I think that Mel is a pretty chill, laidback person but I can also understand why some people are a little put off by her rather casual teaching style. That being said, the material is not really difficult and much less technically demanding than some of your typical engineering classes in other departments. To add on to that, the textbook in this class is actually really good, so good that you probably don't need to go to lectures.

In my quarter, the midterms were pretty easy such that most people left early, but the final was pretty difficult that not as many people left early (i.e. or if they did, they probably gave up on figuring out how to do some of the problems). I would say that the discrepancy was probably due to the fact that she crammed roughly three weeks of material in the last week of class because she was lecturing so slow in the previous 8-9 weeks. Other than that, I would say that this class was pretty chill and enjoyable and also surprisingly informative (i.e. some of the subject matter could be applicable to your personal financial decisions).

I think Mel is a super nice and cool person, but she was not really a great teacher for ENGR 111. I had her for ENGR 110 and she was fine but she was not able to really engage the class or teach the material at a good enough level in my opinion for Finance. Also, I felt a lot of the class got shortchanged on the Extra Credit and the exams, which covered a lot of difficult material that was only briefly touched upon in discussions and not even in the lecture. Overall, I like Mel as a person, but I would probably NOT take this class again if given the choice.

Cons: It is true that her powerpoint skills are not the best.
Pros: She's a very energetic person, she keeps you engaged in class by asking simple and interesting questions, she tries to remember names of the students and is very kind to all sorts of answers. Her exams are pretty easy, you don't have to study a lot, just go over the things she say in class and take some notes. She asks exactly what she lectures so try to pay attention to class. She goes over every topic 3 times, so you don't have the chance to get lost.
Fav: She always does a current events part every class, where there is a class discussion on real tech/finance events, and you can relate real strategical management decisions to class material. I love this part since most other teachers just focus on the theoretical part and leave. One of the most engaging ENGR classes of all and its pretty easy.

If you have a question, just ask. The professor takes note of who is paying attention and thinking beyond the class materials. The homework may seem straightforward, but the exams will challenge you to apply to concepts rather than regurgitate homework problems. She's one of the most personable and friendly professors at UCLA, take advantage of that!

Let's be clear. I learned a lot in class and would have learned a lot more had I gone to every lecture. My biggest problem was that it was at 6-8pm, and that got in the way a lot.

Other than that, though, this is great class to take. It's a useful class that will help prepare you for a lot of other econ classes. Mel is a good lecturer too, and keeps you engaged throughout the class. If you go to her lectures and pay attention, you'll be fine for anything that comes your way, whether it be the tests or homework. I had trouble on the midterm and a few homework assignments only to find that she went over everything I needed to know in class.

Essentially, what I'm saying is that if you go to class, she'll reward you for it. Not only is it a somewhat easy class to take, she keeps you up to date with economic events throughout the world and teaches you pretty valuable information that you'll need once you're out of college. Just make sure you make it to class. She does post lecture slides, if I remember correctly, but trust me, going to class is much better.

I would definitely recommend her class to anyone considering the tech management option as their tech breadth.

I took both ENGR 111 and 110 with this professor. Great lecturer, my favorite at the school.

This class focuses more on micro economics from what I remember. And I thought it was a great start to the subject, I learned plenty of practical skills. Balancing my finances, etc. It isn't really sold as a practical knowledge course, but it definitely provides some of that.

The lectures were clear and concise. Sometimes they would feel long, but its just the nature of the subject, sometimes it can be less than exciting. The professor knew when the material would be boring and tries to counter that, which I appreciated, especially since the lectures were usually in the evening, so as not to conflict with the major related courses. And she was pretty good at keeping things entertaining, by including students in discussions related to relevant current events she brought up, and most hilariously, calling out snoozing students (myself included).

Don't listen to the haters, this class is rad. Also try to take this class with a couple buddies, the group projects are way less of a drag that way.