If you're a pre-med like me and care about you're GPA, do not take this professor for Writing II. I worked my ass off this quarter, but I just got a B. I was thinking I was in the A- to A range though. The grading is collective work between the professor and TA's, so I doubt there would be an easy/lenient TA. Otherwise, if you don't mind getting a B, go ahead and take her because the workload is normal and she is nice as well as the TA's. But damn... I'm pissed

Professor Komar speaks eloquently and treats her students like scholars, which is rare in comparison to other classes, but much appreciated. She is very kind to her students and easy to talk to. Moreover, she is very clearly knowledgeable about all of the texts, which were surprisingly interesting but sometimes lengthy. The class is not easy but it is very manageable because the papers are quite constant and require a different approach to writing. At least for my quarter, there were four papers worth 5%, 10%, 20%, and 30% respectively, with a midterm worth 15% and participation worth 20%. For such a large class, Komar does a very good job at managing discussion, and she gives a lot of topics you could write about for your papers, so you should go to lecture. However, most of the learning takes place with your TA, whose office hours you should definitely attend if you want to properly write the papers. My TA was Formosa and she was helpful in teaching writing and assisting students in office hours. Take the class! It seems hard at first but is very interesting and you will definitely learn a lot.

As a first-year STEM major that just wanted to fulfill GE requirements, I was shocked by how much I loved this class. I thoroughly enjoyed the readings assigned and was entertained by what I wrote in papers I submitted. While it is not necessary to go to each lecture, I would recommend it since Professor Komar is a very insightful lecturer and discusses a lot of main thematic ideas which help you write compelling papers. Your main grades for this class are your papers, and your “final exam” is just a longer paper. Although the reading list is a bit lengthy, I found it manageable while taking three other classes during my fall quarter. Professor Komar is also good about returning emails quickly and is very attentive towards her students.

Professor Komar is extremely knowledgeable in her field and is incredibly eloquently spoken. She cares deeply about not only the success of her students, but also that they improve. I like how she compared the class to university: “You’re here not to fulfill a requirement, but to improve your writing, the same way you’re at university not to earn your degree, but to get an education.” The texts were all very interesting and thought provoking, though the reading list was long and intensive. I think the class could do without the poetry section. The main critique I have is that the lecture is too large. I feel like such a large amount of students in a lecture hall is counterintuitive for an English class. I would have loved a smaller, more intimate class with 20ish people, to allow for discussion not only between peers, but also between the professor and students.

Loved this class. It was my first class at UCLA. Would definitely recommend you to take this class however it is not the easiest. You have to be on top of the readings, if not I would recommend listening to the audio books. You will need them. Go to office hours with your TA, it definitely helps improve not only your grade but it helps you learn what they are expecting. Although at first I thought it was really hard, I definitely enjoyed it.

STEM major here! This class is all about understanding what your TA wants from you in your essays. I didn't attend a single lecture but got A's on all my essays once I understood what my TA personally liked in essays (the rubric the professor gives is very vague) so ask your TA questions! Not all of the books are required to be written about either, out of 9 books I probably read 4 and got away with it. If you do choose to write about a book though make sure you have read it, unfortunately Sparknotes will not suffice for this class. Good luck!

This class is a TON of reading, but lecture isn't mandatory. Listen to the audiobooks to prepare for tests. Interesting, but challenging.

This class was absolutely wonderful as a STEM major that loves to read. The course consisted of a reading (50-100 pages) every week, 4 papers that increased in length as the quarter went on, and an in-class essay for the midterm. The readings weren't enforced, but you will discuss them in section and write about them for the papers, so I think it's best to have an idea of each book's plot. I personally enjoyed the readings and got a lot out of them, but you can also probably scrape by just reading the spark notes. All of the essays were graded by the TAs before the strike, and the professor was very accommodating by making the final essay no-hurt due to the strike. Get Jake Wilder-Smith as your TA if possible; he was brilliant and left the most detailed, constructive feedback I've EVER received on my essays. Professor Komar was a wonderful lecturer, and so passionate about the material it was contagious.

TLDR; take this class if you don't mind reading and writing, and you will get a lot out of it.

DONT TAKE FOR YOUR WRITING 2 IF YOURE TRYING TO GET AN A!!!!!
As a straight A STEM student, this was my first B at UCLA (and I worked my ass off for this class). I went to every lecture, every discussion, almost every office hour, and I would write my papers far in advance and talk to the professor about it. The workload was mediocre but I often felt lost on essays, couldn’t understand the readings, and prompts were very abstract. You have readings at all times and all of them classics making it super hard to even understand what was going on. I will say Professor Komar was engaging and sweet, but I cannot say that the grading made sense or the essays were clearly outlined. Professor and TAs always said “prompts are just to inspire your writing, don’t answer all the questions,” but then looked for pretty specific answers that students had to reach for. I loved Professor Komar as a teacher and as a person, however, as someone who cares about their grades, I do not recommend this class.

This class was challenging, but don't let that stop you from taking it. It is a lot of reading, but none of the books are over 150 pages, and many of them were good reads. The professor gives extremely helpful feedback, and office hours actually helped me improve as a writer signifcantly. The professor makes the literature interesting. I suggest staying ahead in the reading, going to office hours to help form a thesis before writing, and take good notes in dicussion to help with essays. I learned and improved so much in this class!!! You will also get bragging rights about reading classical literature.