LS30B is going to be significantly more difficult than 30a. Everything you learned in 30a like oscillations, time series, and trajectores will all be amplified and expanded upon. There is more math than can be very complex at times like multivariable calculus and partial derivatives. I have had roommates tell me this like Calc 2 or 3 concepts which is pretty crazy for this class. Some of the math is also very bizarre and more conceptual based. Often times it felt like this class has very limited resources. Sure there is office hours, but it you're like me who likes watching youtube videos and khan academy its going to be rough. The labs are also hardy, they don't hold your hand like in 30a. Honestly, totally manageable though, just go to office hours and compare the work with others. The tests are also graded pretty harshly. The midterm had to be regarded because of a certain question's weird and strict grading scale. BE PREPARED TO STUDY WAY MORE THAN 30A.

Bennoun is a great guy, but the class itself isn't really that great. His lectures are easy to understand because it's in a fill-in-the-blanks-as-I-go format. However, the exams are quite tough and kinda sucked. Grading scheme is just like LS30A, but this is definitely a step higher in difficulty, so if you plan on taking this class be wary that it's not as much of a walk in the park like 30A. Homework is pretty mediocre, takes at most 1-2 hours if you know what you're doing, same textbook from 30A. Labs in my opinion are kind of useless and feel more of a separate thing. While they do cover the course content, it's mostly about coding functions for theoretical systems that you won't really see on your exams. There is a capstone project at the end for labs where you make your own system and explore it, so pick wisely who your group is going to be. It's also reliant on TAs and LAs to help you process what's going on in the labs.

I know I probably got a C for this class, but it's mainly because I got a C on the final and it's worth 60% of the grade because I did worse on the midterm.

TLDR class is okay, exams are not that okay so study for it, labs feel like they're kind of a waste of 2 hours of time.

The LS30 series in general just sucks, but Professor Bennoun is not bad. Weekly labs and homework assignments are do-able, although the coding can get pretty difficult sometimes. The midterm was fair, but that final...woah, it was crazy hard. The capstone project also seems oddly placed considering this is a math class, but it's easy enough. It really just depends who your group is, since the rubric is pretty specific. Would've much rather taken actual calc than whatever fake math this is. I actually started to dream about matrices at some point, 1/10 don't recommend.

The professor himself was good, he is understanding and is okay at explaining things. But the material just did not match what we saw during the midterm and final. No amount of preparation could allow someone to do good on these tests because of how poorly they are written, and the test are basically your whole grade. It was really unfair, and it you get to choose between the 30 series and 30A, take 30A to save your GPA.

Dr. Bennoun is an incredible lecturer. He explains concepts in a way that is so succinct, clear, and easy-to-follow despite the LS30 curriculum being a little wonky. His slides are very, very helpful since he has sample questions in between explaining concepts. He also genuinely cares for student learning, going out of his way to answer questions (Piazza is like an online forum where you can post questions/receive answers within 1 day usually).

I was ambivalent about the LS30 philosophy, but Dr. Bennoun explains it in a way that it actually makes sense without us needing to know complex proofs or theorems like in traditional math.

Tips:
- Take advantage of all of Dr. Bennoun's resources from problem-solving sessions to review sessions led by TAs before exams
- Definitely come to the last review session lecture, since it was very helpful for me to understand all of the content before the final.
- TAs are usually super willing to help during office hours if you have questions on the lab or homework. The labs in LS30B are significantly harder and take more time than LS30A, so don't leave them for the last moment...
- The class moves rather fast, keep up

Good luck!

Do NOT listen to the grade distribution for this class. I was honestly so deceived when I was planning out my classes at orientation. The class seems okay when you start doing fine on homework and in labs, and the lectures are alright to follow... until the midterm hits you like a TRUCK. It was SO much harder than the practice exams he provided, you're better off studying from the homework and re-doing those problems. Luckily, the final could replace your midterm if you absolutely bomb it, weighing about 60% of your grade instead of 25% midterm and 30% final. I studied extra hard for the final, went to office hours weekly but even more so during final season, and had additional tutoring outside UCLA. I went into the final and THOUGHT it was much more fair than the midterm, until I got my grade back and it was barely higher than my midterm, fucking over my whole grade because of the strict grading. Thank God I had the labs and homework as a buffer though. Bennoun himself is an okay lecturer and is helpful during office hours, but don't expect to get much help because they're always packed. Right now I'm taking 30B with the same professor so let's pray I don't get fucked over again. Fuck the 30 series fake math bs and rip any hope for a 4.0.

Take Bennoun if you can! His lectures are clear and engaging but I will say this class will be hard if you haven't taken calculus before. I enjoyed the class but it is difficult to get a good grade since the midterm and final are worth so much. Class content was interesting and I like how the math is applied to science and real situations. Wish I had him for 30B this quarter.

Professor Bennoun is a very clear lecturer. He posts unannotated slides before lecture, and annotated slides after lecture. He uses iClicker for attendance and lectures are quite engaging. Homework was due every Monday at 11:59pm. The homework is really helpful-- its repetitive and can sometimes be difficult, but once you get one concept you can do the rest. For the midterm, the practice material they provided was much easier than the actual midterm. The midterm seemed really difficult, but they give generous partial credit (I got an 83%). But Bennoun's grading scheme allows your grade for the final exam to replace your midterm if you score better on the final. I studied a lot more for the final exam. I think the practice material they provided was pretty similar to the final. I thought the final was easier than the midterm, but that could have just been because I studied harder. I ended with an A in the class. I would highly recommend this professor.

This class was super easy and I loved my TA

I, like many others, came into this class thinking it would be a better choice than the 31 series. The first few weeks of the course were manageable, but towards the end it just felt like complete nonsense. the concepts were so abstract and unrealistic. I felt like I was at times arguing for things that have no relation to anything science OR math related. It was busy work and I didn't take away much from the course. The coding is easy, but sometimes time-consuming and in my opinion was also useless. They try to connect it to what we are learning in class but it vaguely correlates. The bonus points do nothing because it is only worth 0.5% of your grade. Seriously, it doesn't do anything. Homework was helpful but I found it to take a really long time. Not based off of correction, but off of work, explanation, and how close you are to being right (if you get a part wrong). I got 100% on the HW but I know that TAs liked to take points off very often so keep that in mind. I did good on the MT (higher than most of the people around me at least) and thought I would be okay for the final, but man was I wrong. Graders were much harsher and it seemed like they were either giving all the points or none, even if there were some portions explained correctly. The second grading scheme ended up not helping me and I had to use the first one, even though many people on BruinWalk said that the second scheme saved them.
TLDR: this class was the bane of my existence. if you can do calculus save yourself the pain and take 31A instead
Stats:
MT: 90%
Final: 83%
100% on all other categories