BIOL 2100

Kittlesen is a funny guy and he is very engaging in his lectures. His lectures, however, are hard to take notes on if you don't have context (so read the textbook beforehand) and the powerpoints are not useful if you do not attend lecture as they are usually random bullets and pictures. My biggest advice is to LISTEN TO EVERY EXAMPLE HE GIVES and UNDERSTAND them as they will 100% show up on the exams. Also, record the lectures and listen to them again because he talks really fast and details crucial to understanding the concept are not always listed on his powerpoints. Digest and understand every example, terminology, and diagram he shows in lecture. If he shows diagrams from the textbook in lecture, absolutely be read the textbook section carefully again.

David Kittlesen is such an amazing professor! He is really engaging in his lectures and it comes across like he is really excited about the material, which rubs off on you. In high school I was not a fan of biology because it was a lot of memorization and the lectures were just spewing facts, but Kittlesen puts emphasis on understanding the concepts and their context to biology as a whole. On top of that he is a funny guy and is the only professor thus far that has made me genuinely laugh during class. That being said, this is a hard course. I would highly recommend reading the textbook sections before class, and if not then right after the class. It is really easy to get lost in the lectures if you get behind on the material. Also, for grading: there are 5 exams (each 15% of your overall grade), each around 40 multiple choice questions, and you have 2 hours for each exam, which is extremely generous on time given that most AP Biology classes are very time sensitive. Kittlesen also gives you a practice exam that is very similar in difficulty to the actual exam. Finally, I found the mastering bio homework to be very helpful in understanding the concepts. Overall, I would highly recommend this class!

Overall, this was a decent Intro to Bio course. Would definitely recommend. Most students love Dave, but in all honesty, I did not like him. Yes, he is a good professor and lecturer, but he is not the best science teacher that I have had. The tests progressively get harder through the semester; and the wording can be pretty tricky on them. I suggest that you do the readings in advance and that you study for the exam with other students in the class that way you can help each other out. Sometimes it is difficult to take notes effectively as Dave can talk really fast or talk for so long without pausing, so I definitely recommend that your record the lectures just in case you miss something. There are plenty of extra credit opportunities available so do not miss the chance to take them up. The homework isn't too bad, if you do the readings and listen to the lectures you will be fine. I found this class quite simple as I had taken AP Bio right before and most of the topics were similar. Be sure to pay attention in the lab as you will be quizzed about what you do in lab on the bio tests.

This class is certainly not easy, but after figuring out a system for taking notes/studying that works for me the class was relatively straight forward. The reading is not necessarily required, and not everyone does them as they can be time consuming, but I HIGHLY recommend doing them. They are extremely helpful if you do them before lecture, as it is good to have some context as to what Dave is talking about since he can go fast sometimes. I found the MasteringBio homework to be not that helpful, but it is easy to get a 100 on your homework grade, given that most of the answers can be found online and there is a lot of extra credit you can do for it. The first three tests were mostly based mainly off of textbook, so if you didn't understand something in lecture it was easy to just go into the textbook and teach it to yourself. However, the fourth and fifth tests were based more heavily on stuff talked about in lecture, so I would recommend recording these lectures s o you can go back over stuff you didn't understand. I didn't record the lectures for the fourth test and I got an 80 on that test, but when I recorded the lectures for the fifth test I got a 90. It is also helpful to have a group of people to study with and talk over concepts - if you are able to talk through the concepts and explain them to others that is a good indicator of whether or not you are prepared for the test. Another important thing on tests 4 & 5 that wasn't really important before that was concepts from lab, so be sure to understand what you did in lab for test 4 because there were a lot of questions about it.

Professor Kittlesen is very passionate about biology and very knowledgeable! He is always available outside of lecture in office hours. However, this course is very challenging and requires a lot of studying. I recommend studying the information repetitively even if you think that you know the information. Taking notes and watching youtube videos additional to lectures and readings are helpful. Kittlesen's lectures do not go very in depth and he goes over the main concepts. As the semester goes on, the information on tests stray further away from the textbook readings and lecture is required in order to do well. His tests are all multiple choice, there are five of them, and all weigh the same. However, the questioning on his exams can be tricky.

I found Dr. Kittlesen to be very nice and likable. He got a little confusing at times, but he is very approachable and open to answering questions. There was reading assigned before every lecture, but I never did it and finished with an A. The labs weren't too bad and all of the homework is on quizlet. The practice and review sessions before the exams were very helpful.

Dave is the man. This class will slap you in the face if you underestimate the difficulty. Do the reading before class. I didn't take notes on the reading but if it helps you do it. Do all of the practice tests and learn the concepts of each question. Work together on pre-labs. Get all of your points on Mastering Bio; do the Dynamic Study Modules for extra credit if needed. Go to every class and use your iclicker. The extra credit from iClicker saves you; it got me an A. Also get all of your points in lab. Just ask your TA if you are unsure about a question or technique.

Kittlesen goes fast in lecture-if you don’t understand something he is open to questions however, in class or office hours. I found it challenging to transfer the material we learned in class to the exams because either I didn’t know what would be tested or because exam questions are typically extension questions and few are based upon simple facts. Wasn’t bored but I had a hard time in this class

I honestly have to say I enjoyed this class. I don't know why people rip on it and act like it's hell on earth. If you pay attention in lecture, complete all assignments on time, and don't skip class, getting an A is 100% possible. That being said, why take this class if you don't have to? If you're premed or its a requirement for your major, though, no need to freak out. If you're at UVA, you're a good enough student to succeed in this class.

Kittlesen is the best! So passionate and great structure to his course, after the first exam, you really can do well on the next exams because you know how he asks questions and details to pay attention to! You definitely can succeed in this very challenging but great class!