BIOL 2030

Pretty easy class. Main homework was pre/post labs and small amounts of reading out of the textbook (that he has online). The 3 midterms weren't too difficult but did require a bit of studying, especially the assigned readings. Lecture was almost pointless to go to ONLY IF you already has the BIOL 2010 credit (if not I'd recommend attending most of the lectures).

This class was the biggest pain. The lab portion is a poorly structured joke and is deceptively easy, but the tests are obnoxiously difficult. Readings are not enough, good class notes would have helped.

While the lab itself was actually very easy and quick to compete, the exams were nearly impossible. Even if you attended all the pre-lab lectures (the majority of which were cancelled) and do all of the assigned readings (typically only 5-10 pages per week), Dave's exams would still make you second guess yourself and frequently included information that was never even discussed.

Awesome class. Kittlesen is such an engaging lecturer, and the subject material is very interesting. Yes, you'll see tons of reviews here saying that the exams are impossible and the labs are boring; honestly, the labs are just very straightforward. You get your procedure and you just do as it says; it is a little deceptive in that if you're not paying attention to what you're doing it'll kill you later on the exam, but it's still fun. KNOW THE CONCEPTS. The exam is entirely concept based; it's not an easy A just vomit rote memorization of what you already did. That's why people complain about the difficulty, but it's so worthwhile once you understand it. I would totally recommend this course to anyone willing to put the effort into it! A word to the wise: type/write everything Kittlesen says; his slides are very bare, so you'll want to pay close attention during lecture.

My first recommendation for this class is to take it during the summer, if possible. It's not necessarily the toughest intro lab course, especially if you're comparing it to Intro Chem Lab, but taking it during a summer session allows you to devote more time and energy into a class that does require a pretty detail-oriented approach. As far as the actual teaching structure, you couldn't ask for a more knowledgeable and amiable professor than David Kittlesen. He really knows the subject matter backwards and forwards and is super effective at communicating that in a clear, concise manner to his students. I don't know the structure of tests and quizzes during the fall and spring, but during the summer we were given daily pre/post lab assessments, a midterm, and a final. While participation is all well and good, the bulk of your grade is determined by the aforementioned components. The lab procedures are usually very easy and dull, but don't let that put you in a lull. All that info tends to show up on the assessments as well as the midterm and final. I would definitely advise everyone to keep up with the readings and to find a partner/group to study with as these two strategies made the difference for me in the class. I pulled off an A-, but by no means was it an easy grade to achieve. It's really one of those classes where smart studying and collaboration are the keys to success. Ultimately, BIOL 2030 is a very rewarding and (if you're pre-med and didn't place out of it) necessary experience here at UVA. Good luck!