Homeworks: Homeworks are required but graded pass/fail. I highly recommend doing them, because in the process you learn what you need to know for the class. If you can do the homeworks and understand how and why the answers are what they are, you are in pretty good shape. Of course, you can also fake them and still get credit if you do not have time to work on it.

Exams: The exams are pretty straightforward. If you can solve the sample and past year exams without too much trouble, you will be in great shape. The final had one problem that was a curveball, but everyone in the class was lost on it, so the curve compensated.

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Effectiveness: Reinman is a good teacher, but not the best. I often left class feeling confused, but when I then went to discuss section and reviewed my notes, the book, slides, and attempted the homework, I was generally able to figure things out. What is also great about Reinman is that he throws in real-world applications so that students know why topics are important and how they are relevant. Much better than most CS professors that teach 10 weeks of concepts without tying things together and explaining why would should care about each topic.

Difficulty: The material is of course hard at times, but the class is about as easy as a computer science class can be without it being a joke and a complete waste of time. Yes you have to study and yes you have to struggle through some of the concepts, but with 1 solid study day every 2-3 weeks, I aced the class. Most other CS classes usually take me 10-30 hours a week to master. The lack of projects is also a huge time saver, though don't minimize the homework if you want to stay on top of the material. If anything, my biggest regret was putting in as much effort as I did in the last week, since the curve was so generous that the extra effort to move from a low-A to a strong-A did not make a difference.

Concern: Reinman truly cares that students are getting it. He constantly asks if anyone has questions, and is very friendly when asking questions after class. This alone puts him way above most of the grumpy CS professors in that he is actually pleasant to interact with and listen to.

Availability: Never had to go to office hours, but he responded to most emails pretty quickly.

Overall: Reinman is not a must take, but if he is teaching one of the classes you have to take, you absolutely should take. If you are also looking to fulfil a breadth or other requirement and want an easy-ish A, I would recommend 151B with Reinman. He has a great attitude, is very reasonable, makes the material interesting, and makes the class very doable.

Prof. Reinman is excellent! If you can, take this class with him. He's funny, nice and extremely patient. And he's always available during office hours, and he will make you comfortable with asking questions.
And, he explains things well, too.

At the same time, his exams are really tough, so GO TO HIS LECTURES!!! and PAY close attention.