You're going to hear this several times but this class is extremely bottom heavy (assignments worth the most are all due within the last 2-3 weeks, close to finals). While I would say Dr. Austin is an approachable and engaging lecturer, she didn't really give us the resources to work ahead so you had to work on these assignments while balancing studying for finals. Throughout the quarter, she would also sometimes post assignments a day or two before they were due. I felt that in general, she did not respect our time as students. However, she is understanding and takes student feedback into consideration. She also is a good lecturer and explains concepts clearly while engaging the class by asking questions (you are expected to participate). She has a policy allowing students to miss up to 15% of class, though I wouldn't recommend it because lectures are not recorded and you won't be able to get the information again. Overall, if I had to take this class again I would be extremely proactive about my assignments and getting information on what to do for them, especially for the end of quarter assignments which are graded on an extensive rubric while other assignments are usually participation based.

I truly like Professor Austin's class because I found that 5HB exposed me to research concepts a lot. This class is doable, the workload is manageable if you plan ahead and do not wait until the last minute to finish your assignments. Expect to have a lot of homework, mini quizzes, and assignments, but keep in mind that the worksheets are mostly graded based on effort. Of all classes at UCLA, this class is one of the easiest classes I've taken so far. Professor Tina Austin cares a lot about her students but she was overwhelmed with a heavy workload so it seems like she doesn't have much time to reply to emails, so please be patient with her! If you have any difficulties, try to stay back after class and discuss directly with her, she always welcomes students and wants to know more about her students. If you email her but did not get a response, your email might be buried in tons of emails she receives every day. If you have difficulties but do not reach out to her or do not find other ways to reach out to her, I don't think it's her fault. This class is the hardest class in BMD Minor but it's completely doable! The worksheets are designed to help you to read scientific papers and review concepts, worksheets and quizzes are only worth a small grade distribution so don't stress about them too much. She is very flexible. Sometimes, she may change some quiz dates or small things but it won't affect everyone much overall. People only complained about some random small things that make them mad here but don't tell you what she has done for the class in general. According to a review above that she changed the quiz date. I agree, but that quiz was only worth 1% of the grade, she sent out a poll and everyone agreed to change the quiz date to a bit earlier so we would have fewer materials to study for the quiz and avoid conflicts for some folks in the class. There were so many times she changes to due dates to later, was super lenient with grading, and be flexible with deadlines, and offered tons of extra credits, no one even mentioned it here! People forgot to mention that our class had the worst TA ever because she did not teach us or help us with anything at all. She also did not grade our assignments until super late and our final research proposal depended on her grading. She graded harshly and did not follow the rubrics. Professor Austin had to step in and resolve all the issues caused by the TA without even complaining or telling the class overall. I think it's not fair if some people only complain about some small things that made them not happy but do not look at the overall results and what they have gained from the class.

Note: In class, you'll be introduced to a lot of new research concepts and if you have not been in any lab yet, you may be overwhelmed at first. However, her slides are usually very helpful and she repeats/reviews concepts a lot during class. She usually reviews old lecture materials before starting a new lecture, so try to pay attention in class, review the slides after class, and if there's anything you don't understand or want to discuss further, come to her OH! She loves talking with students in the OH, it's also the way she knows you personally and gives you many helpful advice. I have learned a lot from Professor Austin's OH. Or if you have time, pop by her OH to say hi to her is fine too!

This is a great class to start BMD Minor overall! Pay attention in class, allocate your time to start and finish the assignments properly, and go to OH are my tips to rock the class!

Dr. Austin's class was great because it exposed me to biomedical research concepts and techniques I was unfamiliar with. Don't get overly stressed on the quizzes and worksheets, the largest and most important component of this class is a research proposal that you write up and present. Working on your proposal as early as possible is important to having success in this class, especially if you have little experience with presenting or watching others present their research.

I really like Professor Austin, and the class. The class was fun and engaging, but there was a lot of HW and it was somewhat manageable. Overall, I really liked this class, and I would love to take any other class from her.

Worst professor I've ever had at UCLA (and I'm a MCDB major, rising senior, so I've taken some pretty tough classes with some pretty horrible professors). Super disorganized from the beginning, and two weeks into the course she decided to change our quiz date for no concrete reason - based on 'popular vote'. Yet when students stated that they would not be able to take the quiz on the new date due to conflicts, she stated that there would be an online option, but that we would be given 'significantly less time', as if that would somehow discourage us from taking that option, even if we had no other choice (once again did explain why we would be given less time online). In my opinion, a professor has to lead by example, and can't expect students to accommodate to multiple changes in deadlines, course structure, etc., while refusing to give students an INCH of leeway. When I asked WELL in advance if there was any way I could make up my attendance for a discussion section and lecture, due to a medical appointment, she did not even bother to respond, and my TA only responded the day after the section had already happened, only to state that "there is no makeup policy for this class". So are students simply expected to accept doing poorly in this class, not because of a lack of effort or poor academic performance, but because of extenuating circumstances they cannot control? Additionally, our assignments would randomly get regraded to lower grades with NO explanation, and the TA did not grade according to the rubric. Which meant that there was no consistency with grading, yet because this was such a small class, there weren't enough students to stand up to the professor or TA, without fear of retribution. Overall, poorly disorganized and if I had known this required class for the minor would have been taught like this, I would not have applied to the minor at all. Point blank period.

Overall, I have to admit, this class was not easy for me. The workloads were heavy and I spent a lot more time on this class than any other classes. Before getting into this class, I read all the comments about this class, and for some parts, I do agree. This class won't be exactly the class with clear due dates for the assignments or exams and oftentimes, there will be some confusion. However, I would also like to emphasize that this class is completely doable. You don't need to be scared or be intimidated. All you need to learn is how to allocate your time well. I know it's stressful and it was stressful for me too, but really talk to your professor, so that she could understand your hardships too. Dr. Austin is an understanding person and she truly cares about your learning. Some of the comments were saying how she has her favorites, but I honestly think that's because those people try hard to interact with her more during class time or during her office hours. Whenever you face difficulties, talk to her and ask her for advice. She'll try her best to accommodate. My final note is to put in your effort, try your best, and let Dr. Austin know you are trying then you will succeed in this class.

If you get a chance to take this class with Professor Austin, take it!

Out of all the classes I've taken at UCLA, this one was by far the most impactful. Just entering the minor, I really didn't know much about the research process. This class teaches you not only how to come up with an idea, but how to design experiments in order to test your theories. You get to deconstruct interesting papers, present a research topic you’re interested in, and write a research proposal. You use everything you learn in this class in upper division courses and the lab you end up joining. To this day, I still use all the skills I’ve learned in this class. I can’t tell you how many times my PI talked about a research method and was surprised that I already knew the technique! No other class will teach you the actual research process to this extent, so take it with the intention of learning it well. I promise it will benefit you. In other words, this is the most practical class you can take.

Professor Austin also really cares about her students. All the research she discusses and shows us is incredibly relevant to some of the most groundbreaking research today. She designed the class to have every possible thing that will be relevant to you for a future in research. On top of the stuff I talked about earlier, the presentation at the end also gets you comfortable talking about research in front of an audience which is SO important for URW and even just being in a lab. Also if you don’t understand something she will take the time to explain it to you during office hours and in class. The class is really designed for you to make the most of it. Professor Austin will also give you incredible advice about your future plans, so I highly recommend attending office hours for this class. It’s a small class so this is one of the few opportunities at UCLA to get mentorship and advice from a professor.

Definitely the best class at UCLA!!