As a gender studies major who heard positive things about this professor from friends (who’ve taken their Gender and Comics class), I was looking forward to that class. However, there were some weird things that I noticed that left a sour taste in my mouth in regards to this class. This does NOT mean that I regret taking this class. While there were positive things that stuck with me, this doesn’t mean that my experience is a walk in the park. This is why I am writing this review so that I can give you as much info before you enter the class.

FYI here is what one’s final grade is composed of:

5% – Self-Introduction/Bio
5% – Syllabus Quiz
15% – Attendance and Participation
20% – Discussion Posts (2)
30% – Quizzes (3)
25% – Keyword Essay

Self-Introduction:
This assignment is pretty self-explanatory and reasonable. You just introduce yourself in third-person and post on the Canvas discussion board.

Syllabus Quiz (online):
Though I found most of the questions to be fairly doable, there were a few questions that were pretty tricky and oddly worded. But I was still able to figure them out.

Attendance and Participation:
Oh boy, this is a real doozy. Even if you participate frequently and contribute insightful discussions, this doesn’t guarantee a perfect score in this category. Despite not being very active verbally in class (aside from my contributions in the Zoom chat and a few insights), I somehow got a perfect score in that section?? I think if you go to Han’s office hours and discuss the material, I think they’ll remember you more, which may help you get a decent score.

Discussion Posts:
While I had fun writing them, the grading was VERY subjective. Like it was hard to figure out what the professors and the TAs wanted. However, I landed perfect scores by clearly stating the research question, synthesizing the reading with ONE outside source (preferably a journal article or book chapter that expands on class or reading concepts), tying in personal experience (if possible), making sure I answer the research question, and catering to my TA’s expectations. My advice is a little vague, but hopefully you might get helpful classmates the quarter you take the class.

Quizzes (online):
To be fair, they were weird. I expected them to focus on the main points behind the readings and lectures, but no. There were a few poorly-worded questions and a lot of the times, I felt that the questions would focus on random details briefly mentioned in lecture and/or the readings. I would imagine that they would be difficult to prepare for if they were administered in person. Thankfully, they were online and open book/notes plus we can be able to access the recorded zoom lectures. Since future classes will be in person, make sure to take THOROUGH lecture notes and DO the readings and study them just to be safe.

Keyword Essay:
Make sure you run your keyword to the professor and TA EARLY in the quarter so that you have more time to develop your story/analysis/etc. TAs office hours are definitely useful for figuring out what they’re looking for. And if Han ever decides to upload it, don’t forget to consult the keyword essay worksheet (especially the 2nd page)! Who knows if the professor might choose your essay to be randomly graded by her?

The Professor and TAs:
Professor Han (she/they) is definitely quite a character. They’re very passionate about the material and they have an interesting take on power. Even though they use slides, their lectures are a little disorganized since they would sometimes go on tangents. However, your mileage may vary when it comes to interactions with Han. Though they were nice to me in office hours, this is not the case for everyone. I known students who found them dismissive and condescending, especially when it comes to COVID-19 related struggles. Which made them more intimidating to approach. Not to mention they threatened to halt access to Zoom recordings due to a password problem. 😬

In addition, I had Thalia as a TA and she’s great! She is very nice and super helpful in office hours and in class. She made the discussion sections interesting by showing us news clips and even scenes from the movie Encanto (as a way to help us understand the class concepts). If this is your first time taking Thalia, I recommend going to her office hours for guidance on the assignments (especially the final paper). She may be strict in some ways that you may not be used to (especially for things like grammar, analysis, and paper structure). Please go to her office hours early in the quarter since the last few weeks of the quarter will get hectic!

Summary:
While I learned a lot of interesting content in the class, I felt that there were some things that I’m a little salty about. Han’s attitude was very inconsistent among students, even going so far as to make students feel intimidated by her. Not to mention that the grading wasn’t very clear, so it was hard to figure out what she wanted. I felt like I had to take risks in order to get the best grade possible. Nonetheless, this review (along with my advice) will hopefully help out if you ever have to take Han for your major/minor.

I do not think that this professor should be teaching this class. They attempted to be very understanding at the beginning of the quarter, and then changed the syllabus and the requirements for the tests in week six. They were very condescending whenever I spoke to them during office hours and had rigorous expectations but was not clear on what they were. I won't be taking a class they teach again and I wish I didn't have to take this one.

Go to office hours! They really want students to go to office hours and it impacts your grade. The assignments were straightforward and they answer any questions you have.

I loved 102 with professor Han. She was very clear in her lectures and was really nice. It could get a bit boring at times but overall really enjoyed the class.

Honestly, I didn't really enjoy this class. Don't get me wrong, the topics of colonialism, neoliberalism, globalization, etc. and their relation to power are really important and everyone should learn about them. But, the way the professor outlined the class around storytelling and travel made the topics really uninteresting. The amount of reading each week was a lot and most of the lectures weren't engaging. Thankfully, my TA was amazing and she was able to deconstruct the few harder readings and made the discussion sections fun and engaging. In regards to the quizzes, it got increasingly harder to prep for them because some of the questions about the material were so random. The final project was weird because it was basically centered around discussing a negative experience you had and deconstructing the power relations in it for a grade. If the course was designed differently, I think it could be great. As of right now, I suggest choosing a different professor for this course if you can. I heard she's a great professor in a different course!