schriver is an angel, his tests are very simple and fair and he gives a formula sheet for each which has any formula you could possibly need for the test (without giving any formulas you don't need). there were weekly homework assignments (8 total) which had 10 questions each. they're pretty straightforward and you get 10 attempts per question, with no deduction for each attempt. even when schriver's tests were a bit harder than normal, they made up for it by offering insanely generous partial credit. the final exam was not cumulative so it just covered between midterm 2 and week 10's content. overall, i would say it is difficult to get anything But an a in this class, he really wants you to succeed and the exams are exactly like his class review sessions (which he does during the regularly scheduled lecture). he also cancelled a lot of lectures which was nice.

attendance in discussion is optional, the ta basically just goes over a couple problems and then the rest of the time is used for homework questions. you can also attend any other discussion time even if you are not enrolled in it. no attendance is taken and it was in a big room so it was very easy to attend a different section if needed.

labs were sometimes kind of confusing in terms of the steps you had to follow and the computer programs but the LAs and TA should help you, and my TA at least was a very lenient grader so i never lost any points on anything even if it wasn't 100% accurate. but that's TA dependent i guess.

10/10 professor.
labs are so easy, but that depends on your TA. The tests were simple and he provides a formula sheet for every one. He is very understanding with homework and delays deadlines. He cancels a few classes too which is great.
Grade:
2 midterms
final
homework
lab

I cannot recommend Professor Schriver enough. When I transferred to UCLA, I was really scared of taking the Physics series. He took over when I had McKeown at the beginning of the quarter and I didn't know what to think, but he made the content of mechanics so easy to understand. His practice exams are very, very similar to the actual midterm, which was only 4 questions with multiple parts. I am usually someone that struggles with managing my time on midterms, but I was out within 30-40 minutes. Also, the final was not cumulative and lectures were not mandatory. I didn't go to class except to take exams and did completely fine. I also watched all of the lectures and crammed last minute and scored a 96 on the second midterm (first was with McKeown) and a 100 on the final.

TLDR; TAKE this professor if you want to do good in physics and actually be interested in it.

Highly recommend you take Schriver especially if you have little to no previous background in physics. As someone who struggled with physics in high school, he made the content easy to learn. He's also super accommodating, especially since he started teaching us in Week 4. The midterm and the final was exactly like the actual exam, he only changed a couple of numbers. HW was light, and consisted of only 10 questions per week. He is also the sweetest professor I've ever had and truly cares about students' success.

Schriver made the content in 5A so easy that I was completely confused as to how other profs could make the class sound like the hardest lower-div in existence. I definitely recommend taking him if you can get a spot. Grading was weekly homework (10 questions each), two easy midterms, and an easy final (non-cumulative for my quarter, idk about other quarters).

SCHRIVER IS A UCLA TREASURE. this quarter, he started teaching us during week 4 due to professor changes but he was extremely understanding and attentive to all of his students. you can genuinely tell how much he cares about his students. each friday he'd dedicate 2 hours for office hours and was always willing to answer questions after lecture, and his midterms and final reflected that. there was no overcomplicated conceptual question or very tedious conversions. he is very straightforward and to the point, which i absolutely loved. i hated physics in high school but this course was really fun for me and i recommend 5a with him!! do not be afraid of this class!

I believe Professor Schriver is a professor very concerned about our learning and as such is very organized and has a structure to his course. Super fair and if we attend lecture and study the homework we will be fine.

Given that the professor came midway through (we had McKeown at first), I thought he did an amazing job transitioning and being accommodating. All expectations were clear, homework was consistent, and the exam was fair and very forgiving. Always offering help at office hours and the lecture is clear/examples of problems are well explained. Honestly, as someone who took physics in high school and didn't enjoy it, I understand the concepts much better now and do really find it interesting. Super thankful that he ended up teaching instead of McKeown. Go to his lectures!! Profesor Schriver is the reason I wake up at 7 to go to my 8am!!

I absolutely LOVED this class under Professor Schriver. I’m a soft stem major (environmental science) and I was terrified for this class because I don’t have a math-oriented brain. David makes it so simple and straightforward that I was able to end with an A+, despite the fact that I’m not really an A student at UCLA. I’m a huge procrastinator and usually this ends badly for me but I was able to learn all the material I needed the day before each of the exams. I just used the provided practice problems and learned how to do them as I solved them, and in doing that I learned everything necessary. Another huge plus of taking Schriver: he provides all necessary formulas on tests, no memorization needed! He says it’s not about proving who can memorize the most stuff, it’s about showing that you know how to use formulas effectively. I wish every class was like that. He genuinely cares about student learning despite the sheer volume of students he teaches each quarter; a testament to his character. If you have to take this series or really any physics class in your time at UCLA, take it with Schriver. You won’t regret it.

This professor is an absolute gem.