To preface, I had very low expectations going into this class. However, I was pleasantly surprised. Mike, the TA, and the LAs were all very helpful throughout the quarter and really placed an emphasis on thinking critically to solve difficult problems. The homework assignments and exams were all challenging, but not unnecessarily so; I felt that they tested the material in a fair way even though I didn't do as well as I wanted on them. Mike's lectures and notes are all very well-organized, so make sure you read through them thoroughly and reference as needed.

This is a hard class, and there's naturally a lot of anxiety about grades (I know I stressed A LOT). Listen to Mike when he says that he will assign a grade that reflects your learning. If you put your best foot forward and make an honest effort, you will get a good grade. I performed at or slightly below the median on both midterms and the final and ended up with an A, so the curve is very generous.

Lastly, do not hesitate to go to office hours or ask for help on Campuswire. I wasn't able to attend office hours too much due to my schedule, but there are 6-7 different timeslots a week that should hopefully work.

I know the other reviews are scary, but Professor Tsiang has completely changed this course now and there's no more horror stories about the new TA.

It's going to be hard and frustrating at times, but please believe me when I say that your grade is in great hands. Tsiang/TA may be strict at times, but it's for your own good and learning. The course is meant for you to be challenged and get equipped with a toolbox of skills and knowledge.

The way to succeed is pay attention to lectures, everything that Tsiang/TA says, and do your BEST -- just try and put in an effort and your grade will show the same!

Grading scheme: 30% Final, 20% each Midterm, 3% Discussion attendance, 2% Campuswire participation, 15% HW, 10% Final Project

The HWs are graded on completion so that's some easy points (although start early and work strategically on them!)

** Before you take this class please read**

I have a lot to say about this class. This class was seriously what almost broke me. I was having full on breakdowns about this class every day and my friends can tell you that I was a completely different person while taking this class. It took me so long to write this review because I didn't want to relive how stressed out I was while taking this.
First of all, I ignored the reviews on Bruinwalk before taking this class and this has officially made me learn my lesson. This is the first B I've ever earned in college and as a previously 4.0 student, this was a hard blow. If you do NOT have prior coding experience or familiarity with computers, have SERIOUS CAUTION about taking this class.

ABOUT THE PROFESSOR AND TA: Even though this class was literal hell, I don't have much bad to say about Dr. Tsiang. If you go to office hours, he will spend hours and hours of his time trying to help you understand. He's a likable guy and I liked that he kept his Christmas tree up in the back of his zoom calls through March lol. Additionally, he does curve grades a lot which is greatly appreciated. I really think that he's a great professor and Edouardo was a fantastic TA. However, I think they greatly underestimate the workload. I think that since this is introductory coding and they are much more experienced at coding that they don't understand how difficult this can be for beginner coders.

ABOUT THE MATERIAL: I have taken calculus, biology, and chemistry classes and earned A+ in all of them so I thought that I would be okay, but coding is a whole other monster. Even though previous coding experience is not required and the professor insists that, it truly puts you at a disadvantage because coding requires a very different logic and way of thinking.

ABOUT THE WORKLOAD: The workload in this class is A LOT. There are 2 midterms, a final, a final project, weekly in-depth homeworks, and participation credit through an online forum. I hate to say it, but the TA and professor both insist that the weekly homeworks should not take you more than 4 hours, but that's just frankly not the case. I spent probably 20 hours at least per week on the homeworks and that's lowballing it. The questions are never basic and require you to know the lecture material IN DEPTH and think very outside of the box other than what he's shown you to use. Also you are not allowed to have tutors outside the class.

TLDR: The professor highly curves this class and is helpful and kind, but the material is EXTREMELY DIFFICULT especially if you've never had interactions with coding before. My personal experience with this class was also combined with personal emergencies that made trying to juggle both REALLY difficult and gave me some extremely dark thoughts that a class has never given me before. Designate A LOT of time for this class and GO TO OFFICE HOURS. I could not have survived this class without office hours. And DO NOT**** plagiarize!!! The professor is VERY SERIOUS about plagiarism and if you get even close he will report you.

This class was amazing!!!! I definitely recommend having Tsiang for Stats 10. He really cares about his students and will help you if you go to office hours. His tests are fair and the labs are easy but sometimes take a lot of time. Tsiang himself is such a relatable and passionate guy who really tries his best to make stats an interesting subject.

This was my third class with Professor Tsiang (STATS 20 and STATS 199 prior to this) and he never ceases to place things into perspective. As another review noted, this class provides the reasoning behind STATS 101A (and a little of STATS 102B). The pacing of the class was nice as, because this quarter was conducted remotely, Professor Tsiang made the class asynchronous and held office hours during the time listed with the registrar. Professor Tsiang gives ample time for both the midterm as well as the final and combines a little theory with a little application so that we understand not only the reasoning but also the practical use of the concepts of 100C.

If you have the chance to take him for Stats, do it! He's a great teacher and his tests were straight forward and all multiple choice. He gave a lot of extra credit. One lab was completely extra credit. The final had 42 questions but was only graded out of 40. One of the online quizzes had 11 questions but was graded out of 9. Getting an A in this class is extremely doable. The labs were a bit annoying, but the TA's basically give you all the code you need for it. Not a hard class, great to take with other challenging courses.

I'm going to start this by stating that I got straight c+'s in physics. I'm great in bio, I get by in chem, but math (and yes I know physics is both a science and a mathematics, but to me it's MATH) is difficult for me. I came into this class wholly expecting to cry and struggle over it just like I did in physics. But I didn't. I got an A. And I truly believe that was due to Tsiang. He is so sweet, so understanding, and really wants his students to do well. He was willing to work with me on anything I struggled with and I really felt welcomed to ask him questions. He also makes awesome Parks & Rec references. If you do the homework and seek help in this class, you will do great - if you take it with Tsiang. 10/10 recommend.

I cannot recommend this class with Tsiang enough. Mike (as he likes to be referred to as) is one of the most caring professors I have ever had, especially for a stats class. The class has some busy work since it is 50 minutes all 5 days a week (lecture 3x, discussion, and a lab) but the class is very easy. Mike is super helpful and makes sure the class is straightforward. There are no trick questions on the exams - they are very fair. The labs, due every other week, are also very easy. You can do the labs at home with software, but I would suggest doing them in class with your TA because they can ensure that you word everything correctly, and it's easier. Mike often sent us emails telling us not to worry/stress and that grades aren't the most important thing in your life, which was so nice to hear especially coming from a statistics teacher. This was a requirement for me, but I would have taken this class as a GE. Take this class if you can, Mike is awesome.

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My experience is during the covid period. I think the past reviews don't do this class justice. Mike is a great lecturer and everything is clear. I have a very bad coding background but I have taken coding classes before so my experience could have been a lot worse. This class is difficult but yes, you do learn a lot of information. There is a very nice curve at the end so just focus on learning and not on your grade.

Alright, well this review is going to be slightly different from the others.

I’ll start off by saying I struggle a lot with any programming, math, or stats related courses.

But I actually really really liked Michael and the head TA, Jake. Jake is hands down the smartest TA I have ever met at UCLA. He also dedicated so much time to the students in the class. In addition to his regular office hours, sometimes
he would hold 6-8 hour office hours or additional office hours 2-3 times a week. I never felt like a bother when I asked him a question and he really helped me to understand the material. The truth of the matter is that there are a lot more people posting negative reviews than there were that showed up to office hours. The beginning of the quarter had a large turn out, but towards the last few weeks there was hardly anyone there. Sometimes it was just me and one other person.

Here’s the truth: if you want to be good at programming you’re gonna have to struggle, at least at the beginning. Yes, I freaking died this quarter. I got stuck a lot. I struggled to keep up with assignments and I had to ask for help often. But I have never learned so much from a class at UCLA as this one. By the end of the quarter I really noticed a change in the way I approached problems and how I thought about them.

I know there are a lot of BS classes out there that are hard for no reason and we often find ourselves as students asking, “When the hell am I ever gonna use this?”. But this is NOT one of those classes. R is one of the most desired skills in the job market right now. This class has the potential to provide more internship opportunities, job opportunities, and higher salaries. That might sound dramatic, but proficiency in R and data analysis really is so high in demand for all industries right now. And the better you get at approaching difficult problems the better you will do in stats/ programming interviews. Classes like this one is what makes our tuition money worth it.

Also, this class isn’t a weader. It became more difficult because they wanted to better prepare students for upper division statistics courses and teach them more.

If you’re taking this class, don’t be afraid, especially of Jake. Go to office hours and don’t be intimidated by Michael or Jake after the first office hour session. Yes you’ll have to dedicate a lot of time to this class, but you will learn a lot. If I could finish this class, then anyone at UCLA can. I am really happy I took this class.