If I could offer a fellow undergraduate any good advice, it would be to take this course in summer or spring with another professor. I'm having a significantly better experience in spring. This class was poorly organized, you don't know the span or depth of knowledge needed for the exams. Exams are unnecessarily long and difficult.

If it weren't for the exams, I actually would not have minded Diego's lecturing style, although he tends to over-simplify things to the point where its confusing. The exams were impossible. The final took me all 4 hours and I cried after. Absolutely crushing. Hardest test I've ever taken, and I'm a straight A student. Beware of the tests, esp final

Doesn't give any indication of what to expect on exams and says everything is fair game, so be prepared to study 24/7 and still get blindsided by unexpected questions. Sure, he gets you to "think like a researcher" by doing this but it is extremely unfair to not tell your students what to prepare for, especially for an INTRO biochem course.

Worst professor I've ever taken. This class ruined both my mental and physical health and any class that does that is bad. I studied like my life depended on this class and all he does is gloat about how hard his class is.

The hardest class I've ever taken at UCSB. He explains very briefly each slide which are all pictures and one sentence. He gives you scraps to learn, but the tests are 10x harder (esp. final) and tests on application. I tried reading the book, but it didn't help at all. This is the class that I went above and beyond for, and my efforts were wasted.

Incredibly rude and clearly doesn't understand/care about the students' desire to do well. Berates students with, "don't worry about your grade in this class, know concepts." In the beginning, stated that on frq's there is room for leniency if the student can show they understand the concept, but is unjustly dismissive when there are grievances.

This class was hard. If it wasn't for the pandemic I'm pretty sure I would've failed this class. Tests are very conceptual and you need to focus on how the 'simple' topics in lectures can be applied in many ways. Read the assigned research papers and think about the applications. TAs also not very helpful.

Worst class ever taken.

I dont even know what to say about this class. I dont know how much more I couldve studied. The final and midterms made me cry. This class had me feeling hopeless. I thought the lectures were fine, but compared to the tests he gives you I felt like I was doing a test for the wrong class. Sometimes I wonder if I was in this class at all.

Diego is the worst professor I have ever encountered. He generally explains things well during lectures and tells you focus on big picture concepts. But then his tests are full of things that he has never mentioned and are heavily application based. You need to have 5+ years lab experience and a PhD to get an A in this class.

oversimplified lecture slides with complex diagrams. he tells us not to worry and as long as u understand lecture you'll do well on tests. NOT TRUE. his tests are hard and expect much more detail than he teaches, all application based when he barely teaches a concept well enough to understand. harsh grading. so grateful this class is almost over.

This class is literally impossible unless you are a genius. I have put in so much effort into this class and I'm barely passing. The tests are extremely difficult and there's no way to prepare for the types of questions being asked unless you have prior experience working in a lab. Diego is a nice person but he needs to change the exams.

This professor will make you feel stupid. He expects beyond what he should, considering not all people who are taking his class are biochemistry majors. His lectures are very conceptual, and his test are totally experiment based, so he expects you to, with no experimental background, figure out what is going on during test time.

Diego is a very smart man and very passionate. His tests dont compare to the simplicity of the lectures. He writes his own tests and grades not only on the right answer but also the correct language. No partial credit will be expected. Please read the textbook before class or expect to fail. The high performers were future doctors with major egos.

Very little respect for this man. Worst teacher I ever had. Does not care for students that really need help.

let me reiterate that these people who did well must be biochemistry majors. Diego is smart but he is working so hard for tenure that he doesn't care about the students. He will repeat for the entire class that "it's not about the grade," when even the professor has that mindset its really hard to do well. BOTHER HIM IF HE KNOWS YOU YOU CAN DO OK

Unfortunately Diego was by far the worst professor I've had at UCSB. His lecture slides consist of an oversimplified sentence to explain complex diagrams so it's impossible to know what extent he wants you to learn specifics or understand concepts. He justifies the difficulty by saying its an upper div course but he ultimately fails as a teacher.

His tests were really hard to predict. He never gave a good idea of what to study for and the practice problems were pointless. His lectures aren't the since the slides are just pictures. Honestly, I have no advice on how to do well since that class was such a toss-up. Exam 2 and the final had a curve but exam 1 didn't which sucked.

Disgustingly difficult class like no other biology class I've taken before. However, Diego did a good job of consolidating biochemistry concepts. The class could have been a mess, but it wasn't. Don't expect to do stellar on tests; they are meant to be incredibly challenging. The curve will be your salvation.

Diego's class is challenging. You don't have to commit to much memorization. Exams test your critical thinking skills and conceptual understanding. Diego is a good lecturer and doesn't give out test answers on the slides which people expect. He doesn't entertain stupid questions either. Class is competitive- many bright and passionate students.

Diego's lecture style Is very brief and the PowerPoints only cover broad topics so I relied heavily on reading the textbook on my own time. The exams are very application-based but if the class does poorly in general he will curve the exams. Overall, it was a very difficult course and he makes you work for the grade.

Dr. Acosta-Alvear was a good biochemistry professor, despite complaints of his rapid lecturing (to leave time for student questions at the end) and difficult, application-heavy exams (exams were fair IMO, each question was just worth a large percentage of the grade). He heavily emphasizes big ideas and conceptual understanding of basic processes.

he does NOT prepare you for exams. I have never ever had a teacher prepare me less. don't bother going to class he does not help you with anything. I aced his exams on my own. HE LAUGHED AT ME WHEN I ASKED QUESTIONS. he should be fired that is so rude and not conductive to a safe teaching environment. I felt uncomfortable asking for help ALWAYS.

Diego is an awesome guy but leaves much to be wanted in terms of lectures. He is extremely fair when testing; he truly wants you to succeed as long as you put some effort in. Don't be afraid to take his class, it's not as bad as every says. I actually really enjoyed it, just found the lectures to be a bit monotonous. He seems passionate about it.