I LOVE THIS PROF. She is so cute and Italian mother-like. Class is super chill and material is interesting. We read one short book throughout and had 2 short & easy reaction papers. Midterm and final were multiple choice tests, pretty easy if you attended lecture. Could make a pizza from scratch for extra credit!

Loved this class! She's such a good lecturer I genuinely wanted to come to class. Goes at a good pace while adding in fun anecdotes. She gives extra credit, 2 easily graded papers, 2 exams, 4 quizzes, if you go to lecture you don't have to do any of the readings to do well on the exams. My first Italian class and would 100% recommend.

I was so excited for a class on Italian culture, but she made it hard to get anything done! I had health issues all quarter and when I asked for an extension on the first paper, she gave me 15 extra hours total, including sleeping. Since I couldn't do the paper (25% of my grade), it guaranteed I would fail the class unless I aced everything.

Literally the best professor I have had at UCSB, one could even argue that she is the GOAT of all the professors and faculty members within the school.

Prof. is amazing. She told amazing stories & I genuinely enjoyed the book we were assigned to read. I liked the films and the extra credit (pizza making) assignment was so much fun to do. Well organized class and 100% my fav class I took this quarter. Tests medium hard, but nothing crazy or unexpected. I def recommend.

Professor Padula is wonderful. Genuinely loves teaching, super fun. The class was not very difficult but I also learned a ton.

super funny and likeable. Italian 16 A easy, but 16B is a lot harder. chnages from easy class to class you actually have to try in

Valentina is absolutely wonderful. She really cares about students passing, and will try her best to make sure you succeed. She creates a welcoming environment in her classes and is always available to help, even if you email her at 2 am before finals. I highly recommend taking her class.

Took this as a GE, received good grades. Course material is kinda boring unless actually interested in European history, but thats whatever. Very little homework, only one lengthy paper due the last day of class. Our class reader was an easy grader, and the professor was a very quick responder to emails!! She also gives enough time for assignments.

She is very nice and patient. She has a clear layout of course materials on GS. Given the COVID-19, we do small group sessions which are really helpful to practice what we learned and get to know each other. She replies to e-mails very quickly. Really worth it to try if you are interested in Italian.

The Italian department at UCSB is wonderful. Signora Valentina is a very sweet lady and her class is always engaging. Quizzes aren't too hard if you study for at least thirty minutes beforehand. Would definitely take again!

Prof Padula is a great Italian teacher. She is patient and understanding, also charismatic. Homework can look like a lot but it's really not. Unfortunately you need the book on Cengage but its worth it. Attendance is mandatory. Quiz every 2 weeks, homework due Mondays and Wednesdays. Final is written/oral.

Valentina is amazing. She is funny, caring, and really gets to know students. I am so glad i finished out the Italian series at UCSB with her. She lectures completely in Italian and encourages questions in Italian, but isn't condescending if you make a mistake. Her jeopardy and kahoot review games for each test were the highlights of the class.

I loved Professor Padula and I hope to take another course taught by her someday! She is nice and very approachable. I plan on minoring in Italian Studies and she made me want to do it even more. She even made me consider double-majoring with Italian. She is so passionate about the language, teaches well, and sets you up for success!

super funny and sweet and always available to help with correcting any essay! fun class to attend :)

Professor Valentina was the best Italian professor I've had at UCSB thus far. She is very energetic, uses Kahoot and interactive PowerPoints in her lectures. There are quizzes every week, which are moderately difficult if you don't prepare for them. Italian 2 definitely takes more work than Italian 1. You will be fine if you put in the work!

LOVE HER! Such a sweet professor and really wants you to understand the material. EASY A! Just show up, participate, & learn. Quizzes are super easy as long as you take 20-30 minutes to study for it. Midterm & final are a PIECE OF CAKE! I actually enjoyed coming to class everyday & I recommend going to her office hours to proofread assignments.

Perfect professor in Italian class. She is patient and good to students. Even brought some food to us one time. Highly recommended! I like her!

She is really nice and the class is pretty easy. The only hard part is paying attention in lectures because of her heavy Italian accent.

Her lecture is unclear sometimes, but she tests super detailed info for the multiple choice exams. The combination of three essays, online quizzes and two multiple choices is kind of exhausting. She doesn't go easy on the papers. This class might be hard if you are looking for an easy A.

She is the type of teacher to have very vague powerpoint slides and fully explain the slides in lecture, Listening to what she has to say is really important if you don't want to be behind,I didn't buy the book because it's kind of biased and doesn't get to the point,You can find everything online

Prof. Padula is hilarious and encourages open discussion in class. Honestly this class was an easy A. Clear grading criteria, insanely easy midterm + final, and you get extra credit if you decide to make a pizza from scratch at home. Lectures can be boring, but she really gives you a taste of authentic Italian culture.

Italian Culture as it should be, Fashion, Food, Mafia, Politics, and Modern life in Italy. Make a pizza for your friends for extra credit. Show up, have fun, easy A.

I love this woman. She is smart, confident, beautiful and she knows how to teach Italian! I will always take her when possible. You cannot fail one of her classes unless you really don't try.