Professor

Joseph Esdin

AD
4.2
Overall Ratings
Based on 593 Users
Easiness 3.4 / 5 How easy the class is, 1 being extremely difficult and 5 being easy peasy.
Workload 3.5 / 5 How light the workload is, 1 being extremely heavy and 5 being extremely light.
Clarity 4.1 / 5 How clear the professor is, 1 being extremely unclear and 5 being very clear.
Helpfulness 4.1 / 5 How helpful the professor is, 1 being not helpful at all and 5 being extremely helpful.

Reviews (593)

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Nov. 10, 2023
Quarter: Spring 2023
Grade: A

Definitely take this Class, you wont regret it! The class is made up of about 5 quizzes, a project that you will submit at the end of the quarter, a midterm and a final. The project consists of you tracking your caloric intake as well as physical activity. Don't worry tho, its super easy and the TA will guide you along the entire process throughout the quarter but that doesn't mean you should leave it for last minute tho. The midterm exam was online (meaning you didn't have to show up to lecture to take it and could take it in the comfort of your own home). The test consisted of multiple choice questions, and to study the textbook was very useful, especially using the practice question given at the end of the chapters. Prof will also do a review session to help give u an understanding of what to expect. The final exam was also online and not proctored. You did need to attend class to receive your attendance points but if for any reason you had to miss lectures were recorded and posted on bruinlearn. A few opportunities for extra credit were available throughout the quarter that were basically mini surveys.
I would take this class again and i definitely recommend you to take it :)

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Sept. 21, 2023
Quarter: Summer 2023
Grade: A+

I took this class during the summer of 2023, and I would highly recommend it! Dr. Esdin is an amazing professor who tries to make the material as easy to understand as possible. He never rushed through the material, even if we were running out of time. If we don't finish the material required for that day, he would just post some prerecorded lectures on the remaining material. He made sure to give us a break during class, and was always willing to answer any questions you had about the class/material during or after class. For lab, I had Ingrid as my TA, and she was one of the best TAs that I've had at UCLA. She is very nice, and makes lab as easy and straightforward as possible. During lab, we were often asked if we wanted breaks throughout, especially when lab was right after lecture. Both Dr. Esdin and Ingrid were amazing people who wanted their students to succeed!

During lecture, we never stayed the full three hours. Dr. Esdin lectures for an hour, gives a 10ish minute break, followed by another 45min to 1hr lecture. Labs were straightforward with most of them being online simulations through PhysioEX. We never stayed the full six hours during lab, and instead only stayed around two or three hours.

The class grade was comprised of 2 exams (midterm & final), 2 in class quizzes, weekly lab quizzes, lab uploads, and lab write-ups. The lab quizzes were very easy, and it was not difficult to do well as long as you did the online labs. The lab uploads were just PDF uploads of the PhysioEX labs that show that you finished the required exercises. They are graded on completion. The lab write-ups were just a series of questions about that week's PhysioEX and/or in class lab exercises. These were not very difficult, however, some of them, especially the last one, were kind of tedious but not bad overall. The in class quizzes were 12-13 questions that were based on lecture material from a specific chapter that Dr. Esdin will decide on. These quizzes were specific, and detail oriented, so you need to have a very good understanding of the chapter to do well on them. Finally, the midterm and final exam. They were a mix of short answer, fill in the blank, T/F, and multiple choice. These weren't as specific as the quizzes, but there were occasional trick questions on both. The midterm and final are both very fair as long as you studied and understood the material well.

This class was definitely one of the easier 6 unit classes that I've taken here at UCLA (keep in mind that this was the only class I took during C session). If you can keep up with the material and study a little bit every day, you should be able to get a good grade in the class. I would highly recommend it for those interested in the body systems or those who need it for graduate/professional school, especially those who are pre-veterinary students!

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Sept. 20, 2023
Quarter: Summer 2023
Grade: A-

Dr. Esdin and the TA Ingrid Cely were amazing! I took this class along with another lab class while I was working, and I found it all to be very manageable.

Lecture:
To start with the actual course content, it was definitely not easy, but not too hard at all -- the key is to study the material after every lecture!! You'll fall behind quickly if you don't. Attendance was mandatory which wasn't a problem because it helps keep you accountable for the material. Although MyUCLA gives a longer time period for lecture, Dr. Esdin broke it down into two 50-minute sections with a 10 minute break in between. I found this to be the perfect amount of time to focus and a manageable amount of course content per day.

Exams/quizzes:
There are two exams that are both midterms. I found the first to be easier than the second content-wise, but the grading is very fair as long as you study! I definitely recommend creating study groups because it makes a difference. Also use Anki :) The quizzes were very straightforward just like the exams, and they were helpful because then you had one less topic to study for the actual exams. Also, the study guides that Professor Esdin posted before exams were really helpful.

Lab:
The lab section never lasts as long as it says on MyUCLA. It consisted of a prepared course material slideshow, potentially a lab activity, and then online lab simulations. Ingrid, the TA, was always very prepared and knew the content really well. I had the lab after lecture, so it was definitely a lot to have both on the same day, but Ingrid is kind, helpful, and fun so that made a big difference. Homework consisted of finishing the lab activities and doing a write-up based off of them. I found the lab activities to be only a little helpful, but the write-ups were really nice to have.

Overall:
This was one of my favorite classes taken at UCLA. Even if you're not particularly interested in the material, Dr. Esdin and Ingrid are both helpful, funny, and clearly care about the students. I highly recommend the course!!

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Sept. 19, 2023
Quarter: Summer 2023
Grade: A

I didn’t think I was going to enjoy this class nearly as much as I did. I didn’t learn 7C content very well the first time around so I was initially a little intimated, but with the structure of the course, well prepared lectures, the Professor, and TA, it was a super great experience where I was able to genuinely learn really well. The class is a lot of work and goes by quickly, but if you make a point to stay on it, it is doable (for reverence I took another class + worked part time and still did okay). Dr. Esdin was a fantastic professor. You could tell how passionate he was about the course, he always made the lectures interesting, and was very considerate as he made sure he wasn’t excessively overwhelming us with content. Since it was a lot of content, he also helped guide us in the right direction before exams which was very helpful. The TA, Ingrid Cely, was also so incredible and was always extremely willing to help in anyway to help you understand the content better. She prepared the lab sections super well and it helped solidify lecture content too.

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Sept. 14, 2023
Quarter: Summer 2023
Grade: A

I just took this course this summer and would highly recommend it. Professor Esdin is a great professor and just a great guy. He is really passionate about the material and really cares about his students. The material is not easy so you will have to put the work in, but that is what you are signing up for. Also, don't be intimidated by the long lab because it ends very early and is mostly online!

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Aug. 9, 2023
Quarter: Summer 2023
Grade: A

Big fan of Esdin. His lectures were super interesting and engaging. He made learning a lot about particular diseases easy and manageable. The biggest difficulty I had with the class was with exams. Sometimes he would provide quizzes where I felt I could have benefited from a slightly longer
time. His exams were also difficult in the sense that he has a bank of questions and sometimes the questions correspond to details he never mentioned. Because of that you really have to grind for your grade. Workload was super manageable. The paper was interesting and doesn’t require too much time.

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Aug. 5, 2023
Quarter: Summer 2023
Grade: A-

Dr. Esdin is probably one of the best lecturers at UCLA! This class is pretty fast paced, but it's basically
a continuation of 111B. A lot of the material should honestly just be review if you take this class the summer after finishing the PHYSCI core series. However, even if you're taking this at the end of your senior year, it should still be manageable. Dr. Esdin is great at teaching the material and is very clear at explaining topics. He also loves to try and make the lectures entertaining so the lectures aren't too boring to get through. However, the lectures are not recorded unless he specifically says he'll post a video after class ends (so make sure to come to class). The exams were somewhat difficult but were multiple-choice and online. There is no homework, but there are 5 quizzes based on papers that you read (similar to 111A/111B) and 2 lecture quizzes. There is also a research paper (8-10 pages) assigned week 2. He gives everyone their topics randomly and its due on the final week of class. The paper is pretty chill and I personally thought the research was actually pretty fun! Overall, the class is really insightful and applicable to real life. Its really interesting so take this class if you actually want to learn something cool and if you want to have a pretty chill summer.

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Aug. 2, 2023
Quarter: Summer 2023
Grade: A

Professor Esdin has been one of my favorite Professors at UCLA. This class in particular was invaluable as it covered very applicable lifestyle interventions to combat the cumulative/progressive nature of cardiovascular diseases. The subject matter was personal and engaging and his lecturing is definitely a strong suit. Readings and material was all relevant and the class was overall pretty awesome. I'm a bit partial since metabolism, diet, exercise, etc was already interesting to me, but I commuted to this 8am class (~1hr) and always felt interested. I think had the Professor been different that wouldn't be the case.

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July 31, 2023
Quarter: Summer 2023
Grade: A-

Dr. Esdin is one of the best professors at UCLA and I thoroughly enjoyed taking this class, even if it meant I had to wake up at 5 AM to get there by 8 AM as a commuter. I think the material is the most directly correlated course with real-life application and learning about how these diseases are caused and managed really enlightened my perspective on my own life. Overall the class consists of weekly (5 in total) research paper quizzes, 2 lecture quizzes (read the questions carefully, I have made dumb mistakes), 1 final research paper, a midterm, and a final (not cumulative). The workload is manageable if you are only taking this class, I studied about 2-5 hours a day, and 10 hours a day before exams, and did relatively well. Paper quizzes are occasionally loaded with DENSE questions but can also be full of easy ones, all depending on which end of the question pool you get. The research paper is on a subject he randomly assigns to you, and the goal is that he wants you to learn the most from the paper rather than just regurgitating to fill up the word count. In its entirety, you will enjoy the class and Esdin definitely makes the lecture worth your while (he's a funny guy!). The best recommendation would be to keep your 111B notes for the Cardiovasc and Liver/Kidney modules, they will be useful. Hope this helps!

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July 31, 2023
Quarter: Summer 2023
Grade: A

Dr. Esdin is by far one of the coolest professors you’ll get in the PhySci department. He is clear and knowledgeable on the material, which makes grasping it easier. He makes everything you learn about apply to real life situations which really helps with peaking your interest in the class. Not to mention he’s funny and doesn’t let you get bored with the info. Esdin is also pretty understanding and if the class seems tired he lets you go early and posts the remainder of the lecture as a video on canvas. The exams were tough (34 questions, 50 minutes) because at times it didn’t feel like there was necessarily one clean answer, but if you study well and know your stuff you’ll do well. Our midterm average was an 85%.

Even if you’re not interested in the class I’d say take it just because Esdin is great.

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PHYSCI 5
Quarter: Spring 2023
Grade: A
Nov. 10, 2023

Definitely take this Class, you wont regret it! The class is made up of about 5 quizzes, a project that you will submit at the end of the quarter, a midterm and a final. The project consists of you tracking your caloric intake as well as physical activity. Don't worry tho, its super easy and the TA will guide you along the entire process throughout the quarter but that doesn't mean you should leave it for last minute tho. The midterm exam was online (meaning you didn't have to show up to lecture to take it and could take it in the comfort of your own home). The test consisted of multiple choice questions, and to study the textbook was very useful, especially using the practice question given at the end of the chapters. Prof will also do a review session to help give u an understanding of what to expect. The final exam was also online and not proctored. You did need to attend class to receive your attendance points but if for any reason you had to miss lectures were recorded and posted on bruinlearn. A few opportunities for extra credit were available throughout the quarter that were basically mini surveys.
I would take this class again and i definitely recommend you to take it :)

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PHYSCI 166
Quarter: Summer 2023
Grade: A+
Sept. 21, 2023

I took this class during the summer of 2023, and I would highly recommend it! Dr. Esdin is an amazing professor who tries to make the material as easy to understand as possible. He never rushed through the material, even if we were running out of time. If we don't finish the material required for that day, he would just post some prerecorded lectures on the remaining material. He made sure to give us a break during class, and was always willing to answer any questions you had about the class/material during or after class. For lab, I had Ingrid as my TA, and she was one of the best TAs that I've had at UCLA. She is very nice, and makes lab as easy and straightforward as possible. During lab, we were often asked if we wanted breaks throughout, especially when lab was right after lecture. Both Dr. Esdin and Ingrid were amazing people who wanted their students to succeed!

During lecture, we never stayed the full three hours. Dr. Esdin lectures for an hour, gives a 10ish minute break, followed by another 45min to 1hr lecture. Labs were straightforward with most of them being online simulations through PhysioEX. We never stayed the full six hours during lab, and instead only stayed around two or three hours.

The class grade was comprised of 2 exams (midterm & final), 2 in class quizzes, weekly lab quizzes, lab uploads, and lab write-ups. The lab quizzes were very easy, and it was not difficult to do well as long as you did the online labs. The lab uploads were just PDF uploads of the PhysioEX labs that show that you finished the required exercises. They are graded on completion. The lab write-ups were just a series of questions about that week's PhysioEX and/or in class lab exercises. These were not very difficult, however, some of them, especially the last one, were kind of tedious but not bad overall. The in class quizzes were 12-13 questions that were based on lecture material from a specific chapter that Dr. Esdin will decide on. These quizzes were specific, and detail oriented, so you need to have a very good understanding of the chapter to do well on them. Finally, the midterm and final exam. They were a mix of short answer, fill in the blank, T/F, and multiple choice. These weren't as specific as the quizzes, but there were occasional trick questions on both. The midterm and final are both very fair as long as you studied and understood the material well.

This class was definitely one of the easier 6 unit classes that I've taken here at UCLA (keep in mind that this was the only class I took during C session). If you can keep up with the material and study a little bit every day, you should be able to get a good grade in the class. I would highly recommend it for those interested in the body systems or those who need it for graduate/professional school, especially those who are pre-veterinary students!

Helpful?

0 0 Please log in to provide feedback.
PHYSCI 166
Quarter: Summer 2023
Grade: A-
Sept. 20, 2023

Dr. Esdin and the TA Ingrid Cely were amazing! I took this class along with another lab class while I was working, and I found it all to be very manageable.

Lecture:
To start with the actual course content, it was definitely not easy, but not too hard at all -- the key is to study the material after every lecture!! You'll fall behind quickly if you don't. Attendance was mandatory which wasn't a problem because it helps keep you accountable for the material. Although MyUCLA gives a longer time period for lecture, Dr. Esdin broke it down into two 50-minute sections with a 10 minute break in between. I found this to be the perfect amount of time to focus and a manageable amount of course content per day.

Exams/quizzes:
There are two exams that are both midterms. I found the first to be easier than the second content-wise, but the grading is very fair as long as you study! I definitely recommend creating study groups because it makes a difference. Also use Anki :) The quizzes were very straightforward just like the exams, and they were helpful because then you had one less topic to study for the actual exams. Also, the study guides that Professor Esdin posted before exams were really helpful.

Lab:
The lab section never lasts as long as it says on MyUCLA. It consisted of a prepared course material slideshow, potentially a lab activity, and then online lab simulations. Ingrid, the TA, was always very prepared and knew the content really well. I had the lab after lecture, so it was definitely a lot to have both on the same day, but Ingrid is kind, helpful, and fun so that made a big difference. Homework consisted of finishing the lab activities and doing a write-up based off of them. I found the lab activities to be only a little helpful, but the write-ups were really nice to have.

Overall:
This was one of my favorite classes taken at UCLA. Even if you're not particularly interested in the material, Dr. Esdin and Ingrid are both helpful, funny, and clearly care about the students. I highly recommend the course!!

Helpful?

0 0 Please log in to provide feedback.
PHYSCI 166
Quarter: Summer 2023
Grade: A
Sept. 19, 2023

I didn’t think I was going to enjoy this class nearly as much as I did. I didn’t learn 7C content very well the first time around so I was initially a little intimated, but with the structure of the course, well prepared lectures, the Professor, and TA, it was a super great experience where I was able to genuinely learn really well. The class is a lot of work and goes by quickly, but if you make a point to stay on it, it is doable (for reverence I took another class + worked part time and still did okay). Dr. Esdin was a fantastic professor. You could tell how passionate he was about the course, he always made the lectures interesting, and was very considerate as he made sure he wasn’t excessively overwhelming us with content. Since it was a lot of content, he also helped guide us in the right direction before exams which was very helpful. The TA, Ingrid Cely, was also so incredible and was always extremely willing to help in anyway to help you understand the content better. She prepared the lab sections super well and it helped solidify lecture content too.

Helpful?

0 0 Please log in to provide feedback.
PHYSCI 166
Quarter: Summer 2023
Grade: A
Sept. 14, 2023

I just took this course this summer and would highly recommend it. Professor Esdin is a great professor and just a great guy. He is really passionate about the material and really cares about his students. The material is not easy so you will have to put the work in, but that is what you are signing up for. Also, don't be intimidated by the long lab because it ends very early and is mostly online!

Helpful?

0 0 Please log in to provide feedback.
PHYSCI 136
Quarter: Summer 2023
Grade: A
Aug. 9, 2023

Big fan of Esdin. His lectures were super interesting and engaging. He made learning a lot about particular diseases easy and manageable. The biggest difficulty I had with the class was with exams. Sometimes he would provide quizzes where I felt I could have benefited from a slightly longer
time. His exams were also difficult in the sense that he has a bank of questions and sometimes the questions correspond to details he never mentioned. Because of that you really have to grind for your grade. Workload was super manageable. The paper was interesting and doesn’t require too much time.

Helpful?

0 0 Please log in to provide feedback.
PHYSCI 136
Quarter: Summer 2023
Grade: A-
Aug. 5, 2023

Dr. Esdin is probably one of the best lecturers at UCLA! This class is pretty fast paced, but it's basically
a continuation of 111B. A lot of the material should honestly just be review if you take this class the summer after finishing the PHYSCI core series. However, even if you're taking this at the end of your senior year, it should still be manageable. Dr. Esdin is great at teaching the material and is very clear at explaining topics. He also loves to try and make the lectures entertaining so the lectures aren't too boring to get through. However, the lectures are not recorded unless he specifically says he'll post a video after class ends (so make sure to come to class). The exams were somewhat difficult but were multiple-choice and online. There is no homework, but there are 5 quizzes based on papers that you read (similar to 111A/111B) and 2 lecture quizzes. There is also a research paper (8-10 pages) assigned week 2. He gives everyone their topics randomly and its due on the final week of class. The paper is pretty chill and I personally thought the research was actually pretty fun! Overall, the class is really insightful and applicable to real life. Its really interesting so take this class if you actually want to learn something cool and if you want to have a pretty chill summer.

Helpful?

0 0 Please log in to provide feedback.
PHYSCI 136
Quarter: Summer 2023
Grade: A
Aug. 2, 2023

Professor Esdin has been one of my favorite Professors at UCLA. This class in particular was invaluable as it covered very applicable lifestyle interventions to combat the cumulative/progressive nature of cardiovascular diseases. The subject matter was personal and engaging and his lecturing is definitely a strong suit. Readings and material was all relevant and the class was overall pretty awesome. I'm a bit partial since metabolism, diet, exercise, etc was already interesting to me, but I commuted to this 8am class (~1hr) and always felt interested. I think had the Professor been different that wouldn't be the case.

Helpful?

0 0 Please log in to provide feedback.
PHYSCI 136
Quarter: Summer 2023
Grade: A-
July 31, 2023

Dr. Esdin is one of the best professors at UCLA and I thoroughly enjoyed taking this class, even if it meant I had to wake up at 5 AM to get there by 8 AM as a commuter. I think the material is the most directly correlated course with real-life application and learning about how these diseases are caused and managed really enlightened my perspective on my own life. Overall the class consists of weekly (5 in total) research paper quizzes, 2 lecture quizzes (read the questions carefully, I have made dumb mistakes), 1 final research paper, a midterm, and a final (not cumulative). The workload is manageable if you are only taking this class, I studied about 2-5 hours a day, and 10 hours a day before exams, and did relatively well. Paper quizzes are occasionally loaded with DENSE questions but can also be full of easy ones, all depending on which end of the question pool you get. The research paper is on a subject he randomly assigns to you, and the goal is that he wants you to learn the most from the paper rather than just regurgitating to fill up the word count. In its entirety, you will enjoy the class and Esdin definitely makes the lecture worth your while (he's a funny guy!). The best recommendation would be to keep your 111B notes for the Cardiovasc and Liver/Kidney modules, they will be useful. Hope this helps!

Helpful?

0 0 Please log in to provide feedback.
PHYSCI 136
Quarter: Summer 2023
Grade: A
July 31, 2023

Dr. Esdin is by far one of the coolest professors you’ll get in the PhySci department. He is clear and knowledgeable on the material, which makes grasping it easier. He makes everything you learn about apply to real life situations which really helps with peaking your interest in the class. Not to mention he’s funny and doesn’t let you get bored with the info. Esdin is also pretty understanding and if the class seems tired he lets you go early and posts the remainder of the lecture as a video on canvas. The exams were tough (34 questions, 50 minutes) because at times it didn’t feel like there was necessarily one clean answer, but if you study well and know your stuff you’ll do well. Our midterm average was an 85%.

Even if you’re not interested in the class I’d say take it just because Esdin is great.

Helpful?

0 0 Please log in to provide feedback.
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