I've read some of the reviews on this class and it seems like a lot of people think it's tough if you are not a South Campus major. I myself am a South Campus major, so I guess I wouldn't know what it's like for North Campus majors, but I thought that this class was relatively easy. I mean, I'm a first year South Campus major so it's not like I have an extensive background in biology or anything. Yes, there is a lot of biology about HIV in the beginning of the class, but she goes over it extensively and you aren't required to get too in depth.

The class is also very interesting and I think it's important for young people in general to be educated about this virus, as young people (15-24 yrs.) account for 45% of new HIV infections globally.

I recommend taking this class if you find the topic interesting. There really isn't a lot of required reading. The community service is not too bad either and the "research project" that everyone is warning you about is merely a four page reflection paper.

Basically if your not a South campus major, I would strongly encourage you NOT to take this class. I came in the class thinking that we were going to learn more of the social context of HIV but was sorrowly mistaken. Her lectures are very boring and the slightest things annoys her. This class has NO ta's so it's kind of up to you. I find her office hours to be not so effective because she wants specific questions and if you are just as confused as I was it is just a MESS ! If you can avoid this class, I would strongly encourage it !

This class is not that easy. If you are not a South Campus major, the 1st half of the class will be harder. But it is doable. I am a North Campus major and ended up getting an "A" in the class. The class requires a serious time commitment. You are required to do 13 hours of community service, and a research project. The research project was difficult. She is EXTREMELY PICKY about it, and everything else in the class. You don't need to read the textbook. Her tests are fair, but some multiple choice questions are tricky. She does take feedback seriously. She also admires students who go seek help.

If you are looking for an easy A in a GE class, DO NOT TAKE MCDB 40 WITH MEYER. I made the mistake of ignoring the myriad of posts to that effect on this page and ended up hating my life for 11 weeks. This was the most difficult GE class I took at UCLA. Meyer expects you to have detailed knowledge of the material more on the level of a science major. Despite this, the "textbook" ironically enough, is a "100 things you need to know" type book written for scientific laymen who have contracted HIV. The class also demands a large time commitment. Granted it's a 5 unit class, but 13 hours of community service AND a research project/poster is a bit much. (you also have to watch several movies on your own time) On the research project, prepare to be frustrated by Meyer's unclear direction and penchant for nitpicking. If you do find yourself stuck with this class, my advice would be to not read anything in the "textbook" but instead focus all your attention on lecture and Meyer's lecture slides. Also, make sure your poster is pleasantly laid out and pretty. You'll be amused that despite Meyer's 2 hour presentation on "designing an effective project," you'll probably get an A on it even if your topic is dull and your research shoddy. On a side note, you'll find that Meyer is weirdly controlling. No sitting in the back three rows!

She has a stick up her butt and takes her class way too seriously. Last time I checked we were in college and didn't need a 2 hour presentation on how to develop a poster. She overemphasizes pointless stuff on the poster we have to do but then dings you when you don't have the stuff she was supposedly "looking for" even though she never made clear WHAT she was looking for. I love how passive-aggressive she was. I had heard it was a pretty easy class but I wouldn't recommend taking it especially if you don't agree with the topics since she isn't very appreciative of differing viewpoints. Her class is way too much for nothing.

I hated this class. Her voice is really annoying, and sometimes I couldn't even understand what she was saying. If you're not a South Campus major like me, I don't recommend you taking the class.

This course is worth taking if you are interested in the material and want a manageable science GE. Dr. Meyer is extremely concerned about her students and wants to make sure everyone does well in the class. She takes feedback very seriously and actually improves her teaching methods as a result of it. Her lectures are clear and she usually sticks to the powerpoint slides. I found that I did not have to take very many notes for the course. The first half of the course is more focused on the biological aspect of AIDS and STDs whereas the second half is more focused on its social implications. The midterm requires a good amount of memorization, but it is manageable. Dr. Meyer tends to emphasize certain things in class that you know will be on an exam. Another good thing about the class is that the final is not cumulative, so it's easier than the midterm. Additionally, Dr. Meyer gives a study guide that pretty much covers the material for the final. I would not recommend this class if you have a busy schedule because there is a 15 hour community service requirement, which requires you to go off campus. I had a great time volunteering, but it was a struggle to get those hours. I really liked this class because it took a holistic approach to HIV/AIDS and I found Dr. Meyer to be a very knowledgeable and passionate professor.

She is overall a great professor, her class is tough but if you're interested in HIV, AIDS and STD's she works really hard to get guest lecturers to give you a well rounded approach to the topic. She is very helpful during office hours if you put the time in to go. She really wants you to learn and makes sure you get a lot of different perspectives. She's very knowledgeable and is willing to find the answer to any question you could bring up about AIDS. Her midterms aren't hard if you go to lecture and study the slides that she posts up online, the movies and community service is pretty much just for you to grow and learn a different way. This was one of the most challenging classes I've taken but the most rewarding. Overall she's a really great professor, who's loves getting feedback on how she can become better.

I have no idea what the reviewer below me is talking about. The course reader is definitely not heavy. As a North Campus major and hater of minute biological details, I thought that Dr. Meyer was a great professor and explained the biological and social details of HIV/AIDS very well. The volunteering is somewhat demanding, but not bad, and can teach you a lot. She was a pretty good lecturer, and her exams were not too difficult. Overall, the class isn't hard as long as you try. Readings are not really necessary, by the way.

No words can describe the excruciating pain that permeated through every limb and fiber of my being as I sat through lecture, as I sat through group projects, as I sat through mandatory volunteering--as though all these required tasks would magically instill in me a greater desire to further the war against AIDS. Inspiring, maybe. Sad, definitely. But in the end, with a class full of 100+ idealistic self-serving freshmen eager to get their first GE requirement fulfilled, and move on, one only gives a damn about the grade. And boy, she doesn't make it easy for you. The course reader weighs more than 3 limited edition hardcovers of J.R.R. Tolkein's Lord of the Rings trilogy, the movies she has you watch on your own time are arduous and hardly discussed, her lectures don't make very much sense and she's hard to follow, but lastly and most irritatingly, is the fact that she has you complete 15 hours of volunteer work (from a list of organizations pre-designated for you) AND a group project. This class was not worth my time. If you want to be scared out of your wits by what STDs can do to you, take it. Otherwise, stay away.