This class gave me my first ever B at UCLA. In every class, I go above and beyond when it comes to working hard for the class, especially with stem courses because math doesn’t come naturally to me. I thought I would be fine with this class since econ one doesn’t use any calculus, but I was wrong. My TA consistently gave us the wrong answers for the weekly section quizzes, and on one of the most important questions, the answer key was incorrect and the professor never sent an email to the class making a correction. It wasn’t until I discovered this mistake and emailed both my TA and professor that the professor emailed out the correct answer on THE DAY OF THE FINAL. The final was worth 50% of the final grade, so even though I got a 98% on the midterm, my hard work in the class didn’t matter unless I did really well on the final. Even after giving myself ample time to study, the final was so hard for me, and clearly it was difficult for the rest of the class because the average was a 74%. If this wasn’t an intro course, I’d understand that average, but I felt the final was much too difficult for a class that’s supposed to be “easy”. Overall, I thought I would enjoy this class much more than I did and it’s disappointing because the professor seemed like a really nice lady.

If you can take this professor, do it! She really wants her students to do well and she makes sure students understand what they're learning, otherwise she'll go back and review confusing topics. Your grade is based on attendance of section (but you can go to any section, and there are chances to makeup a section that you missed, such as with review sessions), an industry case study that seems big, but isn't very hard to complete, a midterm, and a final. Her tests are very straightforward and resemble the practice problems we receive each week (optional, but I recommend doing them). If you understand the material, you'll be set. She was an engaging professor, and would definitely take her again. And to top it off, she uses a free online textbook that is easy to understand.

As someone who has never taken an economics class before, I was terrified of this class at first. However, it became my favorite class of the quarter.
Firstly, you don’t buy the textbook. It’s free and online! Usually I’d be suspicious of the quality, but it’s actually a fantastic textbook. You learn everything through examples, there are many questions you answer, and the organization is great. I think this textbook is a high quality textbook that teaches you exactly what you need to know.
Secondly, the professor is really thoughtful. Her slides correspond to the book, and it really helps if you’ve read before coming into her lectures. She goes through interactive examples and does the graphs with you every time. She is always open to questions and explains them until you understand. She is super nice and has funny stories, which is a plus because it was a morning class and she livened us up.
Thirdly, if you haven’t taken econ in high school, don’t worry! The material isn’t that bad, and you’ll do fine if you read, do the problems, and go to the lectures. I learned a lot through my TA and the professor, so don’t hesitate to ask questions. I found that for me, reading the book before going to class worked pretty well.
Lastly, DO NOT DO YOUR PROJECT THE NIGHT BEFORE. It takes a ton of research and you will have questions about it, so please, no matter how much you want to, do not procrastinate. The midterm and final weren’t as bad as they could have been, so just make sure you learn the vocab and the math, and you’ll be fine. I found that I was rushed during the midterm but had way more than enough time during the final. If you put in the work, you’ll do fine.

This was Professor's first time teaching this course so I am cutting her some slack. However, you get the same knowledge by reading her slides directly and the free textbook she uses. The textbook is your best friend in this course as lecture is nearly pointless. The midterm and final were fairly rough. It consisted of vocab and lots of short answer questions. Our midterm average was roughly 82% and the final average was 74% - uncurved. On each exam, there were topics that were not discussed in either lecture or your quiz/discussion section.

It was nearly impossible to estimate what would be on the short answer as there are so many possibilities, so you have to know the material in and out if you would like to get a decent grade on her exams.

Overall, professor Osei-Twumasi is a very nice and smart professor. She makes the lectures less dry by adding humor, but to score well on her exams, going above and beyond is a must.