Mendez is passionate and well-educated about the history of Latin America. This class was one of the most difficult I've ever taken, but also very rewarding and I feel like I learned a lot. Would not recommend as a GE, unless you are passionate about the subject and aren't taking a heavy course-load otherwise!

Mendez is very unclear and unorganized. She assigns a ridiculous amount of reading which she rarely follows up on or explains. She expects students to memorize specific dates, names, and events and doesn't allow computers in lecture. DONT TAKE THIS CLASS AS A GE

She is incredibly difficult to understand, she is not engaging at all. Difficult to be interested when she is so dry and boring. She gives an immense amount of readings and then doesn't follow up on them. The final is extremely extensive. You have to memorize ALL names, dates, major wars and poilitical activity of every Latin American nation ect...

worst GE I have taken. doesn't allow the use of electronics in her class. assigned reading every week is on average 200 pages. weekly written homework, and 2- 1000 word essays. wish i would have read her reviews before i signed up for this terrible class. signed up for it because i was actually interested in learning about LA history but regret it

Spring 16: Our final review she gave us (unnecessarily long/hard) didn't have info in which she ended up telling us seconds before the final so you can imagine how upset we were. She's always late and never prepared for class. Lots of reading. She spent more time on specific topics (bias) instead of equal time for all. Don't take this class w/ her.

DO NOT TAKE THIS CLASS unless you absolutely need it. Her lectures are terribly unorganized and she expects WAY too much considering it's an introductory course. She's somehow under the illusion that students will remember everything that she says during lecture

DO NOT TAKE THIS CLASS WITH CECILIA MENDEZ!! Too much reading and stress for a lower-division course. She requires students to read 2 novels (essays are based off these so you must read them), a textbook, AND a 250 page reader. Her lectures are unorganized and there is no structure to the material. Participation in section is mandatory. DONT DO IT!

Boring lecture, very repetitive, and gets off topic. Tries to be funny, only makes class worse. The first half of the quarter was basically the history of Peru, not Latin America. Assigns much more reading than necessary for a lower-division class. If given the chance, would have switched class.

I wouldn't wish this class on my worst enemy. There's way too much reading that's repetitive and boring, especially if you are not Latina and can't relate to the culture. If you need a history course to get into the sociology major, I suggest trying to take another history course. Having discussion section makes this class even more miserable.

Nice person, well informed regarding Latin American history. Main complaint was that there was way, way too much reading for the every other week essays, often it would be entire books cover to cover.

She is a great professor, very helpful if you go to her office hours. HOWEVER, it is a lot of work and reading. YOU NEED THE BOOKS AND YOU MUST ATTEND LECTURE AND SECTIONS to do well in the class. The material is extremely interesting, but I don't recommend it for people who just want an easy A. She is a good professor, but she is tough.

AVOID THIS CLASS!

I had never taken a lower division course that required so much reading until this class. I honestly did not find lecture helpful at all, sometime her lectures are all over the place. Do not recommend this class for G.E. unless uber interested in Latin American history

This was by far one of the hardest classes that I have ever taken. I thought it would be refreshing compared to the usual American history that I have been learning all my life. Sad to say that it was not. This professor is HORRIBLE! She expects you to know everything she knows, read about 200 pages a week & the readings are repetitive. HARD GRADER

There is way too much reading and its really repetitive. She also makes her TA's grade unneccessarily hard and is very picky and unclear about she wants on papers and tests. Was always late to class. Didn't show up for the final even. And she screws a lot of people over by doing activities and lectures outside of scheduled class time.

HORRIBLE professor. she assigns a ridiculous amount of reading to make up for her lectures being irrelevant. you can barely understand her, so when she laughs at her own jokes everyone is confused. her personal opinions work their way entirely too much into the material. unless you want to devote all your free time for a GE credit, don't take her

I loved her. She is extremely opinionated and slightly abrasive but she's hilarious. Very intersting theories. You do need to go to lecture but all you really need to do is reiterate her arguments on the exams and you do well in the class.

Proof you don't have to be a good teacher to get tenure at a UC.

She is very enthusiastic about the subject and tends to go on tangents. You need to read the books since you will be writing papers on two of them the other is useful(i barely ever read it). There are two papers that are pretty easy as long as you do the readings. for the final as long as you went to lecture study from your notes.

WOW Never have had a worse Professor in the world. Does not know how to teach. Everything you learn is from the readings which you have to write a 1 pg paper on every week. Her lectures are BORING and you do not learn anything. Her tests are all difficult because she assumes you know everything as good as she does...NEVER ever take a class with her

She was late to class and her requirements were too demanding if you're not majoring in History. I took it because it's part of a pre-req for Sociology and I regret it. Way too much reading. The final consists of 2 essays and 4 ID questions and it's cumulative. Hardest class I've taken so far and it's so not worth it.

Professor Mendez was incredibly demanding!!!! I worked my butt off in her class and still only got an A- (GPA killer for those of us aiming for a 4.0). I don't know what she expected for an A, especially since it was not a graduate level course. She is extremely harsh on grading papers. Never really figured out what she was looking for.

Often late to class, pretty disorganized, but I enjoyed her class. She makes her students really work for their grades and I find that it's worth it to do the work because I like the subject. Very helpful in office hours and she gives lots of oppertunity for improvement. She grew on me. If you're lazy, don't take it. Expect to work!

Teacher is not organize, the amount of reading is ridiculous, late to class. I am from Peru and still this class has being the worst class ever, 5 papers due and a final, don't take it, too much work for nothing.