I loved this class with Esdin. I recommend it for anyone who is not a STEM major and want a more interesting science GE. The workload was super manageable and the labs were quite fun. The big project for the class was very easy and you have 9 weeks to complete it. The exams covered content that he mentioned in lecture, and the readings were optional but quite helpful. TAKE THIS CLASS

As a non stem major I felt that this was a very easy class if you are willing to put in the work. The content is very interesting even though it does focus on the more technical aspects of diet and exercise. The project was tedious but extremely easy and examples of parts of the project are provided and you can use those to just fill in your answers. One big plus of the class is that the labs are only every other week so there are only 5 labs that you need to attend in total. There are a few lab quizzes that only test on the content that is covered in the lab sections.

I just wanted to say that I loved this class. Dr. Esdin's lectures were not only easy to understand but interesting. He was also a very nice and helpful teacher. I recommend attending his office hours every now and then when you have a question or need to reach him in regards to the iClicker app.

From what I can recall, the midterm and final exam [100 points each], the lab quizzes (5) [15 points], the lecture quizzes (3)[15 points], the project [100 points] and your attendance in both the lectures (participation is graded through the iClicker subscription- you answer about 3 questions per lecture) and the labs (these are mandatory) make up your grade.

There was really no homework assigned but we were expected to study for quizzes given every other week at the beginning of our lab section. The labs were fairly easy. The midterm and final were not too difficult either, just don't leave the reading until the last minute.

Although there is a lot of material to cover, you are bound to pass the class if you attend the lectures, read the chapters right after class and answer the questions at the end of the chapters for review. I also HIGHLY recommend going to office hours with your TA. They will save you if you have any questions or are confused on a topic covered on either the labs or lectures. If it seems like your TA is not very helpful, I recommend reaching out to another TA.

Most of the people who have gotten As recently took this course during COVID. IF YOU ARE NOT A GOOD MULTIPLE CHOICE TEST TAKER, DO NOT TAKE THIS CLASS. The project was tedious but easy, but the midterm and final were difficult. It's not like they were super time-consuming, but I kept messing up on the multiple choice and got a C+ on the midterm and a C on the final. I changed my grade from a letter grade to pass/no pass halfway through the quarter. The lectures are mandatory, but they almost feel useless when you have the course reader. The exams are almost all based on the course reader, but it is redundant and terribly written. I hated this class. I will say my grade still would have been a B if I had not changed it. He does given a decent amount of credit for attendance and other things so that helps boost the grade. My conclusion is that this class is easy to pass, but not necessarily an easy A. Had I known, I would not take it.

This class is not as easy as years prior have made it seem. While the content itself is not complex, there is just a large quantity of information that must be memorized for the tests. The information is also not as interesting as the class seems as its more so just learning biology with a focus on lipids, carbs, fats, diabetes, and the endocrine, digestive, & cardiovascular system. You do receive a grade for attendance through clicker questions at the end of each lecture, and while they are graded for accuracy, Professor Esdin tells you the answer so you can change your answer before submission, so as long as you are in class (you can miss 3 classes without harm to your grade) and pay attention for the questions at the end, you should get full attendance points. You are also graded for attendance in lab sections, but they are only once every other week, require minimal effort, and almost always end early. The project is time-intensive but not hard, and be sure to not wait until the last night, because you will be miserable. The project also requires you to track your food intake and activity for a week, which you will be told when to do, but it requires a software that comes with the course reader that you would pay a significant amount for. However, you can also buy the software on amazon and share it with others as you can have multiple logs without buying the course reader. While the class says the course reader is required, it's really not. It is useful as it has all the info you need for the test (plus additional information), but you can buy used ones for cheaper. I just read the course reader and condensed it into easier to read notes to study for tests as it is dense with repetitive information. There are also two lecture quizzes and three lab quizzes that often have confusing wording, so don't be shocked or discouraged if you don't do well on all of them as they as each one is a small part of your grade. However, I recommend studying for them (even if they are online as those are tricky as well) as multiple bad grades on those quizzes can pile up. As for exams, the midterm is weighted just as much as the final and the project, and the final was not cumulative for me (which was a big relief). However, to do well on the midterm and final, a lot of studying and memorizing is necessary (I'd start studying a week and a half before each one especially if you are a procrastinator like myself). There will be questions on the test with confusing wording, but most of the questions were whether you knew the material or not, but if you study enough you should get a high B or low A on the two exams. The tests are also pretty short which is nice. The project and attendance grades will save your grade in the class as they will make up for your quizzes and exams, so make sure to show up to class (which does kinda suck as its MWF at 9am) and turn in the project on time. Also, Professor Esdin seems to bump up everyone's grade a little as I got an A despite having the grade to have a A-. While this class is not as easy as earlier reviews have made it seem, it's still very achievable to get an A, but a decent amount of effort is required. It also gives the lab credit and is helpful in giving advice on how to live a healthy lifestyle. It's a solid class, but I wouldn't take it if you are taking a bunch of work-intensive classes during the same quarter.

This course was extremely helpful and overall very thorough. If you are interested in biology, then this is definitely a course for you--it covers a lot of in-depth human biological processes. Exams are all multiple choice, and for the most part pretty straightforward. My recommendation is to keep up with the quarter-long project as best you can--do not procrastinate.

The class is super easy and really interesting. Some tasks can be tedious and repetitive but overall the class was really enjoyable. Also super nice that it was online asynchronous.

Selling my textbook! Message me if interested. *************

I took this class as an easy A and I can confidently say that the only reason I passed with an A was because the tests were online. The lecture material is a bit droning, but you have to pay attention for the lecture quizzes due each day (these are not graded for completion but rather for accuracy which sucks). The midterm and final were extremely difficult, and again, if I would have taken them in person then I do not think any amount of studying could have gotten me an A. The project was kind of easy but just a lot of work and very tedious. The prof and my TA (Ingrid Cely) were really great at responding to questions or concerns you might have, but other than that, I would not classify this as an easy A.

this class was online for the entire quarter which was convenient for lectures because they were posted synchronously. you would need to watch them and take a lecture quiz (for participation) by 10pm that same day.
this wasn't an entirely difficult class, and the labs were basic knowledge for the most part. labs were every other week and attendance was mandatory. esdin was an engaging prof and very compassionate, but didn't hold office hours so you would need to turn to your ta.
if you took anatomy at any point this is pretty much that with more emphasis on diet and the cardiovascular system.
the lifestyle assessment project was so easy but it's just lengthy. managed to do it all in one night but there was literally no point in that except being a procrastinator. you just gotta overwrite almost everything and be very redundant in your report to show the ta you are putting a lot of effort into the lab.