LIFESCI 30A
Mathematics for Life Scientists
Description: Lecture, three hours; laboratory, one hour. Preparation: three years of high school mathematics (to algebra II), some basic familiarity with computers. Mathematical modeling as tool for understanding dynamics of biological systems. Fundamental concepts of single-variable calculus and development of single- and multi-variable differential equation models of dynamical processes in ecology, physiology, and other subjects in which quantities change with time. Use of free computer program Sage for problem solving, plotting, and dynamical simulation in laboratory. Letter grading.
Units: 5.0
Units: 5.0
1 of 2
Most Helpful Review
Winter 2019 - Even though most of the class didn't like his way of teaching, I found it very helpful. He writes everything he says on the board, which slows down the class, but his class is engaging and often funny. I really wanted to take his class for 30B, but it wasn't offered so I had to take it with a very hard prof, which dropped by GPA a lot. He is great if you can tolerate a slow-paced class.
Winter 2019 - Even though most of the class didn't like his way of teaching, I found it very helpful. He writes everything he says on the board, which slows down the class, but his class is engaging and often funny. I really wanted to take his class for 30B, but it wasn't offered so I had to take it with a very hard prof, which dropped by GPA a lot. He is great if you can tolerate a slow-paced class.
Most Helpful Review
Fall 2020 - Professor Bennoun is quite possibly the best professor and person I have met at UCLA. He is so funny, and he makes class incredibly engaging. Bennoun has got to be the kindest and most understanding teacher I have had the opportunity to learn from. Not only are his classes relaxed and fun, but he also takes time to acknowledge the social aspects of mathematics. Bennoun spent a few lectures taking time to acknowledge the influence of BIPOC and WOC in mathematics, and it made learning the content even more worthwhile! He also conducts extensive office hours, and social hours, and overall he just made this class so much fun and so easy to understand.
Fall 2020 - Professor Bennoun is quite possibly the best professor and person I have met at UCLA. He is so funny, and he makes class incredibly engaging. Bennoun has got to be the kindest and most understanding teacher I have had the opportunity to learn from. Not only are his classes relaxed and fun, but he also takes time to acknowledge the social aspects of mathematics. Bennoun spent a few lectures taking time to acknowledge the influence of BIPOC and WOC in mathematics, and it made learning the content even more worthwhile! He also conducts extensive office hours, and social hours, and overall he just made this class so much fun and so easy to understand.
AD
Most Helpful Review
Winter 2019 - Professor Conley is amazing. I had him for two quarters and I wish I could have him as my teacher again. He is the best. -Helpful during office hours and really gets things to make sense -Tests are extremely fair and very similar to his midterm and final review packets -Classes are entertaining hes very funny
Winter 2019 - Professor Conley is amazing. I had him for two quarters and I wish I could have him as my teacher again. He is the best. -Helpful during office hours and really gets things to make sense -Tests are extremely fair and very similar to his midterm and final review packets -Classes are entertaining hes very funny
Most Helpful Review
Winter 2024 - I LOVE THIS MAN!! He was so amazing. Understanding, funny, so so engaging, he's passionate about teaching and he seriously really wants you to learn the material and he makes sure it happens. I hate math so much but I made it through his class and actually grew to enjoy some of the math!! His TA staff is also amazing, so competent, and they help him write his exams, so he really does what he can to curate it to the current level of the class. He provides so many practice and preparation opportunities for the midterm and final too! If you have the chance to take with this man you should 1000% do it I love him and miss him all the time
Winter 2024 - I LOVE THIS MAN!! He was so amazing. Understanding, funny, so so engaging, he's passionate about teaching and he seriously really wants you to learn the material and he makes sure it happens. I hate math so much but I made it through his class and actually grew to enjoy some of the math!! His TA staff is also amazing, so competent, and they help him write his exams, so he really does what he can to curate it to the current level of the class. He provides so many practice and preparation opportunities for the midterm and final too! If you have the chance to take with this man you should 1000% do it I love him and miss him all the time
AD
Most Helpful Review
Fall 2019 - Hi guys ! I'm going to do an IN-DEPTH Review of this class. If this is too much for you to read, then just stop reading and take this class. If you don't, well... your loss tbh. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ PROFESSOR: I don't typically do a direct review of the professor, but I must say Jukka is EASILY the MOST REALEST PROFESSOR I HAVE EVER MET. He is super nice, and not only in the personality way that most people say which honestly doesn't mean very much to me. I mean he is nice in the way that we all really want them to be, in terms of grades. I know you don't know me, but I promise you that you will definitely NOT REGRET taking this course ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- LECTURES: Lectures are a MUST because there are clickers every lecture which is about 10-11% of your grade. In the start you will be able to grasp the ideas because of your previous AP Calculus experiences, but once we walk past that area, you will be VERY lost quite often. He covers only the theoretical ideas in class and doesn't go over any problems. Usually he reviews the previous lectures for the first half of class, and then goes into new content the second half of class. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- TAs: TAs are fairly important as they do grade your homework which is a good percent of your grade (15-16%). They are also supposed to help with your coding section( Yes there is coding involved). My TA wasn't super helpful but she graded nicely so I suppose that was something. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- LAB SECTIONS: Lab sections are technically mandatory, since they don't take attendance as far as I'm aware. People simply go to get help for their coding assignments as they are relatively difficult after week 3 or 4. The entire thing is simply coding for about 2 hours, and the prompts are somewhat difficult to understand. It can be difficult to answer the questions if you don't understand them. Also to keep in mind TAs DO NOT grade the lab section. They are graded by outside graders who you don't know. I would show up. It is necessary in order to do well. it is 12% of your grade + 3% is the lab quiz (Which was fairly easy). --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- HOMEWORK: This ! Homework is probably the single most important thing in this class, and also probably the most difficult thing. Since the professor doesn't go over the homework, it can be somewhat difficult to solve them, especially as you go further into the quarter. You are however, allowed to drop the 2 lowest homework grades so that is a bonus. I would save them for the last two weeks as homework gets significantly harder near the end. Also Homework problems are very similar to the problems that appear on the exams so it is good practice, or at least, it will look familiar during review sessions. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- BOOK: The book was provided as a PDF for our class, so don't waste your money. All the homework comes out of this book too. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- MIDTERM/FINAL: - Yes there is one midterm and one final - They are a fattt majority of your grade (60% I believe) - It is VERY LIKELY you will get an A on both of them if you even remotely try to ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- STUDY GUIDE/ REVIEW SESSIONS: This is the single MOST IMPORTANT THING in this class by far. If you don't go to these review sessions, you are simply screwing yourself. The professor practically goes over the exams during the review sessions and give you an exact idea of what to focus on for the exams. Literally if you aren't sold, his class median for midterms was a 94 and for the final was a 97. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- OVERALL: Would definitely take this class again if I had to (which I don't) but you should definitely take it. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Goodluck To Yall ##
Fall 2019 - Hi guys ! I'm going to do an IN-DEPTH Review of this class. If this is too much for you to read, then just stop reading and take this class. If you don't, well... your loss tbh. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ PROFESSOR: I don't typically do a direct review of the professor, but I must say Jukka is EASILY the MOST REALEST PROFESSOR I HAVE EVER MET. He is super nice, and not only in the personality way that most people say which honestly doesn't mean very much to me. I mean he is nice in the way that we all really want them to be, in terms of grades. I know you don't know me, but I promise you that you will definitely NOT REGRET taking this course ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- LECTURES: Lectures are a MUST because there are clickers every lecture which is about 10-11% of your grade. In the start you will be able to grasp the ideas because of your previous AP Calculus experiences, but once we walk past that area, you will be VERY lost quite often. He covers only the theoretical ideas in class and doesn't go over any problems. Usually he reviews the previous lectures for the first half of class, and then goes into new content the second half of class. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- TAs: TAs are fairly important as they do grade your homework which is a good percent of your grade (15-16%). They are also supposed to help with your coding section( Yes there is coding involved). My TA wasn't super helpful but she graded nicely so I suppose that was something. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- LAB SECTIONS: Lab sections are technically mandatory, since they don't take attendance as far as I'm aware. People simply go to get help for their coding assignments as they are relatively difficult after week 3 or 4. The entire thing is simply coding for about 2 hours, and the prompts are somewhat difficult to understand. It can be difficult to answer the questions if you don't understand them. Also to keep in mind TAs DO NOT grade the lab section. They are graded by outside graders who you don't know. I would show up. It is necessary in order to do well. it is 12% of your grade + 3% is the lab quiz (Which was fairly easy). --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- HOMEWORK: This ! Homework is probably the single most important thing in this class, and also probably the most difficult thing. Since the professor doesn't go over the homework, it can be somewhat difficult to solve them, especially as you go further into the quarter. You are however, allowed to drop the 2 lowest homework grades so that is a bonus. I would save them for the last two weeks as homework gets significantly harder near the end. Also Homework problems are very similar to the problems that appear on the exams so it is good practice, or at least, it will look familiar during review sessions. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- BOOK: The book was provided as a PDF for our class, so don't waste your money. All the homework comes out of this book too. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- MIDTERM/FINAL: - Yes there is one midterm and one final - They are a fattt majority of your grade (60% I believe) - It is VERY LIKELY you will get an A on both of them if you even remotely try to ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- STUDY GUIDE/ REVIEW SESSIONS: This is the single MOST IMPORTANT THING in this class by far. If you don't go to these review sessions, you are simply screwing yourself. The professor practically goes over the exams during the review sessions and give you an exact idea of what to focus on for the exams. Literally if you aren't sold, his class median for midterms was a 94 and for the final was a 97. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- OVERALL: Would definitely take this class again if I had to (which I don't) but you should definitely take it. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Goodluck To Yall ##
1 of 2
