You would learn something really useful, despite the overwhelming process. But you need to handle it, overcoming yourself. Dr. Popham gave impressive lectures with myriad methods to improve your writing skills and yourself "as a writer" would do.

Dr. Popham did give a lot of work but she gives plenty of time to do it and is very helpful if you need help. I ended up getting an A in the class. Great treacher!

If you have the option to take English Composition 3 with any other professor, do it. If, like me, you get stuck with her due to scheduling/other classes being full, then you're in for a rough time. Her workload is insane compared to other EngComp3 professors, and while you may learn some useful things about formatting, the only things that you will learn about writing are the things that she considers useful. This isn't a class about learning to write so much as it is about learning to write in the way that Shelby Popham expects you to write. However, if you follow her instructions exactly, and don't slack off on the homework and journal entries, it's possible to take this class without your GPA taking too much of a hit. She gives you around 5-10 handouts per class (not an exaggeration), so being well organized is important. On the whole, I didn't learn much from this class except maybe how to format a bibliography and how to pander to my professor's tastes.

I took this course in my first quarter at UCLA. Now I am graduating and I feel like I have to write another comment here to express my gratitude to this course and to Dr. Popham.

Though the workload is super super heavy, what I have learned in this class helped me with every writing task I have to complete in college. Whenever I need to write a research paper, I refer to what she said about introduction, supporting paragraphs and conclusion and use those techniques to draft and revise my papers.

As a science major and a nonnative speaker, I don’t have much talent or interest in writing but thanks to her, I always get good scores(A+ or A) in the papers I have to write. I actually think that none of my friends who took the relatively easier EC3 courses benefitted as much as I did from this EC3.

I don’t really know if she is still teaching but I wholeheartedly recommend this class to anyone who wants to establish a good foundation for college writing.

Professor Popham was great. She cared a lot about her students and was always there to help.
The workload is heavy though. You have to make reflection entries and quote analyses for each class, there's a lot of reading and 3 essays in total. Even though it was a pain, all the material was super easy to understand and all the exercises she assigns were useful.
Her grading system made it quite easy to get a good grade so I got an A- in the class but I did have to put a lot of time in the class.

Take her, Take her, Take her! If you're like me and have a mental block when it comes to writing then you will absolutely love her. She breaks everything down for you and explains what is expected of you. She always sends you reminders about the homework so you never forget and she is just about the sweetest lady when it comes to asking questions. Never once did I feel frightened or intimidated in her class..and if you're like me and don't enjoy being forced to talk in class- then this is the class for you. As long as you have a pleasant look on your face and smile every once in awhile that's your participation grade. You don't need to stress out about voicing your opinion about anything in her class. Yes, as others have put it- she does give a lot of busy work. But that's okay because it's easy busy work! Take this class, you won't regret it.

Amazing english teacher!!! Popham drastically changed my writing style and was super helpful in writing our essays. She is very welcoming and is willing to help every student to her best abilities. She is dedicated and has good office hours. I got an A- in the class and did all the work. I would have gotten the solid A if I would have revised my essays more.

Everybody that can take her class should take it! Her work load is not heavy at all and everything she makes you do helps you in writing your essays. There is no busy work. Everything she does is to help you. She is a fair grader so if you don't put the effort into the essays, it will show in the grade. As long as you come to class willing to work, you should be fine in the class.

Loved her class!!

Overall great English class. Had Popham for both Comp2 and Comp3.

There is a total of 3 papers for each class, all of which you work on progressively throughout the quarter. Before this class, I hated English, but Professor Popham has changed that. She truly teaches you how to write. If you don't mind putting in the time, this class will pay off. It is quite a bit of work but you will see the results. Revise your drafts as much as possible! And don't be scared to ask for help. She looks for effort and that will get you a better grade

She is a very thorough teacher and at times her workload may seem like a lot, but the class is do able. There are a lot of handouts and workshops and she expects you to revise. I was a good student who got excellent marks on all assignments but when it came to the end of the quarter after revising my 3 papers multiple times, my final grade came out to a B-.
I have never worked so hard in an English class, and having put in extra effort on essays and revising was shocked at this grade.
People say take this class because it will make you a better writer, but I don't think that is the case. I just learned how to write to her standards. If I were you I would go with an easier and less strict teacher who doesnt have these many guidelines.

Definitely take her. She looks for effort, so just revise as many times as you can. She gives great advice on how to write that you might not get anywhere else. Attendance is important, but she's very nice and approachable. Selling The Craft of Revision 5th Ed by Murray, Read to Write 3rd Ed by Murray, and Easy Writer 5th Ed by Lunsford. All of these books are necessary for her class.