EE BIOL M171
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COURSE TAKEN: LS 1 Fall 2015 Grading Scheme: *Midterm 1 - 200 points *Midterm 2 - 200 points *Final - 200 points Demonstrations - 180 points Participation - 120 points Total - 900 points *The better grade, either Midterm 1 or the section on the final, or Midterm 2 or the section on the final, will be the score that is counted Professor Alfaro: Alfaro isn't really that effective of a professor. His voice can be annoying and he tries to be funny, and he doesn't really go over concepts well. A lot of lecture time was spent on in-class participation, which weren't that helpful and would've better be spent going over concepts more in-depthly. His lecture slides were very disorganized. He would upload them before lecture and he'd never finish all of the slides he was hoping to cover. I recommend just paying attention in class and filling in the blanks with what he says. TA Jeffrey Lee: He's pretty nice and a bit awkward, but a cool TA. Demos were kind of pointless, but he made them not totally horrible. In regards to his effectiveness in helping teach class concepts, I'm not sure, but he made demo concepts clear enough. Midterm 1 Grade: 159/200 | 29/35 The first midterm took everybody by surprise. It is comprised of 50 multiple choice questions. He put very tricky questions on the midterm and I felt like he didn't prepare us well enough to do well on it. However, I did a little better on his portion of the final, which was 35 multiple choice questions, so that replaced my midterm score. I was a little pissed to find that he used a lot of the same questions he gave on the midterm. So I recommend going to your TA after midterm grades are up to go over the answer key. Midterm 2 Grade: 192/192 | 0/33 I was really confident going into the second midterm, I was very sure of almost all of my answers and left knowing I did nearly perfect. Lloyd-Smith is a really great professor and he prepared us well to take his midterm. He is also really fair with grading as he took out some questions some students said were confusingly worded. I didn't bother looking at his section on the final, 35 multiple choice again, since I got a 100% on the midterm. But I heard from a friend that the questions were harder. I recommend just paying good attention in lecture and writing good notes. In studying, I found that I understood the concepts well enough through lecture that I didn't need to go over them too much later on. Final Grade: 42/50 Yeh is very soft-spoken, so I recommend sitting closer to the front, though she tries her best to keep the microphone loud enough. The final was 50 multiple choice questions, but there was no way to replace this score, so you only got one shot. Yen's lectures were a bit boring, as she's a bit monotone and goes quite slow, but the content was easier to grasp I feel. The questions on the final were fair I think. Demonstrations Grade: 193/200 In demo you'd have in-class assignments to be turned in at the end of the class, and then take-home assignments, which include worksheets, short papers, etcetera. They were all a little bs, but they're easy to do. You may get knocked off a few points for small things, but overall, they're fine. Participation Grade: 42/43 There were five participations each section, so fifteen total, and you were allowed to miss two of them. Alfaro had all in-class ones, Lloyd-Smith and Yeh both had a mix. The latter two were better with keeping in-class participations shorter. But their outside participations were longer than the in-class ones, especially Lloyd-Smith's, which was a bit annoying. But they're not graded intensely, so as long as you do them basically, you'll get credit. There was also a participation grade for demos, but I barely participated, if at all, and I only got one less point. Overall Grade: A- Overall I think this is a decent crop of professors to take LS 1 with, if only for Lloyd-Smith. The course material isn't too difficult, and the exams were kind of stupid but doable. I was expecting an A, but I guess I'll be content with an A-.
COURSE TAKEN: LS 1 Fall 2015 Grading Scheme: *Midterm 1 - 200 points *Midterm 2 - 200 points *Final - 200 points Demonstrations - 180 points Participation - 120 points Total - 900 points *The better grade, either Midterm 1 or the section on the final, or Midterm 2 or the section on the final, will be the score that is counted Professor Alfaro: Alfaro isn't really that effective of a professor. His voice can be annoying and he tries to be funny, and he doesn't really go over concepts well. A lot of lecture time was spent on in-class participation, which weren't that helpful and would've better be spent going over concepts more in-depthly. His lecture slides were very disorganized. He would upload them before lecture and he'd never finish all of the slides he was hoping to cover. I recommend just paying attention in class and filling in the blanks with what he says. TA Jeffrey Lee: He's pretty nice and a bit awkward, but a cool TA. Demos were kind of pointless, but he made them not totally horrible. In regards to his effectiveness in helping teach class concepts, I'm not sure, but he made demo concepts clear enough. Midterm 1 Grade: 159/200 | 29/35 The first midterm took everybody by surprise. It is comprised of 50 multiple choice questions. He put very tricky questions on the midterm and I felt like he didn't prepare us well enough to do well on it. However, I did a little better on his portion of the final, which was 35 multiple choice questions, so that replaced my midterm score. I was a little pissed to find that he used a lot of the same questions he gave on the midterm. So I recommend going to your TA after midterm grades are up to go over the answer key. Midterm 2 Grade: 192/192 | 0/33 I was really confident going into the second midterm, I was very sure of almost all of my answers and left knowing I did nearly perfect. Lloyd-Smith is a really great professor and he prepared us well to take his midterm. He is also really fair with grading as he took out some questions some students said were confusingly worded. I didn't bother looking at his section on the final, 35 multiple choice again, since I got a 100% on the midterm. But I heard from a friend that the questions were harder. I recommend just paying good attention in lecture and writing good notes. In studying, I found that I understood the concepts well enough through lecture that I didn't need to go over them too much later on. Final Grade: 42/50 Yeh is very soft-spoken, so I recommend sitting closer to the front, though she tries her best to keep the microphone loud enough. The final was 50 multiple choice questions, but there was no way to replace this score, so you only got one shot. Yen's lectures were a bit boring, as she's a bit monotone and goes quite slow, but the content was easier to grasp I feel. The questions on the final were fair I think. Demonstrations Grade: 193/200 In demo you'd have in-class assignments to be turned in at the end of the class, and then take-home assignments, which include worksheets, short papers, etcetera. They were all a little bs, but they're easy to do. You may get knocked off a few points for small things, but overall, they're fine. Participation Grade: 42/43 There were five participations each section, so fifteen total, and you were allowed to miss two of them. Alfaro had all in-class ones, Lloyd-Smith and Yeh both had a mix. The latter two were better with keeping in-class participations shorter. But their outside participations were longer than the in-class ones, especially Lloyd-Smith's, which was a bit annoying. But they're not graded intensely, so as long as you do them basically, you'll get credit. There was also a participation grade for demos, but I barely participated, if at all, and I only got one less point. Overall Grade: A- Overall I think this is a decent crop of professors to take LS 1 with, if only for Lloyd-Smith. The course material isn't too difficult, and the exams were kind of stupid but doable. I was expecting an A, but I guess I'll be content with an A-.
Most Helpful Review
The bitch sucks. I took her because she didnt have an eval online. Dont be fooled by her slender looks and nice smile. Theres a demon inside that tiny body. Shes mean and her exams are hard. In a class with no curve, you will die in a scenario like this. DO NOT TAKE HER OR DO LS1 at all. all these professors suck
The bitch sucks. I took her because she didnt have an eval online. Dont be fooled by her slender looks and nice smile. Theres a demon inside that tiny body. Shes mean and her exams are hard. In a class with no curve, you will die in a scenario like this. DO NOT TAKE HER OR DO LS1 at all. all these professors suck
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Most Helpful Review
COURSE TAKEN: LS 1 Fall 2015 Grading Scheme: *Midterm 1 - 200 points *Midterm 2 - 200 points *Final - 200 points Demonstrations - 180 points Participation - 120 points Total - 900 points *The better grade, either Midterm 1 or the section on the final, or Midterm 2 or the section on the final, will be the score that is counted Professor Lloyd-Smith: Lloyd-Smith is an amazing professor! He really knows how to concisely, yet effectively, explain content. His powerpoints were always well organized, and he almost always completed every slide in lecture, unlike Alfaro. He has a bit of dry humor, but he has bouts of hilarity in class. His voice can be dry also, but it isn't too difficult to pay attention in class. TA Jeffrey Lee: He's pretty nice and a bit awkward, but a cool TA. Demos were kind of pointless, but he made them not totally horrible. In regards to his effectiveness in helping teach class concepts, I'm not sure, but he made demo concepts clear enough. Midterm 1 Grade: 159/200 | 29/35 The first midterm took everybody by surprise. It is comprised of 50 multiple choice questions. He put very tricky questions on the midterm and I felt like he didn't prepare us well enough to do well on it. He included questions on readings in the book, so read those assigned sections. However, I did a little better on his portion of the final, which was 35 multiple choice questions, so that replaced my midterm score. I was a little pissed to find that he used a lot of the same questions he gave on the midterm. So I recommend going to your TA after midterm grades are up to go over the answer key. Midterm 2 Grade: 192/192 | 0/33 I was really confident going into the second midterm, I was very sure of almost all of my answers and left knowing I did nearly perfect. Lloyd-Smith is a really great professor and he prepared us well to take his midterm. He didn't really include any content on readings, but there were a couple random ones on demo content. He is also really fair with grading as he took out some questions some students said were confusingly worded. I didn't bother looking at his section on the final, 35 multiple choice again, since I got a 100% on the midterm. But I heard from a friend that the questions were harder. I recommend just paying good attention in lecture and writing good notes. In studying, I found that I understood the concepts well enough through lecture that I didn't need to go over them too much later on. Final Grade: 42/50 Yeh is very soft-spoken, so I recommend sitting closer to the front, though she tries her best to keep the microphone loud enough. The final was 50 multiple choice questions, but there was no way to replace this score, so you only got one shot. Yeh's lectures were a bit boring, as she's a bit monotone and goes quite slow, but the content was easier to grasp I feel. The questions on the final were fair I think. Demonstrations Grade: 193/200 In demo you'd have in-class assignments to be turned in at the end of the class, and then take-home assignments, which include worksheets, short papers, etcetera. They were all a little bs, but they're easy to do. You may get knocked off a few points for small things, but overall, they're fine. Participation Grade: 42/43 There were five participations each section, so fifteen total, and you were allowed to miss two of them. Alfaro had all in-class ones, Lloyd-Smith and Yeh both had a mix. The latter two were better with keeping in-class participations shorter. But their outside participations were longer than the in-class ones, especially Lloyd-Smith's, which was a bit annoying. But they're not graded intensely, so as long as you do them basically, you'll get credit. There was also a participation grade for demos, but I barely participated, if at all, and I only got one less point. Overall Grade: A- Overall I think this is a decent crop of professors to take LS 1 with, if only for Lloyd-Smith. The course material isn't too difficult, and the exams were kind of stupid but doable. I was expecting an A, but I guess I'll be content with an A-.
COURSE TAKEN: LS 1 Fall 2015 Grading Scheme: *Midterm 1 - 200 points *Midterm 2 - 200 points *Final - 200 points Demonstrations - 180 points Participation - 120 points Total - 900 points *The better grade, either Midterm 1 or the section on the final, or Midterm 2 or the section on the final, will be the score that is counted Professor Lloyd-Smith: Lloyd-Smith is an amazing professor! He really knows how to concisely, yet effectively, explain content. His powerpoints were always well organized, and he almost always completed every slide in lecture, unlike Alfaro. He has a bit of dry humor, but he has bouts of hilarity in class. His voice can be dry also, but it isn't too difficult to pay attention in class. TA Jeffrey Lee: He's pretty nice and a bit awkward, but a cool TA. Demos were kind of pointless, but he made them not totally horrible. In regards to his effectiveness in helping teach class concepts, I'm not sure, but he made demo concepts clear enough. Midterm 1 Grade: 159/200 | 29/35 The first midterm took everybody by surprise. It is comprised of 50 multiple choice questions. He put very tricky questions on the midterm and I felt like he didn't prepare us well enough to do well on it. He included questions on readings in the book, so read those assigned sections. However, I did a little better on his portion of the final, which was 35 multiple choice questions, so that replaced my midterm score. I was a little pissed to find that he used a lot of the same questions he gave on the midterm. So I recommend going to your TA after midterm grades are up to go over the answer key. Midterm 2 Grade: 192/192 | 0/33 I was really confident going into the second midterm, I was very sure of almost all of my answers and left knowing I did nearly perfect. Lloyd-Smith is a really great professor and he prepared us well to take his midterm. He didn't really include any content on readings, but there were a couple random ones on demo content. He is also really fair with grading as he took out some questions some students said were confusingly worded. I didn't bother looking at his section on the final, 35 multiple choice again, since I got a 100% on the midterm. But I heard from a friend that the questions were harder. I recommend just paying good attention in lecture and writing good notes. In studying, I found that I understood the concepts well enough through lecture that I didn't need to go over them too much later on. Final Grade: 42/50 Yeh is very soft-spoken, so I recommend sitting closer to the front, though she tries her best to keep the microphone loud enough. The final was 50 multiple choice questions, but there was no way to replace this score, so you only got one shot. Yeh's lectures were a bit boring, as she's a bit monotone and goes quite slow, but the content was easier to grasp I feel. The questions on the final were fair I think. Demonstrations Grade: 193/200 In demo you'd have in-class assignments to be turned in at the end of the class, and then take-home assignments, which include worksheets, short papers, etcetera. They were all a little bs, but they're easy to do. You may get knocked off a few points for small things, but overall, they're fine. Participation Grade: 42/43 There were five participations each section, so fifteen total, and you were allowed to miss two of them. Alfaro had all in-class ones, Lloyd-Smith and Yeh both had a mix. The latter two were better with keeping in-class participations shorter. But their outside participations were longer than the in-class ones, especially Lloyd-Smith's, which was a bit annoying. But they're not graded intensely, so as long as you do them basically, you'll get credit. There was also a participation grade for demos, but I barely participated, if at all, and I only got one less point. Overall Grade: A- Overall I think this is a decent crop of professors to take LS 1 with, if only for Lloyd-Smith. The course material isn't too difficult, and the exams were kind of stupid but doable. I was expecting an A, but I guess I'll be content with an A-.
Most Helpful Review
I was astounded when I read about her background; she is truly amazing. However, her lectures were a tad on the dull side. You could sense that she is really passionate about what she was teaching but it just wouldn't come across effectively. When she lectured EPSS 3, she made sure to put up her presentations in the class websites, which were very helpful if you can't make class for any reason.
I was astounded when I read about her background; she is truly amazing. However, her lectures were a tad on the dull side. You could sense that she is really passionate about what she was teaching but it just wouldn't come across effectively. When she lectured EPSS 3, she made sure to put up her presentations in the class websites, which were very helpful if you can't make class for any reason.
Most Helpful Review
I took EEB 109 with this professor in Fall 2014. I have NO IDEA what these other reviews are talking about because this man is one of my favorite professors at UCLA. Yes his tests were hard, but if you really study the material they are entirely doable, and the difficulty is not atypical of biology classes here. The grading system is very clear at the beginning of the class and is what is used by the other marine bio professor as well, so no plus/minuses, but the TAs can be lenient if you show effort. The articles you have to read for discussion aren't very long, and the quizzes are straightforward if you've read. The first midterm was hard, but he made the second midterm and final much clearer and more straightforward and offered 3% extra credit total for your grade. Unlike other biology classes, he doesn't make you answer a bunch of useless questions about the names of fish species and such, although you will have to know the general characteristics of a few types of plankton, for example. he takes the time to get to know his students if you make an effort, and at the end of the class the grade distribution was more forgiving than it has been for many other bio classes (over 25% A).
I took EEB 109 with this professor in Fall 2014. I have NO IDEA what these other reviews are talking about because this man is one of my favorite professors at UCLA. Yes his tests were hard, but if you really study the material they are entirely doable, and the difficulty is not atypical of biology classes here. The grading system is very clear at the beginning of the class and is what is used by the other marine bio professor as well, so no plus/minuses, but the TAs can be lenient if you show effort. The articles you have to read for discussion aren't very long, and the quizzes are straightforward if you've read. The first midterm was hard, but he made the second midterm and final much clearer and more straightforward and offered 3% extra credit total for your grade. Unlike other biology classes, he doesn't make you answer a bunch of useless questions about the names of fish species and such, although you will have to know the general characteristics of a few types of plankton, for example. he takes the time to get to know his students if you make an effort, and at the end of the class the grade distribution was more forgiving than it has been for many other bio classes (over 25% A).
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