I took LS15 in Spring 2016 so this is a pretty late review and I do not remember the exact details of the class's structure. However, I do remember really enjoying the class, and I thought it was valuable because it is biology tailored for psychology majors, which means that while it is not as tough as the other LS classes, it still forces you as a psychology student to treat your discipline as a science. I think that ^ is Phelan's underlying message - he wants you to approach science critically and skeptically, and understand that fields like psychology that sometimes involve questionable conclusions does actually have a scientific basis if you approach it as such.

The class itself is pretty straightforward. If you do all the work and try hard you will definitely get an A! The workload at times can be a little too much (if you are intent on doing ALL the readings), but it's definitely not too bad.

Best Professor I've had thus far!! Wish I could take another class with Professor Phelan! Very engaging lectures!! Selling What Is Life for $35!! Email me at *************

I loved this class! However, I was stressed out about it a lot because I needed to get a good grade in it to raise my psych GPA. As a result I tried super hard on the quizzes, did all the readings, etc. but it earned me an A so I think that it was worth it!
As for the class, he does lectures with slides. He podcasts the lectures so you can watch them online but I found I learned more if I went to class. The content is super applicable to your own life and I found it really interesting-especially the nutrition segment I still use a lot today lol.
Discussion is mandatory-I'm pretty sure they grade on participation/attendance (seemed to be 3 points per discussion). There are also 12 point quizzes in each discussion-they'll drop your lowest one for the final grade. You have to do a debate during one of the discussions with a partner which isn't too hard but make sure you try on it.
The exams are pretty hard but he offers a review session before make sure you go!!! He usually gives about 20 questions for the midterm and about 40 for the final that if you study, you should be good for. However, I found that the final contained more than those 40 questions so for the final I would recommend reviewing everything as well as the questions. For the midterm I only reviewed the questions and I was fine.
This is an awesome class and you should take it! You'll learn a lot for sure and Phelan is really cool and a great lecturer. He makes science really interesting and relatable!

This class was by far one of my favorite classes that I took my freshman year. First of all, Phelan is the man. Seriously, he is one of the coolest professors at UCLA and one of the most impressive. I felt BAD missing lecture simply because I felt like I was letting Phelan down. He writes the text book that is required for the class and also requires you to buy Mean Genes (another book he wrote) but you do not need Mean Genes to get an A. Discussion is extremely important. Go to every one. You have a "quiz" every week but the quiz is really just one question off of the weekly problem set you pick up in lecture. So, you have the "quiz" questions ahead of time every time. Memorize the answers in the most basic sense the night before your discussion and you're solid. I ended with an A in the class even with being out of school for 2 and a half weeks of being sick. Go to the midterm review and final review and write down his questions because if you can outline each question he gives you from the reviews you will get an A. This class is extremely relevant and gave me a new outlook on science. HIGHLY recommend.

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Best professor ever!

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His class is a class where you learn a lot of different things ranging from reciprocal altruism to how caffeine affects the chemicals in your brain to the scientific method. His quizzes are easily doable, his tests are not -- STUDY. Also, do not make the mistake I made on the midterm -- do NOT write on the back (it will not be graded, cost me an A). Last but not least, go to class...some of the material he talks about in class that is not in the textbooks is in his exams.

I am selling the What is Life w Physiology 3rd ed Loose Leaf, midterm and review session notes, class notes and problem sets/handouts for $55. Email me at *************

I LOVE PROFESSOR PHELAN. I created a bruinwalk account just to leave a dank review for him. He is an amazing professor, and by far the best professor I've ever encountered so far in UCLA. I truly admire his passion and love for science. His lectures aren't dull at all, but rather engaging and fun. The discussions aren't bad either; weekly quizzes and a mini debate. The topics for the debates are very controversial, but interesting overall. Honestly, the exams can be tough, but he uses curve so it's shouldn't be that bad. Overall, the class itself was so worth it and I would definitely take another class with Phelan!

The workload was light. We only had one debate (pair work) and a mini quiz every week. The quizzes were VERY short (took about 5-10 minutes at most) and the questions were taken from the handouts. The exams were a bit challenging, but if you study the past papers you should be fine. Also, Prof. Phelan had a review session before both midterm and final, and it was quite helpful. I read the textbook and I thought the exams weren't that bad, but I know people who didn't read the textbook at all and they still got an A. Overall his class was really engaging. It was fun and not much work. Definitely take this class if you can:)