Got solid Bs and As in his courses and seminars and dude screwed me on a recommendation to get a job at Scripps

Worst lecturer I've ever had. In complete monotone he reads the slides which are basically paragraphs that he reads word for word. Tests aren't terrible but quizzes were COMPLETELY unpredictable and honestly all they accomplished was giving me extreme anxiety and burnout. He's a pleasant person to talk to but I do not think he should be teaching.

Listen, if you're here to take a basic bio upper div this class is NOT for you. This class requires daily participation and constant work but so worth it. Case studies from the textbook were useless and never tested on really, the information in the slides is enough. DEF take this if you're going to medical school!Sears is also a really sweet guy:)

I absolutely loved this class. Dr. Sears is extremely intelligent and really knows and loves what he is talking about. The class consists mostly of watching his online lectures and taking quizzes/exams. The exams are pretty hard, but everything is open note so it is definitely doable. I would highly recommend taking this class.

Don't worry about the lecture slides being absolutely ridiculous looking. The best thing to do is to study with a group, do the past tests, and talk through every single question with your group. His tests are open note, open book, so his tests are to see if you completely understand the material. Most satisfying A i've ever received.

Took Duane for all 3 of the courses he offers. By far the most time consuming and taxing courses I took, but also the most rewarding . He makes you work and challenges you to think outside the box. By the time I got to biochemimmunology in Med school, the stuff they taught seemed like a joke in comparison. Work hard and you'll be rewarded.

Dr. Sears is neither a horrible professor nor is he an outstanding professor. Taken as a whole, his class is a well-structured introduction to biochemistry. The biggest problem with Sears is that he couches what he wants you to learn in examples. You really must read into his examples and couple them with the outside reading in order to do well.

Worst teacher I have ever had. Gives no practice problems. Tests are unpredictable and very hard. lectures are a waste. Get good at reading all the random graphs . Find a student who has taken this class and beg them for more old tests. The only way to prepare is to do as many old tests as possible. Just try to get through it, good luck.

An amazingly hardworking professor that really cares that the students understand the material. Do not expect the tests to be like anything you've seen before, and he only tests critical thinking, not memorization. You get to use all notesbooks on the exams so organize all your notes early on so you don't waste time on the test.

Sears is a great teacher. He is very helpful if you go to office hours and his lectures interesting. His tests are challenging because he wants you learn how to apply your knowledge rather than just restating memorized facts. You will actually learn something from Dr. Sears and I can only recommend taking all of his classes. I took 108A and 133.

Unlike most classes at UCSB Sears actually forces you to understand, learn and think! You need to put in some effort but he is a great teacher and cares deeply about teaching students who care to learn

Disregard ALL other reviews;Yes, this class is hard, you will fail if you try to memorize/if you don't engage in lecture; however if you put in the work,it will be more than rewarding.Tests are open book/note because he forces you to think critically. Sears dedicates his life to teaching and he expects a lot from his students so go to office hours!