*at time of writing the final grade hasn't been posted for me yet*

I know people dog on the ls7 series all the time, but it's not as bad when esdin and cooper is teaching it. Esdin a fun guy and the class is really interesting, while Cooper hand-draws diagrams for the slides which is very cool. Format is pretty much like the rest of the 7 series except for midterms. Expect to see your pcrq, peqs, clickers, etc.

For the exams, they do individual then group, but it's weighed 85/15. The individual is all MCs (read questions carefully like always) and IN PERSON now, but the group section is where things get funky -- you better pray you got a good learning pod for this. The first part of the group section is fine and dandy, infinite time to answer some gradescope questions that is just individual section questions, but the second part is where things go crazy. 15 minutes, 5 questions. Each question has like 6 parts to it, and it can be check all that apply, choose which answer choice is best, or some matching. You need EVERY second for that, and you need to read it carefully. In all honesty, if you have access to a test bank, it's probably the best way to prep for the exams.

Lecture content is pretty cool, just some biological systems but some of them they didn't really touch too much upon that was tested on the exams (e.x. set points). The diagrams they DO test on, they do give handouts in class which is nice, but you need to know what the hell is going on in those diagrams. Usual clickers, but they also grade it on accuracy too (more points given at the end of quarter to help boost clicker grade btw). Just do your best and you should do fine.

Discussions were... interesting to say the least. They delve more into course content, but you should definitely pray that you get a good learning pod where everyone gets along and knows what they are doing. This class also has LAs and they were very cool and helpful in helping you figure out what's going on. Discussions are mandatory... like pretty much everything in the 7 series if you want a good grade.

Oh yeah extra credit is offered, so use campuswire like crazy for up to 3 points.

**7C RANT WARNING: Professor Esdin was an amazing teacher. I would recommend him over the other 7C professors for sure. Always funny and engaging, great knowledgeable and personable man, very clearly explaining the slides, and understanding of students and willing to help ---- when possible. I say when possible because this class f-ing sucks and sometimes he himself had no idea what the hell was going on - I'll explain later in my rant. This rant is about 7C, not Esdin.

I have never been able to say that my blood pressure raises by 40 mmHg just by thinking back to my experience of a class, until this class. Jesus Christ please be prepared for the worst class of your life. Whoever created the curriculum for 7C deserves a life sentence in prison because I have never felt such a LACK of guidance and clarity in a class.

For starters, a usual 7 series lab discussion is a time for learning and explanation of the subjects being taught in lecture. For some reason, 7C does not allow TAs or LAs to give you the answers to like anything, especially what's going on in lab discussion. BRUHHHHH. HOW TF AM I SUPPOSED TO LEARN????

Next, be aware of the tests. I somehow did well, way above average actually, which for the first midterm was rumored to be in the 40s. Still, they made me want to kill myself and whoever wrote them. I kid you not, every single question was so unclear that they were testing your ability to fucking read the test writer's mind at this point. They could all be interpreted to make sense for each answer choice, which mind you was pretty much either true or false 90% of the time. Yeah....

No knowledge based testing, purely your ability to reason through a logical hellhole with those double-double-double-negative phrased questions they love to ask.

About Esdin having no idea what he is talking about sometimes: One time students asked him about a wacky ass problem solving session question that was one of these logical mind-reading stupidity ones, and he literally could not figure it out for himself. I mean WHAT THE FUCK ARE WE DOING HERE if the professor can't even understand the curriculum?? Poor guy, who is very intelligent mind you, has no clue what is going on because of the idiots that made this series.

They had to curve the class because everyone did so terribly. This quarter they decided to make the tests webcam and then in person, and boy they must have known they fucked up. When they initially made the class online before and switched it this quarter, I'm sure they thought everyone was going to be frolicking in a meadow or something, because they did not adjust for the unspoken of "collaboration" that was going on under the rug beforehand, and everyone did so poorly. Don't get me wrong, this speaks to the incompetence of many students as well, and was a necessary step to take. But the class is so bad, that it was taken too far.

So yeah, take Esdin because he is the guy who will take the singular straw off your back so that it doesn't break with all the rest of the horrible shit in this class (reference to straw that broke the camel's back). But be prepared.... *ominous music*

The required work, such as exams, was far more difficult than what was taught in class. The instructors barely explained anything and instead relied heavily on iClicker questions without actually teaching the concepts. What’s even worse is that if a student couldn’t score above 75% on the iClicker questions during the lecture (when the concepts were being introduced for the first time), they would lose attendance points.

I really like Dr. Esdin. He knew the material well and taught clearly and concisely. However, I found that unlike the other 7 series classes, 7C's Iclickers weren't similar to the tests. Honestly, the tests felt like reading comprehensions to trick the student rather than actually teaching on the material we learned. I feel like the tests weren't specific in the wording of the questions so multiple answers could be the correct ones. They were frustrating. That being said, just based on the lectures, Esdin was a great, understanding professor. He is also funny, so go to lectures, they are worth it. I enjoyed learning about our body's systems, it was a really cool class for someone who has never taken physiology in high school.

the worst out of the 7 series. period.

it's crazy how we probably won't even get a curve even with all the things going on in the spring 24 quarter.

lost all my respect for the "helpful" atmosphere that was created.

but i recommend esdin from the instructors. he's willing to listen and willing to help. it's just that the curve was probably out of his hands.

Professor Esdin is an amazing lecturer. He explains concepts in detail and is funny sometimes, too. My only complaint with LS 7C is that the exams are VERY confusing (which is probably an understatement). Every question is written to be a trick question, which can definitely impact your overall grade. I recommend studying the diagrams they provide because 90% of the exam questions are based on that. Be ready for a heavy reading workload, though.

Prof: Esdin is exactly what you would think if you thought about a really good stereotypical college lecturer. He’s witty throwing in occasional jokes, he has good pace and explains concepts very well (and a cool accent that is fun to listen to but does not interfere with understanding). He makes good analogies to tangible concepts to us and explains the content very well. He is a very engaging lecturer and not the kind of lecturer that you would fall asleep to in class. Some say he has a bit of an ego, but I don’t mind that. That being said, this is the LS7 series, what are you going to learn in class that you haven’t already done in the preclass readings. The class is structured so that he’s just going to put up clicker questions (which is not his fault) and is going to answer them, that’s just the way the 7 series is. He’s never going to actually teach you that much because you learned it already. However, he’s the best professor you can get for the way the class is structured.

Class:
It’s the 7 series, what more can I say about it. The structure sucks. You learn it yourself with all the preclass assignments and come to lecture to answer clicker questions. The midterms are tricky as always with very carefully chosen wording. There is a lot less extracredit in the class compared to 7A. I would say content-wise it’s the most interesting but exam-wise its the most difficult. I can only assume you are premed and you are finally learning content you are interested in. But I would say the exams are the most tricky out of all the 7 series, especially the first exam. If you are reading this, heed my warning, the first exam is the hardest of all the exams. So many people do not know what to expect and absolutely bomb it. And because of that one, despite how they do on the final and on midterm 2, they end with a B+. So really prepare yourself for the first midterm. Most of the diagrams they show on Midterms 1 and 2 are ones they went over in lecture so make sure you know those inside and out, every little detail. Every little detail. Everything.

Overall: Take Esdin if you can, he’s a really nice guy and he is very engaging and super helpful.

Extra Notes: One small thing I heard, I’m not sure this is true, but it could effect you decision, but if you are deciding between Khankan and Esdin, Esdin releases the midterm answers after the scores come out so that you can learn from it and use it to study for the final. One my friends who had Khankan in the past said that Khankan did not release the midterm answers after she took it.

By now, you've probably gone through the 7 series and you are over the badly worded and weirdly written tests. 7C is definitely the hardest, but imo it's the most interesting of the 3 because it involves human physiology.

Pros
- You return to genome browser in Weeks 8-10 and it shows up quite a sizable chunk on the final. This could be a con if you hate genome browser, but I preferred the test questions involving genome browser compared to the body/organ systems.
- Esdin is very clear during lecture and he's engaging. I'm the type of person to not pay much attention during lecture, but Esdin managed to make me pay attention
- Some lectures are "buffers" where Esdin will talk about exam-related material (how to approach problems, examining diagrams)
- You can get extra credit for things such as Campuswire engagement and surveys
- The final is slightly curved in the sense that the total number of points (when you add all the questions) is different from what's put in the gradebook

Cons
- None for the professor
- The course in general is similar to 7A and 7B in terms of the structure - there's pre-class reading guides, PEQs, Clickers, discussion worksheets, etc
- Midterm 1 for 7C is usually the most brutal, but it definitely gets better. For me, in terms of difficulty, it went like this: M1 >>>>> M2 >= Final (the Final felt the most straightfoward imo, but ymmv). On Midterm 1, I got a C, but I got As on Midterm 2 and the Final
- There's a 2-part Group Phase for M1 and M2. First part is on Gradescope where you look back on 10 of the most commonly missed questions and try to revise your answer, while the Second part is a 15 minute Canvas Quiz. As you may guess, the 15-minute second part was high-blood pressure inducing.

Tips
- Go to Problem Solving Sessions and look at the Learning Objectives
- PAY ATTENTION TO THE HANDOUTS THEY GIVE DURING LECTURE

You will definitely learn a lot in terms of how to study for this class. It's a lot more of "If you did x y z, what would happen to this process" and "what are the effects if you removed something from the system". Make sure you understand the diagrams and what they're telling you - my advice for you is to have a general understanding of each system/process, but it matters more if you understand what that means on the diagram.

Worst class ever. Fk this bullshit life science.

Going into 7c, I was absolutely terrified because of how many bad things I have heard about this class, but I ended up really enjoying it. Is it the hardest of the 7 series? For sure. Is it nearly as bad as people say it is? Definitely not. As far as professors go, Dr. Esdin is my favorite life science professor. He explains things very well in a way that prompts you to think the way the exams want you to think, and he distributes time spent on topics very effectively. I think he's mainly a lecturer, so he actually is a really great teacher. I feel like I learned a lot in this class, and that is coming from someone who has taken 5 anatomy/physiology classes throughout high school. I definitely recommend going to office hours, especially Dr. Esdin's office hours since he is always happy to answer questions and understands what you're asking him. He actually listens to students and responds to emails quickly. He has a dry sense of humor, which some people appreciate, and some don't. I also recommend going to the CLC sessions since many of the exam questions are similar in how they approach concepts. Reading the textbook is pretty pointless, but Dr. Esdin's lecture slides have most of the information you need, so I used those to study and did very well. Overall, if you have to take 7c, take Dr. Esdin's class if you can manage three classes a week.