Best professor possible for 165A... take it with her and no one else if you can!

LOCKDOWN BROWSER + WEBCAM RECORDING REQUIRED FOR EXAMS NOW. No notes. She records lectures. Discussion sections are optional. A lot of extra credit opportunities.

This class is so cool because it has so many applications to real-life and the lab setting. You learn about real techniques that are used in a research lab. The professor is so supportive and knowledgeable about the material. She is able to answer any question you may have and is really invested in our well-being.

3 quizzes - 25% (online)
They ranged from 12-20 questions and were a mix of multiple choice and FRQs.

2 Midterms (20% and 25%).
They ranged from 15-20 questions and were also multiple choice and FRQs.

Final (30%)
Our final had 11 questions with half being multiple choice and half FRQs.

This class is kind of a lot so I don’t recommend taking it if you have a heavy course load. It is kind of a flipped classroom model where the professor posts background videos to watch before coming to lecture and expands on the concepts in lecture as well. You will also be expected to read 5 research papers throughout the quarter and the figures will be expanded on in the class. They are tested in all of the exams so make sure you know the figures really well. All of the exams are closed notes since webcam is required. She provides past exams and quizzes so you can get a feel for how she likes to ask questions. She provides a lot of study and prep material for everything so you feel supported.

I will say that sometimes this class felt like a lot for me. There were many weeks where we had a quiz one week and then a midterm immediately the next week and then another quiz the following week. However, there are a lot of extra credit opportunities to boost your grade. A lot of material is covered in lecture and the background videos so to be tested every week is a lot especially with other classes. Despite this, I truly learned a lot and recommend the class.

This has been one of my favorite classes at UCLA thus far. I found the class content to be extremely interesting. The exams can be challenging because you really have to engage with the course readings and lectures to do well. Dr. Coller is an amazing professor who truly cares about student learning. She is passionate about what she does. If you have the chance to take a course with her, DO IT! You will not regret it (:

Okay if you have to take this class for the MCDB major or you're looking for an upper div elective, you should take this class but only if Coller is teaching it. She's a really good professor and the material is pretty new so it takes a while to adjust to it. This class is based around like 5 research papers, and she goes over everything with you during class. Exams were online and open-note and unlimited time (it was due 11:59 sunday but you could open it on Thursday night). I went to her office hours a couple times and she is very patient and understanding and clear. She gives a lot of partial credit too. Overall, Coller is a great professor. She is extremely intelligent and organized and nice. Take this class with her if you can.

Amazing class! Your grade is dependent on 3 quizzes (25%), 2 midterms (20+25%), and 1 final exam (30%), with the lowest quiz score being dropped. You can also get up to 5 points extra credit on all the midterms and final. All the exams are take-home and you get Thursday evening through Monday early morning to complete them (final was like Sunday through Wednesday of finals week). Discussions are not mandatory, but they go over exam answers in them. BruinLearn site has all slides, past exams to use for reference. Textbook is really not necessary. Lectures are engaging and informative, and are posted on Bruincast, attendance is not mandatory. There really isn't any homework except watching a 30ish min background video weekly and reading 6 research papers throughout the quarter. Overall, getting an A in this class is very doable and all the experimental techniques that are gone over are very relevant in any molecular/cellular biology setting, would highly recommend taking this w/ Coller (she seems to teach every spring)