Def the best professor I have ever had at DAVIS. He is the most helpful biochem professor and actually cares about his students. He is very enthusiastic and interesting. He teaches things in a way that makes sense instead of assuming people know stuff. Take this class!

Best professor at Davis!

Most helpful teacher I have ever had at Davis

Thoughtful, enthusiastic professor who doesn't leave you guessing about material and will try his best to help everyone who cares to succeed!

He's not easy at all if you don't put in effort, but if you do put in effort it's not impossible to do well!

Great professor--I wish he was teaching 103!

Dr. Leal is an enthusiastic and excellent teacher. He goes far above and beyond to make the material clear and interesting. His office hours are helpful, as are the videos he records reviewing important concepts. He brings in relevant material with industrial and laboratory applications (he skyped in a Genetech manager to talk with the class!)

One of the best professors at Davis. So kind, enthusiastic, FUNNY (his jokes are great), and overall a great teacher and person. He is the kind of professor you see at a starbucks on campus and you'll feel totally comfortable greeting and talking to. I was wary about biochem but he makes it interesting. Wish he was teaching 103 and 104 and more...

Few professors are as devoted to teaching as Professor Leal. You can tell that he cares very much about his students - he gets to know you in office hours, he posts very helpful e-reviews and HW solution videos, and he genuinely listens to our gripes and adjusts his teaching methods to suit our needs. His hard work is definitely much appreciated.

A great professor who goes out of his way to help his students succeed in his class (e-reviews, podcasts, e-solutions, etc). He has a great sense of humor and is truly enthusiastic about the material he presents, which made me more excited about the class overall. Make use of the abundant resources he provides. Exams are lecture-based and fair.

Best professor I have had at UCD. He wants to see his students succeed. If you attend office hours (very important- you will do well if you attend), he clarifies what information is important for the test. Gives plenty of opportunities to succeed- do need to study for tests however.

Helpful professor and TAs! Don't fall behind in studying!

Professor Leal is one of the few professors that I have had at Davis who is primarly concerned about students learning.To my surprise, I actually enjoyed this class. His focus is always on student succeeding and understanding material, and he goes beyond what normal professors do. Very smart, funny guy who makes the subject bearable.

Good professor, cares about student learning. Go to office hours because they are very helpful to understanding concepts for biochem.

Very helpful, very clear on what he wants from students and very very interested in making sure students do good in his class.

Professor Leal puts a lot of effort into all of his lectures and reviews. If you need help, don't be afraid to ask because there are so many resources that make a class that may seem daunting quite simple.

Professor Leal is the nicest guy you can ever meet. He is all about helping his students. He does have a slight accent but that is no biggie. Truly cares for his students and wants them to do their best. The TAs are also amazing. Silvia and Nicole are great with clarifying concepts that are harder to grasp. Highly recommend taking bis102 with Leal!

Easy class. Super friendly. Sometimes boring. Doesn't like when he sees you on your phone.

Easy class. Super friendly. Sometimes boring. Doesn't like when he sees you on your phone. E-Reviews are awesome.

I took professor Leal for Bis 102 it is definitely not an easy class and you have to put a lot of time into the class, but Leal provides a lot of helpful tools like podcast, videos with detailed explanations of example questions, and helpful office hours. He is a great teacher and I would recommend him over every other chem professor.

Great professor, makes biochem approachable

Professor Leal is a great professor to have for bis 102. He is organized and very helpful and so are the ta's.

Great professor. Cares about his students and his students progress. go to lecture, pay attention, and go to office hours you will be fine. if he ever emphasizes something in lecture be sure to go back and look at it!! 99% guaranteed on the exam.

listen to podcast and attend class!! very nice professor in general. exams are do-able if you study and attend class. office hours are extremely helpful and do the book problems

He is very helpful to his students and tries to get you excited and interested in the subject. Exams are almost solely based on lecture so attendance is pretty much mandatory. Exams aren't too hard if you can understand the basic concepts from lecture. Enthusiastic and hard-working professor!

Professor Leal is extremely enthusiastic about this class. I was not looking forward to bus 102, but he has made it enjoyable

Leal is really committed to this class and teaching student which makes the class worth taking. He only tests on what he teaches you in class and hw he assigns so you don't need to go off and do any reading on your own (he doesn't follow the book). His exams are fair, kinda easy, but they are long so not everyone finishes them. Definitely take him!

Dr. Leal so far has made this class fair/not absolutely impossible to succeed in. And that's nice because I can put more energy into learning instead of putting my energy into stressing. I've learned more than I have in quite a few of the upper div bio classes I've taken so far because of this. :-)

Makes Biochem interesting to learn about!

He loves teaching and puts an extreme amount of effort into his work, all for his students to do well! Attendance is mandatory, office hours is needed to do well, lecture-based exams, but only downside is his accent makes him difficult to understand at times. Otherwise, take him you will love his class! Favorite professor at UCD :)

Cares a lot about the subject and always tries his best to help out :) however, sometimes I feel emphasis is placed on the wrong things on exams (like asking question regarding specific value from short video chat we had)

very helpful, makes jokes during class, interesting, cares a lot about students

Demands your respect, but also goes above and beyond in providing resources to help you do well in the class, including office hours, online example problems, and the chance to give feedback. Tests are reasonable if you understand the lecture and do the practice questions.

Professor Leal puts a lot of effort and time into his lectures. He goes above and beyond by doing things like sky ping with experts and taking the time to make problems that show you how to solve the problems he assigns. One of the best professors I've had here at Davis.

Leal is one of the most helpful and dedicated professors I have had at Davis. He truly cares about his students and goes out of his way to try to help his students learn. He offers numerous e-reviews and e-solutions to his homework problems. Definitely take his class!

Professor Leal is a very good teacher, who is extremely dedicated to his students success, more than i have ever seen! he really is a inspiration. His class was difficult but it could of been way harder. with that said, i feel that i learned the most important things that one should learn in Bis 102. I strongly recommend him as a ptrofessor!

Professor Leal puts more effort into lecture than most other professors anywhere. The e-reviews and e-problems saved me for the exams. The class is still difficult, but he does his best to make it fair and understandable, I just suck at chem so it was hard.

Professor Leal actually cares if you learn the material and will work with you more than any other university professor I have had. The class is not easy, but if you put in the work he will help you and you will do well.

Dr. Leal's enthusiasm is contagious! He truly cares about his students and puts in a lot of time and effort to provide students study materials- video tutorials, online review sessions, etc. He really explains the HOW and WHY of the topics he teaches in class. HE MADE ME LOVE BIOCHEM. Because of him it was and is my favorite class!

Leal is an extremely entertaining lecturer. I have this class after 4 straight hours of sitting in lectures and it is remarkable to me that I can actually be awaken by bio chem... By the end understanding his accent comes easy. But at the beginning that was probably the most difficult part

cool professor very helpful accent makes it hard to hear sommetimes. very fair

I thought Professor Leal was an extremely fair teacher. Although the subject itself isn't entirely fascinating, his lectures were well organized, he was always more than willing to give extra help, and he made it VERY clear what he expected us to know on the exams and tested us on exactly that. He's also the most adorable professor in my opinion.

The class itself is not TOO difficult. For the most part, it really is taking the basics you've learned in your previous biology and chemistry classes and essentially tying it up. As for Dr. Leal, he really keeps you both engaged and interested in a subject that most people would find daunting. I definitely suggest taking him.

Professor Leal is great, he really goes the extra mile to help students. He also has lots of real world examples and we even held skype interviews with biochem professionals in industry and academia.

Dr. Leal & our TA's made biochemistry extremely enjoyable and after taking the final I feel like biochemistry is a lot easier to comprehend and utilize. Dr. Leal worked hard. THANKS!

Best professor ever taken at Davis! You don't want to miss a single lecture, as all of his exams are based on them. I had no initial interest in the class; but his enthusiasm definitely made the experience way more enjoyable. Best professor I've taken in my major.

He's super stoked on biochem and he's pretty well-renowned. His tests weren't bad if you paid attention and did the homework. Would recommend

Professor Leal actually wants to see his class succeed. His lectures are clear and organized and he gave assignments to go with it. He spent extra time explaining important concepts than any other professor would. I had heard a lot of scary things about this course, but Leal took my concern away. Never miss lecture though because you'll miss a lot!

First time to write a review here, only because Dr. Leal truly deserves it. His lectures,home work, solutions and office hours will spoon feed you with everything you need for an A. So,do your part, work with him and make use of all the resources. This will guarantee your success in this class. and lastly, Dr Leal is simply the best!

Dr. Leal is a very great professor. He's probably the most technologically advanced one that I've ever had. He takes the time out of his schedule to solve practice problesms and posts the solutions online for us to watch. He really wants students to succeed and has no problem with everyone passing. I would recommend taking him for BIS 102.

One of the most caring professors on this campus!! He absolutely does everything that he can to accommodate his students needs and wants. I've never seen a professor work as hard as Dr. Leal in helping his students succeed in all areas. His accent may be hard to understand at first but you get used to it :) I strongly recommend Professor Leal.

Dr. Leal is incredible. Without a doubt he puts forth more effort towards the students' success than any other university professor I've had. Video solutions for problems, interesting lectures, lots of material, but he doesn't overwhelm you with it (kind've amazing). Study (duh), pay attention in class and go to office hours! You'll do well :)

Awesome teacher! I've been to two colleges and have had many professors! He is really in your conner trying to help you succeed. Don't get me wrong he's not gonna make it easy for you but he will give you all the tools you need to succeed. Utilize these tools and ask questions. I say this because sometimes he may be unclear! still a great teacher

Professor Leal is an awesome professor. He is by far the best professor for biochemistry because he really takes his time to make sure that all his students understand the material given. He also tries his hardest to record office hours and helpful videos to clarify problems assigned in class. He's just the best!

Dr. Leal is the professor you never thought you could find at a large research university. He puts in so much effort to make his lectures engaging, and he provides e-solutions to ALL assigned homework problems. His tests are totally reflective of material discussed in class. The best professor I've ever had. He makes this hard class totally doable.

Great professor and does his best to accommodate the different learning style of the students by trying different methods of instruction such as eVENTS, e PROBLEMS, recorded lectures, and recorded office hours. He is approachable and understanding to issues that may come up in testing, life matters, and difficulty in course.

He reads these ratings so be honest but polite. Anyway, Dr. Leal should teach other teachers how to teach. He tries to incorporate technology and different kinds of teaching styles to best suit the class. He is very helpful in office hours and creates videos to solve problems from the book. Podcast, online events, everything. He has a strong accent

Professor Leal is great! Chemistry wasn't my favorite subject in school and I was nervous for biochem, but Leal is the best professor to take bis 102 with. The tests are fair and podcasts are uploaded to help with lecture material. There are videos for problems and they help. Make sure to watch them early and you must attend OH.

Professor Leal is easily the best professor I have ever had. He truly cares about his students' success. Make sure you go to his Office Hours, as he drops a lot of hints and clarifies just about everything. He really takes the time to ask for and listen to student feedback. He assigns book problems but then records videos clearly explaining answers

Professor Leal was the BEST professor Iv ever taken for my upper division courses! He is so nice, genuinely cares about the students, loves what he is teach and does SO MUCH MORE THAN HE NEEDS TO AS A PROFESSOR!!! Im not a huge fan of biochem in general but Professor Leal really made me love this course!!! BEST PROF at davis!!!

Professor Leal is so far the best professor I've ever had at UC Davis. He truly cares for his students. In order to pass this class, you have to pay attention, do assigned problems, and go to his OH. His exams are not hard, but the wording is confusing, which take so much time to understand what he really wants you to do during the exam.

Prof Leal is a good guy. Tries his best to accommodate students based on their opinions (from surveys). HWOH best chance of doing well. Tests are not unreasonable if you study. Hard to get good grade if you fall behind. Many people go OH, don't expect 1:1 or small group. Accent is bearable. Gives some EC, not sure about curve yet.

Professor Leal's class is one of the best I've taken. If you show up to class and take good notes you will have all the material to be successful on tests. His office hours are extremely helpful and his lectures are extremely well prepared.

Dr. Leal tries really hard, and I appreciate that. Unfortunately I think he tried to do too much with this class. It felt scattered and disorganized at times. His tests differed wildly and I think he was too concerned with trying to please students. I put too much effort into figuring out how to study for this class rather than just studying.

Best professor I had in my entire life. He sacrifices his time to find new effective methods of teaching, uploads recorded videos of himself solving problems, and records office hours that covered important subjects. His exams are fair compared with the effort he puts to this class. Never had such a teacher who cares about students this much. Gold!

This class was so fun and easy because of him. If you need to take this class, make sure you take it with this professor. I hated biology and I hated chemistry so I was terrified for this boichem class, but thanks to Leal I fell in love with the course. If you go to all classes and office hours, you will definitely get an A.

Professor Leal is one of the most involved teachers I've had at Davis. The class can be challenging, but if you ask questions and go to his office hours you will do fine. His office hours are definitley worth going to. Tests aren't too bad as long as you study. He always posts lectures online and posts solution videos of assigned problems

Dr. leal was not just an amazing teacher, but was the best professor I have ever had period. He really cares about his students and want us to succeed. His online video system is amazing. Every teacher should use it. He is very nice to his students and keeps us engaged during lecture. I have the utmost respect and appreciation for this man.

Leal was very good at providing many different resources to help students study. There are online video solutions for every assigned problem. A few extra credit opportunities were available. He uses his office hours to teach so go. Overall, great professor though his accent can be hard to understand.

Best Professor I've ever had and best class I've taken!

Professor Leal is literally the best professor I have had at Davis. He cares for his students like no other, and he's so passionate about Biochemistry! I enjoyed every single lecture that he delivered and I was honestly so sad when I turned in the final because the class was over. Nonetheless, if you ever have the chance of taking him, do it.

Professor Leal is a great professor. He is always welcoming feedback for his teaching strategies, and any problem with the way he conducts lectures is fair game to bring to his attention. What is uncalled for is calling him self-centered; he comes across as a very genuine professor who wants his students to succeed. Great biochemistry class!

Dr. Leal is the best professor I have ever taken with. He uses many advanced technology for his students, and he spends much effort in making this class an enjoyable experience for students. Tests are fair if you study and attend his lectures. He's an example of how other professors in this college should teach and interact with students.

Very clear lecturer (after you get used to accent), always willing to help, and a funnymotivational guy. Wants his students to succeed and be happy with what they learn. Midterms are not that bad but LEARNUNDERSTAND EVERYTHING HE SAYS. Go to office hours because you solve problems (midterm problems!) there. Good example of a dedicated professor.

Professor Leal really made the class enjoyable! He's funny, dedicated and knowledgeable in biochemistry. Doing the assignments is extremely helpful because they will be on the exams. He is definitely one of few professors who goes out of their way to help students (online OH, videos of the problems, EC...). I would recommend taking 102 with him!

High emphasis on understanding rather then regurgitating material. Might catch you off guard with a question about a skype interview. He was probably the best professor I have ever had, even if this class isn't perfect you can appreciate how hard he works to adapt it to the wants of his students.

He is an amazing teacher, who truly cares about his students. Best Bis 102 teacher by far.

He is truly one of the best and I wish that he could teach all my classes.

He gives you solutions to problems, helps during offices hours and is really clear about what is on the midterms. I love this class because he makes me want to learn it. He puts in a lot of effort to make sure you understand. Have to take this class with him. Sad it is over soon. He is also very funny!

Dr. Leal really cares about his students and his tests are fair. I highly recommend his office hours and TA's office hours because you simply can't understand the material the first time. I loved his in class Skype interviews with people in industry and about Zika Virus. Dr. Leal wants you to learn and be an informed student and better person!

Dr. Leal puts in a ton of effort to improve and be available for students. He made it my favorite class of the quarter. Exams are fair, doesn't throw tricks at you. OH help immensely and doing the assigned problems are highly recommended for exams. I'm kind of sad the class is ending. Highly recommend!

Dr. Leal is one of the best professors I have had at Davis! He puts in a lot of effort to help you understand the material and his tests are not tricky or difficult. He is so passionate about the material and he is very funny!

Dr. Leal was one of the best professors I had here at Davis. His lectures were easy to follow and paced in a good way. He was always available for help outside of class. The tests weren't too hard (except for the final), but he offers extra credit, so a lot of people ended up with A's at the end of the quarter. Take him if you can!

This professor was one of the only professors I've met that truly cares about students and their success. He is very hilarious and inspirational. Re-listen to podcast, re-write notes, DO THE BOOK PROBLEMS, watch his online resources given. My first A+ in college. Made testing situation work out (SDC student friendly). Awesome, genuine person.

He is the best professor I think I've ever had and I would recommend taking Biochem with him. He puts a ton of effort into this class and wants all of the students to succeed. As long as you watch his problem solving and review videos you'll be fine. I wouldn't buy the textbook because the problems he assigns can be found online or in his videos.

Hands down the best professor I've had at Davis! He tells you exactly how to study for his class and is very helpful in office hours! He genuinely cares about students and wants to see them succeed. I am so sad that this class is over & wish he taught BIS 103. I would definitely take this class again.

Hands down the best biochemistry professor. He provides you with everything you need to succeed and if you go to office hours, participate & study right, you certainly will. He wants you to understand the important stuff so pay attention! He takes time out of his busy schedule to make online material for you to use, SO USE THEM OR YOUR LOSS!!!!!!!!

He is the most helpful professor I have ever taken. He truly wants you to succeed, and makes extremely helpful videos where he solves HW problems/explains challenging concepts. He also offers a lot of extra credit and has a nice curve. His tests are pretty straightforward if you do the HW problems. I would definitely take him again!

Dr. Leal is an absolute legend. His lectures were great. He gives students more than enough opportunities to succeed. He bridges college with the real world with his many skype interviews. His tests are very unique and make you think. I've never had a professor show so much devotion to a course. Take him! You will learn a lot and he's pretty easy.

Think of all the good qualities you want your professor to have to help you succeed in class, well Dc. Leal has them all! He is very knowledgeable, flexible, fair in writing exams and there to help you all the time. His passion for teaching comes across so vividly when you're in his class and makes you interested in the subject. He is phenomenal!

The negative comments are ridiculous. Out of kindness, he gave us extra space to write on the back but clearly stated that nothing on the back would be graded. So its obvious you need to show your work so he knows that you know your stuff. He even offered to replace their second midterm grade if it was higher. Don't listen to the complainers!

Never tricks students, wants them to pass but FOLLOW DIRECTIONS on exams! All pen & show work, easy way to lose points. Textbook used once for HW 1. Segel calculations book used for all HW. GO TO CLASS & OFFICE HOURS save hours in long run, gives suggestions on what to focus. Funny. Hard to understand at first, but accent grows on you.

Dr. Walter Leal is a professor who gives it to you straight. Gives resources that breakdown the lectures. To succeed you MUST go to all his OH, watch e-clarifications, e-vents, and sup. videos. Doesnt give trick questions. Uses very similar problem on the midterms from his videos. Midterms are extremely fair; no curveballs. write rxns & use pen!

Dr. Leal is the ideal professor. His lectures were engaging and interesting, and he was very approachable. As everyone else says, make sure to go to lecture to fully understand the material, and try to attend ALL office hours as he goes over practice problems and tells you exactly what you need to succeed. He made BIS 102 so enjoyable - take him!

Provides tons of resources to do well, always incredibly approachable, very clear in what he expects for exams, and funny to boot. Key to success is actually utilizing all of the resources he provides, and going to as many of his office hours and lectures as you can, and doing all the practice problems. Don't expect an effortless A, but it's doable

Professor Leal was one of the best professor I've ever had. I didn't like biology before I took this class, but I started to get interested. He explained complicated stuff extremely good by using daily examples. His office hours were really helpful, and you would find the benifit during the exam. He also gave pretty good "deal". (Etra credit)

Professor Leal was one of the best professors I've ever had! For a person who typically struggles in classes like this, he truly does give you all the tools you need to succeed. One of the most important things he does is bridge course material with real world application, which is how I personally learn best. Highly recommend for BIS102!!

I never gave a rating for a professor before, but he is an exception. He REALLY cares about his students. He truly wants everyone to learn and do well in his class. To do well in his class: MUST go to lecture and office hours, do hw problems from the segel textbook (probably the only textbook you will need), watch his videos (I watched all!!)

My advice is office hours, office hours, office hours! Don't miss class, the exams are based off his lectures & homework assigned so attendance is a must. Watch every eclarification. Do all of this & you will be awarded with a great grade. He says what he means. If he says it's important, it is. Love him & I wish he taught more classes.

Prof Leal is a myth wrapped in a legend dipped in gold. Go to his office hours, you don't need the book, do all of his practice problems and even make up some your self. watch all of his videos and I mean ALL of them. he works hard on this class and you should too. if you do what he says and go to class you will do great. GO TO CLASS!

Take Professor Leal! His class is completely fair if you are willing to put in the effort. He is very funny and full of surprises. Go to office hours, watch e-events, and go over lecture slides!

Take him! He is probably the best professor I have had in Davis! He keeps you engage in the material and he is clear on the material he presents! He really cares about his students and wants you to do well! Utilize all resources and you will do well! I wish I could take his class again!

Professor Leal is the best professor I have had at UC Davis so far! He puts a lot of effort in making videos for problem solutions and in making himself available for questions outside of lecture time. To succeed in his class, make sure to attend every lecture, but most importantly, go over each and every practice problem he assigns.

LEGENDARY. I did not appreciate Walter Leal until I moved onto BIS 103. Now I realize that he is one of the best professors of all time. Amazing professor.

One of those professors who never gets boring. He's hilarious, passionate about the subject he teaches, and puts a commendable amount of effort into his lectures and clarification/practice videos. Class is curved like a Brazilian model! Practice problems were not very reflective of exam questions, but helped to solidify relevant concepts.

Dr. Leal is even better than a McDonald's Big Mac and coke on a sunny Summer afternoon in Davis. Energetic, passionate, extremely smart (duh), and cares for each of his students. He puts in 3x the hours and effort of any other prof there is. Respect him and he will respect you. Huge curves, test heavy, go to class and OH, and know his protein!!!!!!

Dr. Leal is one of the best professors I have ever had at Davis. He truly wants his students to succeed and gives ALL the possible resources to do so. Watch ALL eClarifications and Electures (do not put off watching these until the day before the exam). Exams are extremely fair, given the material.

Professor Leal is one of the best instructors at UC Davis. He truly cares about the academic success of his students. He will go out of his way to ensure that his students have the materials and resources they need to be successful in this course. The exams require some critical thinking, however, as long as you put in the work you can get an A.

Professor Leal is the best professor I have had a UCD so far. The amount of work he puts into the classes success is unmatched. His lectures, eVents, and eLectures are super helpful. As long as you keep with the videos and attend OH, exams are nothing scary. His exams do require independent thinking but he gives you everything you need to succeed.

Dr. Leal perfectly exemplifies what an ideal professor should be: he gives amazing lectures and tells you upfront was is expected to do well in his class. He genuinely cares about the performance of his students and provides all the resources you need. I found the eclarifications to be particularly useful when studying. His jokes are also great XD

Professor Leal is hands down the best professor Ive had at Davis. He clearly cares about his students. He goes out of his way to make videos to show his students how to solve each problem he assigns. He does videos to explain material, and he also has a generous curve. He wants his students to succeed. Youll want to do good in this class!

Professor Leal wants you to succeed, AND you will need to do your part . He tells you what to focus on, but the material is inherently dense. He works VERY HARD at making online resources to clarify content. I was initially a bit intimidated by him, but am glad I moved beyond that. Wish he taught BIS103 next quarter! Would retake in a second.

there are no words to describe how generous this man is. He does everything he can to make commonly misunderstood topics as clear as possible by taking the time to make videos and posting them up as soon as possible. If he isnt posting videos hes hosting live office hours. If you work as hard as he does for the class u will be fine!

I love Walter Leal, he's an amazing professor and really cares about his students! That being said, this is NOT an easy class. Reading all these great reviews gave me the impression it would be easy, however, all our averages were in the 60's (uncurved). Test questions can be tricky. Just be ready to work hard, use his recourses and you'll do well!

350 characters are not enough to describe why Professor Leal is the best professor ever! He is passionate, caring, generous, and funny. He gives you everything that you need in order to succeed in his class. He literally goes above and beyond for his students so don't take him for granted!! DO YOUR PART AND WORK HARD and you will EARN a good grade!

He has a lot of sass, and I love it but he's super helpful just expect critical thinking for all of his exams. If you didn't know what critical thinking was, this is how you will learn. Treat the OH as if they are discussion and go like it's mandatory. All of his exams will be like the problems in OH. Amazing professor!

He goes above and beyond to do anything he can to help students be successful, even outside of class time. The homework he assigns is relevant (not a waste of time like some other classes), and you benefit from doing it diligently. The videos he makes are VERY helpful, it's nice to be able to try practice problems and then watch how he solves it.

Incredibly dedicated and kind prof. Spends so much time making video clarifications for the students benefit, and uses office hours to offer more practice problem solving. Fair, but challenging exams require critical thinking. Go to lecture and watch his videos like they're Oscar nominated films. 10/10 dad jokes during lecture :)

Dr. Leal is my favorite professor this quarter (W19). He is very passionate about biochemistry. What I like about his teaching style is that he uses videos and real-world applications in lecture and office hours. His office hours are the most helpful/least intimidating I've ever had. If you go to lecture, OH, and study groups, this class is doable.

he is the best professor at davis i have ever had!! his MTs increase in % from the 1st-final and there are 3 all together. goes above and beyond by posting his OH, making e-clarification videos on youtube, & sometimes does things on the MT to help gain you a few points. TAKE HIM, he is funny, genuine, caring about the subject and love his accent<3

Professor Leal is the best! he truly cares about his students and goes above and beyond to make videos on how to do all problems assigned which is SOO helpful. office hours are also helpful and he's so passionate about biochemistry (with jokes too) it makes you want to learn! 10/10 recommend, i wish he taught more classes!

Best Professor I've taken here at Davis. His lectures are good, but he has tons of other resources which helps students understand the the material better too. His office hours are very helpful. If you put in the work for the class and listen to his advice you're guaranteed at least a B.

Probably the best professor at UC Davis. His lectures are top notch quality and you can tell he cares about teaching and his students. All of this materials are online and he even records extra explanation on topics and problems. Only thing is he doesn't release any practice tests so you have to go in cold so go to lecture and OH!!!

Prof. Leal goes above and beyond for his students. He tells you exactly what he expects you to know for the exams and hes lectures are really clear and informative. He solves all of the assigned practice problems and explains them on YouTube. He also posts his OH on canvas but I really recommend going in person. If you try, you can earn an A!

3 Realities of BIS102 with Dr. Leal: 1. Dont miss lectures & rely on podcasts (be present & engaged), 2. ASK QUESTIONS! Both Dr. Leal & the TAs are available after class & are very generous about answering emails, 3. DONT SIMPLY MEMORIZE WORDS & EQUATIONS! Conceptual understanding is 50% exams. Understand the effects of changing conditions!

He's available for questions all the time and he goes slow enough to cover all the relevant information (sometimes actually too slow to the point that it becomes boring). However, keep in mind that this is still biochemistry and you do need to fully understand concepts to do well on the exam. Exams are applied questions, harder than practice sets.

These negative reviews are so far off-base its absurd. Let me tell you something, I was far from top of the class but Im proud of the grade I received. Theres no such thing as an easy Biochemistry class. For the record, my friends who took other BIS102 from other professors looked like they were on their deathbed come finals week.

Dr Leal really goes out of his way to offer as many resources as possible so that everyone can understand. Show-up to lectures, ask questions, listen to podcasts, watch his video-solutions to homework problems, go to office hours (many office hours each week). Tests resemble homework! Make sure that you actually know how to solve the problems!!!

Treat office hours as mandatory lecture. Do homework over and over again. Exams are basically variations of the homework problems. Watch his videos. He has techniques for solving problems that save you time. Trust me, you will need that time during exams because there are only 50 minutes. Stay disciplined. Stay engaged. One of the better professors

Make sure to understand scientific writing, and how to decipher whats useful information and what isnt when reading questions. Practice working and READING old exam questions he provides. Before exams, make sure you understand how to solve homework problems WITHOUT needing to look at answer keys or his videos. Go to office hours. Great professor!

Really nice professor who cares about his students future. He has guest speakers from industry talk to the class and Dr Leal always makes sure to ask them about internships and ways to get our foot in the door. His exams arent too hard (a generous curve). Just make sure you do all the homework and ask for help when you dont understand something.

I wish Dr Leal was my BIS103 professor! He makes lots of video solutions for all the homework, and shares lots of problems and solutions from his old exams. Make good use of these (you are going to miss having them in BIS103). There are a handful of different office hours each week you can choose from. Go even if you dont have questions!

He is one of the best professors in the university. Attendance was not mandatory in his class however I felt like attending his classes. He is a real gem. Really recommend taking him if you get the chance.

Yes, Dr. Leal has an accent--big deal. It's not like he speaks in broken English, and if you can't handle professors with accents then don't come to this school. He really does want his students to succeed, and his office hours always reflect the kind of questions on exams. It's not an easy subject, but he gives you all the info needed to get an A.

Dr. Leal is a very caring and great professor for BIS102 However, BIS102 is in general a hard class that includes a decent amount of math and big concepts so getting an A can be hard. There were 3 midterms, no final, and one midterm gets dropped. He really wants you to pass. He provides a lot of resources and even extra credit opportunities.

Dr. Leal won't spoon feed you but all his questions will relate to something on his slides! He will have mentioned/showed you everything you'll be tested on, just pay close attention. His accent is totally understandable, don't be so judgy one first meeting. Don't rely on recordings too much! Few questions on tests tho, so review all major concepts

To say that Dr. Leal has been one of the best professors I have ever had is an understatement. This is definitely a tough class, but he is so genuinely caring and truly puts in so much work to make sure that we succeed. He has great lectures, real-world applications to the material, and is continuously helpful, thoughtful, and organized.

Professor Leal definitely cares for his students, he provides all the materials needed to prepare for the exams. His midterms were difficult but super fair. His accent isn't hard to understand at all. His videos are super helpful so make sure to teach them all. For W2021, the grade was based on 2/3 midterms and he provided tons of extra credit.

Dr. Leal is one of the best Biochem professors you can possible get. The class requires hard work however Dr. Leal provides you with all the rescources you need to not just pass but excell in the course. There are alot of opportunities for paticipation+extra credit and make sure to watch the videos he posts (super helpful!) and take advantage of OH

By far the best professor I've had in an upper-division biology class. He was super understanding and gave a lot of extra credit opportunities to boost our grades. He also had a fun quiz activity, which helped enhance our learning a lot. In a time where online learning is really bad, Dr. Leal's class was a breath of fresh air.

Amazing professor! You can tell he really cares about his students and takes feedback to heart. Exams are straightforward if you take good notes in lecture and attend office hours. There's also lots of extra credit opportunities.

If CHE2B wasn't your strong suit, test 1 will kick your butt (I got 50% lol), but keep working hard and it'll get better. Eric Conn quiz was SO FUN! Definitely recommend doing it :) If you watch all the lectures and OHs, success is achievable. Start memorizing amino acid structures now - will make life a lot easier. Definitely recommend this class

Prof. Leal made biochem approachable and engaging! The material is dense but he provides tons of practice q's + is present during class/OH to answer questions + give study advice ! The class is super fun if you participate (we had guest speakers + the Erin Conn Biochem quiz to compete in team trivia!) which also helps solidify your understanding

Dr. Leal is truly the best biochem professor and one of the best professors at UCD. His phenomenal instruction and expertise of this rigid course really helps. He deeply cares about his students. His study aids, e-clarifications, OH's, & extra cred opp.s like the Eric Conn Quiz are so helpful & engaging. Highly accessible, diligent beyond class!

Dr. Leal is a very fair professor. I didn't perform well on the first midterm but I will attest that it was very fair. It is obvious that he cares so much for his students and takes into account the feedback his students give him. He is willing to make changes to his teaching style and puts so much effort into bringing in guest speakers.

Prof. Leal's grading schemes are confusing, but beneficial nonetheless. Most reviews regarding communication are nothing but students being lazy. He is very approachable after class and isn't condescending. However, as the material gets concept-heavy, lectures seem unorganized and sometimes unclear regarding things we will be graded on.

Dr. Leal obviously cares a lot about his students and biochemistry. This is a hard class, and he tried his best to make it fair for the students. He provides all the resources you need to do well in this class and is always working to make the class better. The lectures always had something interesting happening and are very engaging.

He puts a lot of effort into organizing and developing this course. Although sometimes the lectures can feel a bit disorganized, he offers additional support materials and practice problems! You definitely have to work for your grade but he is very wholesome!

Gives you many resources to succeed, you just have to put in the work.

Dr. Leal is an amazing professor who really wants his students to do well. He offers extra credit, provides real world examples to connect the concepts, has really helpful office hours where he goes over practice problems. The class is hard but just study and watch all his additional videos and attend office hours.

Out of all the professor you ever have at Davis, you will remember professor Leal. He is hilarious and genuinely tries to make his students walk out of the class with amazing grades and a solid understanding of biochemistry. Plus, he is always throwing in guest speakers and officials which keeps the students guessing. Fav professor personally!

Explanations during lecture can be a bit ramble-y and confusing but his office hours and TA office hours help. MT1 avg was low so he made sure to give us more guidance on what to focus on for MT2. I also appreciate that he adjusts grading/curving to boost as many students as possible. 102 is not an easy class but with Leal it is definitely doable

Dr.Leal is a good professor who looks out for his students. Lectures are well organized, the eSolutions/Clarification he provides are super helpful, and his extra credit opportunities are something to look out for. Tests are really hard, so make sure to make use of resources and examples provided.

WL demonstrates advanced knowledge of the subject. He breaks down biochemistry in a way which is easy to understand, and students are given every opportunity to succeed. Many professors are not like this, and WL stands out in a positive way. I recommend him, and please do stay on top of studying. It is possible to catch up if you fall behind.

Dr. Leal is a very caring professor and wants his students to succeed. BIS 102 is an intellectually challenging course that does require extra effort on your end to understand the material. Thankfully, Dr. Leal provides practice problems and solutions with video explanations and he creates additional videos to further explain challenging topics.

From the start of the class Professor Leal has been very caring and accommodating. Although the class is only graded on 2 MTs and the Final, he tries his best to ensure the success of all of his students. Even if you do bad one one of these examinations, he provides many opportunities to improve your grade and succeed during the course.

Professor Leal was a very caring professor. He worked very hard to show people their grades don't define the level of understanding they can get from his classes. He works hard to get people the grades they deserve, while still being a tough, strict grader. He's very interested in showing you the applications these subjects have in the real world.

Professor Leal was a good lecturer and there was partial credit for the exams. But some questions that should given partial credit did not.

Great teacher. Lots of extra credit and curving. He gives a lot of resources (sometimes overwhelming to know what to use) but he wants students to succeed. He is always available outside of class. And makes class fun with random drop ins of people. However, grade is based solely on exams and exams are really hard.

I really like his way of presenting lectures with many different visual aids and some summary notes. Although some people might complain him, he is a great person caring students.

Professor Leal was very accommodating when it came to grades. He provided ample opportunity to still earn a good grade even if you did poorly on a midterm. His real-world examples made the class much more interesting. Tests can be challenging, but he provides a lot of extra resources to prepare.

Realest biochem prof out here. Genuinely cares about his students (even the haters)!!!

Professor Leal's class has been the most challenging in my entire time at UC Davis. He is an excellent lecturer and emanates passion for what he is teaching. He has a fantastic team of TAs that honestly make his class worth the effort. Grading criteria is whack though, MT averages tend to be very low.

I really did enjoy Professor Leal, compared to other classes exams were straightforward and the expectations are so clear from the start. MAKE sure you take advantage of eproblems, OH, and TAs, and everything else provided in this class and you will be fine! Professor also gives so many opportunities to improve and I really did enjoy this class.

This class requires a lot of effort, but WL provides the exact information and resources necessary in order to do well.

This class is a difficult course, there is no getting around it. However, Professor Leal does his best too help his class succeed. He provides out of lecture material that if you watch, will help you do better in the class. However, he does grade exams very strictly. He does give extra credit however, and curves the class which was helpful.

This class was hard, but Leal really tried to help students out. He offers lots of resources outside of class, and although time consuming, going to his OHs and watching his e solutions are necessary for a good grade. He offers opportunities and extra credit to boost your grade after exams also, lectures are probably the most confusing part.

Dr. Leal might be the best professor i ever had. Not only does he make biochemistry easy and fun course to learn, but also works hard to ensure his students understand the material very well and perform greatly in exams.

Truly one of the most enthusiastic professors at Davis. You can tell that he has a real passion for teaching, and strives to teach to the best of his abilities. Although he sometimes gives lectures that are less than clear, I never felt that he asked anything unreasonable of us. You are given all of the materials you need to succeed.

Lectures are engaging. He takes feedback and includes in class problems. Lots of resources that may help you succeed if you put in the effort.

Walter Leal is an outstanding professor that cares about his students and wants them to succeed. He is enthusiastic about lectures and gives fair exams. If his exams are unfair, he will curve them, so you are not unfairly tested. He cares about his students and gives them every possible resource to succeed. He does not assign useless reading too.

This was a fairly difficult course, and the overall grade was based on 3 exams. However, the professor did supply many resources for review and practice and there was a curve. If you stay on top of lectures and review all resources, you'll do well. Always stay on the lookout for any announcements and emails and watch or attend office hours.

Great professor! He is very passionate about teaching and provides a lot of extra resources and study materials. He provides extra credit opportunities and wants students to succeed.

Professor Leal is incredibly passionate and generous when it comes to rewarding students willing to put in the work to get a good grade. He provides a multitude of resources including practice problems and step-by-step solutions, he is quite active on Piazza, extra credit, etc. However, exams are incredibly hard and lectures are HEAVY. ily tho prof

Professor Leal is a caring professor that goes beyond what is expected of his students such as providing many resources that aid in understanding the class material. Just remember to put a lot of effort into going to OH's and studying, and you'll do fine.

Walter truly wants to see all his students pass the class; with that being said prof. offered opportunities to improve by offering extra credit and curving of exams. One thing I found difficult for me was, that he was hard to understand and was a little stingy with partial credit questions on his exams can be very specific.

Dr. Leal is really considerate! He is constantly checking in with his students to see which topics we were confused about and would make clarifying videos on those topics. There's also plenty of practice students can use to succeed in his class. There's also lots of fun surprises during class :)

He knows a lot about the subject. He helps a lot outside class. All the information you need will be posted on canvas. Tge course material is already difficult but professor Leal make class interesting and funny. I did not do well but it ws totally my fault because I did not study as i should. I would definetlty nyake this professor again.

Professor Leal puts a lot of effort into his presentations and gives real world applications to what is learned in the class. He is very passionate about the subject and always wants students to succeed/improve. His exams are difficult but he gives the necessary information needed to study/do well.

Prof seems very enthusiastic which makes me want to try harder. His accent forces me to pay more attention. He also spends a lot of time on materials in and out of class, which helps with learning. I felt the the tests were not an accurate depiction. The problem-solving questions were a small part of the grade compared to fill in the blank.

Professor Leal is a good, he gives very detailed lectures, there is no textbook he thinks they are outdated. He is very strict on exam grading because he feels he taught everything you need to know. Attend lecture, watch eClarifications and eSolutions he posts, attend TA office hours and passing is guarantee. He does curve to help improve grades

This course is difficult. Your grade depends on 3 exams. The modules are organized and the professor provides you with practice and study material. Lectures and even office hours are recorded. It is important to do the practice problems they are helpful to practice for exams. This course is difficult, so make sure to practice and never fall behind.

he is a good and established professor with many years of experience. He knows many people who won the Nobel prize. Being one of the first people in his own field, there are hardly any people with as depth of knowledge as he has. He is a hard grader, he is particular about attendance, and classroom decorum but is lenient in his curving.

Professor Leal is always seeking to improve the class and consider options that benefit all students. Your grade is based on only exam 1, exam 2, and the final. I wish there were other assignments to buffer grades so that all there wasn't as much pressure when taking the exams. When it comes down to it BIS 102 is a difficult class content-wise.

He's making the class do course evaluations and RMP for a very generous grade adjustment lol TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE RESOURCES HE GIVES YOU. you wont pass just by studying lectures. frugal about giving points on exams. big ego pro: does/cares more than most professors con: does more than most professors, and therefore expects more overall good prof!

Dr. Leal always put a lot of effort in doing his best in giving his lectures and also providing videos to help explain problems or topics. Yes it is a hard class, but he communicates and emphasizes what he expects you to know for his exam. You are going to have to work for the grade you want, but he does his best to help (ps grade is just on exams)

Honestly, Professor Leal is good. He provides all the material needed to succeed and emphasized since day 1 to go to office hours and do the eproblems (DO IT). Yes this might seem like a lot of outside work but trust it will help you succeed. Also, him not being approachable is way off, he was clear not to ask questions before lecture bc of set up.

This class is very difficult since you're graded primarily on exams, and the conceptual nature of MT2 left very little room for partial. That being said, he posts tons of resources to study (OH, eClarifications, study guide videos) that are practically mandatory for success. Try your best not to fall behind on lectures, it will hit you come exams.

Professor Leal is a fair and passionate professor. He takes the time to schedule guest lectures, and his midterms reflect the info from lecture and the assigned practice problems (not graded but encouraged to do). He also responds relatively quickly to questions on Piazza and communicates well with his students. He appreciates feedback as well

Professor Leal overall is amazing. Although the class is unfortunately very test heavy, he does a great job providing resources with practice problems, solution videos, extra clarifications that help learn and reinforce topics. Does provide extra credit and grading schemes with curves and test replacements that help raise averages.

Overall a good teacher, just a hard class. I do think his grading of exams is overly tough but he does give EC and does what he can to support his students.

Dr. Leal has always been transparent about the class and what to focus on. I disagree with complaints about him not giving enough info because I can make a compilation video of all the times he has hinted or was direct about what we need to know. If you do everything he mentions and repeat until you are comfortable with the material, you're good.

You can tell he loves what he does and he puts so much effort into it. USE RESOURCES HE PROVIDES. He is not very generous about partial credit because if something is going to be on an exam he repeats it multiple times, if you missed what he constantly repeated, of course he is less willing to give you credit for that. LISTEN TO WHAT HE REITERATES

Professor Leal is very caring and works really hard to provide supplemental materials and wants us to get the best grade in his class. He spent a lot of his time trying to figure out a curving system that benefits all students. His lectures follow his slides and all the information you need to succeed is either in his slides or his eSolutions.

Professor Leal is truly amazing. His exams are very fair and he's extremely generous with ec and curving. He uploads office hours which cover everything you need to know for the exam. Make sure to do the eProblems, review OH, study the graphs on his slides, and make flashcards for every concept!! He is the best prof I've taken at Davis!!

He is kind of harsh when it comes to partial credit, but his midterms are pretty fair. I didn't do as well as I had hoped on the midterms, but I didn't study the resources enough that he gave us. He cares for his students and it shows, and it's obvious he loves teaching. He is also trying to help us as much as he can with the curve, which is nice.

Dr. Leal has really great lecture content so be prepared to study. It is a class where you get what you put in. Be patient with the material because it is not easy. Take advantage of office hours and recordings he has!! All super helpful.

Good professor. If you attend or watch lectures with intention, do all of his assigned homework problems, and attend all office hours, you will be able to do well. It is a very doable class. However, this class requires time and effort. If you do not give it your best shot, your grade will reflect that. He is also very generous with extra credit.

Its a pretty hard course. First test kicked my butt, but he offers a lot of opportunities for you to improve your grade. Chiara is the best TA on god

Of all the professors I've had at Davis, Professor Leal is by far the most memorable. He is naturally hilarious and actively attempts to have every student receive the best grade possible, and walk away with a solid understanding of Biochemistry. The class is difficult, but all the resources are present to succeed!

Good lecturing and makes it fairly obvious in what he expects you to know for exams. Provides practice problems that help a lot in learning concepts and his exams are mostly straight forward. Disclaimer: He has a thick accent, and bad microphone quality doesn't help, but I myself struggle with accents and was able to work through it easily.

Professor Leal is very enthusiastic and is a great lecturer. However, the entire grade is based on the three exams he gives out, which is fairly stressful.

This is a tough class and you have to study hard to get a good grade. Extra credit is given out and he tries to help students when he can.

He is very passionate about his subject and it seems like he really cares about the quality of education he gives. Dislike his lack of partial credit on midterms, and does not give practice midterms. Pay close attention to every resource he provides: office hours, e calrifications and other supplementary videos will likely be on the test.

Dr. Leal does everything he can to give you the best leg up for the exam. The material is hard, yes, but all throughout the quarter he is very receptive to any feedback/comments/concerns and makes the course fun to take! I'm not the best at biochem or buffer problems, but I would take his section again.

This class is definitely tough, but Professor Leal is outstanding! He is really passionate about the subject and genuinely cares about his students. He puts a lot of work into recording his lectures with camera + mic-setup. This is really helpful because I can't keep up with class at all times, and need to rewatch the lectures! He is great!

Dr. Leal is the best professor I've ever had in a science class. He truly cares about his students and I don't get why people are writing him bad reviews. He provides clarifications, listens to students feedback, makes OH recordings available, etc. His exams are very fair and he is so generous with curving them. No other professor would do that.

His accent is totally understandable after like 10 minutes. It's really great that he continues to offer lecture attendance via zoom and lecture recordings; it improves accessibility in education. I put 'attendance mandatory' but I include watching the recorded lectures in this; I also consider the office hour recordings to be mandatory.

Professor Leal made it very clear that his class was hard. He also made it clear that if you improve on the second midterm there will be chances to improve your grade. He tells you specifically what to study and how to do well in the course. If people rate him lower, it's probably because they don't utilize the extra resources to help them study.

This class was a breeze! Although the auditorium felt like an icebox at times, Prof Leal ultimately created a haven for students to feel comfortable and welcomed. I never had any split decisions when it came to his exams b/c they were that easy! I also really enjoyed learning how substrates bind to enzymes. Pls take him he is a pearl in the rough!

I am currently in his BIS102 class, and he's a great professor. This is an upper-division biochem class; you should expect to work for a good grade. All the kids complaining are asking for a free handout. He gives you every resource to get an A, makes study guide videos, and curves when averages are low. He is one of the best professors here.

The course isn't easy but Prof. Leal does his best to give us a lot of resources. He also allowed our M1 to be replaced with M2 if our M2 score was better. Every grading scheme change has been beneficial. However, YOU NEED TO STUDY. If I were to guess, all EC, grading scheme changes, and bonus points could add at least 25% to your grade.

He is a really good professor. Take advantage of the office hours and all the recordings he posts. Anything is fair game. Make sure to stay on top of the workload and content, it gets intense fast. He reads ratemyprof and cares about the input of his students. Hard to find professors who care about the learning styles of their students. Good luck!!

Just clarifying some claims-yes he graded very harshly on mt1,but if you improved on mt2 there was an extremely generous grade adjustment. No questions about Dr. Leal's research were asked on the final (that was a take-home, trade-in question). No, you do not have to seek outside resources. The ones he provides are sufficient to succeed(I got an A)

Professor Leal gave us all the resources we needed to succeed and did online review sessions for each exam that basically told you what the entire exam was gonna be on. Was super enthusiastic about teaching and gave many EC opportunities. Highly recommend!

He is an amazing professor who you can tell is very passionate about biochemistry. The class itself taught me a lot as he likes to relate things to applicable/IRL topics like research. Grading wise it is very test heavy, but even if you do poorly on the first, or even second test, you can still do well in his class. Do the work and you'll do well:)

Leal is a great professor. He tells us exactly what we should focus on for the exams which are fair. He gives resources like video solutions of problems he assigns which help when preparing for exams. He also has multiple extra credit events. If you review the recorded lectures and attend his office hours you should be able to get a good grade.

Professor Leal is awesome and hilarious. He posts weekly homework assignments with the step-by-step solutions for all assigned homework, which isn't due. I highly recommend the the assignments though because they appear on the test. The grading and curve were fair. The lectures were interesting and relevant!

Dr. Leal is a distinguished professor at a university for good reason. He has stood out to me amongst all of my professors at this university by how much time and effort he invests in his course for his students. He is very clear about his expectations for his students and recognizes students who show that they are invested in succeeding.

leal is an extremely passionate professor! to do well: - attend ALL OH! he goes thru practice problems useful for the exam. -ask the TAs for help, cecilia is amazing! -lots of extra credit offers that provide a great boost -review lectures heavily in detail, the mt 2 and final are very conceptual. -stay on top of material, a lot near the end

Great professor! Very caring and responsible. He even shares snacks with us after each midterm. Also, many extra credit opportunities were given. The total grade was only based on 2 midterms + 1 final. So I would say a doable A if you go to lectures, work on practices, and work hard.