Dr. van Veen is a super engaging lecturer who goes at his own pace- what he covers in the class is what the exam will be on. All tests are open note, and usually you can finish within an hour. A few of the classes are discussion based, where you read a paper and then as a class, go through it (mainly by examining figures). He only cares if you participate, but the papers are usually engaging enough that you want to talk through it. Even asking questions about things you didn't understand is good for participation. Highly recommend taking this class and C127 in the same quarter.

This class was great! First off, it is a super doable class in terms of workload and content. It basically synthesizes a lot of different perspectives in neuroendocrinology as Van Veen brings in guest lectures for the majority of the course. In terms of structure, the class has the following components.
2 Problem sets (40% of grade, 20% each) these are take home past exams that can be completed with other people
10% Discussion section participation
15% Open-Note In-Person Midterm
20% Open-Note In-Person Final
10% for a presentation on an infographic that you make in a large group on a topic chosen by the grad students also in this course
5% for questions to ask about other group's presentations
Class are recorded too and attendance is not mandatory

The course is very doable and honestly super interesting. The TAs Sherwin and Nathan were both super helpful and hosted review sessions before the exams. The tests were very low-stress as many people printed all their notes or even all the class slides to use on the exams. I found the content to be fairly comprehensive and the insight from many of the physiology department professors was refreshing. Overall, I would highly recommend this course as one of the best upper div electives you can take and Van Veen is a wonderful professor!