I took Gender and Comics with Professor Han and I really enjoyed it! She definitely expects involvement so it wasn't an easy A. There was a weekly blog post (500-1000 words) and a final project that my group and I worked on all quarter. I also did blog editing so I engaged frequently with this course which I think is what got me an A+. But overall, we used the class slack a lot so she was very available for questions and encouraged office hour visits! I liked the class & Professor Han

As a gender studies major who heard positive things about this professor from friends (who’ve taken their Gender and Comics class), I was looking forward to that class. However, there were some weird things that I noticed that left a sour taste in my mouth in regards to this class. This does NOT mean that I regret taking this class. While there were positive things that stuck with me, this doesn’t mean that my experience is a walk in the park. This is why I am writing this review so that I can give you as much info before you enter the class.

FYI here is what one’s final grade is composed of:

5% – Self-Introduction/Bio
5% – Syllabus Quiz
15% – Attendance and Participation
20% – Discussion Posts (2)
30% – Quizzes (3)
25% – Keyword Essay

Self-Introduction:
This assignment is pretty self-explanatory and reasonable. You just introduce yourself in third-person and post on the Canvas discussion board.

Syllabus Quiz (online):
Though I found most of the questions to be fairly doable, there were a few questions that were pretty tricky and oddly worded. But I was still able to figure them out.

Attendance and Participation:
Oh boy, this is a real doozy. Even if you participate frequently and contribute insightful discussions, this doesn’t guarantee a perfect score in this category. Despite not being very active verbally in class (aside from my contributions in the Zoom chat and a few insights), I somehow got a perfect score in that section?? I think if you go to Han’s office hours and discuss the material, I think they’ll remember you more, which may help you get a decent score.

Discussion Posts:
While I had fun writing them, the grading was VERY subjective. Like it was hard to figure out what the professors and the TAs wanted. However, I landed perfect scores by clearly stating the research question, synthesizing the reading with ONE outside source (preferably a journal article or book chapter that expands on class or reading concepts), tying in personal experience (if possible), making sure I answer the research question, and catering to my TA’s expectations. My advice is a little vague, but hopefully you might get helpful classmates the quarter you take the class.

Quizzes (online):
To be fair, they were weird. I expected them to focus on the main points behind the readings and lectures, but no. There were a few poorly-worded questions and a lot of the times, I felt that the questions would focus on random details briefly mentioned in lecture and/or the readings. I would imagine that they would be difficult to prepare for if they were administered in person. Thankfully, they were online and open book/notes plus we can be able to access the recorded zoom lectures. Since future classes will be in person, make sure to take THOROUGH lecture notes and DO the readings and study them just to be safe.

Keyword Essay:
Make sure you run your keyword to the professor and TA EARLY in the quarter so that you have more time to develop your story/analysis/etc. TAs office hours are definitely useful for figuring out what they’re looking for. And if Han ever decides to upload it, don’t forget to consult the keyword essay worksheet (especially the 2nd page)! Who knows if the professor might choose your essay to be randomly graded by her?

The Professor and TAs:
Professor Han (she/they) is definitely quite a character. They’re very passionate about the material and they have an interesting take on power. Even though they use slides, their lectures are a little disorganized since they would sometimes go on tangents. However, your mileage may vary when it comes to interactions with Han. Though they were nice to me in office hours, this is not the case for everyone. I known students who found them dismissive and condescending, especially when it comes to COVID-19 related struggles. Which made them more intimidating to approach. Not to mention they threatened to halt access to Zoom recordings due to a password problem. 😬

In addition, I had Thalia as a TA and she’s great! She is very nice and super helpful in office hours and in class. She made the discussion sections interesting by showing us news clips and even scenes from the movie Encanto (as a way to help us understand the class concepts). If this is your first time taking Thalia, I recommend going to her office hours for guidance on the assignments (especially the final paper). She may be strict in some ways that you may not be used to (especially for things like grammar, analysis, and paper structure). Please go to her office hours early in the quarter since the last few weeks of the quarter will get hectic!

Summary:
While I learned a lot of interesting content in the class, I felt that there were some things that I’m a little salty about. Han’s attitude was very inconsistent among students, even going so far as to make students feel intimidated by her. Not to mention that the grading wasn’t very clear, so it was hard to figure out what she wanted. I felt like I had to take risks in order to get the best grade possible. Nonetheless, this review (along with my advice) will hopefully help out if you ever have to take Han for your major/minor.

I do not think that this professor should be teaching this class. They attempted to be very understanding at the beginning of the quarter, and then changed the syllabus and the requirements for the tests in week six. They were very condescending whenever I spoke to them during office hours and had rigorous expectations but was not clear on what they were. I won't be taking a class they teach again and I wish I didn't have to take this one.

This professor should honestly be fired. She's oddly self-centered in her treatment of the coursework and just plain rude to students. Seems to be just doing her job because she likes the sound of her own voice, not because she actually cares about teaching.

Professor Han is honestly the best professor I’ve ever had, she totally understands you and she is very nice. Very informative and interesting class.

Go to office hours! They really want students to go to office hours and it impacts your grade. The assignments were straightforward and they answer any questions you have.

I enjoyed Professor Han’s class. The breakdown of the class is pretty much what another recent review described. The class is quite structured so I didn’t ever feel lost. They’re firm but a very reasonable and kind person. They might give off the vibe of a strict person at first but they're actually really sweet. You can tell she’s a really smart and profound person and takes the time to give solid feedback to her students and I feel she really cares. You will actually learn something in this class, because they make sure to get us thinking deeply about things rather than just scratching the surface level stuff. I won’t deny that grading can be subjective to some extent, but I think as long as you make sure to really follow instructions, you will be on the right path. If she sees that you are trying, she will appreciate it. Some of the ratings here said she was condescending, I personally don't think it happens often at all or anything, and I don’t think she purposely means to look down on students at all. but I can see that maybe it comes from misunderstandings rather than her actually talking down to you. She might be perceived as strict by some but I think it’s just that she’s probably tired of low effort students who take her class simply because they think the gender studies classes are easy As (and she can see through your BS so don’t try that). I recommend you go talk to her in office hours, she’s quite a cool professor and really funny too. I can’t guarantee you’ll like this class because everyone has different tastes, but I personally think it’s worth it. She’s not out to get you or anything or give you a bad grade, and there’s a lot of opportunities to get a good grade.

Honestly, I didn't really enjoy this class. Don't get me wrong, the topics of colonialism, neoliberalism, globalization, etc. and their relation to power are really important and everyone should learn about them. But, the way the professor outlined the class around storytelling and travel made the topics really uninteresting. The amount of reading each week was a lot and most of the lectures weren't engaging. Thankfully, my TA was amazing and she was able to deconstruct the few harder readings and made the discussion sections fun and engaging. In regards to the quizzes, it got increasingly harder to prep for them because some of the questions about the material were so random. The final project was weird because it was basically centered around discussing a negative experience you had and deconstructing the power relations in it for a grade. If the course was designed differently, I think it could be great. As of right now, I suggest choosing a different professor for this course if you can. I heard she's a great professor in a different course!

I loved 102 with professor Han. She was very clear in her lectures and was really nice. It could get a bit boring at times but overall really enjoyed the class.

This professor is very condescending if you've interacted with her. She would listen to you at office hours but gives you the feeling that she's constantly judging you in her head, making me feel uncomfortable to attend office hours. The most stupid thing about this class is a syllabus quiz worth 5% of your grade due at the end of week 1, with a bunch of obscure questions and multiple-choice questions that have so much leeway for interpretation. Also, one time she literally kicked a poor student out because poor dude was just sitting there for an extra 5 minutes because his previous lecture was in the same room. And she straight up was like "who are you? This is not your class, so get out." WTF????? The class cohort which took the course with me was also full of suck ups and teacher's pets who would be so eager in expressing their crazy devotion for this class and the professor during lectures and sections, which was ridiculous to see given how my experience with her and just her as a professor is weird. Everything that happens in relation to this class could be described as modern art, which is perplexing to the normal eye.