Overall I think the class was definitely fair and not too bad for a GE. There is a lot of material to cover and the lectures can feel long sometimes, but Dr. Babiec gives a break in the middle, can sometimes be funny, and is clearly passionate about what he's teaching. As some other people have said there are 4 non-cumulative tests that are weighted equally, so you don't have to worry about cramming for a final or anything, and as long as you study the slides you're good. There's no discussion for the class and some coloring assignments for homework, which can admittedly take a while but are really easy ways to boost your grade. It's a decent class and I definitely felt like I knew what was expected throughout the quarter.

The professor is a great lecturer and tries to make the material as entertaining as possible. However, unless you enjoy neuroscience, it's likely that you won't find this class too interesting. Since the class was bruincasted and the lecture slides were available online, not that many people showed up to class. Personally, I found the material extremely boring, but not particularly hard to learn. If you actually attend lecture, takes notes, and study the notes and lectures slides, it shouldn't be hard to get an A. The tests are extremely straightforward. They consist of multiple choice, short one-word answer questions, and a couple short responses (1 paragraph). For the tests, you either memorized the material or you didn't, there's very little hard thinking involved.

Homework consisted of some easy (but tedious) coloring pages, but are an easy way to boost your grade. He also offers a small amount of extra credit for doing clicker questions in class. Tests usually had an median of 79-83%.
In conclusion, this is probably a little too much work if you want a super easy GE, but if you are interested in neuroscience, I think this class is worth taking.

Be. Warned.

This professor reported 1/3 of our 2020 class to the dean and accused them of cheating on the final exam (which was an online CCLE multiple choice quiz due to COVID-19). From what I've heard, most of the students did well on the test and he took that to the dean. Total jerk, makes some very strange comments in class and definitely writes hard tests. If you're a neuroscience major, you don't have a choice in taking this class so good luck, just be careful. Do not post anything on course hero either because he routinely checks that and reports students. I'm assuming it's the same for chegg. The discussions are so pointless but you have to go for points. My TA was super helpful though.

Babiec is honestly just not a nice person. I highly recommend that you just study as hard as you can for his section and never bother to interact with him. I'm not sure what made him into an angry or mean person, but I hope he gets the help he needs. He yells at students in OH for asking questions, and is truly someone who should not be a professor. I don't think I've ever said that about anyone before.

As far as class content, it really is not too difficult. His sections were straightforward. Grading is a different story, but that's always a mixed bag. Just get through 101B so you can have a better time in 101C. Good luck!

I liked this class! Lecture was kind of late so I often didn't go, but you don't really need to, as all the lectures were posted and I just watched those and took avid notes. All the slides are always posted though but that is not enough; you must watch the lectures. Writing down the content from the slides onto your cheat sheet for tests is not enough; I do feel you have to actually understand stuff. I got a 91, 85, and 97.5 on the 3 tests, which is probably an A- average but the coloring homework helps. Not necessarily with understanding but your grade -- it takes a while, so start early-ish! Tests weren't that stressful as you have ample time, they're equally weighted, and you get a cheat sheet. However, sometimes the multiple choice would be from completely random things mentioned once in lecture or ask about weird analogies that we never talked about. But other than that I do feel tests were basically fair, and most of the time, the things I missed were truly my fault. I can't say much about the professor because I never went to office hours nor did I really attend lecture, but he seems like a nice guy and I'm sure he would be helpful. This was the first GE I've ever taken, so I can't say how it is as a GE but everyone in my class said it was the hardest/most work they've ever had to do for a GE. I didn't think it was awful, but maybe most GEs are just easy/easier? Anyway, I did find this class super interesting and I'm glad I took it for my LS GE rather than LS 7A or anything like that because those just don't sound interesting to me. I truly found the content super interesting and I'm glad I took the class. Advice I have is just if you decide to not go to lecture, totally fine, but just don't get behind! Try to watch as soon as it comes out, and take avid notes and don't skip the video around, actually pause and rewind if you're confused. I would get behind for a few days and then have like 8 hours of lecture to watch and it wasn't fun. And take advantage of the cheat sheet! People who only wrote down like 10 words seemed to struggle. Also, every single test he asks about a disease (why it occurs, symptoms, etc) so always study the diseases he presents! And do NOT buy the book nor read it (unless just for fun). The readings will literally never come up on tests; all test material is based on lectures and only lectures. ALSO take the survey before the class starts! It adds a point to your average even if you just click random stuff (what I did). Have fun!

This class was not enjoyable. At all. I took this as a GE because I was interested in learning the basics of the brain but the way this class was structured made it very difficult. Watching lectures on your own time while only having a grade consisting of 4 non cumulative module tests may seem easy but the lectures are SO DENSE. If you do take this class though I suggest writing super detailed notes.

I think that Walter changed the class since last year because the 4 tests now have a mix of multiple choice, very short answer, and short answer. This course is definitely not the easy A that the reviews above mention. There is a lot of material to process and the lectures get pretty boring sometimes. By the end of the quarter, barely half the class showed up on any given day. Overall, I would not recommend anyone to take this class for a GE.

Babiec is an amazing professor who truly wants his students to learn and become expects in the subject. He makes sure that he explains everything to the fullest extent. No other professor is as accessible and helpful as he is. While the class is a little hard, he does try his best to make it as graspable as possible.

I wasn't sure what I was getting myself into with this class; turns out it was pretty simple in terms of class structure. There's no class materials or required extra readings. Babiec's lectures get monotonous if you aren't interested in the material, but he's generally a personable and upbeat guy. All 4 of the exams are equally weighted and multiple choice. All of the information comes directly from lecture and the lecture slides, which are available on CCLE. His lectures are also recorded, but I would recommend attending lecture since the entirety of the exams are based on this info. Overall, doable class if you know how to study and manage your time.

This was an engaging class and it opened my eyes to Neuroscience. The class consists of slides that the professor reads through and explains. There are 4 exams that are taken directly from the slides. As long as you study everything on the slides (not just the content, but also the pictures and figures), the class should be fine. Professor Babiec is really nice and helpful when you attend office hours.