Abra is the best Comm professor I've had at UCSB! He knows exactly what he is talking about and his course content easily reflects on day-to-day lessons, I find myself telling my housemates stuff he has mentioned in class. He is funny and has great rapport with his students. His classroom remains full throughout the quarter-- a great sign. Love him

His midterms are based off the lectures & the readings. The readings are super dense and he also don't have slideshows so all we do is write down everything he says.

Do not be fooled by his RMP grade, actually such a bad/boring class

Abra is a pretty run-of-the-mill professor. Your grade is based on 2 midterms, a final and a paper so there's not much room for error. He's interesting enough but the class concept is pretty boring and not very engaging. Definitely wouldn't bee my first choice

Abra is pretty good! His lectures were very engaging, although it can be a bit hard to follow along as he doesn't use slides at all. The readings are essential and will be tested on, and pacing for the class was off quite a bit as we didn't get through all of the syllabus topics in lecture, but were still expected to know them from readings.

My favorite professor at UCSB! His classes are all lecture style but he makes them super engaging, I never missed having PowerPoints. He is super friendly and is always willing to help his students. His tests are very fair and easy if you read the articles he posts and attend class. I have never had a problem in any of his classes I've taken!

Dr Abra has been one of the best lecturers I have experienced in my education career. I have taken three of his COMM classes, and each of them were worth every penny of my higher education. He truly has a passion for teaching, and he knows how to do it right. He truly gifts thought-provoking material that will last a lifetime. Take his classes!

NGL, if someone told you hes hard.. they are either really stupid or were to busy partying they had to make an excuse. He gives u reading and doesn't provide notes because he doesn't use a whiteboard or anything but if u just show up youll get atleast a B on his test. I got an F on one of his MTs and failed his other 2 test and still managed a B+.

Abra is very passionate but the criteria isn't crystal clear. His lectures are great but you definitely have to do a close reading of the readings to do well on the tests. Should definitely go to office hours for help on the papers, he's very helpful and will give you ideas there. I would take this class again but it isn't an easy A

2 midterms, 2 analyses, and the final The hardest class I took, the test is 50% on the textbook, and the other 50% is on the lecture. Be ready to read heavily, and comprehend the lecture. There is no PowerPoint to his lectures, and attendance is mandatory if you want to pass the class.

Dr. Abra is an amazing lecturer. He is very hilarious and helpful. Get ready to read since the reading takes 50% of the exam. The paper prompt is a bit vague, so it is necessary to get help from him and TAs.

Overall, I really liked Abra. His lectures are creative and funny. Don't try to write down what he says word-for-word; taking hand-written notes are helpful since he wants you to understand the main idea (what's on the board is important!). He'll use a lot of examples which will come in handy during exams. Keep up with readings and you'll do fine.

He's a great professor, I am on my last year at UCSB and he's the best professor I have ever had. The material is interesting and easy to grasp. overall great class

for the sake of ur mental health and if u struggle w anxiety, I strongly don't recommend this professor. one of his old reviews perfectly sums it up: he does not test you on ur knowledge of the course material, he tests how well you can interpret his vague wording on exams. speaks in a condescending tone when you feel overwhelmed by the workload

With the circumstances of covid19, Dr. Abra's lectures were still so interesting and I felt like I finally learned something for once while online school has just felt really dragging. The work load is not much and easy to get through. Textbook could be helpful but I did fine without it.

Due to COVID I had to take Dr. Abras class online and it was asynchronous so I thought it was going to be difficult to stay focused and do well but his lectures were great and easy to pay attention to! You can tell hes passionate about this subject and is very knowledgeable so it makes lectures interesting. Definitely recommend!

This was the worst class Ive ever took. The professor was a extremely hard grader. Many of the students in his class didnt show up to the final because of how harsh he was at grading assignments. Attendance wasnt mandatory but if you dont show up you wont pass because his tests are half lecture half reading. I would not take this class again

Abra is great. His lectures are hilarious and engaging, so its easy to follow along even though he doesnt use PowerPoint. Just be sure to also do the readings! He curves generously too, which is rare in the comm department. Grade is based on 1 midterm, 1 easy paper, and the final. I loved his class so much that Im taking him again next quarter.

One of the best professors I've ever had. His style is unique in that he just talks and occasionally uses the chalkboard, but man, he is engaging and interesting to listen to. His tests are half textbook, half class, so you must do both to get an A. The class has a nice curve to it, and there are 3 short paper assignments, of which you pick 2 to do

Straight forward grading criteria: 50% of the tests directly from his lectures, and the other 50% from the textbook. He's an extremely smart guy. His lectures are hilarious and easy to follow because he relates the concepts of sociology to the stories he tells in class. He makes you think about society in a whole new way. Take his class!

Go to class and read the textbook - midterms and final are 50% lecture material and 50% textbook. If you skip one of these components you will have a very difficult time. Abra is one of the most engaging lecturers and makes the content interesting with his examples even if it isn't. 10/10 would take another class from him again

BEST PROFESSOR I'VE EVER HAD!! You'll need to read the whole textbook and show up to every class - his tests are 50% reading and 50% lecture. It's worth the work though, he's amazing!!

Abra is one of the best professors I've ever had. Tests are short answer (less than a sentence usually), half on lecture half on book. Reading and showing up to lecture is therefore necessary, but the material is interesting. Not that tough overall, as long as you read and study hard! If there was a second class for 173, I'd definitely take it!

I loved Abra's class, but I didn't get the best test grades. I am a DSPS student who needed accommodations, and still got a D on both exams, but an A on the few assignments we had. Other DSPS peers had the same issue. If you can devote 4 hours a day to reading the material, I recommend this class. If you're a full time student, I would not.