I thoroughly enjoyed Phelan's lectures, but was not a big fan of the structure of the class. I felt it was extremely counterproductive to have the quizzes at the beginning of the discussion section, and they were graded rather harshly. Also, the midterm and final were ridiculously difficult despite the immense amount of time and energy I spent studying for them (yes they are both curved, but it is still quite discouraging). The science material is quite interesting however,and the lessons I've learned in this class have actually helped me with some daily life struggles!

Great Professor but there is quite some work. Read the book it helps a lot for the test! (What is Life) His lectures are great he is a really funny guy I was never bored it was fun to be in there. There are weekly quizzes and a debate (everyone has to participate). One midterm, one final. Overall it was an okay/good class.

This is one of those classes you just have to take because the professor is awesome. He is so much fun in class and lectures are easy to follow. The midterm tests are in the test bank, so that will help you out a lot. That being said, the final will take work. To get an A, you will have to work hard. However, you will learn A LOT! Plus, he is very approachable and great. I never dreaded coming to this class, and I actually looked forward to it. What more can you ask for?

I came in to Phelan’s LS15 class with pretty high expectations, based on what I heard and on previous reviews. He did not disappoint.

His class is informative, interesting, and entirely applicable to your everyday life. What I learned in Phelan’s class has made me change the way I view things. He covered the basic stuff, like evolution and natural selection, but it branched off into things like drugs, sex, health, and a multitude of other things. Most of his concepts are really just geared towards making you a better person – and yes, all within the context of life science.

Class-wise, you have to do some serious work. There were readings from his textbook, a separate smaller book, weekly problem sets and quizzes, a debate in section, and online practice questions. Be sure to keep up with assignments, and attend his lectures (he’s fun to listen to, anyway). If you have a good and informative TA, you’ll be set.

That said, midterm and final are pretty difficult, and you’ll need to do quite a bit of studying. Luckily, his curve is extremely generous. I received a raw grade of C+ and B on my midterm and final respectively, with A’s in all other assignments, and ended with an A.

By the way, attend his office hours. He keeps reminding the class, and that’s because he genuinely wants to get to know you! :)

Best Professor ever had . Topics are really interesting.i wish to take this class again if i have chance

If you don't take this class (even if you have crappy mathematic and scientific skills), you're missing out.
You basically learn about sex and drugs and emotions all quarter long.

the most interesting professor i have ever had at ucla, if you have ANY interest in science whatsoever take this class.

DR. PHELAN IS THE BEST PROFESSOR I HAVE HAD AT UCLA.
I look up to this man! Every lecture I looked forward to coming to class and sitting in the front row, thrilled to know what new material he was going to introduce to us.
Ever wonder how a class is going to apply to your life and how it's going to make a difference in the future? WELLLLL.. This is one of those classes that you will definitely learn from and gain information that will be useful throughout your life. Material is very, very interesting.
He loves what he does and is great at it! I honestly wish I could rewind time and take his class all over again. He is absolutely AMAZING.
HIGHLY RECOMMEND HIS CLASS.

AHhhh, DR PHELAN IS AMAZING!! Take his course!
He goes on a point system instead of percentages, and gives a curve! This helps because I got a C on the midterm and I am still in line for an A in the class (I haven't taken the final yet).
He makes lectures very interesting. And when he asks the class to do something (like be nice to a stranger) DO IT! He gives that person a boost in the grade-book.
My TA was amazing! Dom Gonzalez! If you get him, stay in his discussion!..
There are quizzes in discussion, one gets dropped and he gives you the possible questions ahead of time.
There is a midterm and a final (do not be discouraged if you didn't do so hot on the midterm, you can still pass!)
And a debate in discussion. The debate and quizzes really aid your grade in the end.
Overall great professor! I am thinking about taking him again just because, and I am a sociology major lol

I'm a hardcore north campus major who dreads science GEs and I got a solid A in this class! Loved it. I would recommend it to anyone, GE or req, because Phelan is the definition of what every UCLA professor should strive to be like. Here's a breakdown for LS 15...

Professor:
Entertaining, relatable, thorough lectures. Gets students engaged. Podcasts the class, ~80% of people still show up.

Class Points:
150- Midterm
250- Final
15- Online Prep-U Questions
40- Section Debate
20- Section Attendance
84- 8 Section Quizzes, 12pts each, drops lowest quiz score

Midterm and Final:
Curved generously. I got a rawscore of 74% on the midterm (which ended up being a B+) and an 80% on the final. With a perfect score for everything else, I landed an A. Get your hands on past tests from the test bank to get a feel for his midterms. Do Prep-U questions to prep for MC sections--he uses 3-4 of the same ones on the tests. Short answers are free responses that are graded harshly/leniently depending on your TA.

Quizzes/Section: find past quiz answers. He does not change the questions. Easy 12 pts to get weekly along with the 10 pts just for showing up.

Book: Read "Mean Genes." You don't really need to read the "What is Life" textbook. TA's go over those chapter pretty well in section (try to get Randy Reyes, he was great.) Mean Genes references come up in Phelan's tests.