I took this class during summer, it was my first English class at UCLA. Talking about the instructor she was so sweet and her explaining its so good, I truly recommend to take this class with her since for me she was the best instructor ever. And about course work, I highly recommend to go to every lecture since every lecture its something different, and also going to class is part of the grade so be sure about it.

So, do not scare about this class the instructor its amazing, and she wont let you fail.

Dr. West is one of the best writing teachers I've ever had. The course's subject is hip-hop, so we did lots of analysis of rap lyrics and artists in class discussions. We had two essays, one about a hip-hop song and the other about an artist of our choice, and a final essay about an aspect of our identity. The last essay didn't relate too much to everything else we had been learning, but it wasn't too hard for a final assignment. The peer reviewing is a lot of work (3 essays with 2-3 peers each with about an hour on each peer's essay) but it is definitely worth it for all the feedback you get on your own essay. Throughout the course, Dr. West weaves in various writing techniques and exercises that genuinely improved my writing as someone who already had a somewhat strong writing background in high school. This class is definitely a lot of work but very rewarding in terms of growth as a writer and student, and Dr. West is a very engaging professor who obviously cares a lot about her students. I would 100% recommend this class and Dr. West for a writing GE.

Professor West is a great professor. She was very helpful and was a great person to talk to in and out of class. This class is all about rap music -- if you're into that, then you should definitely take this class.

The class breakdown consists of participation (25%), the first essay (20%), the second essay (25%), and the third essay (30%).

If you're looking for an easy A, this is not the class. However, her class is entertaining. Our topic was hip-hop so it was definitely fun and something I could relate to. She likes to have discussions in class, which is cool because it opens up ideas and etc. for your essay. Also, there's a lot of peer review sessions and etc., so there's definitely that to help you out. The only thing I didn't like about her class is that she grades essays really strictly. It's almost impossible to receive an A on an essay.

I really enjoyed taking this class with Dr. West and she really helped improve my writing. There were 3 essays and I got better each time. From B to B+ to what I was assuming an A or A+ (I didn't get the grades for this paper back). In the end I got an A, and I enjoyed this class.

ENGCOMP 5W REVIEW
Highly recommend waiting for West, Steinberg, or Fallows. Definitely the top 3 professors for all English courses. Very light workload. Can re-write all essays and basically fix everything you did wrong -- ensures an A if you put in minimal effort

Class was pretty tough if you are not familiar with rap/hip-hop culture. Professor West's lectures are pretty clear and straightforward but expect much stricter grading on papers. Only non-A grade I've got so far 2 years into UCLA and really hurt my GPA

I was so butthurt about taking my writing II so I just picked 5W with West and I had such a good quarter! The material is interesting and engaging!!! Sure there's a pretty heavy workload but as long as you talk to Professor West she is sosososo clear on what she wants and how to do it. I would honestly take this class again. The papers we wrote were interesting and West is always engaging and made class fun.

Dr. West is an excellent Professor. Although she assigns a lot of work, her lectures are engaging and connects them to the history of hip-hop and present-day rap culture. The Class consists of three essays and 2 supplement group assignments. Your participation and attendance make up a huge part of your grade. So show up to class!

Dr. West speaks FAST and assigns a lot of work, but her lectures (largely based on hip hop) are engaging, and she curses a lot during class which is pretty entertaining. There are 3 essays, the first worth 20% of your grade, the second 25% and the last one 30%. The rest of the grade is all based on participation.