Professor
Abigail Goldman
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Most Helpful Review
Winter 2024 - I cannot recommend Comm 191E with Abigail Goldman highly enough! The two classes I've taken with Goldman (the other being Comm 186) have been my absolute favorites that I've taken in college, and Goldman is easily the best professor I've ever had the opportunity to work with. I encourage anyone and everyone -- even if you might think that writing is not your strong suit or passion -- to take this class! You will become a better writer and a better person, and Goldman's dedication to her students is unmatched. I know this review is being published several months after my quarter in the class ended, but it is a testament to the enduring impact this class had on me that I am still raving about it! This class is set up to teach students about several different styles and forms of journalism. When I took the class, we met for class on Mondays and Wednesdays. On Mondays, we would spend the 75-minute lecture delving into a specific type of journalism (such as writing for hard news stories, writing opinion pieces, or writing a profile), while looking at several examples of both professional and student examples across a range of quality. Then, we'd have to write a 400-500 word short article in that week's style that was due before class on Wednesday. The writing on deadline could be stressful at times, but Goldman held office hours both in-person and on Zoom on Monday and Tuesday to accommodate students' schedules in both the afternoon and evening. She also encouraged collaboration with classmates to read and offer suggestions on each other's work, which helped tremendously. During Wednesday's class, we'd discuss that week's topic further while reflecting on ways our articles were successful or fell short, while previewing the next week's topic. Even in that condensed time frame, Goldman effectively taught us about several different types of writing, and the mandatory readings she assigned (10-12 pages at most each week) were entertaining and helped to see other examples of great articles. Professor Goldman (who everyone is allowed to call "Abbe") is a veteran Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist who has tremendous humility, humor, and humanity. Despite her extensive experience as a former reporter at the Los Angeles Times, she never comes across as being stuck-up or condescending, and often offers self-deprecating anecdotes from earlier in her career that help her successfully relate to students about the challenges that can come with adapting to new styles of writing. Her office hours are incredibly helpful, and she is genuinely motivated to encourage student learning and skill acquisition rather than prioritizing grades or perfectionism. She also posts on the class website ample resources and guidelines for how to write specific types of articles. Goldman's lectures are consistently engaging and fun, with vibrant slideshow presentations that incorporate memes or short video clips pertaining to relevant topics for that week. She expects punctuality and active participation, and the small class size of about 20 students allows her to learn each student's name. Your grade is a combination of participation in class and scores on your weekly articles, but there are no tests. One of the unique features of Goldman's classes are the fact that she always grades anonymously, so she will read (and offer ample feedback upon) your article for the week without knowing it's yours. Her edits and comments are consistently insightful. If you happen to write for Daily Bruin, BruinLife, or any of UCLA's student magazines, this class is especially invaluable and it would be an enormous missed opportunity not to take it. I was a Daily Bruin contributor with only one published byline when I took the class, but the strengthening of my writing over the course of the quarter inspired me to write more often (and eventually pursue editorship at the Daily Bruin). If it weren't for this class, I don't think I would have built this greater level of confidence in my own writing ability across a range of styles, and Goldman is always focused on empowering students. That said, being a Student Media writer is by no means a requirement for participating in this class. When I took this class, it was a fairly even 50-50 split between Student Media writers and students who did not write for a publication outside of class. Goldman's lectures are tailored to suit all ability levels. Hopefully it is evident that I would take this class again every quarter at UCLA if I could! With whatever writing ability you currently possess, you have what it takes to enjoy and thrive in Goldman's class!
Winter 2024 - I cannot recommend Comm 191E with Abigail Goldman highly enough! The two classes I've taken with Goldman (the other being Comm 186) have been my absolute favorites that I've taken in college, and Goldman is easily the best professor I've ever had the opportunity to work with. I encourage anyone and everyone -- even if you might think that writing is not your strong suit or passion -- to take this class! You will become a better writer and a better person, and Goldman's dedication to her students is unmatched. I know this review is being published several months after my quarter in the class ended, but it is a testament to the enduring impact this class had on me that I am still raving about it! This class is set up to teach students about several different styles and forms of journalism. When I took the class, we met for class on Mondays and Wednesdays. On Mondays, we would spend the 75-minute lecture delving into a specific type of journalism (such as writing for hard news stories, writing opinion pieces, or writing a profile), while looking at several examples of both professional and student examples across a range of quality. Then, we'd have to write a 400-500 word short article in that week's style that was due before class on Wednesday. The writing on deadline could be stressful at times, but Goldman held office hours both in-person and on Zoom on Monday and Tuesday to accommodate students' schedules in both the afternoon and evening. She also encouraged collaboration with classmates to read and offer suggestions on each other's work, which helped tremendously. During Wednesday's class, we'd discuss that week's topic further while reflecting on ways our articles were successful or fell short, while previewing the next week's topic. Even in that condensed time frame, Goldman effectively taught us about several different types of writing, and the mandatory readings she assigned (10-12 pages at most each week) were entertaining and helped to see other examples of great articles. Professor Goldman (who everyone is allowed to call "Abbe") is a veteran Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist who has tremendous humility, humor, and humanity. Despite her extensive experience as a former reporter at the Los Angeles Times, she never comes across as being stuck-up or condescending, and often offers self-deprecating anecdotes from earlier in her career that help her successfully relate to students about the challenges that can come with adapting to new styles of writing. Her office hours are incredibly helpful, and she is genuinely motivated to encourage student learning and skill acquisition rather than prioritizing grades or perfectionism. She also posts on the class website ample resources and guidelines for how to write specific types of articles. Goldman's lectures are consistently engaging and fun, with vibrant slideshow presentations that incorporate memes or short video clips pertaining to relevant topics for that week. She expects punctuality and active participation, and the small class size of about 20 students allows her to learn each student's name. Your grade is a combination of participation in class and scores on your weekly articles, but there are no tests. One of the unique features of Goldman's classes are the fact that she always grades anonymously, so she will read (and offer ample feedback upon) your article for the week without knowing it's yours. Her edits and comments are consistently insightful. If you happen to write for Daily Bruin, BruinLife, or any of UCLA's student magazines, this class is especially invaluable and it would be an enormous missed opportunity not to take it. I was a Daily Bruin contributor with only one published byline when I took the class, but the strengthening of my writing over the course of the quarter inspired me to write more often (and eventually pursue editorship at the Daily Bruin). If it weren't for this class, I don't think I would have built this greater level of confidence in my own writing ability across a range of styles, and Goldman is always focused on empowering students. That said, being a Student Media writer is by no means a requirement for participating in this class. When I took this class, it was a fairly even 50-50 split between Student Media writers and students who did not write for a publication outside of class. Goldman's lectures are tailored to suit all ability levels. Hopefully it is evident that I would take this class again every quarter at UCLA if I could! With whatever writing ability you currently possess, you have what it takes to enjoy and thrive in Goldman's class!
Most Helpful Review
Spring 2018 - Goldman is a great professor and really knows what she's talking about, especially concerning writing/journalism. This was probably one of the most practical classes I've taken at UCLA - I feel like I can apply this knowledge outside of the classroom. The whole class is based on refining your writing, which can be useful for anyone. She is very funny and although the grading on the writing can be harsh, she is fair and does it with the intention of helping you learn and grow. There was about one assignment per week, assigned on Mondays and due on Wednesdays, in addition to relatively light reading assignments. Definitely take this class if you want to improve your writing.
Spring 2018 - Goldman is a great professor and really knows what she's talking about, especially concerning writing/journalism. This was probably one of the most practical classes I've taken at UCLA - I feel like I can apply this knowledge outside of the classroom. The whole class is based on refining your writing, which can be useful for anyone. She is very funny and although the grading on the writing can be harsh, she is fair and does it with the intention of helping you learn and grow. There was about one assignment per week, assigned on Mondays and due on Wednesdays, in addition to relatively light reading assignments. Definitely take this class if you want to improve your writing.
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