At this point, all that’s been said is pretty much all that can be said. The class is extremely interesting and the professor is always engaging. But, like everyone else has said, the tests are HARD! Before the midterm, I studied a somewhat reasonable amount and got a D-. I decided to amp up my studying for the final...and got a D. Keep in mind that the TAs are looking for very concept-specific knowledge. But when I tell you the curve is SO REAL, I mean it! As you can see, I still ended up with a B! More than anything, I think it just shows that Professor Phelan is much more concerned with the students focusing on gaining the knowledge than on getting a certain grade. Overall, I’d say this class was amazing and I’d recommend it to everyone!!!

Phelan is an engaging lecturer and the material is very intriguing, even as someone who isn’t crazy about biology or science. The class itself required a good amount of effort, and I had to study pretty hard to get an A. The tests are half multiple choice and half free response, and there are weekly quizzes in section that are supposed to prepare you for the free response part of the exams. However, the material itself was interesting and Phelan almost always had real world applications for us college students. My TA ( Maral Sakayan ) was really helpful in her office hours and she made everything very clear; I’m pretty sure I got a good grade because of her. Consulting the SAC test bank was very helpful and there were a few questions from old test that were exactly the same on the exam. There is a textbook required and although we did use it for section assignments, I didn’t read the actual material because it was a lot. Phelan provided LaunchPad resources for study tools but did not require everyone to purchase access to it. Lectures were Bruincasted but the lecture hall was always packed anyways!

Dr. Phelan was my first college professor ever so he was the one to set my expectations-and he set them VERY high. Not only is he the funniest guy ever, his lectures are always interesting and engaging (also he ties personal stories into his main points which is very helpful) When he asks for class participation in class (which isn't very often), PARTICIPATE! It is worth it, trust me. The workload includes readings that go along with the lecture (the tests however are only based on information from lecture), attending lecture to take notes (lectures are also bruincasted in case you miss one), individual participation in a debate in your discussion class on a topic related to the class, problem sets given each second lecture of the week (not checked but recommended to complete because you are quizzed on), and weekly quizzes in your discussion section on only ONE question (out of 6-9 questions, they are also all on quizlet if you need to check answers) on the problem set. Make sure you pick your TA wisely, however, because some of them give harder quizzes than others... Personally, my TA Kacey seemed to be the most knowledgable and helpful but she gave the more difficult quizzes than the other TAs (when comparing to my friends) The midterm was a little difficult in terms of time management because it was a lot of multiple choice, long, and short answer questions in about an hour and fifteen minutes. All in all, this is the best class (out of four LOL) that I've taken so far! :)

THE BEST CLASS AT UCLA!! Professor Phelan is an amazing professor and such an engaging lecturer. The tests are not necessarily easy but, if you put in work, an A is definitely do-able. I highly recommend this class.

I LOVED this class! I can't say enough nice things about Professor Phelan. He was so engaging and you could tell he really cared about making sure we all understood the concepts. He tells funny stories, interacts with the class, and makes things that should be bland, interesting.
His review sessions are SO helpful! Definitely go to them, he has one for the midterm and one for the final. He goes over questions and key concepts and usually his practice questions (or some version of them) will show up on the test. He does a good job of emphasizing what's really necessary for the exams.
There are weekly quizzes in discussion, but you're given a list of questions to go along with the textbook reading and the quiz question will be one from the list, so it's not that bad.
I found reading the textbook super helpful. It helped me review the material he went over in class, because he does teach . He wrote the other book we read, Mean Genes, and it was really interesting and easy to understand.
10/10 loved this class

Selling the What is life? Newest edition.(4th) book loose leaf and also mean genes.
Text me if interested 213-926-4025

Selling "What Is Life? A Guide to Biology with Physiology" (4th edition). and "Mean Genes"
3108483640
Amazing professor!

Phelan is an amazing professor. Even if you think you are not interested in life science in the slightest, TAKE THIS CLASS. there is quite a bit of weekly work but it's all interesting and the quizzes you take in section every week are given to you in a packet the week prior, the TAs just pick a random one and you have to answer it. Super easy, super interesting, and Phelan really makes it worth it. If you were to take only one class during college it should be this one - regardless of major.

By far best professor at UCLA! Engaged with audience members in the lecture. This class changed my perspective about school as Phelan focuses on making sure all students learn the material instead of emphasis on the grades.

I honestly loved this class a lot. Even if I wouldn't have gotten an A it still would have been worth it because Phelan is the best. I laughed numerous times throughout lecture and honestly miss sitting in his class everyday. The tests are hard but do able. On the midterm I got a C- and on the final I got a B- and I still got an A. Not sure how all I know is I bet the curve saved me. The extra credit music video was fun and that definitely could have helped. Overall just enjoy the class.
Selling a brand new What is Life textbook the 4th edition (the newest edition) text me at 916-288-7669 for pricing! I'm willing to negotiate.