Meng is really an okay professor. Her lectures are very technical, which makes them a bit hard to understand, but she does try her best to go with at least some conceptual intuition. Her exams are indeed difficult, without a curve, but I wouldn’t say they are impossible to do well on. Read the textbook, understand everything from the core, and practice the medium-level homework questions (her exam questions are around that difficulty), it should be still okay. Personally, I like Meng a lot. If you ever try to approach her, she is a positive, sweet, and welcoming person. There is no pressure at all when talking with her, and she tried to help you when you need it. Overall, I would take the course again in a quarter when I have all other easy classes (if you plan to take it, consider your academic workload and the overall difficulty

The class was fine up until the second midterm and the final. For the second midterm, she put a type of question that she went over once in the lecture. Not in homework. We had no practice on that type of question and it was the question with the most points. As for the final, for two weeks she went over chapter 4. On the very last lecture of the class, she quickly rushes over ch 6 and ch 7, chapters which needed heavy computational skills. The final consisted of mainly Ch 6 and Ch7. We were screwed.

Horrible professor who overcomplicates lessons. The midterms covered none of the material she went over during lecture. She assigns homework every week and it’s due Friday at 11 pm, but there’s a 24 hour grace period and you can submit it Saturday before 11 pm with no point deduction. The final was horrible, it basically only had the last sections she rushed over in the last lecture before the final. The only good thing about this class is that she curves it at the end.

I am honestly surprised that I got a C- in this class. I took this class because I had not taken a math class during my senior year of high school and wanted to freshen up on the basics and gain a better understanding of calculus. The lectures taught me absolutely nothing, I barely went because every time I would go I would leave more confused. You have to essentially teach yourself the entire course. The study guide that she gives out for the first midterm is the only study guide that is actually helpful. The study guides for the second midterm and for the final were pointless. The professor also crammed so much information during the last week of classes and everyone was so confused. This class was so stressful and the final was on the very last day of the quarter. Lets just say that I spent all of finals week crying because I wanted to go home so badly but had to take a final for a class that I learned absolutely nothing from. Protect your peace and don't take this class.

Meng is one of the worst professors I've had at UCLA. The tests are very hard considering the material itself isn't bad at all. I would recommend taking this class with a different professor.

Lectures useless taught myself.

Homework has grace period but is quite a lot. Strictly follows textbook and lecture notes provided at the beginning. No surprising questions for exams. Although need some proof but mostly technical calculations.

Lectures were not very useful. I pretty much had to teach myself the class, but at the end she does curve the class, so it wasn't too too bad.

This course is both highly engaging and immensely useful. It covers a variety of optimization methods and problems, along with practical tools for learning, all presented in an interesting and dynamic manner. Initially, I was concerned after reading earlier reviews, but Tingwei turned out to be one of the best instructors I’ve ever had. She demonstrates an exceptional command of the course material and excels in teaching. The course is well-structured and logically coherent, with concepts clearly explained alongside their practical applications, such as in AI.

Tingwei is incredibly approachable during office hours, where you can discuss not only course-related topics but also career guidance. While she may appear serious during class, she is genuinely warm and supportive one-on-one. Her expertise in the field is remarkable, so I highly encourage students to ask her questions and seek her insights.

Assignments are thoughtfully designed, with around ten questions each week that, while time-consuming, are invaluable for mastering the material and sharpening thinking. The exams are straightforward and helpful, with the midterm averaging around 80 and the final around 90. This course was an incredible learning experience, and I feel lucky to have taken it, especially as it was Tingwei’s last time teaching optimization.