Genuinely one of the best professors I've ever had. Extremely patient but also humorous, intelligent, and just a lot of fun! I'm not continuing Russian but I am taking another class with her next semester that I'm looking forward to. This class is a bit tedious with online assignments but that's because it's a language class, not because of her.
I've never wanted to be like anyone else until I met Arpi. She delivers her lectures with sharp, concise analysis and makes what she wants from you very clear. She's one of the smartest/confident people I've ever met, I learned so much from her class. She gives in depth feedback and extra credit options. Perfect if you like to sit back and listen
This was a pretty good class. Lectures were slightly dry and offered less discussion than I personally prefer, but was very informative. I personally had a hard time paying attention due to how slide- and lecture-heavy it was, but I could see it worked well for many students. Arpi is the best, and clearly cares deeply about her students' success.
I've taken a few classes with her, and Arpi is one of the most inspirational profs. at UCSB. She's my role model (as a young, minority woman), pushing me outside of my comfort zone. If you get to know her at OH and outside of class, she is so sweet & compassionate. The most intelligent, erudite, well-read enthusiast of Comp Lit! Tenure her, please!
She is a great professor - can tell she is insanely knowledgeable, yet still feels as though she genuinely strives to learn from her students. She respects creativity in essays/responses, and values improvement highly! Lectures are super interesting as well, must take her if you’re taking any Slavic/Comp lit classes!
She is an awesome professor, very knowledgeable and wants her students to succeed. I wouldn't recommend taking this class if you aren't ready to do some in-depth reading and analysis. Impossible to get a good grade if you don't attend the lectures, this class was graded on 2 essays and some free responses that you have to read/pay attention for.
Arpi is by far the best TA I've had so far. She is very knowledgeable on the material and tries to get to know her students. She also gives great feedback, and gets back to you quickly. If you have the chance make sure to get her as your TA. Very forgiving grader too.
I took SLAV1 on a whim but Arpi literally made it one of my favorite classes. Her bubbly personality and charm permeated our usually dead 9am sections, and she went out of her way to help those who were struggling. She gives great feedback and really leaves a lasting impression on her students. Her sense of style is amazing too!
Arpi is the best instructor Ive had at ucsb. Shes very enthusiastic and passionate about the Russian language. The class was in the mornings, but it wasnt a burden to attend because she made it so fun. The quizzes are not that hard, but you have to study hard for the tests though. Shes very understanding and fair, so youll be good.
Arpi was my TA for a Shakespeare class that I ended up loving. I enjoyed her section so much. She talks a lot, but it's all on topic. Her comments on my essays were the most insightful. She gives a lot of feedback!! And helps you improve. Talks a lot about philosophical subjects but connects it to literature. She is by far one of the best TA's
Take Russian 1 with her if you can. She cares a lot for her students and explains grammar. The content is difficult if you don't know any Russian, but she's awesome! Highly recommended