Professor
Nedda Mehdizadeh
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Most Helpful Review
Fall 2023 - I loved this class. This quarter, she created her own curriculum that was focused on wellness. Though it was challenging due to the fact that homework was due before each day of class, I actually learned so much about how to write at a professional level. This is definitely not the type of class that you was to procrastinate in, however, and it does require a lot of your time. Things I loved about her class: * She had us start our final project super early, and all of the material we learned in class was for the purpose of preparing us for our final project (scholarly essay and public facing project). * She taught us how to write and use our own voices, while ensuring that we were being critical thinkers. * She allowed us to create our own rubric for our final project. * She actually cares about you as an individual. Things I found challenging: * The workload was gnarly, but definitely manageable. The readings were minimal, and all of the material we had to read and watch were actually super interesting. It's definitely not busywork, which I love. * She grades heavily on participation, but I loved the fact that it wasn't about "Who can talk the most?" or "Who sounds the smartest?" She encouraged everyone to not only speak and voice their response, but to actively listen to other colleagues. It was great.
Fall 2023 - I loved this class. This quarter, she created her own curriculum that was focused on wellness. Though it was challenging due to the fact that homework was due before each day of class, I actually learned so much about how to write at a professional level. This is definitely not the type of class that you was to procrastinate in, however, and it does require a lot of your time. Things I loved about her class: * She had us start our final project super early, and all of the material we learned in class was for the purpose of preparing us for our final project (scholarly essay and public facing project). * She taught us how to write and use our own voices, while ensuring that we were being critical thinkers. * She allowed us to create our own rubric for our final project. * She actually cares about you as an individual. Things I found challenging: * The workload was gnarly, but definitely manageable. The readings were minimal, and all of the material we had to read and watch were actually super interesting. It's definitely not busywork, which I love. * She grades heavily on participation, but I loved the fact that it wasn't about "Who can talk the most?" or "Who sounds the smartest?" She encouraged everyone to not only speak and voice their response, but to actively listen to other colleagues. It was great.
Most Helpful Review
Winter 2020 - I absolutely loved Dr. Mehdizadeh's class. She is so passionate and well-informed on all the topics she discusses and it shows. She also does a great job of addressing the several nuances of diversity as a concept. Participation is essential in this class - even a large component of the grade is based on it - but don't worry about that as the topics are very engaging and evoke natural participation. The class is very heavy on workload but you get used to it with time. The assignments in this class are as follows: a reflection (on as assigned reading) due at the beginning of every class, and a 3-5 page final paper - which is supplemented with a 3-page personal reflection and an annotated bibliography. We worked on several drafts of this final paper and its components throughout the quarter. The professor holds individual meetings and peer review sessions to help us improve our drafts up until week 10. Personally, I think having so much writing work was very beneficial as it helped me get writing practice. I believe my writing skills have dramatically improved over the course of this quarter thanks to Dr Mehdizadeh. IMPORTANT WARNING: Dr. Mehdizadeh might seem a bit harsh at first, and the coursework might feel too heavy to handle in the initial weeks. So if after the first class you are tempted to drop out, I'd highly recommend waiting it out. Even I was initially intimidated by the workload and the seemingly harsh grading scheme. However, I assure you that one gets used to the workload and even the grading is eventually lenient. I really think Dr. Mehdizadeh is the best professor I've had at UCLA and I'm going to miss her.
Winter 2020 - I absolutely loved Dr. Mehdizadeh's class. She is so passionate and well-informed on all the topics she discusses and it shows. She also does a great job of addressing the several nuances of diversity as a concept. Participation is essential in this class - even a large component of the grade is based on it - but don't worry about that as the topics are very engaging and evoke natural participation. The class is very heavy on workload but you get used to it with time. The assignments in this class are as follows: a reflection (on as assigned reading) due at the beginning of every class, and a 3-5 page final paper - which is supplemented with a 3-page personal reflection and an annotated bibliography. We worked on several drafts of this final paper and its components throughout the quarter. The professor holds individual meetings and peer review sessions to help us improve our drafts up until week 10. Personally, I think having so much writing work was very beneficial as it helped me get writing practice. I believe my writing skills have dramatically improved over the course of this quarter thanks to Dr Mehdizadeh. IMPORTANT WARNING: Dr. Mehdizadeh might seem a bit harsh at first, and the coursework might feel too heavy to handle in the initial weeks. So if after the first class you are tempted to drop out, I'd highly recommend waiting it out. Even I was initially intimidated by the workload and the seemingly harsh grading scheme. However, I assure you that one gets used to the workload and even the grading is eventually lenient. I really think Dr. Mehdizadeh is the best professor I've had at UCLA and I'm going to miss her.
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Most Helpful Review
Winter 2023 - Dr. Mehdizadeh was very helpful when it comes to improving our writing skills. She was available for office hours and paid attention to each student to make sure that enough guidance was provided for the assignment. There were discussion posts due twice a week on the readings that require extensive reading and writing. Participation is graded on discussion during lecture, so attendance is a must. Our quarter's theme was belonging and we read 3 different novels/memoir along with some journal articles. There was a final project that included a final paper and a creative component. I enjoyed taking this class since the class size is very small and you get to know everyone. Would definitely recommend for a writing II class!
Winter 2023 - Dr. Mehdizadeh was very helpful when it comes to improving our writing skills. She was available for office hours and paid attention to each student to make sure that enough guidance was provided for the assignment. There were discussion posts due twice a week on the readings that require extensive reading and writing. Participation is graded on discussion during lecture, so attendance is a must. Our quarter's theme was belonging and we read 3 different novels/memoir along with some journal articles. There was a final project that included a final paper and a creative component. I enjoyed taking this class since the class size is very small and you get to know everyone. Would definitely recommend for a writing II class!
Most Helpful Review
Spring 2017 - Mehdizadeh is a great professor. Albeit somewhat opinionated at times, she is very organized and helpful, and very critical during class discussions, helping to facilitate a truly academic dialouge. She gives detailed essay help during conferences and is very clear about what she expects from students, and is not the harshest grader. If you need assistance, she will be there to guide you along. 5W was quite a nice class because of this and I definitely recommend taking it with her. As long as you try, and care about the material, you shouldn't have much of a problem getting an A. The grade distribution doesn't lie.
Spring 2017 - Mehdizadeh is a great professor. Albeit somewhat opinionated at times, she is very organized and helpful, and very critical during class discussions, helping to facilitate a truly academic dialouge. She gives detailed essay help during conferences and is very clear about what she expects from students, and is not the harshest grader. If you need assistance, she will be there to guide you along. 5W was quite a nice class because of this and I definitely recommend taking it with her. As long as you try, and care about the material, you shouldn't have much of a problem getting an A. The grade distribution doesn't lie.
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