He uses the blackboard so go to class and take notes. Also he gives out handouts which are super informative. Written exams are hard but pretty straight forward.

Sam is one of those professors that everyone needs to take at least once at UCSB. He is a real character, big pot belly and booming voice. He is a great lecturer and really great to talk to outside of class. Just pay good attention and study as much as possible. I had Sam for 131 as well as 108 and 108 is harder. You either love Sam or hate him.

A superb lecturer. Do not bother with the book- Sweet's material is not found in it. As a result, you're screwed if you skip class. His handouts only summarize his lectures and are not enough for one to fully absorb the material. Swafford's sections are incredibly useful. Not much rote memorization- you're required to understand connections.

One of the best professors I have had. He is a font of knowledge. If you think his lectures are in-depth, go to his office hours and he'll tell you all about Borneo and kingfishers and the badger he tried to train as a pet. He is incredibly thoughtful man and will not only answer your questions, get you to think critically about a dozen new ones.

Difficult because only graded on a midterm and final. Don't bother with the textbook, seriously.

Grade is only based on the midterm and final. He gives handouts every class, those matter but there's no need to buy the textbook. Go to EVERY CLASS and sit in the FRONT - his tests are entirely based on his lectures, so make sure you take good notes. Also he's hard to understand so if you don't sit in front you'll miss a lot.

These classes are basically only Midterms and a final. He gives handouts every class. His tests are formatted where he gives you a list of questions and you have to write down everything you know. A lot of studying but worth it. My favorite professor at UCSB that i've ever had. Highly suggest taking his classes.

Got a solid A in this class. Sam goes off on tangents that are hard to understand, he is pretty quiet so sit in the front. Evolution is fascinating, however, and TA Andrew Swafford is the best TA i've ever had. GO to section and study what they go over in section and youll be fine- tests are essays

Don't buy the book, but you HAVE to go to class. The handouts he gives are excellent and comprehensive, but you should really pay attention to understand the concepts. Some concepts are difficult to grasp the first time around. The tests were tough because the questions are worded very specifically, so watch out! Angela is a great TA.

This class was one of the most difficult classes that this school has to offer. It was also incredibly interesting and enlightening, though. My suggestion: skip the texts. Attend and record each lecture. Rewrite the audio and incorporate those audio notes into a study guide. He's a tough grader, so write down everything you know on the test.

He packs alot of information into each lecture, but passes out handouts with the main info so try not to miss lecture unless you can get a copy of the handout. Really interesting class, he really knows his stuff. You dont really need the book, just study the lecture handouts and your notes thouroughly. You do need the dissection book.

Definitely take this class if you're looking to fill the lab criteria for the bio major. Get to dissect sharks and cats--really awesome and not as rigorous as other MCDB labs. Sweet's lectures are very clear, organized, and straight forward. Man knows his stuff. If you can explain every lecture comprehensively to a friend, you'll be good for exams.

Don't get me wrong, the class is very hard. There is a lot of memorization and handouts, but Professor Sweet explains things in lecture really well. His voice is very deep though, so I recommend sitting in front to hear better. Take excellent notes and really put some work into this class! One of my favorites!

Great class but very difficult. Going to class is very important because he describes the complicated diagrams much better than in the handouts. I studied like crazy, but did end up with an A! Sweet is a great teacher and he is very willing to help you understand the material.

Awesome professor and artist! Prof. Sweet always draws color-coded diagrams to help you understand the material. Herpetology is a tough class, but if you study the diagrams and his handouts, you will do well. It also helps to go over his previous years' tests and practicing drawing his own diagrams. Good luck!

DO NOT BUY THE BOOK. All the info you need is in his lectures and handouts. Good lecturer- not the most exciting class in the world, but he keeps it interesting enough. Some concepts take a few lectures to really make sense, but overall it's not too difficult. Section is optional, but I found it very helpful.

Great professor. Probably the best lecturer I have had at UCSB. Uses great examples and pictures/graphs on the board to explain concepts. Provides handouts each lecture that cover the basic concepts of the class. Grading was only midterm and final, both essay format but they weren't bad if you go over the handouts.

hands down best professor i have encountered at ucsb. im a double major and have taken over 200 units. if you are at all interested in evolution he teaches it very well and the class is pretty easy.

great professor! lectures were dry but if you take notes you'll stay awake and have everything you need to do well on the exams. Textbook is optional (dont buy it). All you need to read are the handouts. His old exams really help prepare you for the midterm and final.

lectures are extremely dry and are confusing. He just rattles on and on during lecture. Its hard to take notes when he talks so fast. Tests are graded hard. He is very particular about the answers to the tests ( they are essay format)

Probably would have enjoyed it more if I actually went. I didn't like the tests at all. I'm not good at writing essays in science classe, and he's very particular about the answers.

i've taken three classes with him, and he is an amazing professor. he knows his stuff. sometimes i struggled with the material and found it difficult to do well, but regardless i loved the classes i took with him.

His lectures are clear but he's somewhat monotonic, so it's kind of hard to not fall asleep. There's no point in buying the text for this course since all his exams are based on past exams and hand-outs. If you're really good at it, you could even skip class, go only to sections and still get an A.

Read the handouts before going to lecture. You'll take better notes if you know what he's lecturing about ahead of time. I bought the recommended textbook and never read it all quarter and still got an A.