I'm the naysayer here. First, I admit that Professor Tara Prescott is a very kind person , and the course materials are kind to students. However, I doubt if her class is a good writing course. This course talks a lot on readings like Harry Potter. These discussions are "interesting", but have little to do with improving writing skills. I learnt most of writing during office hours. And the pace of the class is weird. Even though she does not talk lots about writing, the first essay dues on week two. There is only a "shitty first draft" two days before that, and she does not look at that. This means that you have no editing advice if you don't go to office hour. Essay 2 and 3 have peer review sessions, however you can't trust your peers too much. Professor Prescott focuses on grammar and languages rather than your thoughts in the essays. However your peers would probably not look at those detailed stuff. And mostly you have only two days to edit after peer review. It's really hard to make a perfect essay unless you are a experienced writer.

Conclusion for those who are too lazy to read: It's true that Professor Prescott is a good person, but I only recommend this class for those who are confident about their writing skills and are seeking a fun class. Not recommended for those who want to learn something substantial. Especially not recommended for international students.

Best Eng Comp 3 class ever. IT WAS LIT. Make friends, have fun discussions, learn about society. It's not even like an English class, it's just a fun discussion.

She's a cool person, but I didn't get much out of this class. It's almost impossible to get an A in Prescott's class. She has a very strict technique to grading essays. I've tried again and again, but I simply cannot satisfy her wants in essay writing. If you're looking for a fun class, definitely take this class. However, be wary that your GPA might take a hit.

I loved this class. The professor is great. She really does help with your writing. Shes a very interesting person. The service learning part wasnt too bad. I volunteered in Venice high and helped seniors with their personal statement. readings were fun. Would totally recommend.

Professor is great. I did not go into this class caring very much about Neil Gaiman, but I left a big fan. There is some busy work, but it's a W class so that's expected.
Overall it was one of my favorite Honors classes at UCLA.

Really great class. You'll be lucky to get in. Best Writing II fulfillment and easy Honors credit. I didn't know much about Gaiman before, but now I'm a big fan. Professor is great. Only bad thing is the class is in her apartment which is really easy to get locked out of.

She is super kind and her discussions are really interesting!

I had Maxwell Holland as my TA as this is a TA led class. Thought it was a fantastic introductory course for UCLA, and helped me get a requirement out of the way immediately. I remember there being a presentation at the end and weekly discussions, in which were easy to do as long as you attended and tried your best.

Professor Prescott is SO awesome. For 131B, although you have to read a chapter for every class, or otherwise do a homework assignment or listen to a podcast or something (they're surprisingly lengthy), I don't think the class is unmanageable. There are a few big assignments you have to do: an in-class presentation, an executive summary paper, an op-ed paper, along with the weekly assignments. Class is a discussion-lecture, where there are 20 people max in a class, and every week you meet and talk about select things that she planned out in advance. Discussions are fun, and because mostly everyone participates, you end up making friends in the class by the end of the quarter too (there are a few team/pair projects). The one downside is you don't really find out your grade until the very end.

Professor Prescott is the best prof I've had at UCLA. She is brilliant, caring, and will do everything in her power to make sure that you succeed. Service Learning is pretty cool, I volunteered at the LA LGBT Center, but you could also work at a school or a tutor center if that's what you're more interested in. You write three or four papers and do a final portfolio, and that's it. Definitely take this, or any of Professor Prescott's classes, whenever you can!