OVERVIEW:
150 points - Launchpad
>>>50 points each for reading, review quizzes, and practice exams
90 points - Midterm #1
>>>62 multiple choice questions (2 bonus)
120 points - Midterm #2
>>>62 multiple choice questions (2 bonus)
200 points - Midterm #3
>>>102 multiple choice questions (2 bonus)
80 points - Discussion
72 points - Clicker participation
10 points - CCLE reflection questions
722 total points available (although there were about 8 points worth of extra credit surveys as well!)
There's a lot to love about Dr. Maloy's LS7A lecture. He's an energetic professor and is very passionate about teaching. The use of clicker questions and review quizzes on LaunchPad (the online textbook) really helped me gage how well I understood the course. There are a lot of resources for those who are struggling: I'd highly recommend going to the Collaborative Learning Center's Problem Solving/Q+A sessions to review each week's material and to professor/TA office hours. The lectures themselves are really engaging - full of colorful diagrams and opportunities to work with your neighbors - and Dr. Maloy was a terrific presenter. Dr. Maloy also used worksheets during the lectures to emphasize key points, which were especially handy when preparing for the exams.
However, the LS series may seem daunting at first. LaunchPad can be somewhat deflationary, as the practice exams are very challenging. Each week, you are assigned reading on LaunchPad, followed by straightforward review quizzes, which you can attempt up to 3 times and pause if needed. However, the practice exams are a different story. They are timed and you only have one shot at them, making them very stressful. There are answers posted on Quizlet (everyone seems to be aware of this, even the Learning Assistants), but I'd caution against using those. The practice exams, while they are quite stress-inducing, are very helpful when studying for the exams. Additionally, each one counts for a mere 5 points out of 722, so they aren't especially weighty in final grades. These are a helpful tool to succeeding in the course.
Dr. Maloy really emphasized student learning, which was great! He dedicated 10 easy course points to watching educational videos about the science of learning and filling out surveys about how we perceive our own ability to learn. In the face of my first quarter's near-constant stress, these reflection questions were a pleasant reminder that, even when faced with difficulty, I was capable of overcoming it. I was never able to go to Dr. Maloy's office hours because of an unfortunate schedule conflict, but I emailed him several times. He is very prompt with his replies and cares deeply about addressing student concerns.
It's also great that there are a LOT of points in this course, which gives students quite a bit of room to struggle and learn without seriously jeopardizing their grades. Overall, it was a great experience despite some initial difficulties. I'd give this course a 5/5, although it was certainly challenging, and I highly recommend it to anyone interested in life science and cells/molecules.

Before I begin, I'd like to inform those that I took him for LS 107, not LS7A. I couldn't find Maloy under LS 107 or LS 4 for some reason and I don't want to go through the trouble of adding him cause I'm lazy. Anyways, Maloy is not that bad of a professor. He is clear, has good practice problems, reflect his exams on his lecture and clicker questions, and provides a lot of extra credit (I think my grade was boosted by 4% thanks to it). My only problem with him is that he may be too easy. I'm not sure if it's because I took the class during summer, but it seemed very easygoing in his LS 107 class. I'm not sure how it was for others, but the class median for the first exam was a 68/90, avg. for second was 72%, and final probably something like a C to a C+. I would highly recommend Maloy if you want a do-able, yet a little challenging at times Genetics course. Hung Pham is the other Genetics professor whom I believe seems to be harder than Maloy, comparing Pham's exams to Maloy's. Clicker required, textbook not, 2 midterms + final (summer 2018), ~680 points, 1st exam 90pts, 2nd 120pts, final 200pts, video quizzes 50pts, participation during class & discussion 60pts, CCLE assignments (free points) 80pts, clicker ?'s 80pts, 27 pts extra credit you can easily earn.

LS7A was one of the first classes I took at UCLA and I absolutely loved it. Dr. Maloy is one of the most wholesome professors I've had and you can really tell he cares about the success and understanding of his students. The material can be a little tricky at times, but as long as you are doing Launchpad, going to discussion, and answering all the clicker questions in lecture you should be totally fine. If Jay is ever a TA again, I would highly recommend going to his section. Overall, great class and Maloy is literally the best.

I'm so glad that my first quarter at UCLA included 7A with Dr. Maloy. He is an incredible, engaging professor that genuinely cares about his students and his studies. He asked us to do a mid-quarter course evaluation so he could implement any suggestions for the latter half of the quarter, unlike how it usually is where we can only grade our professors once the quarter is over. His enthusiasm made the 8 AM lecture feel like a breeze and he was always so encouraging. I thought the midterms and finals were super fair -- like the whole 7 series, it's all about application over memorization.
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The whole breakdown:
TOTAL - 716 pts
MIDTERM 1 - 90 pts
MIDTERM 2 - 110 pts
FINAL - 200 pts
DISCUSSION SECTION - 80 pts (10 pts per week)
iCLICKER Qs - 76 pts (4 pts, all-or-nothing, per lecture)
LAUNCHPAD (assignments, quizzes, practice exams) - 150 pts
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There were also multiple opportunities for extra credit!
I wish Maloy was teaching 7A every quarter - he is truly an all-star professor.