE. If you are, however, interested in the material, this is a good class to take and will definitely broaden your knowledge about how people communicate with each other and the functions of the mass media in society.

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Quarter: N/A
Grade: N/A
March 16, 2011

it's unfortunate that this class is almost entirely based on rote memorization. sure, it helps us understand the concepts and one could argue that all of the information is necessary in gaining a decent grasp on the vast realm of information that is communication studies. that being said, the midterm and final both require that students memorize minute details in order to achieve any sort of success. this wouldn't be so bad if the content wasn't so diverse and well, overwhelmingly abundant. i'm expecting an A- or a B+ from this class and i'm a straight A student at UCLA (only had one B before this class and that was during first quarter) and i'm already a comm major so i had to take this class. but for those of you who are looking for GEs, don't even bother. it is NOT worth it. get into comm and then take comm 10 so that comm 10 (which is designed as a weeder class) won't screw you over in your chances at getting into comm. frankly, i still feel like i haven't learned much. the reading is moderately interested but can get quite tedious as some of the content feels like it is the same thing reiterated over and over and over.... just using different words. just my 2 cents. otherwise, suman is a decent professor but far from the best.

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Quarter: N/A
Grade: N/A
Dec. 12, 2010

My opinion of the class is quite different from other people. I think it is pretty good class, and Professor Suman did a pretty good job.
Lecture: First half of the quarter is interpersonal communication, second half is mass communication. The first half is really interesting. The lectures are mostly about daily life, the concepts are easy to understand and organize, and the book was practical. The second half is more academic, but approachable as he talks about mass media we encounter everyday. More concepts and more definitions to remember. One thing about lecture, you always have to take notes. Notes are no 1 thing in this class, so it may get painful.
Reading: not a lot, approximately about 100 pages a week, and the you read them quick. So nothing to worry about there cuz the TAs talks a lot about the books in discussion.
Exams: I guess you can say they are hard. Both the midterm and the final consists of short answers and essays. The short answers are defining a term and give an example. Someone wrote below that you have to memorize word to word. That is not true. If it happened to him/her, it's probably because he/she got a bad TA, cuz the TAs grade exams. For concepts, you just have to know what they are and express clearly, and those are not really complex concepts. The essays mostly requires you to use the concepts and apply them to a real-life scenario. I guess some people are just good or bad with these...For the final, prof. suman gave out two essay problems in class before the final for people to start thinking. I thought that was really nice.
Paper: you have to write an observational paper, 5-7 pages, not hard.
I guess I actually enjoyed the class. I havent got my final grade yet. I just know that, before the final. I am right on the edge of A-. Honestly, his curve is not that big. I think the only reason I didnt get an A is probably because I just totally slacked off after midterm.
So, not a bad class to take, learn a lot.

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Quarter: N/A
Grade: N/A
June 17, 2010

Do not take this course for GE credit, period. I would only recommend taking it if you are a Comm/prospective Comm major. Suman is a great instructor, and I learned a lot from this class, but I ended up getting a B- (my lowest grade ever at UCLA) after studying intensely for the course. I am a BusEcon major who took the class for GE credit, thinking it would be just another GE, and ended up working extremely hard and getting a very low grade. After getting an A on the midterm, I ended up getting a 9/25 on the essay (they grade the essay very harshly) and a B- in the class. Just check out the grade distributions for the class, and you will see how difficult it is to get in the A range. I have never seen a lower percentage of A's for a class at UCLA.

Bottom line - good professor, but don't take the course if you're not looking to become a Comm major. Also, people who are good at memorizing may do better in this course, as the course is mostly just about memorizing everything he writes on the board.

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Quarter: N/A
Grade: N/A
April 12, 2010

Although the concepts are easy to grasp, the tests are graded so harsh that the curves are low. You might think that this is good because it can work for you advantage, but the truth is that the majority of the students ended up with a D-, which thanks to the curve became a B-. My advise is to take the class if you are thinking of becoming a Communications major, but read the test essay questions very carefully and make sure to give examples for everything.

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Quarter: N/A
Grade: N/A
March 18, 2010

The best way to describe this class is that you are the audience and Suman is on stage, giving a three hour monologue to you each week. Although you may feel most classes are like this, in this class it is literally one long, 10 week monologue. He is a nice, approachable professor, but the class is so strictly formatted that it seems he has been using the same material ever since he started teaching the course (this is basically true: some of his references are extremely dated). My TA even described this as a definite weeder course. What the class comes down to is: a midterm, a final, and an essay. The essay is actually not that bad and interesting, it was the tests that are almost impossible to study for (unless you happen to have a photographic memory). In lecture, Suman will give 50 examples for every point he makes - don't think he's just talking to hear himself talk. Even little things you didn't pay attention to end up on the tests ("Give an example of what _______ means"). I filled up an entire notebook of lecture notes alone from this one class. There is no way to study for the tests other than reading and rereading your notes; I tried to make flash cards for the midterm, and they ended up being crammed replicas of my class notes (flashcards would be useful for the definitions, though). What he does is he makes lists of the topic (11 societal functions of mass media), which can lead to days of lecture on the same thing (we discussed how books were involved in the mass media....for three days). Towards the end, going to class is painful. It is necessary to go, however, because he does not write on the board/post lecture slides online. After the midterm he started writing words we needed to know on the board, so that was about 5% more helpful. The tests were made up of short answer questions and 3 essays; again, the only way to do well is by memorizing every piece of information he gave you. The curve I hear has been for awhile that an A ends up meaning getting an 80% and up in the class. It wasn't a terrible course that is impossible to handle, the tests are just really annoying to study for because there is so much information given.

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Quarter: N/A
Grade: N/A
Feb. 18, 2010

Class Style: Lecture. Chalkboard is used. Supported by 2 books, in which one is tested by midterm and the other is tested by final. Additionally, in order to pass the class you need to serve as a guinea pig in some experiments or take related surveys. The alternative is write essays, so I advise you to take the former.

Exam formats: Fair share of vocab and short answer questions (known colloquially as "ID's".) This is accompanied by some essay questions.

Overall review: First half is largely interpersonal communication, second half is mass communication. This course at first gives a good impression since the interpersonal comm part is mostly about communication in romantic relationships. Be not deceived, my friend. This course is notorious for a stringent grading policy. You need to answer those ID's word-for-word. I heard that on one question, given the answer is "being confined in an isolated place", an answer of "solitary confinement" is marked incorrect. This class is also notable for the gamut of "lists" that you need to memorize, such as "list of 8 things people look for in relationships". You are expected to memorize the ideas presented in the two books you read, particularly the terms or phrases being used in said books. The professor tests only on the books and what he writes on the blackboard, but the extremist grading policy more than flips over that piece of good news. In my case, the grading means this:

Me: "For this essay, I got all eight things in the list. Why did I lose points?"
TA: "You wrote 'they' instead of 'Sarah and Betty'.."

Suggested Course of Action: Please do not take this class unless you like memorizing word-for-word and long lists. Even if you like to do that, you will find that the grading policy is not within reasonable boundaries.

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Quarter: N/A
Grade: N/A
Jan. 3, 2010

WORST CLASS AT UCLA...please just please don't take it...it seriously was the dumbest most excruciatingly painful class

Helpful?

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Quarter: N/A
Grade: N/A
Aug. 29, 2011

THIS IS A WEEDER CLASS FOR THE COMMUNICATION STUDIES MAJOR. DO NOT TAKE IT UNLESS YOU A CS MAJOR.

Helpful?

0 0 Please log in to provide feedback.
Quarter: N/A
Grade: N/A
Aug. 29, 2011

ONLY TAKE THIS CLASS IF YOU ARE A CS MAJOR, EVERYONE WHO THINKS THIS IS AN EASY GE, THINK AGAIN.
This class is a nightmare of memorization, regurgitation, and excessive note taking (he talks fast, bring tape recorder). Suman likes to subtract points just to subtract points, yet curves the class back up. He does this in all his classes. Make sure you get a good TA, I had Eloise, and she was really nice. Suman is very monotone and boring, good luck.

Helpful?

0 0 Please log in to provide feedback.
Quarter: N/A
Grade: N/A
April 15, 2011

I really enjoyed this class. That said, there are some downsides to this class (to be covered later).

The material really interested me. The class is divided into two parts in order to give a brief introduction into the communications major. I thought interpersonal communication was pretty fun, and I actually quite enjoyed mass communication. I'd say that the latter half of the class was a little more difficult as there weren't as many "lists" but rather more details scattered over the history of the development of various media such as newspapers, radio, film, TV etc.

Definitely take notes in this class (and make sure to get everything because Professor Suman talks fast), especially the terms he writes on the board because it WILL be covered in the exam.

Content aside, your grade in the class is based solely on a midterm, paper and final. Exams required a lot of memorizing and writing. There are around 20-30 short IDs and 3 essays (to be done in 2 hours for the midterm and 3 hours for the final). To do well on the exam, make sure you are very specific with your answers. The essays will be on the bigger "lists" that are given. Make sure to include EVERY bullet point in that list or you will lose points. For the final, Professor Suman gave out two of the three essay topics in advance. It would pay to write out (or at least outline) those essays before the final and memorize them.

The paper is observational and must be very specific. I thought this was a little more difficult but I'd recommend running your thesis by the TA.

As for studying, just make sure to memorize everything related to the terms written on the board and from the reading. Discussions aren't mandatory but I'd recommend going because this is the only time the readings are covered.

Overall, I'd say this class is difficult. You need to put in a lot of work and memorization to get an A. I wouldn't recommend taking this as a GE. If you are, however, interested in the material, this is a good class to take and will definitely broaden your knowledge about how people communicate with each other and the functions of the mass media in society.

Helpful?

0 0 Please log in to provide feedback.
Quarter: N/A
Grade: N/A
March 16, 2011

it's unfortunate that this class is almost entirely based on rote memorization. sure, it helps us understand the concepts and one could argue that all of the information is necessary in gaining a decent grasp on the vast realm of information that is communication studies. that being said, the midterm and final both require that students memorize minute details in order to achieve any sort of success. this wouldn't be so bad if the content wasn't so diverse and well, overwhelmingly abundant. i'm expecting an A- or a B+ from this class and i'm a straight A student at UCLA (only had one B before this class and that was during first quarter) and i'm already a comm major so i had to take this class. but for those of you who are looking for GEs, don't even bother. it is NOT worth it. get into comm and then take comm 10 so that comm 10 (which is designed as a weeder class) won't screw you over in your chances at getting into comm. frankly, i still feel like i haven't learned much. the reading is moderately interested but can get quite tedious as some of the content feels like it is the same thing reiterated over and over and over.... just using different words. just my 2 cents. otherwise, suman is a decent professor but far from the best.

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Quarter: N/A
Grade: N/A
Dec. 12, 2010

My opinion of the class is quite different from other people. I think it is pretty good class, and Professor Suman did a pretty good job.
Lecture: First half of the quarter is interpersonal communication, second half is mass communication. The first half is really interesting. The lectures are mostly about daily life, the concepts are easy to understand and organize, and the book was practical. The second half is more academic, but approachable as he talks about mass media we encounter everyday. More concepts and more definitions to remember. One thing about lecture, you always have to take notes. Notes are no 1 thing in this class, so it may get painful.
Reading: not a lot, approximately about 100 pages a week, and the you read them quick. So nothing to worry about there cuz the TAs talks a lot about the books in discussion.
Exams: I guess you can say they are hard. Both the midterm and the final consists of short answers and essays. The short answers are defining a term and give an example. Someone wrote below that you have to memorize word to word. That is not true. If it happened to him/her, it's probably because he/she got a bad TA, cuz the TAs grade exams. For concepts, you just have to know what they are and express clearly, and those are not really complex concepts. The essays mostly requires you to use the concepts and apply them to a real-life scenario. I guess some people are just good or bad with these...For the final, prof. suman gave out two essay problems in class before the final for people to start thinking. I thought that was really nice.
Paper: you have to write an observational paper, 5-7 pages, not hard.
I guess I actually enjoyed the class. I havent got my final grade yet. I just know that, before the final. I am right on the edge of A-. Honestly, his curve is not that big. I think the only reason I didnt get an A is probably because I just totally slacked off after midterm.
So, not a bad class to take, learn a lot.

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Quarter: N/A
Grade: N/A
June 17, 2010

Do not take this course for GE credit, period. I would only recommend taking it if you are a Comm/prospective Comm major. Suman is a great instructor, and I learned a lot from this class, but I ended up getting a B- (my lowest grade ever at UCLA) after studying intensely for the course. I am a BusEcon major who took the class for GE credit, thinking it would be just another GE, and ended up working extremely hard and getting a very low grade. After getting an A on the midterm, I ended up getting a 9/25 on the essay (they grade the essay very harshly) and a B- in the class. Just check out the grade distributions for the class, and you will see how difficult it is to get in the A range. I have never seen a lower percentage of A's for a class at UCLA.

Bottom line - good professor, but don't take the course if you're not looking to become a Comm major. Also, people who are good at memorizing may do better in this course, as the course is mostly just about memorizing everything he writes on the board.

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Quarter: N/A
Grade: N/A
April 12, 2010

Although the concepts are easy to grasp, the tests are graded so harsh that the curves are low. You might think that this is good because it can work for you advantage, but the truth is that the majority of the students ended up with a D-, which thanks to the curve became a B-. My advise is to take the class if you are thinking of becoming a Communications major, but read the test essay questions very carefully and make sure to give examples for everything.

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Quarter: N/A
Grade: N/A
March 18, 2010

The best way to describe this class is that you are the audience and Suman is on stage, giving a three hour monologue to you each week. Although you may feel most classes are like this, in this class it is literally one long, 10 week monologue. He is a nice, approachable professor, but the class is so strictly formatted that it seems he has been using the same material ever since he started teaching the course (this is basically true: some of his references are extremely dated). My TA even described this as a definite weeder course. What the class comes down to is: a midterm, a final, and an essay. The essay is actually not that bad and interesting, it was the tests that are almost impossible to study for (unless you happen to have a photographic memory). In lecture, Suman will give 50 examples for every point he makes - don't think he's just talking to hear himself talk. Even little things you didn't pay attention to end up on the tests ("Give an example of what _______ means"). I filled up an entire notebook of lecture notes alone from this one class. There is no way to study for the tests other than reading and rereading your notes; I tried to make flash cards for the midterm, and they ended up being crammed replicas of my class notes (flashcards would be useful for the definitions, though). What he does is he makes lists of the topic (11 societal functions of mass media), which can lead to days of lecture on the same thing (we discussed how books were involved in the mass media....for three days). Towards the end, going to class is painful. It is necessary to go, however, because he does not write on the board/post lecture slides online. After the midterm he started writing words we needed to know on the board, so that was about 5% more helpful. The tests were made up of short answer questions and 3 essays; again, the only way to do well is by memorizing every piece of information he gave you. The curve I hear has been for awhile that an A ends up meaning getting an 80% and up in the class. It wasn't a terrible course that is impossible to handle, the tests are just really annoying to study for because there is so much information given.

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Quarter: N/A
Grade: N/A
Feb. 18, 2010

Class Style: Lecture. Chalkboard is used. Supported by 2 books, in which one is tested by midterm and the other is tested by final. Additionally, in order to pass the class you need to serve as a guinea pig in some experiments or take related surveys. The alternative is write essays, so I advise you to take the former.

Exam formats: Fair share of vocab and short answer questions (known colloquially as "ID's".) This is accompanied by some essay questions.

Overall review: First half is largely interpersonal communication, second half is mass communication. This course at first gives a good impression since the interpersonal comm part is mostly about communication in romantic relationships. Be not deceived, my friend. This course is notorious for a stringent grading policy. You need to answer those ID's word-for-word. I heard that on one question, given the answer is "being confined in an isolated place", an answer of "solitary confinement" is marked incorrect. This class is also notable for the gamut of "lists" that you need to memorize, such as "list of 8 things people look for in relationships". You are expected to memorize the ideas presented in the two books you read, particularly the terms or phrases being used in said books. The professor tests only on the books and what he writes on the blackboard, but the extremist grading policy more than flips over that piece of good news. In my case, the grading means this:

Me: "For this essay, I got all eight things in the list. Why did I lose points?"
TA: "You wrote 'they' instead of 'Sarah and Betty'.."

Suggested Course of Action: Please do not take this class unless you like memorizing word-for-word and long lists. Even if you like to do that, you will find that the grading policy is not within reasonable boundaries.

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Quarter: N/A
Grade: N/A
Jan. 3, 2010

WORST CLASS AT UCLA...please just please don't take it...it seriously was the dumbest most excruciatingly painful class

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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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