This was Mehta's first time teaching this class, so I may cut him some slack, but oh boy this class was a roller coaster.

The homeworks were hard, honestly working in a group was the only way to make sure you got all of it done. The questions on the midterm/final were similar in thought process.

The exams were so long. I didn't have enough time to finish either the midterm or the final. I got a 35/65 on the final and I'm pretty sure that was a bit above the median, since I got a B+ in the class without finishing the project.

The project was insanely difficult. There wasn't much introduction to Verilog and I had no idea how to debug anything. I straight up was not able to finish like two functions on the second project. This class was so stressful.

He lectures fine, and it's nice to see a professor who still has enthusiasm. Fun fact: He was on Beauty and the Geek, some MTV show back when he was at MIT.

Do I recommend this class? No. While Mehta aspired to teach a class at par with the equivalent at MIT, he severely overestimated the capabilities of his students. This class required a huge amount of time. He's a nice dude, but maybe take this class after he chills out in terms of the material/pace of the class.

The worst nightmare ever at UCLA

Overall I would say this is a decent class. It's not easy - lectures are pretty packed with information but hes a clear lecture and has you watch relevant MIT lecture videos beforehand, which lets him go into more detail.
Homework and labs were tough. You absolutely have to start early on the homework because you'll have to go to office hours at least once to get some guidance or clarification on certain questions.
He gives you seven grace days that can be used in any way throughout the quarter which is nice but the class is structured so that you need to start each homework/lab right after turning in the previous one so you have to be careful not to fall too hard behind.
The labs essentially consist of using verilog to implement the modules designed in the previous homework (problem set). Meaning if your homework answers weren't right, you probably won't have a good time with the lab. He does release homework solutions but only a week after the homework is due (because of his grace days policy) and by then the lab is already due. The experience with verilog definitely helped in later classes (M152A) but he doesn't give enough tutorial into how to use it before you have to start your labs. You definitely learn a lot from the homework and labs but the pacing might be too much for a 10 week class.
The midterm was hard, final even harder. I wouldn't be surprised if the average for the final was around 25% (absolutely) insane curve. At least no one else knows what they're doing either.
You come out of this class having learned a lot, but it would be better if the assignments/tests and pacing didn't have a "boot camp-y", make it or break it feel to it. Would definitely take it over M151A, though.

Generally, avoid professor Mehta, but this class isn't really that bad. To be brief:
Pros:
- Mehta has an impressive knowledge base that could help him provide a meaningful experience for students.
- Class has clearly improved from last reviews -- second half of class is more enjoyable than the first, and the final five weeks have a nice vibe.

Cons:
- Large amount of unnecessary busy work that does not help you complete your project
- The labs in the first quarter of this class are the most useless thing you will ever do with 20 hours of your time.
- Feedback will very often be negative, sometimes neutral, and never positive. Mehta will contradict himself just to give you negative feedback. (TA was great and reasonable though)
- He will speak for 30 minutes about something somewhat related to questions you ask while often failing to actually answer the question.

Test difficulty: A student had a mental breakdown in his final.
Project difficulty: I am now completely allergic to Verilog.
Recommend: no, emphasize on no

Mehta has a knack for complicating things that are simple. From his homework to his tests to his labs, it was very hard to make sense of anything. His examples during lecture don't make very much sense, and he doesn't give us any resources to adapt to his question-making style. This class was the most painful and time-consuming class I've taken at UCLA.

The dictionary definition of a SCUMBAG. Sky high expectations, little to no guidance or at least clarifications of instructions, time-consuming assignments, boring lectures. And don't even get me started on the tests...his final physically, LITERALLY PHYSICALLY, broke a student. And guess what? He didn't give two DAMN shits, life moved on for him just like that. Avoid like AIDS. This man, or the SHELL of a man, should NEVER be allowed near students ever again. Ever since the presidential election, I never thought I would hate a professor as much as I hate Donald Trump I guess I've been proven wrong. Shame on you EE department for the way you clowns hire professors! You guys are like the GOP right now: no balls, no shame, bad judgment!!!

Don't take this class. You will waste your time and lower your GPA.

Professor overly complicates concepts and gives ridiculous exams. The median on the first midterm was about a 25%. The final was so hard that one student got a seizure and paramedics had to come in.

Advice: Either take CS M51A or wait another quarter. I wish someone had told me this before I took his class.