Bio is bio. And when Kittlesen says that you'll be expected to apply knowledge rather than merely memorize facts, that means that you have to be able to apply knowledge AS WELL AS memorize every corner of the text. The lecture is pretty much useless, unless Kittlesen presents experimentals that are not presented in the book. Those always appear on exams. Exams are extremely tricky; it does help, however, that he posts previous exams, at least for the first 3 midterms. A rewarding class, but not enjoyable by any means.

Very difficult class. the tests are very very difficult, no memorization of facts but actually have to apply biology in broader questions. professor very lively, and interesting to listen to.

What can I say about Dr. Kittleson? Hes an awesome guy and he gives a very straighforward class structure. Either you know it or you dont. He presents it all and thats all I can ask from a prof. It prepared me for 300 and 201 is a MUCH better course than 202. Kittles is awesome

Slides are posted online previous to class, so they can be printed off to take notes on during class. Dave uses interesting examples to explain topics, from his own experience as well as current events. 4 exams given, each counting for 25% of the grade. Exams come from lecture notes and textbook readings. To do well in this class you have to study from both, paying attention to concepts rather than factual information. Do not memorize facts, but rather learn concepts and be able to apply to different situations.

Yes, this is a difficult class. Do not take if you don't like science. Personally, I LOVED this class!! Kittlesen is a great lecturer and his tests really do test if students have a very deep understanding of material presented IN CLASS AND IN THE BOOK. I suppose this could be considered a hard class but mostly you just have to read and study. Use the book website for extra help, it is really good and has video tutorials.

Very engaging and interesting teacher but his tests are hard.

David Kittleson is an excellent teacher. He is funny, and I really enjoyed the class as a whole. However, it is a very difficult class. Also, the TA was boring and not helpful.

Great teacher, passionate about what he teaches. Lectures got a little more convoluted as the semester went on, but when Kittlesen is on top of his game, he's very impressive.

Kittlesen is wonderful! I disagree with a few comments posted below me. His lectures are extremely useful, though you WILL need to read the book to fully follow them. But, um, if you don't do the work, don't complain that you don't understand the material. I love this guy--he is nice, approachable, funny, reasonable, fair, and clear. Great class!

Tests, at least for Kittlesen, are 3 per semester and a final that counts as a fourth (all are worth 25%). About 50 multiple choice questions during a 2-hour test period. All of the material comes straight from the book and going to lecture is unnecessary as long as one's done a thorough reading of the chapters assigned in the book. Kittlesen is an entertaining and nice guy, but his lectures are a little difficult to decode and do not offer a lot of usable information.