Roberts is a good lecturer, but the material is way too detailed and exams are way too difficult for a non-science major GE. Do not recommend this class if you do not plan on memorizing the reader (which has purple pages...a bit annoying). Attendance isn't necessary, the exam is the reader but going to class does help you when studying. Overall, difficult class ... find another life science GE.

Really, this class isn't too bad, simply because the material is applicable to whatever you do. You don't have to go to lecture if you don't want to, but Roberts makes it worthwhile to stay. He is entertaining and outgoing, constantly bashing his colleagues for comic relief, and understands that this is a GE class. Be warned that straight memorization will not help you: knowing how to use the knowledge and being able to apply it in order to answer questions is tough. Despite this, however, I would highly recommend taking this class. Easy lab credit. I got an A-; the curve at the end of the class was quite generous.

Dr. Roberts is very charismatic and upbeat. He likes making jokes and keeping people interested during lecture. He is very engaging and allows any and all questions during class. I don't think I ever saw him not takes questions because of lack of time, disinterest, apathy, etc. He is very concerned and makes himself readily available after class to take more questions. However, he is much more difficult than Dr. Barnard, who sometimes teaches the first half of the class. His material is very conceptual and he likes challenging you on the final to expand on scientific ideas, including using math, to understand the principles behind diet and exercise and why they work. The final was completely difficult and I had a hard time answering it. However, overall, I recommend Phy Sci 5 with Dr. Roberts.

Outline of the class:

Lab Report: 100 pts
You have to record all you eat and exercise for 7 days and then go to Wooden and get them to test you (takes like 10 mins). Then you do a quick write up for like a page or two. Have the TA look look it over once in OH and you will get an A. Takes maybe max 5 hours total. And if you have problems with the software they give you, dont stress. Just call the helpline and ask for an online account. That will save a lot of stress.

Midterm: 250 pts
I had this one with Barnard as he taught the first half of the course. It was very straightforward. He told us what to know. Just start studying a week before and you will be fine. Memorize all the lists and diagrams.

Final: 250 pts (NOT CUMULATIVE)
It was really really really hard. The questions were designed to be tricky and all of the stuff that they told us to study was not on the test. I read the course reader maybe 3-4 times (not much considering the final was only on the last half of the course) and got a B. BUT IT IS CURVED! so even though you think you did bad... so did everyone else. So don't fret. just know your stuff.

Homework: 50 pts
Easy but helps for the tests. It is really the only time you engage with the material so pay attention. Most of the questions are in the study guide with the answer given. I actually did the homework and considered it but most people in my section did it before they turned it in.

Overall, not a hard workload. You don't have to engage with the class except for midterm and final week and I did my LAB over thanksgiving break. Easy class but you have to study hard for tests because they make up so much of the grade. Also, you learn some good stuff about your body, disease, diet and exercise.

Personally, Roberts is a cocky SOB. But he has every right to be. He knows his stuff (its amazing the detail and breadth of diet and exercise knowledge he has) and he is a walking example of a healthy lifestyle. He is a good, engaging lecturer that will keep you awake. But he tends to go on tangents with his "stories" so if you feel like he skipped over some important stuff in the reader... he probably did so you should go and review it on your own so you have one less thing to cram for the final.

While definitely a more interesting speaker than Barnard, that doesn't defeat the fact that he was still a pretty hard professor. After failing Barnard's midterm, the project and homework really helped raise my grade. However, it didn't help that Roberts' final was supposedly much harder than the midterm. I failed the final as well even after intense studying. The class is graded on a curve, which helps since there is only the midterm (by Prof. Barnard), paper, some homework, and the final. I got a C- in the class with the help of the curve. Not the easy GE people were saying it was. If you're looking for a class that will lower your self esteem by telling you that you are fat and unhealthy and then nearly failing you, go ahead and take PhySci5.

Don't worry about what the other reviews say...the class is much easier than what people make it out to be
For phy sci 5...

you absolutely CAN memorize everything and be ok, but honestly its just easier to understand the relatively easy concepts presented

Roberts is a lot more interesting than barnard so try not to take the class in the fall quarter

Like I said the class is really easy, honestly theres no studying involved...I attended less than half the lectures and i still walked out a good grade in the class
Also everything you learn is really useful and applicable to your health

If your schedule is really weighed down with some difficult south campus classes than this is a nice change of pace class with a pretty good professor

I really liked attending Roberts' lectures because he was so much more interesting and funny than Barnard and people actually stayed awake. It's hard to keep up with him sometimes because he goes so fast so you really have to review the course reader BEFORE the exams come up and he expects you not just to memorize the information but to really understand it. I think he teaches you very useful information that applies to life and overall it's just a very enjoyable class and not bad for a life science GE. The project is pretty easy and graded very generously. I didn't have to focus on the class too much to do well in it so it's definitely a class worth taking.