Professor
Tina Austin
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Most Helpful Review
Fall 2022 - I want to make this review for any students in the minor taking 5HB with Professor Austin, just so they have this information beforehand. First of all, there is significant evidence that she (or someone wanting to promote her) is spam-posting her own reviews. Read the other reviews—they do not sound like any student wrote them. Even other reviews on other classes are saying the other reviews are weirdly misleading. I say this not to bolster my own credibility but to warn you that the sentiments on this page absolutely do not reflect the sentiments of the students in her classes. Some highlights (just because I think they’re funny): - “called for a lot of collaboration with peers through which I made amazing new friends” - “be vocal in class (when appropriate) for answering questions or taking part in discussions” - “Be creative and add some personal elements to yours! These presentations, while they may seem a little intimidating, become a great way to get to know your peers and relevant topics more.” - “Overall a great, enthralling, and very informational class” No student would write like that lol. There’s other evidence, but I won’t go into depth on that. I will give a fair review of the class. First, the good. Professor Austin as a person is fairly nice to talk to. She is fairly approachable and the manner in which she explains information isn’t too bad. I also really liked the other students and community in the class. However, I would say overall I definitely regret taking this class with Professor Austin. There are two main reasons: disorganization and lack of understanding the student’s perspective. From day 1, the syllabus she posted did not have any due dates, specific assignments, or grade cutoffs. Throughout the course, she would constantly edit and repost the syllabus with changing due dates and shifting assignments—and not tell anyone. For instance, the due date for the midterm project was shifted up a week beforehand, and students were not notified of this change. Only because someone in my discussion group told us did we know. Since the information shifts so much, almost every important piece of info was through word of mouth (“apparently we are on Zoom on Tuesdays now, not Thursdays. Someone else told me”). Never trust what she says either. She will say the quizzes are easy, they aren’t. She will say something will be graded easily, it won’t. Be maximally prepared for every assignment and every shift that may happen. “Expect every possibility” needs to be your mantra for this class, because things will constantly shift under you. She would tell us “you need to print these out by tomorrow” at 3 AM the night before. And then, we would never use the printouts. Once, she decided that we would be having an “optional quiz” and let us know, again, at weird hours the night before. No time to study. Then, it turns out the quiz definitely was not optional. She also definitely has favorite students. She would call on them for everything, even without their hands raised, and praise them constantly. Even these students that she had favoritism towards did not like it. During our final presentations, she would say “now these next presentations are really good” about her favorites, disregarding the feelings of the several other students who had just gone. Speaking of the final presentations, make sure yours is PERFECT. These are graded insanely harshly. If you are imagining a number right now, drop it by 20%. This is secondhand information from talking to other students since she did not actually give us the grades back, just a final letter grade. She will also ask for positive and negative feedback from students on each presentation, and mark you down for what others say for their negatives. If you aren’t the “favorite presentation of the day” by your peers, you will not be getting an A on it. The other assignments almost don’t matter besides this presentation—make it perfect. Check it with her multiple times in OH, and confirm that different elements she would give a perfect grade for. She might still go back on that, but at least you have that leverage when she does (this happened to some of my friends). For other grading, the assignments the TA grades should be fine, just check with the TA. (Our TA would complain about her inconsistency as well, but in a professional way. I really loved our TA honestly, she made the class feel less like a slow motion car crash). Some assignments you do will not be calculated in your final grade, she might not even give you final scores back, and this class will be a lot of work. Especially work assigned last minute. A LOT OF WORK—I’m highlighting that. I do want to say I’m not some troll that hated Prof. Austin and am using hyperbole and lies to vent, I am trying to make sure that other students are fully prepared for what to expect from this class. I got a grade I am happy with, but feel bad for other students that didn't and really did not like going through the class itself. Other students I would talk to in previous quarters would go “ohhh Dr. Austin LOL—yeah just bite the bullet on that one”. That is the general consensus. However, there were no Bruinwalk reviews until recently which really didn't help things. I will say, while there were some positive-ish aspects, this was probably one of the worst classes I’ve taken so far at UCLA. Not for the content, but the extreme expectations and disorganization. I sincerely do hope Prof. Austin improves in the future with feedback, but right now, it’s just best to be prepared. Also: to whoever is spam posting misleading reviews, please stop. I’m not sure why you’re doing it, but it is important for students to know what other students think about the class so they can make their own informed decisions. TLDR: if you are in the minor, this isn't an easy A class. Be prepared for disorganization and a large workload.
Fall 2022 - I want to make this review for any students in the minor taking 5HB with Professor Austin, just so they have this information beforehand. First of all, there is significant evidence that she (or someone wanting to promote her) is spam-posting her own reviews. Read the other reviews—they do not sound like any student wrote them. Even other reviews on other classes are saying the other reviews are weirdly misleading. I say this not to bolster my own credibility but to warn you that the sentiments on this page absolutely do not reflect the sentiments of the students in her classes. Some highlights (just because I think they’re funny): - “called for a lot of collaboration with peers through which I made amazing new friends” - “be vocal in class (when appropriate) for answering questions or taking part in discussions” - “Be creative and add some personal elements to yours! These presentations, while they may seem a little intimidating, become a great way to get to know your peers and relevant topics more.” - “Overall a great, enthralling, and very informational class” No student would write like that lol. There’s other evidence, but I won’t go into depth on that. I will give a fair review of the class. First, the good. Professor Austin as a person is fairly nice to talk to. She is fairly approachable and the manner in which she explains information isn’t too bad. I also really liked the other students and community in the class. However, I would say overall I definitely regret taking this class with Professor Austin. There are two main reasons: disorganization and lack of understanding the student’s perspective. From day 1, the syllabus she posted did not have any due dates, specific assignments, or grade cutoffs. Throughout the course, she would constantly edit and repost the syllabus with changing due dates and shifting assignments—and not tell anyone. For instance, the due date for the midterm project was shifted up a week beforehand, and students were not notified of this change. Only because someone in my discussion group told us did we know. Since the information shifts so much, almost every important piece of info was through word of mouth (“apparently we are on Zoom on Tuesdays now, not Thursdays. Someone else told me”). Never trust what she says either. She will say the quizzes are easy, they aren’t. She will say something will be graded easily, it won’t. Be maximally prepared for every assignment and every shift that may happen. “Expect every possibility” needs to be your mantra for this class, because things will constantly shift under you. She would tell us “you need to print these out by tomorrow” at 3 AM the night before. And then, we would never use the printouts. Once, she decided that we would be having an “optional quiz” and let us know, again, at weird hours the night before. No time to study. Then, it turns out the quiz definitely was not optional. She also definitely has favorite students. She would call on them for everything, even without their hands raised, and praise them constantly. Even these students that she had favoritism towards did not like it. During our final presentations, she would say “now these next presentations are really good” about her favorites, disregarding the feelings of the several other students who had just gone. Speaking of the final presentations, make sure yours is PERFECT. These are graded insanely harshly. If you are imagining a number right now, drop it by 20%. This is secondhand information from talking to other students since she did not actually give us the grades back, just a final letter grade. She will also ask for positive and negative feedback from students on each presentation, and mark you down for what others say for their negatives. If you aren’t the “favorite presentation of the day” by your peers, you will not be getting an A on it. The other assignments almost don’t matter besides this presentation—make it perfect. Check it with her multiple times in OH, and confirm that different elements she would give a perfect grade for. She might still go back on that, but at least you have that leverage when she does (this happened to some of my friends). For other grading, the assignments the TA grades should be fine, just check with the TA. (Our TA would complain about her inconsistency as well, but in a professional way. I really loved our TA honestly, she made the class feel less like a slow motion car crash). Some assignments you do will not be calculated in your final grade, she might not even give you final scores back, and this class will be a lot of work. Especially work assigned last minute. A LOT OF WORK—I’m highlighting that. I do want to say I’m not some troll that hated Prof. Austin and am using hyperbole and lies to vent, I am trying to make sure that other students are fully prepared for what to expect from this class. I got a grade I am happy with, but feel bad for other students that didn't and really did not like going through the class itself. Other students I would talk to in previous quarters would go “ohhh Dr. Austin LOL—yeah just bite the bullet on that one”. That is the general consensus. However, there were no Bruinwalk reviews until recently which really didn't help things. I will say, while there were some positive-ish aspects, this was probably one of the worst classes I’ve taken so far at UCLA. Not for the content, but the extreme expectations and disorganization. I sincerely do hope Prof. Austin improves in the future with feedback, but right now, it’s just best to be prepared. Also: to whoever is spam posting misleading reviews, please stop. I’m not sure why you’re doing it, but it is important for students to know what other students think about the class so they can make their own informed decisions. TLDR: if you are in the minor, this isn't an easy A class. Be prepared for disorganization and a large workload.
Most Helpful Review
Spring 2023 - I went into this class as a non-STEM major, and while a class on stem cells seemed daunting, learning complex and relevant topics was a rewarding experience for me. Professor Austin is wonderful--she is knowledgeable and passionate about the material. Although this class is a GE, there are a lot of MCDB/STEM majors. The professor is aware of that, and at times, I felt overwhelmed as some bio topics were briefly glazed over in lecture. However, going to the professor's office hours and asking the TAs questions helped close that gap. There are numerous opportunities for extra credit, and all of the assignments, quizzes, and presentations are manageable. I never felt like my time was wasted or that I didn't gain anything from this class. The professor changes the material each quarter and makes it relevant to current day. This quickly became my favorite class. Also, the professor selects very committed, helpful TAs. I also want to mention that Professor Austin really values participation. I personally went to all of her office hours + occasionally raised my hand in class; I want to emphasize how important participation is to succeed in the class. She actually cares about her students and makes a note of the ones who are participating and trying to engage with the material. All in all, would recommend.
Spring 2023 - I went into this class as a non-STEM major, and while a class on stem cells seemed daunting, learning complex and relevant topics was a rewarding experience for me. Professor Austin is wonderful--she is knowledgeable and passionate about the material. Although this class is a GE, there are a lot of MCDB/STEM majors. The professor is aware of that, and at times, I felt overwhelmed as some bio topics were briefly glazed over in lecture. However, going to the professor's office hours and asking the TAs questions helped close that gap. There are numerous opportunities for extra credit, and all of the assignments, quizzes, and presentations are manageable. I never felt like my time was wasted or that I didn't gain anything from this class. The professor changes the material each quarter and makes it relevant to current day. This quickly became my favorite class. Also, the professor selects very committed, helpful TAs. I also want to mention that Professor Austin really values participation. I personally went to all of her office hours + occasionally raised my hand in class; I want to emphasize how important participation is to succeed in the class. She actually cares about her students and makes a note of the ones who are participating and trying to engage with the material. All in all, would recommend.
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Most Helpful Review
Winter 2024 - Dr. Austin's class was great! Her passion for the subject is evident, and it significantly increased my interest in the field. What stood out the most was her unwavering support for her students. Dr. Austin genuinely cares about our success and understanding, lectures have interactive polls or supportive videos to help us understand the topic. The lectures were filled with relevant and fascinating information about current stem cell knowledge and events, making the complex topic of stem cells more approachable and interesting. She presents the information in a way that is easy to understand, and she's always willing to clarify any doubts. Dr. Austin's helpfulness extends beyond the classroom as she offers extra credit opportunities that reinforce our learning and give us a deeper understanding of the material. This approach not only helps students who are struggling but also enriches those who are already doing well. The course workload is reasonable with a lot of the work being extra credit and nothing feeling like "busy work." Lastly, Dr. Austin enriches the class by bringing in fantastic guest speakers who are leaders in their field and have very informative and engaging talks. I highly recommend her class to anyone interested in this cutting-edge area of science.
Winter 2024 - Dr. Austin's class was great! Her passion for the subject is evident, and it significantly increased my interest in the field. What stood out the most was her unwavering support for her students. Dr. Austin genuinely cares about our success and understanding, lectures have interactive polls or supportive videos to help us understand the topic. The lectures were filled with relevant and fascinating information about current stem cell knowledge and events, making the complex topic of stem cells more approachable and interesting. She presents the information in a way that is easy to understand, and she's always willing to clarify any doubts. Dr. Austin's helpfulness extends beyond the classroom as she offers extra credit opportunities that reinforce our learning and give us a deeper understanding of the material. This approach not only helps students who are struggling but also enriches those who are already doing well. The course workload is reasonable with a lot of the work being extra credit and nothing feeling like "busy work." Lastly, Dr. Austin enriches the class by bringing in fantastic guest speakers who are leaders in their field and have very informative and engaging talks. I highly recommend her class to anyone interested in this cutting-edge area of science.
Most Helpful Review
Fall 2022 - I am writing a review on this class because I do feel like the other reviews are a bit misleading. Tina was by no means a bad teacher, but her slides were incredibly disorganized. Her exams were hard. They required you to memorize her slides word for word, and there were about 300 slides for each midterm. Pretty sure the average for the second midterm was a C. She's a very nice person, but honestly, after taking other MCDB classes that require 165A, I genuinely did not feel as prepared as I should have. One professor I have for an MCDB upper div said to my class "you should have learned this in 165A" and I had literally never heard of the topic. I do believe she tried her best, and she got better as the quarter went on. She did give extra credit, and the presentations were pretty fun to do! But do not go into this class thinking it's super easy and fun. It still requires a lot of work.
Fall 2022 - I am writing a review on this class because I do feel like the other reviews are a bit misleading. Tina was by no means a bad teacher, but her slides were incredibly disorganized. Her exams were hard. They required you to memorize her slides word for word, and there were about 300 slides for each midterm. Pretty sure the average for the second midterm was a C. She's a very nice person, but honestly, after taking other MCDB classes that require 165A, I genuinely did not feel as prepared as I should have. One professor I have for an MCDB upper div said to my class "you should have learned this in 165A" and I had literally never heard of the topic. I do believe she tried her best, and she got better as the quarter went on. She did give extra credit, and the presentations were pretty fun to do! But do not go into this class thinking it's super easy and fun. It still requires a lot of work.
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