The first part of the class, phylogenetic analysis of the unknown gene, is sort of difficult because the gene is previously uncharacterized and you have to justify its placement in a tree and how it relates to a homologous gene in another organism. Lectures aren't bruincasted, so you may have to harass your TAs in the lab for tips to get you started (But don't harass them too much, they're kind and one of the highlights of the course!) This was the first quarter that the class worked individually on the gene hybridization, but I preferred it that way because I got to learn each technique in more detail. The downside is that you have to do many of the steps yourself, including redoing PCR if it fails, remaking PCR products if you run out, etc. Be prepared to come in quite often outside of class, especially week 7-9. Make friends with your bench if you want to keep your sanity by having them help with failed steps. If you finish early, you can potentially be done with the class by the end of week 9, which is really nice.