If you need Writing 1 there is no better class to take than this one. Nathan Deuel is one of the most amazing people I have ever met. He is incredibly engaging, passionate, funny, caring, and knowledgeable. I can confidently say I became a better writer because of this class. He is an amazing writer who will bring out the best in you. The workload is heavier than your average Eng Comp 3 class and it is absolutely worth it. If you want to actually be interested in what you are learning and actually improve your ability: take this class. I recommend this course to all of my friends and I would most definitely take it again.

This is one of the most difficult versions of EngComp 3 (prof’s words, not mine) but it is also far and away the most rewarding! Deuel is smart, funny, and he TRULY cares about the class and his students.
All the “lectures” are actually either just discussions or workshops where he and the rest of the class provide feedback on a few of the previous week’s submissions that he picks to emphasize a certain point/skill. You will grow SO much as a writer in this class, both due to Deuel’s advice and because of the extensive amount of writing due each week. He relates it to “doing a bunch of pushups every week so that when you write your final paper you’re in the best writing shape of your life”.

TLDR: do not take this class for an easy writing course. it is not for the weak.
but if you want to become a better writer, there is no other class that will grow you in such a fun, engaging, “where did all the time go” kind of way.

To preface, I'm an engineering major, and had the option to take a modified version of the course (that's much easier). But I am so glad I didn't.
Deuel is not the easiest prof for this class, but I wish everyone could take him. I used to hate reading and writing; my perspective changed completely after this quarter. Every single person in my class took away a lot from it, and these are some of the reasons:
1) You will get a lot of feedback on your work. The environment in which we discuss each other's work is very positive and encourages you to share things you may normally not. I used to hate peer feedback, but I looked forward to it in this class.
2) You get pretty much complete freedom in writing. It might seem overwhelming at first, but you will get much better at writing about your thoughts by the end of the class. Deuel also doesn't care about strict essay structure or things like use of personal pronouns, which is very convenient. He encourages you to be honest in your writing, which lets you write about your genuine thoughts and makes your style less cliche.
3) You will become a better critical thinker. With every reading discussion, everyone brings their own perspectives. If it was a high school English class, this may not be that impactful. Though, like I said earlier, people are sharing their real opinions on issues that are actually relevant to you. I think I've had my worldview completely shift a couple times.
4) You develop a mini community. I have learned so much about the people in my class, and we all ended up sharing things that many others don't know about us. Even if you aren't best friends with everyone in the class, you all can really appreciate each other for being there throughout the process.
I could continue going on because I loved this class and am going to miss it. Overall, 10/10 would recommend Deuel if he's available for your English. He's a very accomplished and genuine guy that really does want the best for you.

Professor Deuel greatly cares about all of his students and makes the class a fun learning community for everyone. The class does have a decent amount of work compared to other English Comp 3 classes, but it is very worth it. Would definitely recommend.

THIS IS THE BEST PROFESSOR AT UCLA!!!! PROFESSOR DEUEL IS SUCH A COOL AND DOWN TO EARTH GUY. YOU HAVE TO TAKE HIS CLASS THE BEST ENGLISH COMP 3 CLASS AT UCLA. this class was so interesting and I actually enjoyed doing the assignment especially the final. The class consists of 2 midterms which are easy 1 midterm is 3 pages and the 2 one is five pages. The final is 10 pages but you can write almost about anything and connect to one of the readings or films. each week we have a prompt and we can approach it in any way we want which was fun. Professor Deuel gets a five-star rating from me. We need more professors like him at UCLA.