I took this as a double prof alongside Arnold. The class in itself is not as difficult as Prof. Esdin portrays it to be. Yes, there is a ton of information to memorize, and I seriously mean a ton because LS2's exams are based off lecture/lecture slides and you can tested on literally ANY bullet point no matter how irrelevant it may be. For example, an exam question might ask something general regarding an entire organ system and its function and then the next question will ask you for the name or identity of a specific molecule of a specific reaction of a specific process that takes place in the body. A downside is def. some of the questions are worded poorly and I would have gotten more points if the questions were clearer.
However, as a lecturer Esdin is better by a longshot compared to Arnold. I guess for you lazy students, Arnold is better in that you just need to study his slides and you'll get an A on his exams but for Esdin, you have to pay attention and take notes.
Arnold's exams were easier, Esdin's were def. harder but overall all the exams are very fair. I would highly recommend going to Esdin's office hours even if you don't have questions just to sit and listen because I went once just because and at least 3 of the topics discussed in OH were on the final and I knew them because I went to OH. Overall, this class is a pain b/c of all the things you have to memorize but for all you pre-meds (basically 80% of you guys), we gotta get used to it.

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Take this class and you will not regret it! Professor Esdin keeps lectures incredibly engaging and interesting even at 9am. Discussions only meet once every two weeks. Midterm and final are definitely doable if you keep up with course reader. Great class and you get to learn about something that can improve your health and lifestyle!

The class is all about diet and exercise! It's fairly easy, and even if you do poorly on the midterm and final you should still be able to pass with AT LEAST with a C. That's if you really just did not get the midterm and final. There are a lot of easy points to get, and the TAs grade very easily. The TAs are really there to help you out the most. I did very poorly on the only midterm (I believe it had roughly 100 questions) and the final was not easy for me either (44 questions). However, the professor is really sweet and everyone there is just there to help you out because they know it's just a GE, so don't be afraid to ask questions for any clarifications! Tips: Do the workbook, it does take awhile to find them in the book and you should do it the week you do the chapter in lecture, but it is possible to pull an allnighter the night before it's due (I didn't do that but it is possible!). The project also takes awhile, but he gives you a guideline on how to do it so just follow that and honestly you'll be fine. You can do a rotation for signing in people for lecture because it is required, and just make sure to go to section and try on the quizzes. The TA gives full credit if you're pretty much close and try on them, and it's open notebook and he gives you all the answers before. Good luck!

I think this class is just a way for Professor Esdin to make money. Like how else would you have 300 kids pay $100 for a textbook that is only useful for this class? But hey, the class is pretty easy overall so I can't complain. However the tests are, if not difficult, definitely not easy and very detailed-oriented. Make sure you're in an easy class. I got an 88% and got curved to an A. My friend in another quarter got a 92% and got a A-. Esdin is okay as a professor. Not my favorite but he isn't bad. The projects and quizzes are not too hard though so they shouldn't be a problem.

Honestly, a really tough class and not an easy A.

Esdin is wonderful though. He is very organized. The class is flipped, meaning you will watch online lectures and go to lecture to supplement your knowledge. While this may be more work, I actually found it really helpful to be able to go back to any lecture you want to study/review.
Participation is very important. A good chunk of your grade will be based on attendance in discussion and clicker questions in lecture. The clicker questions are scored based on participation, not accuracy, which is nice because the questions can be challenging. After each chapter of video lectures (about an hour or so), you will take video quizzes, which are 5 points. These should be fairly easy and are meant to help you, not hurt you. Basically, video quizzes, participation, and discussions are easy points to help you.
But oh my god. His exams are not easy. I study very hard just to get the general material down because there is A LOT of memorization in this class. It was hard for me to memorize so much information, hence my invested time in studying. If you're good at memorization, that's better. But, this class is not just memorization. It is VERY application based. While extremely rough, he is preparing you for standard exams like the MCAT.
I did above average on all the exams, not by much but about 5 points or so. The curve and all the easy points are a savior.
Esdin is great. This class challenges you, but he does it to prepare you. My mistake? Probably not attending any OH. He is very willing to help and clarify anything because he is so passionate about biology and teaching, which makes him that great. Honestly, if I got a lower grade, I still wouldn't regret taking the class with him because he is phenomenal. Definitely take it with him if you can!

Let me just say I thought the course reader was very poorly written (no flow, poor English, random facts, lots of fluff). It was a pain to read.

I'm not sure what the word "easy" entails, but this class demands a lot of effort. You will be tested on random and specific details from the course reader. Because each question has five answer choices, which are typically quite similar, you'll probably guess it wrong.

Difficult but very entertaining. Make sure you go to all the lectures, get 5/5 on all video quizzes, and go to all of the discussions - You will later regret for not attending to one class(a 3 pointer) you decided to skip. Every point counts. For exams, literally memorize every single thing he said on the video and during the lecture. TAs are helpful too. But to score in the high range, it would be wise to review some MCAT biology questions as he tends to use questions from there.

PHYSCI 5 with Dr. Esdin is an easy science GE for less science inclined students. The class is manageable - lecture 3 times a week, and the lab is only held 4-5 times over the entire quarter, so it's an easy way to get lab credit. The midterm and final are tough but if you know what to expect (extremely detailed questions directly from the course reader) you can do well on them. The course reader is necessary for the midterm and final, and the workbook that comes with it gets turned in towards the end of the quarter. There is one project that is tedious but easy. The class is interesting because you learn about healthy habits in terms of diet and exercise, and how different habits affect your body and health. Dr. Esdin cares about his students and sometimes gives answers to test questions for showing up to class, as well as the points you get for showing up to lecture and signing in. However, sometimes the lectures and slides seem pointless because they are not nearly as detailed as the course reader, and course-reader level detail is necessary for the exams. The midterm and the final are both 50 minutes - there are three groups depending on what lab section you are in. Overall, and interesting and fair class!