Super caring/accessible professor. (was a new professor this year). Tests are based on lecture material, discussion section, end-of-week quizzes, preview questions (just watch lectures (are recorded) to get an A) Really good at explaining material/helping you understand, breaks material further down during office hours. AN ABSOLUTE GODSEND!!!

My favorite professor here thus far. Lectures are engaging and you can tell she is passionate about what she teaches. Accessible outside of class if you need her. The tests are straightforward and fair, and there is a greater emphasis on learning rather than test taking. I cannot speak highly enough of her, take her class!

LOVE HER! Her lectures are super informative. If you don't understand, she breaks the content down even more during office hours. Her class is also structured very nicely, and her assignments are straightforward. You are going to have a group project, but you're graded individually. Just meet the deadlines and show effort in your work - easy A.

Such an interesting class, and Prof. James is amazing! Assignments are very straightforward and anything brought up in exams is explained in lecture several times, so you never feel blindsided. I would definitely recommend this class to anyone looking for an easy, interesting class - even if you don't know how to surf.

Hands down one of the best professors you can find. She goes out of her way to make sure that you understand all of the course material and is super available to answer questions! She's also very understanding during the Coronavirus pandemic, making the class less stressful overall. I would 100 percent recommend this professor to anyone.

Shay is the sweetest. She was always available to talk and help (even gives put her phone number and offers to FaceTime students). She gives good and thorough feedback on papers. She really cares about her students and even let us out early once because everyone was dead from midterms. Also a fair grader. Not hard to please, just put in effort.

Nice teacher, hard grader.

My favorite class at UCSB so far, I'm still a first year though. Shay is so sweet and helpful, loved her class!

She was great for Writing 2 during summer session B, super easy class and less projects because there was less time than a normal quarter. She is the sweetest person ever and super great. She dresses cute and makes class fun.

Professor James is one of my favorite professors at UCSB. She is so kind and cares about her students so much. She is also amazing to go to just to talk or for advice. The class with her is pretty easy and does not require too much work. She is a great lecturer and explains topics really well.

Amazing professor, and very inviting to talk with and learn from. Truly cares for students and comprehension of the material

Everyday I wish more and more I could take another class with Dr. James. She encompasses everything that the future of education should strive for. She truly cares for making sure her students are understanding the material. Everything is presented clearly and complicated concepts are broken down. She took us tide-pooling and I will never forget!

Anna James is nothing short of a gift from god. All she wants to do is help you succeed and give you A's. She is so caring and passionate and just wants to see you learn and enjoy her interests. I cannot recommend her classes enough. She makes her classes so easy, all she asks is that you engage with her and appreciate her efforts. She is a SAINT!

So kind and values learning over testing. Went over topics again she thought we didn't fully understand. Offers ways to makeup missed exam questions. Super kind, office hours are unique and have a lot of learning activities. Highlights varied speakers who give info about getting into their various careers/fields. Really cares about her students

Absolute gem of a professor. Very understanding and accomadating during a very difficult and unorthodox quarter. Did not end up taking final, so no comments on how difficult her final was, but I heard from many others that it was very reasonable.

Amazingly concise, organized, and straightforward lectures. Explicitly hashes out all the info you need to remember for her part of the class. Her section of the final was exactly what you studied about, no trick questions or overly hard ones. Removed two whole lectures to alleviate our stress. Exceptional professor, could not recommend her more!

Anna was so good at teaching she actually made me want to watch lectures. Her slides were very organized and she emphasized major points. She's super sweet and wants the best for her students.

Dr. James is everything you want out of a collegiate professor. She not only is extremely knowledgeable about the information she presents, but she is incredibly caring and passionate to her students. Dr. James truly wants you to succeed in her class and she goes out of her way to make sure all questions you may have are answered. Best experience!!

Anna James is undoubtedly one of the best intro bio professors at UCSB. Her lectures for the animal portion were so organized, phenomenal, and full of enthusiasm that there was never an instance where they felt dull or boring. To a great extent, she makes every aspect about marine life much more enjoyable. Professor James is truly one of a kind :)

Brilliant teacher! Very inspiring and makes me want to learn more about marine biology and animals in general! Very accessible and helpful in her lectures, office hours and emails. One of the best course experiences I've had at UCSB

I was already in love with aquatic biology and she further emphasized that love for it. She truly cares about her students and lessened the workload due to online school challenges. I loved her super cool videos and her lectures made my day. My favorite teacher at UCSB so far!

One of the best professors I've had for any of the intro bio series! She is so kind and helpful and makes sure that the lectures are super clear and to the point. Her lectures are informative and inspiring and she's super approachable and kind in office hours! You'll actually want to watch her lectures! I would love to take another class with her!

My favorite professor I have had at UCSB by far. On top of being immensely organized and providing amazing slides, she explains the information in a way that makes everything really easy to understand. The passion she has for the work she does is 100% reflected in her teaching and I cannot wait to take another class from her!

Prof. James is lowkey hot! Because of the coronavirus she went off syllabus lessening the workload on us. Her lectures are amazing and inspiring, makes you wanna just quit whatever ur doing for marine bio. She focuses on interesting concepts rather than just memorizing taxonomy. Super approachable in office hours gives great advice for a career. <3