Professor

Minayo Nasiali

AD
3.7
Overall Ratings
Based on 35 Users
Easiness 3.9 / 5 How easy the class is, 1 being extremely difficult and 5 being easy peasy.
Workload 3.9 / 5 How light the workload is, 1 being extremely heavy and 5 being extremely light.
Clarity 3.8 / 5 How clear the professor is, 1 being extremely unclear and 5 being very clear.
Helpfulness 4.1 / 5 How helpful the professor is, 1 being not helpful at all and 5 being extremely helpful.

Reviews (35)

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1 of 3
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June 27, 2018
Quarter: Spring 2018
Grade: A

Professor Nasiali's lectures are multi-dimensional in terms of history, politics, culture and economics, entertaining and she does a great job of connecting modern French history to today's political and cultural environment. Her class mainly focuses on the political development of modern France at the beginning of the Third Republic and goes into the early 2000's. She encourages students to engage with questions throughout the lectures which are usually short. Once a week, participation will be graded by a group write-up of a primary source document assigned for the week which are not difficult. She remembers everyone's name and face, so constant attendance and participation are helpful. She also offers extra credit and encourages attendance to office hours. Overall, this is one of the easier classes I've taken at UCLA and would highly recommend it for the interesting material and great professor.

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HIST 124C
COVID-19 This review was submitted during the COVID-19 pandemic. Your experience may vary.
June 11, 2021
Quarter: Spring 2021
Grade: A

This class is by no means an easy A. Professor Nasiali is a kind and warm professor who genuinely cares for her students not only for their academic success but also for their personal-wellbing. This class is compromised of 1 midterm, and revised 2nd midterm, and final paper. The topics of this class are complex. The professor is a tough grader, but she really wants her students to improve on their historical inquiry. She offers extra credit and it definitely helped my grade. If you are looking to do the bare minimum please take another class. Professor Nasiali's curriculum is the UCLA standard, so if you're not passionate about History and have no motivation to improve your writing skills you're setting yourself up for failure in this course.

Helpful?

3 1 Please log in to provide feedback.
April 3, 2023
Quarter: Winter 2023
Grade: A

I'll split this review into two parts, the professor and the class.

First the class:
The class is broken down into this:
There are 100 points in the gradebook, Midterm Paper (40 pts) Final Project (45 pts, includes Annotated Bibliography 10 pts), Attendance and Participation in Discussion (15 pts). Every single one of these is graded by your TA. You TA will make or break you grade in the class, so when you are working on the final project (which is a podcast or an op ed) and your midterm go to your TA and ask them about what they want to see and how you can get the best grade possible on these. If you screw up your midterm, there going to be a revision opportunity which allows you to get back at most 3 points. During my discussion my TA give you a full point for the day if you came and said at least one thing. So make sure you do your part and ask how your TA is going to grade participation. The lectures are pretty useless especially if you took AP Euro or AP World History. She requires you to buy the textbook to read and because you will have to quote it at some point but I never read any of the readings or textbook and still got an A.

The Professor:
She is very nice and helpful and she is a pretty decent lecturer. I love History but I was so bored during her lecturers I do not know why but I just did work during the lecture. She is very friendly and helpful and makes it easy to participate.

Overall: This is a good GE that gets the Historical Analysis and Diversity Requirement

Helpful?

1 0 Please log in to provide feedback.
HIST 124C
COVID-19 This review was submitted during the COVID-19 pandemic. Your experience may vary.
June 11, 2021
Quarter: Spring 2021
Grade: A

You really need a great amount of work in this class to have an A.
For the midterm draft, she will give you a lot of revising advice and DO follow her instructions (although lots of them are actually contradictory and ambiguous).

If you show your improvements, she will give you a pretty good grade.

Helpful?

1 1 Please log in to provide feedback.
March 14, 2024
Quarter: Winter 2024
Grade: N/A

I found the course content interesting and engaging and it aligned with my interests in the global dynamics of history. However, Professor Nasiali's approach to teaching was rigid and inflexible, confining students to a set structure of lecture and leaving no room for self-exploration or self-led digression of the content. There was a noticeable lack of empathy towards students' learning needs and circumstances, with sloppy audio recordings of lectures and no way to revise previous content than to decipher her back-and-forth storytelling. Enticing to hear as a fireside story maybe, but greatly unhelpful in this context.

Additionally, the grading system in this course was highly subjective, with all major components including the midterm and final being in the form of an essay; however, the problem emerges as the evaluation of work appeared to be at the complete, subjective discretion of the TA rather than based on consistent rubrics or criteria. This made the assessment component imbalanced, and needless to say, it caused high degrees of uncertainty and difficulty over how work would be evaluated.

Factoring in the lack of empathy for students, it is safe to say that I will never be taking Professor Nasiali's classes again. Very disappointing, considering that the course content was very interesting and had the potential to be highly engaging.

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0 0 Please log in to provide feedback.
Oct. 16, 2023
Quarter: Winter 2023
Grade: A

This class was a great GE to take. Overall only one essay and one podcast or Op-Ed as the final. There were no in person tests and the grade was based off of these two assignments. I would very much recommend taking this class.

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0 0 Please log in to provide feedback.
Aug. 5, 2023
Quarter: Winter 2023
Grade: A

I took this class because it was the only GE that fit into my schedule where the prof didn't have terrible reviews. Going into it I was not too interested in the material, but I will say Dr. Nasiali made the lectures very engaging and entertaining. I am not a huge history nerd, but I enjoyed how passionate Nasiali was about the subject and how she also made an effort to connect with her students and learn their names. The class is really only based on a midterm essay, a final project, and participation. The final project is pretty fun because you have the option to do a podcast episode on a historical object, which I actually quite enjoyed. Your grade in this class, like many GEs, is based more so on the TA than the prof. So, while Nasiali was a great professor, my TA was a harsher grader in my opinion and so I did find myself struggling a bit in the quarter after receiving my first essay grade. However, we were allowed to do essay revisions which really helped. Overall I would say this is a pretty good class to take if you are looking to fulfill a GE requirement or are just interested in history!

Helpful?

0 0 Please log in to provide feedback.
May 20, 2023
Quarter: Winter 2023
Grade: A+

class was easy, wasn't a huge fan of prof Nasiali and her lectures, but you don't need to go to lecture to succeed in the class. Spencer was the best TA, definitely recommend his section. grade was based on participation, a paper, and a final project (either an op-ed or a podcast). straightforward to succeed, but the class covers so much I didn't feel like I learned much

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0 0 Please log in to provide feedback.
April 11, 2023
Quarter: Winter 2023
Grade: A

Overall I really liked this class. The material is easy to understand and Dr. Nasiali presents it in a creative manner. While the lectures sometimes felt like they dragged on and on and on, Nasiali is for the most part an engaging speaker and has well-prepared and understandable slides. She is very kind and easy to talk to, and tries to learn as many names as possible in lecture. Some TA's were harsher graders than others. Your grade is made up of a midterm paper (40%), a final op-ed paper or podcast (30%), an annotated bibliography for the final (10%), and participation in discussions (20%). Weekly homework usually just consists of primary source and textbook readings, and you can find a PDF for the textbook online.

Helpful?

0 0 Please log in to provide feedback.
Dec. 17, 2019
Quarter: Winter 2019
Grade: A

I actually took her History of Imperialism course. Professor Nasiali was very warm and friendly. The class was simple, just a few papers and in class reflections. She also played some nice songs and videos from each time period to keep us interested. I would take another class with her if I could.

Helpful?

0 0 Please log in to provide feedback.
HIST 124C
Quarter: Spring 2018
Grade: A
June 27, 2018

Professor Nasiali's lectures are multi-dimensional in terms of history, politics, culture and economics, entertaining and she does a great job of connecting modern French history to today's political and cultural environment. Her class mainly focuses on the political development of modern France at the beginning of the Third Republic and goes into the early 2000's. She encourages students to engage with questions throughout the lectures which are usually short. Once a week, participation will be graded by a group write-up of a primary source document assigned for the week which are not difficult. She remembers everyone's name and face, so constant attendance and participation are helpful. She also offers extra credit and encourages attendance to office hours. Overall, this is one of the easier classes I've taken at UCLA and would highly recommend it for the interesting material and great professor.

Helpful?

2 0 Please log in to provide feedback.
HIST 124C
COVID-19 This review was submitted during the COVID-19 pandemic. Your experience may vary.
Quarter: Spring 2021
Grade: A
June 11, 2021

This class is by no means an easy A. Professor Nasiali is a kind and warm professor who genuinely cares for her students not only for their academic success but also for their personal-wellbing. This class is compromised of 1 midterm, and revised 2nd midterm, and final paper. The topics of this class are complex. The professor is a tough grader, but she really wants her students to improve on their historical inquiry. She offers extra credit and it definitely helped my grade. If you are looking to do the bare minimum please take another class. Professor Nasiali's curriculum is the UCLA standard, so if you're not passionate about History and have no motivation to improve your writing skills you're setting yourself up for failure in this course.

Helpful?

3 1 Please log in to provide feedback.
HIST 1C
Quarter: Winter 2023
Grade: A
April 3, 2023

I'll split this review into two parts, the professor and the class.

First the class:
The class is broken down into this:
There are 100 points in the gradebook, Midterm Paper (40 pts) Final Project (45 pts, includes Annotated Bibliography 10 pts), Attendance and Participation in Discussion (15 pts). Every single one of these is graded by your TA. You TA will make or break you grade in the class, so when you are working on the final project (which is a podcast or an op ed) and your midterm go to your TA and ask them about what they want to see and how you can get the best grade possible on these. If you screw up your midterm, there going to be a revision opportunity which allows you to get back at most 3 points. During my discussion my TA give you a full point for the day if you came and said at least one thing. So make sure you do your part and ask how your TA is going to grade participation. The lectures are pretty useless especially if you took AP Euro or AP World History. She requires you to buy the textbook to read and because you will have to quote it at some point but I never read any of the readings or textbook and still got an A.

The Professor:
She is very nice and helpful and she is a pretty decent lecturer. I love History but I was so bored during her lecturers I do not know why but I just did work during the lecture. She is very friendly and helpful and makes it easy to participate.

Overall: This is a good GE that gets the Historical Analysis and Diversity Requirement

Helpful?

1 0 Please log in to provide feedback.
HIST 124C
COVID-19 This review was submitted during the COVID-19 pandemic. Your experience may vary.
Quarter: Spring 2021
Grade: A
June 11, 2021

You really need a great amount of work in this class to have an A.
For the midterm draft, she will give you a lot of revising advice and DO follow her instructions (although lots of them are actually contradictory and ambiguous).

If you show your improvements, she will give you a pretty good grade.

Helpful?

1 1 Please log in to provide feedback.
HIST 1C
Quarter: Winter 2024
Grade: N/A
March 14, 2024

I found the course content interesting and engaging and it aligned with my interests in the global dynamics of history. However, Professor Nasiali's approach to teaching was rigid and inflexible, confining students to a set structure of lecture and leaving no room for self-exploration or self-led digression of the content. There was a noticeable lack of empathy towards students' learning needs and circumstances, with sloppy audio recordings of lectures and no way to revise previous content than to decipher her back-and-forth storytelling. Enticing to hear as a fireside story maybe, but greatly unhelpful in this context.

Additionally, the grading system in this course was highly subjective, with all major components including the midterm and final being in the form of an essay; however, the problem emerges as the evaluation of work appeared to be at the complete, subjective discretion of the TA rather than based on consistent rubrics or criteria. This made the assessment component imbalanced, and needless to say, it caused high degrees of uncertainty and difficulty over how work would be evaluated.

Factoring in the lack of empathy for students, it is safe to say that I will never be taking Professor Nasiali's classes again. Very disappointing, considering that the course content was very interesting and had the potential to be highly engaging.

Helpful?

0 0 Please log in to provide feedback.
HIST 1C
Quarter: Winter 2023
Grade: A
Oct. 16, 2023

This class was a great GE to take. Overall only one essay and one podcast or Op-Ed as the final. There were no in person tests and the grade was based off of these two assignments. I would very much recommend taking this class.

Helpful?

0 0 Please log in to provide feedback.
HIST 1C
Quarter: Winter 2023
Grade: A
Aug. 5, 2023

I took this class because it was the only GE that fit into my schedule where the prof didn't have terrible reviews. Going into it I was not too interested in the material, but I will say Dr. Nasiali made the lectures very engaging and entertaining. I am not a huge history nerd, but I enjoyed how passionate Nasiali was about the subject and how she also made an effort to connect with her students and learn their names. The class is really only based on a midterm essay, a final project, and participation. The final project is pretty fun because you have the option to do a podcast episode on a historical object, which I actually quite enjoyed. Your grade in this class, like many GEs, is based more so on the TA than the prof. So, while Nasiali was a great professor, my TA was a harsher grader in my opinion and so I did find myself struggling a bit in the quarter after receiving my first essay grade. However, we were allowed to do essay revisions which really helped. Overall I would say this is a pretty good class to take if you are looking to fulfill a GE requirement or are just interested in history!

Helpful?

0 0 Please log in to provide feedback.
HIST 1C
Quarter: Winter 2023
Grade: A+
May 20, 2023

class was easy, wasn't a huge fan of prof Nasiali and her lectures, but you don't need to go to lecture to succeed in the class. Spencer was the best TA, definitely recommend his section. grade was based on participation, a paper, and a final project (either an op-ed or a podcast). straightforward to succeed, but the class covers so much I didn't feel like I learned much

Helpful?

0 0 Please log in to provide feedback.
HIST 1C
Quarter: Winter 2023
Grade: A
April 11, 2023

Overall I really liked this class. The material is easy to understand and Dr. Nasiali presents it in a creative manner. While the lectures sometimes felt like they dragged on and on and on, Nasiali is for the most part an engaging speaker and has well-prepared and understandable slides. She is very kind and easy to talk to, and tries to learn as many names as possible in lecture. Some TA's were harsher graders than others. Your grade is made up of a midterm paper (40%), a final op-ed paper or podcast (30%), an annotated bibliography for the final (10%), and participation in discussions (20%). Weekly homework usually just consists of primary source and textbook readings, and you can find a PDF for the textbook online.

Helpful?

0 0 Please log in to provide feedback.
HIST 124C
Quarter: Winter 2019
Grade: A
Dec. 17, 2019

I actually took her History of Imperialism course. Professor Nasiali was very warm and friendly. The class was simple, just a few papers and in class reflections. She also played some nice songs and videos from each time period to keep us interested. I would take another class with her if I could.

Helpful?

0 0 Please log in to provide feedback.
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