Professor

Lawren Sack

AD
3.0
Overall Ratings
Based on 71 Users
Easiness 2.9 / 5 How easy the class is, 1 being extremely difficult and 5 being easy peasy.
Workload 3.1 / 5 How light the workload is, 1 being extremely heavy and 5 being extremely light.
Clarity 3.1 / 5 How clear the professor is, 1 being extremely unclear and 5 being very clear.
Helpfulness 2.9 / 5 How helpful the professor is, 1 being not helpful at all and 5 being extremely helpful.

Reviews (71)

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June 19, 2018
Quarter: Spring 2018
Grade: A

If you're looking to take an easy EEB class, then look no further. This class has an extremely light workload, and all it requires yourself is buckling down to memorize everything before the exams.

Grade breakdown:
- Discussion worksheets 5%
- Discussion attendance 5%
- Midterm 44%
- Final (non-cumulative) 45%
- Course evaluation 1%

COURSE READER: Buy it because you will need it. It's dummy expensive, but it's the only resource you need to succeed in this class. Everything from the syllabus to the lecture slides to the discussion worksheets are all found inside the course reader. Perhaps the most important tool inside the course reader are the study guides located in the front, which contains all the lecture details in bullet format.

LECTURES: Sack is an amazing professor, and his passion for teaching plant physiology is evident in every lecture, BUT I can second everyone who has previously said that if you have very little interest in plants, it will be hard to focus in this class. With that being said, you do not have to attend class OR watch Bruin Cast to succeed in this class (gasp). I went to almost every lecture and found that the amount of detail covered in lecture was not necessary to succeed on the exams.

DISCUSSION: Attendance in discussion is mandatory. A worksheet is due weekly at the beginning of each section, and they range in difficulty. Some were extremely easy and took no time at all (e.g. come up with three questions that you have about plants) and others were a little more difficult such as the QUARMs, which were more time-consuming and required "data analysis." I can guarantee that I never spent more than an hour on these worksheets, so they really aren't that bad. The worksheets seemed like they were graded pretty leniently and more so based on completion than on correctness. You basically get free points for showing up to discussion on time (my TA docked down people who showed up late).

EXAMS: Ok it appears a little daunting that your exams are worth 89% of your grade. The good news is that 1) there's only one midterm (yeet) 2) the final is non-cumulative (double yeet) and 3) the exams are fairly easy multiple choice questions. The bad news is that since there aren't that many questions on each exam (42 on midterm, 51 on final), there is little room for error because missing just one question could really cost you. Doing well on the exams is 90% memorization and 10% (somewhat) critical thinking. Sack throws a couple questions in the end that aren't straight out of the course reader and require you to connect some of the main ideas. I wouldn't stress too much about these questions because you can usually logic your way through them.

*How to do well in this class*:
1) Get all your discussion points because there's no reason not to. 10% of your grade is simply showing up to your section on time and completing worksheets.
2) Start studying for the exams EARLY. I say to give yourself at least a week before each exam to create flashcards and commit them to memory. The reason that I emphasize starting early is due to the sheer amount of information that you have to memorize.
3) Memorize the answers to ALL the study questions!!! The study questions are weaved into the lecture slides, and almost all the answers can be found using the study guides in the front of the reader. This is how Sack will tell you to prepare for the exam, and I can assure you that at least 50% of the exam questions are straight from the study questions.
4) Now I would say that the most difficult part of studying for the exams is memorizing every little thing from the study guides... I made flashcards on EVERYTHING from the study guides (I probably created ~500 flashcards for this class lol) because anything was fair game. Choose whatever method works best for you, but I wouldn't skimp out on knowing the details from the study guides, as dense and as convoluted as they may be. Going that extra mile is what got me close-to-perfect scores on both the midterm and the final.

If memorization isn't your thang, then I probably wouldn't recommend this class. Overall, I found EEB 162 to be an extremely manageable class, given you don't save studying to the last minute. Good luck and go bruins :)))

Helpful?

1 0 Please log in to provide feedback.
June 27, 2018
Quarter: Spring 2018
Grade: A

Like others have said, the class itself isnt too difficult but you dont have too much room for error. Midterm is worth 44% of your grade and the final 45%. Missing just a couple questions could drop your grade. Discussion assignments accounts for 10%, fairly easy and straightforward assignments. Just do them and put a little bit of effort into them and you will be fine. They do help a bit with applying material. 1% comes from the course review, essentially extra credit.

The exams are fair and not overly difficult. Theres a lot of material but Sack condenses it into study slides (pink/dark gray slides in reader). Study these. Know the questions and answers because they will come up on the exams. He even tells us to focus on them. Start early and make your own study guide, you will do fine if you study these questions.

Read the front of the reader too. The material is all there, use it to answer the study questions because they will be on the exam. The exam will consist mostly of the study guide questions but there are a few tricky questions that you will only be able to answer if you show up to lecture, listen to the cast, or read the reader.

Overall, class is not difficult but theres a lot of material. Achieving an A is feasible if you put in some effort. Sacks a good lecturer too, though many people stop showing up to lecture early on since its casted.

Helpful?

0 0 Please log in to provide feedback.
Sept. 14, 2024
Quarter: Summer 2024
Grade: A+

Took this class over the summer and it was very easy to do. We were given a fun anatomy assingment and a case study each week and was due before your section every week. You are only graded for those assignments and participation. The professor never popped in, class was directly led by the TA (mine was Jordyn, she was amazing). If you go to her office hours she will help you tremendously with the assingments so dont be afraid to ask. I know it says its a 4 hour lab on myucla but it was actually 1 hour long, we only went over the assignments we did the previous week (all meetings were on zoom). In all, the experience was good, and like I said Jordyn was very helpful. So if you can, take this over the summer rather than in the regular school year because labs will be 4 hours long.

Helpful?

0 0 Please log in to provide feedback.
EE BIOL 162L
COVID-19 This review was submitted during the COVID-19 pandemic. Your experience may vary.
June 23, 2020
Quarter: Spring 2020
Grade: A+

Easiest biology course at UCLA--TAKE THIS CLASS for an easy A+** (**side note: I did take this during the quarantine quarter so it might have been a tad bit easier, but I don't see how the in-class version would be that much harder). If you haven't taken EEBIO 162, don't worry because this lab doesn't require much plant physiology/anatomy knowledge to do the assignments since the TA basically teaches you all that you need to know. We have a week to complete our assignments (2 assignments = 1 case study + 1 FUNanatomy) which usually take 6-7 hours to complete with breaks.

Class breakdown of online version:

Every week there is a case study (consisting of 4-10 questions) that are either based on a scientific paper or a topic (e.g., biofuels, or GMOs). This is super easy because the TA goes over the case study (basically discusses the answers) and we get a week to complete it. It usually takes me 6 hours to complete with breaks. Also, there is a FUNanatomy (short for FUNdamental Anatomy) which requires drawing and labeling a part of a plant (the slide at 1000x magnification is given). This is also really easy since the TA discusses the slide and the parts we should label during the recorded lecture. We are graded on effort and accuracy and NOT drawing ability.

If Alec Baird is TAing for this course, take this class with him! He's thorough and emails you each week reminding us of deadlines. He also replies really quickly to emails and explains concepts without being patronizing. Super understanding!

Helpful?

0 0 Please log in to provide feedback.
June 29, 2024
Quarter: Spring 2024
Grade: A+

Sack was not bad at all he was overall pretty chill but did ramble at times. I took this class when the Palestine protests and TA strike were going on which prompted our midterm and final move to online which was open note and collaboration with people was allowed as long as you used your own words. You have to buy the course reader to get access to his lecture notes and handouts. Discussion was mandatory but lecture was not. Your grade is mainly based off of the midterm (30% of ur grade) and final (40% of ur grade), he does offer an extra credit assignment at the end of the quarter which adds 5% to your overall grade. Overall, this class wasn't bad but does require memorization

Helpful?

0 0 Please log in to provide feedback.
June 21, 2024
Quarter: Spring 2024
Grade: A

I took this class during the strike of Palestine and the TA strike. Initially midterms and finals were in person but because of all the disruption he made it online as a free response. However, this will most likely not happen again since this only happened because of the strike. So expect your midterm and final to be in person. you have to buy a course reader the digital version I think was around 20 to 30 dollars. You need that reader since it gives you lecture slides and the questions you will need for midterm and final. Both tests will be non cumulative so thats nice. I would say that the content for the midterm was easier to study. you need to study ahead because there is a lot of content. For the final I think the content was a little harder but if you took biochem already it should be easy ( I didnt so I found it to be more difficult) there will also be more questions for the final than the midterm. lectures are recorded so no need to worry about going, but discussions were mandatory but it was mostly based on attendance there were never any worksheets due. you did have to do a weekly 100 word assignment and he also provided one extra credit assignment that was worth 5%. Overall, this class is based on a lot of memorization so be prepared for that and study early. Good luck bruins !

Helpful?

0 0 Please log in to provide feedback.
June 3, 2024
Quarter: Spring 2024
Grade: A

Before the start of this course, I had little interest in plants or their inner workings. I came to really enjoy this class and the subject matter. This class filled a requirement for my biology major and was a great alternative to taking chemistry courses that were offered in the same space. Dr. Sack really drilled home the importance of plants, their impacts on the ecosystem, how ecosystems impact them, and how plants relate to the energy systems of animals. The diversity of students' starting knowledge of plants is accepted and accommodated by Dr. Sack and his course. His exams were very fair and tested our knowledge of course materials rather than forcing too many theoretical analyses. Dr. Sack's passion for plants and teaching people about them is readily apparent in his lectures and enthusiasm throughout the class. He's thorough in his lectures, uses practice questions throughout them, and always invites people to attend his office hours for help or to discuss other topics related to course material. Course materials are all available via inclusive access. Discussions are mandatory but help clarify course content and go over practice questions. I highly recommend taking this class rather than a Chemistry course for the Biology upper-division energy systems class.

Helpful?

0 0 Please log in to provide feedback.
July 3, 2017
Quarter: Spring 2017
Grade: A+

Selling pdf versions of past lab reports, quizzes and Funanatomy for EEB 162L, including the recent spring quarter 2017 ones. I received an A+ for this class. They were pretty helpful for me this past quarter, based off overhearing other classmates working on their lab assignments until 4 AM the day it was due. Email me at *************.

Helpful?

0 0 Please log in to provide feedback.
June 16, 2014
Quarter: N/A
Grade: N/A

EEB 162

Selling the course reader (nothing is written on it) + personalized notes of midterm and final study guides + personal tips for $35 OBO

I used these notes to do well in this class!

My email is *************

Helpful?

0 0 Please log in to provide feedback.
Sept. 20, 2015
Quarter: N/A
Grade: N/A

selling perfect study guide for $50.
I used multiple study guides to create my own study guide.
No need to go to class. Just study the study guide. Do not wait until the last minute to study.
email *************

Helpful?

0 0 Please log in to provide feedback.
EE BIOL 162
Quarter: Spring 2018
Grade: A
June 19, 2018

If you're looking to take an easy EEB class, then look no further. This class has an extremely light workload, and all it requires yourself is buckling down to memorize everything before the exams.

Grade breakdown:
- Discussion worksheets 5%
- Discussion attendance 5%
- Midterm 44%
- Final (non-cumulative) 45%
- Course evaluation 1%

COURSE READER: Buy it because you will need it. It's dummy expensive, but it's the only resource you need to succeed in this class. Everything from the syllabus to the lecture slides to the discussion worksheets are all found inside the course reader. Perhaps the most important tool inside the course reader are the study guides located in the front, which contains all the lecture details in bullet format.

LECTURES: Sack is an amazing professor, and his passion for teaching plant physiology is evident in every lecture, BUT I can second everyone who has previously said that if you have very little interest in plants, it will be hard to focus in this class. With that being said, you do not have to attend class OR watch Bruin Cast to succeed in this class (gasp). I went to almost every lecture and found that the amount of detail covered in lecture was not necessary to succeed on the exams.

DISCUSSION: Attendance in discussion is mandatory. A worksheet is due weekly at the beginning of each section, and they range in difficulty. Some were extremely easy and took no time at all (e.g. come up with three questions that you have about plants) and others were a little more difficult such as the QUARMs, which were more time-consuming and required "data analysis." I can guarantee that I never spent more than an hour on these worksheets, so they really aren't that bad. The worksheets seemed like they were graded pretty leniently and more so based on completion than on correctness. You basically get free points for showing up to discussion on time (my TA docked down people who showed up late).

EXAMS: Ok it appears a little daunting that your exams are worth 89% of your grade. The good news is that 1) there's only one midterm (yeet) 2) the final is non-cumulative (double yeet) and 3) the exams are fairly easy multiple choice questions. The bad news is that since there aren't that many questions on each exam (42 on midterm, 51 on final), there is little room for error because missing just one question could really cost you. Doing well on the exams is 90% memorization and 10% (somewhat) critical thinking. Sack throws a couple questions in the end that aren't straight out of the course reader and require you to connect some of the main ideas. I wouldn't stress too much about these questions because you can usually logic your way through them.

*How to do well in this class*:
1) Get all your discussion points because there's no reason not to. 10% of your grade is simply showing up to your section on time and completing worksheets.
2) Start studying for the exams EARLY. I say to give yourself at least a week before each exam to create flashcards and commit them to memory. The reason that I emphasize starting early is due to the sheer amount of information that you have to memorize.
3) Memorize the answers to ALL the study questions!!! The study questions are weaved into the lecture slides, and almost all the answers can be found using the study guides in the front of the reader. This is how Sack will tell you to prepare for the exam, and I can assure you that at least 50% of the exam questions are straight from the study questions.
4) Now I would say that the most difficult part of studying for the exams is memorizing every little thing from the study guides... I made flashcards on EVERYTHING from the study guides (I probably created ~500 flashcards for this class lol) because anything was fair game. Choose whatever method works best for you, but I wouldn't skimp out on knowing the details from the study guides, as dense and as convoluted as they may be. Going that extra mile is what got me close-to-perfect scores on both the midterm and the final.

If memorization isn't your thang, then I probably wouldn't recommend this class. Overall, I found EEB 162 to be an extremely manageable class, given you don't save studying to the last minute. Good luck and go bruins :)))

Helpful?

1 0 Please log in to provide feedback.
EE BIOL 162
Quarter: Spring 2018
Grade: A
June 27, 2018

Like others have said, the class itself isnt too difficult but you dont have too much room for error. Midterm is worth 44% of your grade and the final 45%. Missing just a couple questions could drop your grade. Discussion assignments accounts for 10%, fairly easy and straightforward assignments. Just do them and put a little bit of effort into them and you will be fine. They do help a bit with applying material. 1% comes from the course review, essentially extra credit.

The exams are fair and not overly difficult. Theres a lot of material but Sack condenses it into study slides (pink/dark gray slides in reader). Study these. Know the questions and answers because they will come up on the exams. He even tells us to focus on them. Start early and make your own study guide, you will do fine if you study these questions.

Read the front of the reader too. The material is all there, use it to answer the study questions because they will be on the exam. The exam will consist mostly of the study guide questions but there are a few tricky questions that you will only be able to answer if you show up to lecture, listen to the cast, or read the reader.

Overall, class is not difficult but theres a lot of material. Achieving an A is feasible if you put in some effort. Sacks a good lecturer too, though many people stop showing up to lecture early on since its casted.

Helpful?

0 0 Please log in to provide feedback.
EE BIOL 162L
Quarter: Summer 2024
Grade: A+
Sept. 14, 2024

Took this class over the summer and it was very easy to do. We were given a fun anatomy assingment and a case study each week and was due before your section every week. You are only graded for those assignments and participation. The professor never popped in, class was directly led by the TA (mine was Jordyn, she was amazing). If you go to her office hours she will help you tremendously with the assingments so dont be afraid to ask. I know it says its a 4 hour lab on myucla but it was actually 1 hour long, we only went over the assignments we did the previous week (all meetings were on zoom). In all, the experience was good, and like I said Jordyn was very helpful. So if you can, take this over the summer rather than in the regular school year because labs will be 4 hours long.

Helpful?

0 0 Please log in to provide feedback.
EE BIOL 162L
COVID-19 This review was submitted during the COVID-19 pandemic. Your experience may vary.
Quarter: Spring 2020
Grade: A+
June 23, 2020

Easiest biology course at UCLA--TAKE THIS CLASS for an easy A+** (**side note: I did take this during the quarantine quarter so it might have been a tad bit easier, but I don't see how the in-class version would be that much harder). If you haven't taken EEBIO 162, don't worry because this lab doesn't require much plant physiology/anatomy knowledge to do the assignments since the TA basically teaches you all that you need to know. We have a week to complete our assignments (2 assignments = 1 case study + 1 FUNanatomy) which usually take 6-7 hours to complete with breaks.

Class breakdown of online version:

Every week there is a case study (consisting of 4-10 questions) that are either based on a scientific paper or a topic (e.g., biofuels, or GMOs). This is super easy because the TA goes over the case study (basically discusses the answers) and we get a week to complete it. It usually takes me 6 hours to complete with breaks. Also, there is a FUNanatomy (short for FUNdamental Anatomy) which requires drawing and labeling a part of a plant (the slide at 1000x magnification is given). This is also really easy since the TA discusses the slide and the parts we should label during the recorded lecture. We are graded on effort and accuracy and NOT drawing ability.

If Alec Baird is TAing for this course, take this class with him! He's thorough and emails you each week reminding us of deadlines. He also replies really quickly to emails and explains concepts without being patronizing. Super understanding!

Helpful?

0 0 Please log in to provide feedback.
EE BIOL 162
Quarter: Spring 2024
Grade: A+
June 29, 2024

Sack was not bad at all he was overall pretty chill but did ramble at times. I took this class when the Palestine protests and TA strike were going on which prompted our midterm and final move to online which was open note and collaboration with people was allowed as long as you used your own words. You have to buy the course reader to get access to his lecture notes and handouts. Discussion was mandatory but lecture was not. Your grade is mainly based off of the midterm (30% of ur grade) and final (40% of ur grade), he does offer an extra credit assignment at the end of the quarter which adds 5% to your overall grade. Overall, this class wasn't bad but does require memorization

Helpful?

0 0 Please log in to provide feedback.
EE BIOL 162
Quarter: Spring 2024
Grade: A
June 21, 2024

I took this class during the strike of Palestine and the TA strike. Initially midterms and finals were in person but because of all the disruption he made it online as a free response. However, this will most likely not happen again since this only happened because of the strike. So expect your midterm and final to be in person. you have to buy a course reader the digital version I think was around 20 to 30 dollars. You need that reader since it gives you lecture slides and the questions you will need for midterm and final. Both tests will be non cumulative so thats nice. I would say that the content for the midterm was easier to study. you need to study ahead because there is a lot of content. For the final I think the content was a little harder but if you took biochem already it should be easy ( I didnt so I found it to be more difficult) there will also be more questions for the final than the midterm. lectures are recorded so no need to worry about going, but discussions were mandatory but it was mostly based on attendance there were never any worksheets due. you did have to do a weekly 100 word assignment and he also provided one extra credit assignment that was worth 5%. Overall, this class is based on a lot of memorization so be prepared for that and study early. Good luck bruins !

Helpful?

0 0 Please log in to provide feedback.
EE BIOL 162
Quarter: Spring 2024
Grade: A
June 3, 2024

Before the start of this course, I had little interest in plants or their inner workings. I came to really enjoy this class and the subject matter. This class filled a requirement for my biology major and was a great alternative to taking chemistry courses that were offered in the same space. Dr. Sack really drilled home the importance of plants, their impacts on the ecosystem, how ecosystems impact them, and how plants relate to the energy systems of animals. The diversity of students' starting knowledge of plants is accepted and accommodated by Dr. Sack and his course. His exams were very fair and tested our knowledge of course materials rather than forcing too many theoretical analyses. Dr. Sack's passion for plants and teaching people about them is readily apparent in his lectures and enthusiasm throughout the class. He's thorough in his lectures, uses practice questions throughout them, and always invites people to attend his office hours for help or to discuss other topics related to course material. Course materials are all available via inclusive access. Discussions are mandatory but help clarify course content and go over practice questions. I highly recommend taking this class rather than a Chemistry course for the Biology upper-division energy systems class.

Helpful?

0 0 Please log in to provide feedback.
EE BIOL 162
Quarter: Spring 2017
Grade: A+
July 3, 2017

Selling pdf versions of past lab reports, quizzes and Funanatomy for EEB 162L, including the recent spring quarter 2017 ones. I received an A+ for this class. They were pretty helpful for me this past quarter, based off overhearing other classmates working on their lab assignments until 4 AM the day it was due. Email me at *************.

Helpful?

0 0 Please log in to provide feedback.
EE BIOL 162
Quarter: N/A
Grade: N/A
June 16, 2014

EEB 162

Selling the course reader (nothing is written on it) + personalized notes of midterm and final study guides + personal tips for $35 OBO

I used these notes to do well in this class!

My email is *************

Helpful?

0 0 Please log in to provide feedback.
EE BIOL 162
Quarter: N/A
Grade: N/A
Sept. 20, 2015

selling perfect study guide for $50.
I used multiple study guides to create my own study guide.
No need to go to class. Just study the study guide. Do not wait until the last minute to study.
email *************

Helpful?

0 0 Please log in to provide feedback.
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