Amber Ankowski
Department of Psychology
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3.2
Overall Rating
Based on 54 Users
Easiness 2.5 / 5 How easy the class is, 1 being extremely difficult and 5 being easy peasy.
Clarity 4.2 / 5 How clear the class is, 1 being extremely unclear and 5 being very clear.
Workload 2.4 / 5 How much workload the class is, 1 being extremely heavy and 5 being extremely light.
Helpfulness 3.9 / 5 How helpful the class is, 1 being not helpful at all and 5 being extremely helpful.

TOP TAGS

  • Engaging Lectures
  • Has Group Projects
GRADE DISTRIBUTIONS
31.2%
26.0%
20.8%
15.6%
10.4%
5.2%
0.0%
A+
A
A-
B+
B
B-
C+
C
C-
D+
D
D-
F

Grade distributions are collected using data from the UCLA Registrar’s Office.

30.5%
25.4%
20.3%
15.3%
10.2%
5.1%
0.0%
A+
A
A-
B+
B
B-
C+
C
C-
D+
D
D-
F

Grade distributions are collected using data from the UCLA Registrar’s Office.

25.9%
21.6%
17.3%
12.9%
8.6%
4.3%
0.0%
A+
A
A-
B+
B
B-
C+
C
C-
D+
D
D-
F

Grade distributions are collected using data from the UCLA Registrar’s Office.

16.1%
13.4%
10.7%
8.1%
5.4%
2.7%
0.0%
A+
A
A-
B+
B
B-
C+
C
C-
D+
D
D-
F

Grade distributions are collected using data from the UCLA Registrar’s Office.

19.0%
15.8%
12.7%
9.5%
6.3%
3.2%
0.0%
A+
A
A-
B+
B
B-
C+
C
C-
D+
D
D-
F

Grade distributions are collected using data from the UCLA Registrar’s Office.

16.8%
14.0%
11.2%
8.4%
5.6%
2.8%
0.0%
A+
A
A-
B+
B
B-
C+
C
C-
D+
D
D-
F

Grade distributions are collected using data from the UCLA Registrar’s Office.

ENROLLMENT DISTRIBUTIONS
Clear marks

Sorry, no enrollment data is available.

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Reviews (48)

2 of 5
2 of 5
Add your review...
Quarter: Spring 2023
Grade: A
Verified Reviewer This user is a verified UCLA student/alum.
July 3, 2023

I entered this class prepared for the worst but it honestly wasn't bad. There is 1 midterm and 1 final and they are both online, synchronous, and open note. Lectures are recorded on Bruin Cast. Prof Anowski also offered extra credit which I would 100% recommend doing. It was just 1 SONA study and a short writing assignment. There is a required textbook but I wouldn't recommend wasting your time reading it unless you are really struggling with the material and need clarification (the chapters are pretty long). Lab is optional and I would only recommend going if you need additional clarification on course material. The activities we did in lab were helpful for learning but were quire redundant if you already are familiar with the concepts being taught. The first exam was pretty straightforward but the final was significantly more difficult. Note: spend LOTS of time reviewing main and simple effects when they are taught during the second half of the course if you are having trouble understanding them, because this class focused heavily on them. Overall the class was manageable but not necessarily an easy A. Keep up with lectures, go to lab if you feel that you need extra clarification, complete the weekly homework on time, study at least a few days in advance for the exams, and DO THE EXTRA CREDIT and you should be totally fine.

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Quarter: Spring 2023
Grade: A
June 22, 2023

I ended the class with an A, but just BARELY over the A- threshold, so luckily my GPA didn't suffer. Thank god for the extra credit assignments Ankowski has for us! DO THE EXTRA CREDIT!!!

The class has weekly ALMs due every Sunday 11:59pm that can sometimes be lengthy but are quite easy.

Additionally, we have Labs every week and each Lab assignment is due the day of one's Lab 10 mins after the Lab's start time. Labs are mostly easy, but sometimes can be time-consuming in order to impress the TA and get a perfect grade.

The lectures were online and at 8a.m. so, naturally, I watched them on my own time so that I could be more focused and attentive, as I was often too tired to absorb the information in-person so early in the morning.

The exams honestly seemed easy in the moment, but often the grades did not reflect that. I got an A on the first exam and a B- on the second exam lol, but because of the extra credit (and good/perfect scores on the ALMs and Labs) I kept an A in the class. I often felt as though neither the ALMs, Labs, nor lectures did a good job of preparing us for the exams. The exams were often wordier, more complex, and more confusing than our practice ones.

Either way, do the extra credit, put in effort for Labs, and do the ALMs -- you'll do fine. Also, haha, the actual content of the class is pretty interesting. I never knew how much of the "scientific" studies we hear about through the media are actually quasi-experimental studies (even developmental Psych is mostly quasi-experimental!). Also, the professor is lovely and I really recommend Yiping Wang as a TA too, she was a great help!

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Quarter: Spring 2022
Grade: A-
Verified Reviewer This user is a verified UCLA student/alum.
March 9, 2023

I enjoyed taking this class with Ankowski. The class is made up of two exams, lab assignments, and weekly learning modules. The lab assignments as well as the learning modules were pretty easy to complete and didn't take up too much time. The lectures are formatted very well and the information is easy to understand. I will say that the exams are pretty difficult though. Even though you are allowed to use notes, the questions go into very small details of the lectures which made them a challenge. I would recommend doing the SONA extra credit even if you feel confident in the material so that you can be prepared for if you didn't do as well on the exams as you hoped.

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Quarter: Spring 2022
Grade: A+
June 22, 2022

The class has changed so it is no longer graded on a curve and students don't need to compete against each other. That said, this class still has a good amount of work outside of learning the material. There are weekly practices that are graded for completion lab assignments that are altered between a completion and accuracy score, and two exams. The lead TAs, lab TAs, and professor were all really helpful, and flexible if you ever need clarification on content or have trouble with assignments. The first half of the class is definitely easier and more of a review of 100A while the second half picks up quite a bit, but I recommend doing the practice exams that the prof provides prior to the midterm and final. Like the other reviews mentioned, they're very similar to the questions and concepts tested on the actual exam, I'd even say the practice was more difficult.

Also, I wouldn't worry about getting the book or inquisitive extension. You can find the pdf version for free online but I never read through it.

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Quarter: Spring 2022
Grade: A
June 21, 2022

They switched the class format so it is easier, The professor and TAs are good at explaining things. Attendance of lectures is not mandatory and the lectures are bruincasted, Labs are not really mandatory but helpful in understanding concepts. The homework/lab assignments are not that bad and are very helpful. It takes like 3 hours to complete them each week. The first midterm was super easy as long as you watched the lectures and do the ALM assignments. The final was slightly harder cause it is cumulative but still not that bad.

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Quarter: Spring 2022
Grade: A+
Verified Reviewer This user is a verified UCLA student/alum.
June 20, 2022

this class is not at all as difficult as I thought it would be considering previous reviews, but I know that they changed the structure recently. it's really not that bad !!
every week, there's one lecture and one lab. i don't go to either and I got an A on the midterm and an A- on the final (both open note) and have only gotten points off on two of the lab assignments. I take notes on the lecture slides because they're really clear, which I appreciate considering that it's an 8 am lecture. Lab is 2 hours long which is a lot. I review the slides on my own time and can understand them within about 30 minutes. There are weekly lab assignments, half of which are graded for completion and half of which are graded for correctness. These take a little bit more thought and effort, especially with the topics of the later weeks, but overall not too difficult.
Every week, there is also an Active Learning Module where there are a couple of practice questions to apply material and then a worksheet that you have to write out short answers to in order to get credit. They provide a lot of resources with these ALMs, and if you take advantage of all of them , it will take the 2-3 hours that they say it will. I do the bare minimum to learn the material and answer the questions and usually have them done in an hour of less.

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Quarter: Spring 2022
Grade: A+
June 10, 2022

Ok first of all, TAKE. THIS. CLASS. I took this class on Spring 22 when everything is back in person. I was also hesitant to take this class since it has a pretty bad review. But I urgently needed to complete this class to graduate on time, so I took it. And trust me, I had no regrets. After a long history of bad reviews, the department finally changed the grading of this course. Attendance is not necessary, the curves are no longer there and they took out all the difficult materials out of the syllabus.
Systematically, this class is divided into 3 workloads. The lecture (2 exams, worth 240/400 points), ALMs (40/400), and Labs (120/400). The lecture is amazing and Dr. Ankowski is very thorough in explaining the materials. She is also very kind, understanding, and never look down on any questions. There are readings from the textbook and I think they're helpful but not absolutely necessary. The ALMs are also straightforward and useful in reviewing the materials that were taught during the lectures. For the labs, attendance is also not necessary but I HIGHLY recommend it. The lab session basically goes over the homework so why not come in and get the free answers. Most of the homework are also based on completion and not accuracy so whichever TA you are assigned to doesn't really matter.
You'll learn a lot from Dr. Ankowski. She talks about her kids a lot in class and honestly she treats you like one too (in a good, caring way). The class is also very organized and as long as you stay on top of your lectures, labs, and homework, you'll for sure get an A in this class.

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Quarter: Spring 2022
Grade: A
June 9, 2022

100B is a 6-unit class for a reason lol. But honestly, as much as people make it seem like a super bad class, I thought that it was doable. Yes, there's a lot of busy work that you have weekly, including labs and ALMs, and it does take up a lot of time, but it really isn't that bad. ALMs are free points that are based on completion, and half the labs are based on completion. I will say though that for labs that are based on accuracy, to make sure to triple check before submitting. I thought my TA was super nitpicky and that she marked me off on super unnecessary things. Make sure that you're following the rubric to the T and are using complete sentences, and you should be fine.

For tests, I definitely thought that the final was A LOT harder than the midterm, especially because it was cumulative, so make sure to at least do good enough on the midterm to where you have enough padding for the final in case you don't do super well on the final. The professor provided tons of study resources, and I only did the practice exams and did fine. Utilize everything she gives you! It's there for a reason.

Ankowski as a professor is really good. I thought that during lectures she explained everything simply so that we were able to understand complex topics. She also Bruincasted lectures for us so we wouldn't have to go in at 8am, and she was pretty fast in answering emails. I really thought she was great.

TLDR: Don't listen to all the reviews on here! I thought Ankowski was great and that she provided a lot of resources for us. Work is tedious, and sometimes difficult, but doable for being a 6-unit class. Exams are doable, just use the resources provided.

Helpful?

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Quarter: Spring 2022
Grade: A
June 7, 2022

Coming into this class, I was very worried if I had the capacity to do well with the course material, considering the fact that many of my psychology majored friends really struggled with obtaining a good grade. Psychological statistics also is not my specialty, so I was concerned that I would have trouble understanding and retaining the material. I worked very hard in this class, and my hard work paid off, as I was able to get 100% on my first exam and a 95% on the second, which was extremely rewarding for me. I've taken courses in the past where I put a lot of time and effort into learning the material and yet still struggled with comprehending what was taught, but this class was different. Professor's lecture notes were very clear and contained all the necessary information to succeed with the course material, including really helpful lectures that provided me with a lot of clarity when I was confused. The way the class was so structured (ALMs, Labs, notes, etc.) and the agenda and requirements were so clearly laid out really helped me with succeeding in this course!

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0 0 Please log in to provide feedback.
Quarter: Spring 2021
Grade: A
COVID-19 This review was submitted during the COVID-19 pandemic. Your experience may vary.
Nov. 3, 2021

100B is overall an unpleasant class to take, but if you're gonna take it with anyone it should be Ankowski. Her lectures are pretty straightforward and she uses good examples to make everything clear; the exams aren't that bad. The only heavy and challenging part of the course is the lab and the amount of group work you have to do, but that mostly depends on your TA. She also offers some extra credit and lots of resources to practice course concepts.

Helpful?

0 0 Please log in to provide feedback.
Verified Reviewer This user is a verified UCLA student/alum.
Quarter: Spring 2023
Grade: A
July 3, 2023

I entered this class prepared for the worst but it honestly wasn't bad. There is 1 midterm and 1 final and they are both online, synchronous, and open note. Lectures are recorded on Bruin Cast. Prof Anowski also offered extra credit which I would 100% recommend doing. It was just 1 SONA study and a short writing assignment. There is a required textbook but I wouldn't recommend wasting your time reading it unless you are really struggling with the material and need clarification (the chapters are pretty long). Lab is optional and I would only recommend going if you need additional clarification on course material. The activities we did in lab were helpful for learning but were quire redundant if you already are familiar with the concepts being taught. The first exam was pretty straightforward but the final was significantly more difficult. Note: spend LOTS of time reviewing main and simple effects when they are taught during the second half of the course if you are having trouble understanding them, because this class focused heavily on them. Overall the class was manageable but not necessarily an easy A. Keep up with lectures, go to lab if you feel that you need extra clarification, complete the weekly homework on time, study at least a few days in advance for the exams, and DO THE EXTRA CREDIT and you should be totally fine.

Helpful?

0 0 Please log in to provide feedback.
Quarter: Spring 2023
Grade: A
June 22, 2023

I ended the class with an A, but just BARELY over the A- threshold, so luckily my GPA didn't suffer. Thank god for the extra credit assignments Ankowski has for us! DO THE EXTRA CREDIT!!!

The class has weekly ALMs due every Sunday 11:59pm that can sometimes be lengthy but are quite easy.

Additionally, we have Labs every week and each Lab assignment is due the day of one's Lab 10 mins after the Lab's start time. Labs are mostly easy, but sometimes can be time-consuming in order to impress the TA and get a perfect grade.

The lectures were online and at 8a.m. so, naturally, I watched them on my own time so that I could be more focused and attentive, as I was often too tired to absorb the information in-person so early in the morning.

The exams honestly seemed easy in the moment, but often the grades did not reflect that. I got an A on the first exam and a B- on the second exam lol, but because of the extra credit (and good/perfect scores on the ALMs and Labs) I kept an A in the class. I often felt as though neither the ALMs, Labs, nor lectures did a good job of preparing us for the exams. The exams were often wordier, more complex, and more confusing than our practice ones.

Either way, do the extra credit, put in effort for Labs, and do the ALMs -- you'll do fine. Also, haha, the actual content of the class is pretty interesting. I never knew how much of the "scientific" studies we hear about through the media are actually quasi-experimental studies (even developmental Psych is mostly quasi-experimental!). Also, the professor is lovely and I really recommend Yiping Wang as a TA too, she was a great help!

Helpful?

0 0 Please log in to provide feedback.
Verified Reviewer This user is a verified UCLA student/alum.
Quarter: Spring 2022
Grade: A-
March 9, 2023

I enjoyed taking this class with Ankowski. The class is made up of two exams, lab assignments, and weekly learning modules. The lab assignments as well as the learning modules were pretty easy to complete and didn't take up too much time. The lectures are formatted very well and the information is easy to understand. I will say that the exams are pretty difficult though. Even though you are allowed to use notes, the questions go into very small details of the lectures which made them a challenge. I would recommend doing the SONA extra credit even if you feel confident in the material so that you can be prepared for if you didn't do as well on the exams as you hoped.

Helpful?

0 0 Please log in to provide feedback.
Quarter: Spring 2022
Grade: A+
June 22, 2022

The class has changed so it is no longer graded on a curve and students don't need to compete against each other. That said, this class still has a good amount of work outside of learning the material. There are weekly practices that are graded for completion lab assignments that are altered between a completion and accuracy score, and two exams. The lead TAs, lab TAs, and professor were all really helpful, and flexible if you ever need clarification on content or have trouble with assignments. The first half of the class is definitely easier and more of a review of 100A while the second half picks up quite a bit, but I recommend doing the practice exams that the prof provides prior to the midterm and final. Like the other reviews mentioned, they're very similar to the questions and concepts tested on the actual exam, I'd even say the practice was more difficult.

Also, I wouldn't worry about getting the book or inquisitive extension. You can find the pdf version for free online but I never read through it.

Helpful?

0 0 Please log in to provide feedback.
Quarter: Spring 2022
Grade: A
June 21, 2022

They switched the class format so it is easier, The professor and TAs are good at explaining things. Attendance of lectures is not mandatory and the lectures are bruincasted, Labs are not really mandatory but helpful in understanding concepts. The homework/lab assignments are not that bad and are very helpful. It takes like 3 hours to complete them each week. The first midterm was super easy as long as you watched the lectures and do the ALM assignments. The final was slightly harder cause it is cumulative but still not that bad.

Helpful?

0 0 Please log in to provide feedback.
Verified Reviewer This user is a verified UCLA student/alum.
Quarter: Spring 2022
Grade: A+
June 20, 2022

this class is not at all as difficult as I thought it would be considering previous reviews, but I know that they changed the structure recently. it's really not that bad !!
every week, there's one lecture and one lab. i don't go to either and I got an A on the midterm and an A- on the final (both open note) and have only gotten points off on two of the lab assignments. I take notes on the lecture slides because they're really clear, which I appreciate considering that it's an 8 am lecture. Lab is 2 hours long which is a lot. I review the slides on my own time and can understand them within about 30 minutes. There are weekly lab assignments, half of which are graded for completion and half of which are graded for correctness. These take a little bit more thought and effort, especially with the topics of the later weeks, but overall not too difficult.
Every week, there is also an Active Learning Module where there are a couple of practice questions to apply material and then a worksheet that you have to write out short answers to in order to get credit. They provide a lot of resources with these ALMs, and if you take advantage of all of them , it will take the 2-3 hours that they say it will. I do the bare minimum to learn the material and answer the questions and usually have them done in an hour of less.

Helpful?

0 0 Please log in to provide feedback.
Quarter: Spring 2022
Grade: A+
June 10, 2022

Ok first of all, TAKE. THIS. CLASS. I took this class on Spring 22 when everything is back in person. I was also hesitant to take this class since it has a pretty bad review. But I urgently needed to complete this class to graduate on time, so I took it. And trust me, I had no regrets. After a long history of bad reviews, the department finally changed the grading of this course. Attendance is not necessary, the curves are no longer there and they took out all the difficult materials out of the syllabus.
Systematically, this class is divided into 3 workloads. The lecture (2 exams, worth 240/400 points), ALMs (40/400), and Labs (120/400). The lecture is amazing and Dr. Ankowski is very thorough in explaining the materials. She is also very kind, understanding, and never look down on any questions. There are readings from the textbook and I think they're helpful but not absolutely necessary. The ALMs are also straightforward and useful in reviewing the materials that were taught during the lectures. For the labs, attendance is also not necessary but I HIGHLY recommend it. The lab session basically goes over the homework so why not come in and get the free answers. Most of the homework are also based on completion and not accuracy so whichever TA you are assigned to doesn't really matter.
You'll learn a lot from Dr. Ankowski. She talks about her kids a lot in class and honestly she treats you like one too (in a good, caring way). The class is also very organized and as long as you stay on top of your lectures, labs, and homework, you'll for sure get an A in this class.

Helpful?

0 0 Please log in to provide feedback.
Quarter: Spring 2022
Grade: A
June 9, 2022

100B is a 6-unit class for a reason lol. But honestly, as much as people make it seem like a super bad class, I thought that it was doable. Yes, there's a lot of busy work that you have weekly, including labs and ALMs, and it does take up a lot of time, but it really isn't that bad. ALMs are free points that are based on completion, and half the labs are based on completion. I will say though that for labs that are based on accuracy, to make sure to triple check before submitting. I thought my TA was super nitpicky and that she marked me off on super unnecessary things. Make sure that you're following the rubric to the T and are using complete sentences, and you should be fine.

For tests, I definitely thought that the final was A LOT harder than the midterm, especially because it was cumulative, so make sure to at least do good enough on the midterm to where you have enough padding for the final in case you don't do super well on the final. The professor provided tons of study resources, and I only did the practice exams and did fine. Utilize everything she gives you! It's there for a reason.

Ankowski as a professor is really good. I thought that during lectures she explained everything simply so that we were able to understand complex topics. She also Bruincasted lectures for us so we wouldn't have to go in at 8am, and she was pretty fast in answering emails. I really thought she was great.

TLDR: Don't listen to all the reviews on here! I thought Ankowski was great and that she provided a lot of resources for us. Work is tedious, and sometimes difficult, but doable for being a 6-unit class. Exams are doable, just use the resources provided.

Helpful?

0 0 Please log in to provide feedback.
Quarter: Spring 2022
Grade: A
June 7, 2022

Coming into this class, I was very worried if I had the capacity to do well with the course material, considering the fact that many of my psychology majored friends really struggled with obtaining a good grade. Psychological statistics also is not my specialty, so I was concerned that I would have trouble understanding and retaining the material. I worked very hard in this class, and my hard work paid off, as I was able to get 100% on my first exam and a 95% on the second, which was extremely rewarding for me. I've taken courses in the past where I put a lot of time and effort into learning the material and yet still struggled with comprehending what was taught, but this class was different. Professor's lecture notes were very clear and contained all the necessary information to succeed with the course material, including really helpful lectures that provided me with a lot of clarity when I was confused. The way the class was so structured (ALMs, Labs, notes, etc.) and the agenda and requirements were so clearly laid out really helped me with succeeding in this course!

Helpful?

0 0 Please log in to provide feedback.
COVID-19 This review was submitted during the COVID-19 pandemic. Your experience may vary.
Quarter: Spring 2021
Grade: A
Nov. 3, 2021

100B is overall an unpleasant class to take, but if you're gonna take it with anyone it should be Ankowski. Her lectures are pretty straightforward and she uses good examples to make everything clear; the exams aren't that bad. The only heavy and challenging part of the course is the lab and the amount of group work you have to do, but that mostly depends on your TA. She also offers some extra credit and lots of resources to practice course concepts.

Helpful?

0 0 Please log in to provide feedback.
2 of 5
3.2
Overall Rating
Based on 54 Users
Easiness 2.5 / 5 How easy the class is, 1 being extremely difficult and 5 being easy peasy.
Clarity 4.2 / 5 How clear the class is, 1 being extremely unclear and 5 being very clear.
Workload 2.4 / 5 How much workload the class is, 1 being extremely heavy and 5 being extremely light.
Helpfulness 3.9 / 5 How helpful the class is, 1 being not helpful at all and 5 being extremely helpful.

TOP TAGS

  • Engaging Lectures
    (24)
  • Has Group Projects
    (22)
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