The professor and class that made me decide to double in AS AM! Pandya was fair, eloquent, and really made the course interesting. Go to lecture because he explains everything and makes it clear what's important, and do the readings. If you put in the work, you'll get an A. He made the class feel like so much more than just a grade.
He's the most amazing professor. His lectures are awesome and never boring. His tests are not that difficult and u can easily get an A if u attend the lectures and go to your sections. My TA was superb and helped us a lot! A very easy GE! Must take it!
Great professor, attendance in lecture highly encouraged because no slides online. Midterm and final was essay and IDs, pretty manageable if you do the reading and go to lecture and section. He thoroughly explains the texts in class to help you understand them better. All readings were interesting and easy read, though there was a lot, easy GE
As a Fem studies major i really enjoyed this course. I really learned a lot. I really appreciated the course structure as it was very organized, and the grading was very clear. The class was light on the lecturing and there were group presentations nearly everyday (2x per person) midterm/final essays
He is such a great professor, so passionate about what he teaches and I always look forward to going to his lecture. I've taken his ASM5 and ASM 139 and loved it. Good amount of readings but it's not and a lot of them are short and interesting. You just have a midterm and a final and sometimes the final is a take home!
Because Pandya is interested in the subject, it makes students intrigued to listen as well. He will not notice if you do not go to class, but it is definitely beneficial if you do because he goes over every reading with detail. The ideas he throws out during class is very helpful for the two essays that counts for 75% (35% midterm, 40% final).
This was one of my favorite classes I have taken at UCSB. The readings were all very interesting and gave me new insights on racial issues concerning Asian-American writers and Asian-American life in general. I would definitely recommend this class for anyone who is looking to check off quite a few requirements while taking an awesome class!
One of the best classes I have taken at UCSB! It was not only taught by Pandya, who is thorough with his course material and is able to tie back his thoughts to the readings, but it also helped me learn more about myself as a second generation Asian American. The class was fairly easy as he lectured well, but the readings are fun regardless!
Amazing professor, engaging, knowledgeable, great lecturer, encourages students to articulate and explore their ideas. Fair grader, clear about expectations, very interesting topic, not a lot of reading or work. Class is mainly discussion but prof summarizes his points well and students are encouraged to connect the concepts themselves via exams.
Many ppl say this class is easy but you still have to put effort in. Lots of readings and quizzes. Lots of concepts to memorize. If you do pass no pass then minimal effort will get you a pass. But if you want an A, make sure to go to section and read. Lectures are really boring...
A LOT of reading. Weekly quizzes in section. Professor Pandya is very clear and a great lecturer, though. I met him a few times out of class and he is a really nice guy. Loved him, just a little overwhelmed with all the reading BUT if you keep up with the reading and go to class, an A is definitely possible!!
He's a nice guy. Knowledgeable and approachable. But he does not lecture. Class is basically a glorified discussion group. As a result, there are virtually no notes you can study for tests. Tests are dependent on your memory of the readings and your ability to link them together and discuss them.
Great lecturer and very organized. Uses great connections first half of class. The second half could use some work, but the tests are easy and the material is somewhat interesting.
Prof. Pandya is great. I loved his lectures and actually enjoyed going to class. He loves to lecture and teach and it shows. Very approachable for help. The class was also simple. A lot of reading but I enjoyed the novels and short stories. Midterm 25%, Section 35%, Take Home Final 40%. Do the reading and go to class and you'll definitely get an A
Really knowledgeable and helpful professor. Easy class as long as you attend lecture and do all of the assigned readings. Appreciates when students approach him after lecture or at office hours, and makes sure the information is clearly presented.
Sameer is really helpful and kind. He is patient and very understanding. He's cool to talk to after class too, so you know he's actually a chill person. Take any class this professor offers, the work isn't too difficult, and he's always available to help.
Pros: Knows his stuff & a great guy. Cons: Absolutely awful at organizing and delivering presentations in a structured manner. If you're the note-taking type, this will drive you insane.
Extremely good instructor and really good at engaging the class in insightful conversations. You can at least get a pretty easy A- as long as you do all the readings and attend class.
Pandya is an AMAZING and stimulating professor when teaching this class. He uses literature pieces in a reader and two other books as readings for this course. Grade is attendance, group presentation, midterm, and final. Visit him in office hours because he's chill and awesome!
Great teacher. Really helpful in office hours. A great class to jumpstart your analytical thinking. I will never read books in the same way after taking this class. One midterm (short essays, definitions) and one final (two short mini essays). Definitely know everything that he goes over in lecture!
Really nice professor, he knows what he is talking about and is good about cultivating class discussions. Tests often pull directly from the readings.
I took his creative writing class. He keeps the class size small. Our only assignments were two 10-page short stories as well as read and comment classmate's stories. He's an interesting guy and he's interested in other people's lives. He also has helpful tips to improve your writing and overall outlook on life.