Kittlesen is a decent professor (and the only one for this course anyway) - he's funny and knowledgeable but really likes to emphasize specific examples and applications for many of the units that he discusses. The tests are fair and he does 'curve somewhat' so that the class average is usually around an 80. I'd really recommend reading the chapters beforehand to understand what the lecture is going to be about because towards the end of the semester it was pretty hard to take notes in class as he just goes through slides with pictures and studies. Also, bio lab is super easy so don't worry about that!

Professor Kittlesen is an awesome teacher. I really enjoyed his class and highly recommend. That being said this class is in no way a GPA booster. Even if you took AP Bio in high school you still may find this course challenging. Overall, I highly recommend though. Fantastic and interesting class.

Let me start off by saying I agree that Dave is a great professor and really does care about his students, but nevertheless, I would NOT recommend this class unless you love biology or if you need it for your major. Tests are fairly difficult and he did not curve very much this semester as he has in recent ones. A lot of reviews say the book is your savior but many of the concepts discussed in class this semester were NOT in the book, so write down every word he says and be sure you know what ALL the slides are illustrating. Definitely recommend recording lectures, because he moves fast and studying fairly often.

Kittlesen is an amazing professor! He makes the lectures pretty entertaining and he tries to explain everything as best as he can. The textbook basically teaches all of the core material you need to learn for the exams and in lecture, he doesn't really review, but instead only really does the application of this information and expands on it. So if you are behind on the reading and go into lecture not knowing it, the lecture won't make much sense, at least not for me. Most of the semester's curriculum is based off of AP Biology in high school so if you took it you will recognize almost everything you learn. However, I would say this course is somewhat difficult to get above a B+ in. The concepts can be difficult and confusing (so utilize office hours;he's very approachable!). And the exams are very much application, which can be frustrating. He gives out useful study guides before exams, and the online Mastering Biology assignments are helpful. The readings are minimal, but dense..about 30-40 pages a week. I think a good tip is going to his office hours because a lot will be cleared up as I often left is lectures feeling like I barely understood anything. Labs are easy and you should get an A in them. Not much commitment.

I took this class as an incoming first-year, and let me tell you, it was probably the best way to be gradually introduced to college-level difficulty. Kittlesen is an amazing guy. He provides slides that go along very well with the lecture, as well as anecdotes and jokes to keep the class somewhat entertaining. Most of the time, the slides are fairly different from the pre-lecture textbook reading. It's best to take diligent notes and pay attention, but it is not the end of the world if you don't because most of the concepts are very well fleshed out through the textbook, in lab, and through the MasteringBiology homework. But seriously, TAKE NOTES and do your reading before you come to class. The only part of this class that is somewhat time-consuming is reading the textbook, but it does help you in the long-run for tests. There were five tests, and each counted for approximately 16% of our grade. The averages for most of the tests were ~75%, and they got increasingly harder as the semester progresses. Clicker questions can only help you as they are often trick questions that help clarify certain difficult concepts, and wrong answers cannot count against you. Kittlesen is also the most approachable professor, as he sees no question as a dumb question and loves helping his students. All in all, would definitely recommend taking this course. It was probably my easiest course last semester.

Dave is such a phenomenal professor. He's so incredibly knowledgable and passionate about biology. He really cares about his students and makes sure the students are prepared for future science courses. I found his class to be pretty easy, although I do realize I was in the minority. If you have a strong biology background, this course will be no problem for you. If not, this class will build you a strong background. His tests are all multiple choice and fair, but you must have read the textbook material and be able to synthesize and apply the material, not just recite. The homework for the course is mostly online and very easy. 100% recommend this course. Professor Kittlesen is the best!

LOVE LOVE LOVE THIS COURSE. If you have even the slightest interest in biology, I highly highly recommend taking this course. I did not take AP Bio in high school but I did the readings and took notes on them before every lecture (which is necessary if you are like me and had not taken bio in a long time) which really helped the lectures make sense. On days I hadn't read before class I felt very lost and was unable to take notes. The homework is done through mastering bio and is very helpful in understanding the material and doesn't take too much time. (Theres either 1 or 2 due every week or every other week) I probably studied 10 hours over 3ish days before each exam and got an A/A- on each. The exams are nice because if you understand the material most of the questions aren't too difficult, but some require you to apply knowledge you have learned to a new example. Usually if a question is too difficult he'll throw it out. This class is definitely not too difficult if you are willing to dedicate time to it. It also helps if you find biology interesting in general or else it could be hard to focus on studying. A lot of my friends put the same amount of work in for studying but didn't do the readings/take notes in class and ended up getting B's or C's on the exams. So it's definitely not a class to take if you are interested in the subject but not willing to read. Also, Kittlesen is a really good lecturer as far as being kind of funny and engaging students in what he is teaching. He is definitely the most dad professor I have ever had. Clicker questions are every class so make sure you attend because you get extra points at the end based on participation. He usually tries to trick you on these, only to try to explain the concept so that "the answer becomes clear" without actually saying the right answer until someone in lecture will be like..."So what's the answer?".

tl;dr great class, interesting material, requires effort, fair exams, highly recommend

Kittlesen is a fantastic lecturer so it is definitely worth going to class. Also, a lot of his tests are from lecture so that's another reason to go. His clicker questions give you a 1% boost at the end of the semester, which is really useful. Exams definitely required some effort and critical thinking, but he gives you more than enough time to take them. Got an A in the class but I must have studied for about 8 hours over the course of 5 days to prepare for each exam. Definitely a great class. Kittlesen is a wonderful teacher and lecturer.

A good old, weed-out intro bio course. Kittlesen is pretty kooky and makes students laugh during lecture. But his tests really make you prepare. Labs are tested, as are the lectures and Mastering Biology. Read the textbook, take notes from it, and use his office hours. I didn't get the grade that I expected, but this really made me realize that I needed to prepare heavily for higher courses.

Great class definitely recommend even though I got a grade lower than I had expected when I signed up for this course. You will definitely reap what you sow and Kittlesen will definitely test you on your preparation and understanding of the material. Exams are challenging but if you start preparing a week in advance you won't be losing too much sleep. Definitely a weed out but don't get discouraged by others who speak poorly of the class or Kittlesen he's one of the best lecturers and you will definitely get accustomed to the work it takes to get to Medical School if that's your path!