Professor
Michelle Rensel
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Most Helpful Review
Fall 2025 - DONT DO IT Honestly, clusters are only helpful if you really need the GE help, and writing 2 credit, but writing 2 is WAYY easier than this class. 2 weekly reading which average 5 articles that average 20 pages EACH. Then you go to lecture, and the lecture is bar for bar the reading, so you learn nothing new. However, they'll drop like one random thing in their lessons and that is what the tests are on. This class is taught by 3 different professors: Rensel focusing on biology, Panofsky focusing on the like sociology of it, and Scroggins focusing on the economic/business part of it. Rensel and Panofsky's lectures are manageable, but Scroggins will literally talk about nothing all lecture, then somehow the whole final/midterm is about what he taught. On top of there being a final for this class, during discussion you will have to do a speech about a GMO game, and present it in front of everyone. The speech isn't too bad, but then you have a debate, AND a final position paper. ON TOP OF A FINAL. There's just too much work to justify for this class, it doesn't make it worth it. This was the only class I would fall asleep in that's how bad it was. No one I would ask liked this cluster, so I would either recommend just doing the writing 2 and a couple random GE's and it will be the exact same thing, if not way better. This is one of those classes where its supposed to be your "easy" class but then it ends up being your hardest, most time consuming class for no reason. Dont fall into the cluster propaganda, they are not sunshine's and rainbows like everyone makes them out to be, just take the GE's, you'll dread taking this class everyday.
Fall 2025 - DONT DO IT Honestly, clusters are only helpful if you really need the GE help, and writing 2 credit, but writing 2 is WAYY easier than this class. 2 weekly reading which average 5 articles that average 20 pages EACH. Then you go to lecture, and the lecture is bar for bar the reading, so you learn nothing new. However, they'll drop like one random thing in their lessons and that is what the tests are on. This class is taught by 3 different professors: Rensel focusing on biology, Panofsky focusing on the like sociology of it, and Scroggins focusing on the economic/business part of it. Rensel and Panofsky's lectures are manageable, but Scroggins will literally talk about nothing all lecture, then somehow the whole final/midterm is about what he taught. On top of there being a final for this class, during discussion you will have to do a speech about a GMO game, and present it in front of everyone. The speech isn't too bad, but then you have a debate, AND a final position paper. ON TOP OF A FINAL. There's just too much work to justify for this class, it doesn't make it worth it. This was the only class I would fall asleep in that's how bad it was. No one I would ask liked this cluster, so I would either recommend just doing the writing 2 and a couple random GE's and it will be the exact same thing, if not way better. This is one of those classes where its supposed to be your "easy" class but then it ends up being your hardest, most time consuming class for no reason. Dont fall into the cluster propaganda, they are not sunshine's and rainbows like everyone makes them out to be, just take the GE's, you'll dread taking this class everyday.
Most Helpful Review
Fall 2021 - Strongly recommend the cluster with this prof. In my opinion, she was the clearest professor I've had so far at UCLA and a terrific lecturer in this cluster. As a non-bio (or STEM) major, I've been able to follow and understand all of Prof. Rensell's lectures to the T. They are clear, concise, and the learning objectives and structure of her lectures help people follow along and know exactly what knowledge we need to learn for the final exam. Terrific professor!
Fall 2021 - Strongly recommend the cluster with this prof. In my opinion, she was the clearest professor I've had so far at UCLA and a terrific lecturer in this cluster. As a non-bio (or STEM) major, I've been able to follow and understand all of Prof. Rensell's lectures to the T. They are clear, concise, and the learning objectives and structure of her lectures help people follow along and know exactly what knowledge we need to learn for the final exam. Terrific professor!
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Most Helpful Review
Fall 2022 - The first quarter of the class focuses so. much. on GMOs (I should've known, considering the GMO game is a big part of the class). The game made the class super fun :) You got to be in a big group project and schedule meetings yourselves. The workload is manageable, but there'd be reading like every other day. + There would be extra credit readings, too! The tests were what lowered my grade in the class, and I wish I had studied more :( However, Professor Rensel is SUPER ACCOMMODATING, so nothing was her fault, LOL!
Fall 2022 - The first quarter of the class focuses so. much. on GMOs (I should've known, considering the GMO game is a big part of the class). The game made the class super fun :) You got to be in a big group project and schedule meetings yourselves. The workload is manageable, but there'd be reading like every other day. + There would be extra credit readings, too! The tests were what lowered my grade in the class, and I wish I had studied more :( However, Professor Rensel is SUPER ACCOMMODATING, so nothing was her fault, LOL!
Most Helpful Review
Winter 2020 - Considering the amount of reading that you do in the class, Dr. Rensel sure made it a lot better. She was such a kind soul, and she was understanding of the circumstances. Her test questions also made you think, but they were fair overall. Her lectures were probably the best part.
Winter 2020 - Considering the amount of reading that you do in the class, Dr. Rensel sure made it a lot better. She was such a kind soul, and she was understanding of the circumstances. Her test questions also made you think, but they were fair overall. Her lectures were probably the best part.
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Most Helpful Review
Spring 2022 - I don't have enough good things to say about Dr. Rensel and the Hormones seminar. She's a very sweet, knowledgeable lady who is always willing to listen, offer advice, etc. I got sick on the final presentation day and she was super understanding about it, which is not common in teachers around finals time. The course content was super interesting and felt intentionally chosen / hand selected. We covered so many topics that I would not have known about and I really felt like my perspective and understanding of multiple controversial issues became more nuanced and educated. The course load was manageable, a few readings and activities a week for a once a week class session. I felt like it was all teaching me something new, so I usually didn't mind doing it. We were also provided plenty of resources to learn how to use UCLA research resources, which I think will help me throughout my years at school. That made doing our research paper much easier and smoother. I'm not yet sure what grade I received, but I don't doubt it will be high thanks to her timely inputting of assignment grades and a fair grade distribution between assignments, participation, and the paper.
Spring 2022 - I don't have enough good things to say about Dr. Rensel and the Hormones seminar. She's a very sweet, knowledgeable lady who is always willing to listen, offer advice, etc. I got sick on the final presentation day and she was super understanding about it, which is not common in teachers around finals time. The course content was super interesting and felt intentionally chosen / hand selected. We covered so many topics that I would not have known about and I really felt like my perspective and understanding of multiple controversial issues became more nuanced and educated. The course load was manageable, a few readings and activities a week for a once a week class session. I felt like it was all teaching me something new, so I usually didn't mind doing it. We were also provided plenty of resources to learn how to use UCLA research resources, which I think will help me throughout my years at school. That made doing our research paper much easier and smoother. I'm not yet sure what grade I received, but I don't doubt it will be high thanks to her timely inputting of assignment grades and a fair grade distribution between assignments, participation, and the paper.
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