Professor Esdin is one of the best professors I have had at UCLA, and PhySci 5 is such an awesome class. It's really one of the few classes where I feel like what you learn about nutrition, exercise and just how your body works is super applicable to real life.

The class has a midterm and a final that is noncumulative, as well as a workbook (but he just grades it for completion at the end of the quarter), a project that is pretty manageable and two quizzes that are online that you are assigned to do over a weekend.

Tips:

1) YOU NEED TO GO TO CLASS!!! Professor Esdin is a super entertaining and engaging professor, and he has a sign-in sheet and attendance actually ends up being a significant portion of your grade. Besides that, he sometimes hands out midterm questions and extra points. Also, his lectures will really guide you to what you should be focusing on in the course reader, since some parts of the course reader can be way more detailed than what he actually wants you to know for the exams. Definitely attend every lecture, you will not be disappointed by the time you took to do so.

2) Study the course reader; focus on what he says during lecture and make sure you know those sections of the course reader very well.

LS 2
I took LS 2 with Esdin in Summer 2014. Mostly, his lectures and slides are clear. However, his exam is very poorly worded and confusing. Once I found that the exam key must be wrong, he refused to regrade.

sell the course reader and study guide for $20.Text 310-993-0750

Easiest class I've taken in college. Just try not to forget turning in his online quizzes (which are actually worth a bit). Good thing hes pretty lenient with the deadlines.

I'm also selling the PhySci 5 course reader, and could probably figure out a way to transfer my (still active) iProfile account to you. Please email me at mzmawo@hotmail.com if you're interested.

I loved this class! Interesting topics and enjoyed to learn about my health and diet.

selling course reader for phy sci 5
vanessa12391@gmail.com

I took Phi Sci 5 in Spring 2014 and got an A+.

Professor: Professor Esdin is great. He's very passionate about this subject, and it shows. He doesn't come across as preachy at all, either. One caveat - he doesn't email back promptly, but that shouldn't be a deal breaker because he makes many things quite clear in the first place.

Lecture: It's pretty interesting and Professor Esdin is a relatively entertaining lecturer. But you'd want to go to lecture even if he wasn't, because Esdin gives out attendance points, free exam questions, and sometimes 100% on a quiz. Seriously, do everything that you can to attend every lecture even if it means crawling out of your bed and going there in your fluffy PJs.

Even though I go to lecture, I generally don't pay attention to it because it's a super dumbed down version of the course reader, which is what you really need to memorise if you want an A.

Grading: There's 1 midterm, 1 workbook, 2 quizzes, 1 lifestyle report, 1 final and a lot of attendance points in section and discussion. All of the tests are multiple choice. If you memorise the course reader (easier said than done, so get started early!), you should be fine for all of the tests. By the way, by memorise, I really mean down to the little details and not just the broad concepts. There was a question on the midterm that expected me to know the average lifespan of a person who lived 100 years ago or whatever; it was literally one or two sentences in the course reader.

Get started on the workbook and lifestyle report early and finish it as soon as you can. Don't procrastinate on either of them because even though they're easy, it's tedious. When you think you're done with the lifestyle report, print it out and match it against the Esdin or the TA's specifications/requirements.

Overall: You should definitely take this class before you graduate because it contains important knowledge for how you should live your day-to-day life and avoid health scams like X or Y diet. I'm not kidding when I say this class can change your life and your family's life, for the better.

In terms of grading, as long as you're able to memorise A LOT of detailed stuff and willing to not procrastinate (haha) and go to lecture, you'll ace the class.

Selling the course reader for this class along with the study guide! $25 OBO.

Cuti4evaa@yahoo.com

Professor Esdin is awesome! He didn't reg. this class until the second week, so I missed some classes and works, but he ended up gave me some points to those works which is absolutely great!
And there is a Chinese TA whose classes may not be fun, but she is very nice and helpful! Recommend her rather than the other TA.

*** I am selling the course reader, feel free to text me if you are interested, 857-919-3630.

This is the sort of class every undergrad should be mandated to take prior to graduation. It introduces/situates life science in the context of our lives and our health. It's evident throughout the course that the purpose is to educate us in the hopes of motivating us to make diet and exercise a priority. This class explains the "whys" of nutrition (why whole grains, low fat or low carb diets) especially how to see through marketing and actually understand what the food labels mean for our bodies.

Dr. Esdin is easy to comprehend, he simplifies complex topics through everyday analogies and holds ample office hours (which no one seems to go to) to go over any confusing concepts. Just make sure to read the course reader well ahead of quizzes/exams, as there are some details in there which are not discussed in lecture at length but are fair game nonetheless! 2 exams, 2 short online quizzes (all multiple choice), a workbook (good study prep - start early) and a life assessment project (basically document your diet/exercise for 1 week and analyze it).

DO NOT TAKE THIS CLASS IF YOU CAN'T ATTEND THE LECTURE! It's highly important, both the lecture and discussion sections (which only meet biweekly) have sign-in sheets, it's meant to be free easy points, and he gives rewards in the form of test questions and maybe even an automatic 100% on a quiz if lots of people show up. It's impossible to do well if you can't commit to the attendance requirements!

Overall a very useful class for North campus and South campus alike, and Dr. Esdin is a very fair professor. Just don't expect an easy A. But if you complete all the assignments and study smart without cramming, the material is certainly digestible (no pun intended) and exceptionally relevant compared to many other classes at UCLA.

Dr. Esdin is one of the best professors I’ve had at UCLA. His teaching style is very straightforward and comprehensible. He really wants students to learn and to do well. He takes even the most complex topics and explains them with analogies so that they are easy to understand. The class material itself is so applicable and so important to know about. The class mainly consists of 2 exams, 2 short quizzes, a workbook, and a lifestyle assessment project. The exams cover material from lecture, lab section, and the course reader. They are definitely manageable, but you need to go to class!

ATTENDANCE IS IMPORTANT!!! I cannot stress this enough! The lectures will help you fully understand and solidify the concepts of the course reader. There are also sign-in sheets: he’s basically giving you points for showing up (you do not want to miss out on those points)! But definitely take advantage during lecture and learn as much as you can from Dr. Esdin. The class itself is very interesting and engaging, so there’s no reason not to go. Also, go to office hours! Dr. Esdin genuinely cares about student learning: he will take the time to not only answer your questions, but also discuss the material with you to make sure you fully grasp the concepts.

I HIGHLY RECOMMEND this class! You will not regret it. It will empower you and have a positive impact on you: you will carry what you learned far beyond your time at UCLA!