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!

Sears is a bad teacher. You have to teach everything yourself. He throws questions, which are easy if you had practice problems, but are hard because you haven't seen them. Old exams will help you on the midterms, but it will not help you on the final.

worst prof at ucsb I've ever had. also most monotone. tricky tests. full questions on his tests emphasize concepts that he tells you aren't important during lecture. take mcdb 110 or chem 142 if you can

Prof. Sears is certainly challenging but the class truly is very doable if you put in the time! I got an A in his class. He wants to see if you understand the GENERAL concepts. My advice is read the book and outside sources he gives you, don't look up much during tests (he gives you the info he wants you to use!), and focus on practice tests!

Best professor I have had at UCSB. Yes it's a hard class but that's because you can't just memorize slides anymore to receive a good grade. Sears emphasizes the application of what you learn and your analytical and logical problem solving skills. If you understand the concepts you will do well in this class.

Sears wants you to think, plain and simple. Memorization will get you nowhere. His classes have helped me with every other subject I have ever taken because he teaches you CRITICAL THINKING through the lens of immunobiology. This class is difficult, VERY difficult, but incredibly rewarding. He seems scary, but is actually a very kind and caring.

Hardest class I have ever had. You need to understand the material, not just memorize it. He wants you to do well and his TA is available for questions. Records his lectures and has reviews for each exam. Can't slackoff in this class!

This is the hardest class you will take as a microbio major. Sears earned his PhD studying immunology- this is what he was born for. You'll be in awe of his genius by the end, but God help you if you take this class lightly.

This course is very difficult- it tests your understanding of chemistry rather than ability to memorize (tests are open-book). Sears is an incredibly boring yet brilliant teacher. He dedicates himself to this class and expects the same from you. You have to be smart to do well, but he does give you all the resources you need to do so. He's a boss.

It makes me so sad to see all this negative reviews because Sears is the best professor I've had. I have taken biochem and immunology with him and nobody has ever taught me as much as he has. His classes are very challenging but very rewarding. He doesn't make you memorize, he makes you think. HE'S THE BEST

Everyone's goal in class was simply to survive, and you can, if you take a lot of practice tests, find a good TA (Esther Taxon was a God send) and don't worry about the readings. He gets into random, complicated details in class that are confusing and not on the exam. He's condescending in office hours so I would got to my TA's office hours instead

His tests are extremely tough and unpredictable. One could study as much of the lecture and textbook material as possibly and still not know what is going on with his tests. His lectures are very boring and slow, yet one must complete the tests in 50 minutes. I'd like to see him do that. He really doesn't set one up to succeed.

I've taken him for 108a, 133, and 138. Most of his tests are open book/notes -- you are required to learn concepts, it is very unlikely you will be able to answer any test questions based solely on memory. The grading is very fair and you finish the classes actually knowing the material. His classes aren't easy, but they are rewarding.