BIOL 3010

This course is pretty killer on you. Parichy changed up the exams this semester from the open note online exams to the closed note paper scantrons, so prepare for that increased difficulty in exams. He doesn't give any opportunities for extra credit to boost our grade, so it's only the exams (4 midterms and a final) plus 4 homework assignments and he doesn't drop any exam grades anymore. That means if you do bad on even one exam, you're pretty much screwed.

I'd recommend looking at the practice homework questions he posts, as they do pop up on the midterm exams. Also look at his slides, as they have key information that and you can't afford to forget even one detail on those, as his questions are super detailed on that specific information and help add to how hard his course is.

I didn't do awful, but getting in the A-range for this class is super difficult.

Only take this if you need to fill your major requirements. Otherwise, avoid it.

#tCFF23

4 Midterms 30 Questions each multiple choice and a final exam with same format. 4 HW sets due before each midterm that are only 5 questions each. Discussion sections are optional and most people skip them. Easier than cell bio if you've taken that one already. Don't need the textbook and everything learned is in lectures that are recorded. Genetics is most likely a required course for your major so you can't really do anything about it. Reasonable course but kind of annoying 30 questions are worth so much of your grade. #tCFF23

This is a difficult class that is very lecture heavy. I recommend writing word for word what Professor Parichy says in lecture, or else you will miss the content necessary for exams. Your fingers will hurt a lot. I found myself rereading the lecture transcripts repeatedly before exams to perform over 90. Overall the understanding of the content is not too difficult, it is just making sure you have all of the content at your disposal. I did not read the textbook because it was not necessary, he taught it all in lecture. Exams are application based and content based, so definitely know the lectures in and out. Harder than evo/eco and microbio.

This class was surprisingly rough. As a second-year who took the AP/IB credit for Bio, this was my first biology class at UVA, which may have had something to do with how much I struggled with the exams in this class, since most people I knew who took this class had taken Intro at UVA. Let me break it down for you:

The content was not anything super difficult. A good chunk of it was review from what I had learned in AP/IB Bio with more detail, and Parichy also likes to incorporate a lot of studies and research applications into his lectures, which I appreciated. That being said, his lectures are extremely dry and boring! To be frank, I found more value in watching the recorded lectures on 1.5x speed than attending lecture because I zone out 70% of the time even when I really try to pay attention. And as others have pointed out, you really don't need the textbook - a lot of his exam questions come straight from the slides!

Now...his exams. There are 4 midterms + 1 final and they are in-person, closed-notes, 30 multiple choice questions taken on scantrons (they are not open-note like they used to be since apparently the Bio department decided to make this the standard to mitigate cheating). The midterms are 15% each and the final is 20% (remaining 20% comes from the 5 pre-exam practice questions for each midterm). While some of the questions on his exams were fair, a lot of the time I felt like I was deciphering what he wants us to answer because the way he explains things in lectures make it seem like multiple answer choices could work. He also likes to test us on very obscure details from the slides that he glosses over during lectures, so make sure you know EVERY detail in EVERY slide because he WILL sucker punch you with some of those overly specific questions. He sends a google form when he releases grades for each midterm for us to submit any questions we thought were unfair/needed further review, but it was kind of useless because I don't think he gave any points back this semester for unfair questions (even though there were DEFINITELY some questions that could have multiple correct answers). He's not very responsive over email, which was frustrating because I had time conflicts with his office hours and I could not get a hold of him. The TA, despite trying his best, was not very helpful when trying to explain the intricate details either. I do think Parichy's a kind person who means well but gosh he's horrible at lecturing and writing exam questions. #tCFF23

Overall, it was a great class and I am glad I took it. It was definitely very stressful at times, but I found the material very interesting and genuinely enjoyed this class. The book is not necessary, but doing the review questions, attending lecture and REWATCHING THE LECTURES are the key to doing well in this class. He does go very fast during the lectures, and they're not always the easiest to follow, so heave emphasis on rewatching lectures if that wasn't already obvious. Of all the biology department professors, I would say Dr. Parichy is the most understanding and quite a few times gave us exam questions back when too many people got it wrong. I always read these reviews and see people saying it was an easy A. This class is by no means an easy A, but it is a very doable A if you're willing to put in the work and struggle a little. Highly Highly recommend for anyone going into research. Great class, great professor. Take this class with Parichy! (also for those who have already taken this class, take biomedical science techniques with Güler... Just do it.)

Great course! I enjoyed this course much more than I thought I would (I tend to enjoy evolution and ecology the most). Prof Parichy is a good lecturer and his slides are well made. He gave us review questions after each lecture, so I rewatched every lecture and kept a running document where I answered those questions. His exams were pretty easy in my opinion (they were open note), and on top of that he typically gave us 2-3 points back on every exam (out of 25). I don't think the textbook is necessary, and that's coming from someone who tends to actually use textbooks. There was no homework in this class, only exams.

Don't take this class if you don't need to. The class itself isn't too bad if you diligently take notes. Exams are definitely tough and require you to not only memorize the content to finish the exam in the 1 hour time frame, but also to understand the content. Most of this class is application based and a few questions are memorization based. You want to really, really take solid notes during lectures to reference them during exams. The exams are open-book, open-note. However, I don't recommend even touching the textbook since all exam assess content only covered in lectures. Expect to put in a significant amount of work into this class when it comes to studying for exams. His lectures are also extremely monotonous, so be sure to come in with a "i'm ready to listen" type of vibe.

As far as hard sciences go... you can do worse. This class with Professor Parichy was definitely one of the easier science classes that I've taken at UVA. The material is relatively comprehensive its nothing too hard, but your course grade is comprised on 125 questions; 5 exams each with 25 questions. Most information on the exams is presented in Professor Parichy's slides, however sometimes the information is not, or the way the test questions are worded can be very confusing or misleading. But Professor Parichy is very good about accepting multiple answers or giving back points on tests for questions where a majority of students had a complaint. He's a relatively accommodating professor which is great for a core bio major course and a pre-med pre-req. My only point of caution is that lecture can be very dry and often times confusing where it just feels like Professor Parichy is rambling and you're not quite sure what is important. But overall def recommend with Professor Parichy if possible. #tCFfall22

Genetics with Dave was a pretty good time. As a non-bio major, this class went about as well as I could have expected to, and it's certainly not a class that you can just skate through without any effort. Organization of your notes is going to be critical in this class. The test questions are often about extremely specific topics from lecture that require a pretty hefty grasp of the material, so definitely don't expect to walk into the exams without reviewing - I agree with the person below who suggested rewatching every lecture before each exam. After the first exam, I started doing this and it improved my grades substantially. Also, the discussions are optional but I would strongly recommend attending if at all possible. However, if you cannot attend they are also recorded.

Don't bother with the textbook - Dave gives you everything you need in lecture/on the slides. #tCFfall22

After having credit for intro bio, this was the first BIOL course I took at UVA as a prospective biology major, so I was a little worried jumping into an upper-level class. And I thought my fears were confirmed after basically failing the first midterm, but I did get an A in the class. There were 4 midterms and a final, but due to the circumstances this semester, the lowest midterm was dropped. Additionally, Dave adds back points to each midterm for tricky questions. This essentially worked as the curve for the class, instead of one at the end (which many griped about at the end of the semester, but it wasn't necessary). The distribution was roughly (with pluses and minuses): A, 183; B, 115; C, 55; D, 11; F, 10

Dave is a great professor. He is very organized and clearly knowledgeable about genetics and his work. To do well in this class, my best advice would be to rewatch all of the recorded lectures before each exam. While the tests were open note, the questions and answers need to be read very carefully and often incorporate examples of experiments given in lecture. You can take notes to transcribe everything he says, but I found that listening in lecture and again on rewatch, while relying on his slides, was sufficient to understand the material and do well. Would definitely recommend, but be prepared to be challenged a bit in this course. #tCFfall22

TAKE GENETICS WITH PARICHY!!! He is such a good professor and a nice guy in general. You can tell he's really passionate about genetics and nerds out all the time during lecture. This kind of stuff is really his bread and butter so if you want to learn about the ins and outs of the genome, take this class with Dave. He's also one of the most considerate professors when it comes to giving points back for tricky questions that a lot of the class missed. Sometimes the material can be a little dry, but if you pay attention during lecture and take good notes (I recommend pretty much transcribing everything he says LOL its useful for exams), youll do well in the class.

#tCFfall22

If you are going to take this course, I recommend it be with this professor for the most part. I think it is nice to have the same professor the entire semester since you get used to their testing style. This class was mainly online with 4 midterm exams and a cumulative final. I think what bothered me most about this course was his inflexibility and lack of transparency with grades nearing the end of the semester. More specifically, in the beginning with midterm 1 and 2, he allowed for regrades and released specific statistics regarding questions on the exam. Towards the end of the semester, he stopped doing that and thus you would not be able to get a question back if you interpreted it differently. I liked his lecturing style and the exams were not terrible overall. We had one midterm and I do not know anyone who did well, but he did not do anything regarding this. Don't get me wrong though, he is a great lecturer and is practically a genius. You can tell he genuinely cares about you and making sure you are learning and he is extremely passionate about what he teaches.

Overall the best part of the semester was Professor Parichy. He is 100% the most understanding and considerate professor I have had at UVA. Your final grade is based on 4 midterms and a final, each worth 20% of your grade. Although this makes it difficult to achieve an A, it is possible. If you attend lectures and rewatch the lectures before each midterm then you should do fine. You have to take notes on everything he says though or you will miss all the information that is necessary for the exams. The exams are open notes which is very helpful since the content is so detailed and specific, but again if you do not take thorough notes during his lecture then you will not be prepared for the exams. Some questions are more difficult than others, but some are fairly straightforward. In the end, Dave will help you out. Whether it is giving back points for bad questions, or bumping you to the next letter grade at the end of the semester if you are on the edge. He really cares about his students and their mental well-being, so don't be scared to reach out to him! It won't be an easy class, but if you put in the time and effort than it shouldn't be your hardest upper level biology class.

Dave is the man. He is very fair with his exams and most test questions are directly related to the "study questions" for each lecture. He was very approachable and responded to emails and concerns pretty quickly. I personally don't love genetics but I believe he made the learning experience pretty easy and painless. Grades just made up of exams, but he removes unfair questions so if you study it is pretty easy to get a B in this class.

Dave is very clear cut and is very effective in teaching genetics. This semester, I believe we were lucky to not have to switch to another professor halfway through. Dave's exams were difficult but fair if you studied hard and understood the material. There were some questions on each exam that the class overall did not get correct but Dave was super flexible in giving points back alongside being aware of his own mistakes. He also allowed us to submit regrades for questions if there was ambiguity given the nature of multiple choice exams. Overall, super reasonable guy and has a good sense of humor in my opinion. Would recommend Dave if you plan on taking the class!

This was the most reasonable biology class I've taken at UVA. The assessments were fair, quickly graded, and I can confidently say I learned material. Dave really wants to help his students and understands he makes mistakes (he would let us dispute exam questions and remove unreasonable ones.) After each class (which you could participate asynchronously to my delight) he published extremely helpful study questions. I used the compiled questions as a study guide and this allowed me to do well on exams. While the grade is composed of just exams, there's quite a few of them so they aren't weighted as heavily.

I was really worried about taking this class and am so glad I took it with Dave. He's funny, able to explain difficult concepts clearly, and definitely cares about his students.

Note: the textbook is optional and I didn't feel like it was necessary (unless you prefer to learn via reading)

Professor Parichy is such an awesome instructor. He has a lot of knowledge and he is very effective in teaching genetics. I personally went to his office hour a lot and he really wants to help students. Exams are difficult but manageable if you do transcripts like any other biology class. I definitely missed him for the second half of the semester which was taught by Professor Galloway. #tCF2020

The professor for this course switches halfway through the semester. Because I took this course virtually during COVID, exams were open note but definitely not easy. Parichy's lectures were prerecorded and often went over time, but he was as concise as possible and generally his lectures were solidly related to the exam content. For his half of the course, don't bother with the textbook unless you are confused about a topic he mentions in lecture -- but even then, going to office hours is a better bet.

I took this class with Parichy and Galloway with 4 equally weighted exams. Both of these professors have completely different exam writing styles, so prepared to be disoriented. Parichy's exams are straightforward and direct to the point -- it's clear that he isn't trying to trick you at all. Exam averages are pretty high (85ish). Didn't need the textbook. Do the study questions and the section is borderline easy. The transition is something else though, so I recommend getting a free copy of the textbook for the latter half with Galloway. #tCF2020

This class was half taught by Parichy & half Galloway. Parichy was great; even though all his lectures were pre-recorded and I couldn't attend office hours, his slides are very complete and you will always know what you need to know for exams. His exams were very straightforward and not difficult if you studied. Galloway is a completely different story. Her lectures were a lot harder to understand, and sometimes she will stop and say "I didn't explain that very well". I agree with other reviewers that her exams were cryptic; I studied far more for Galloway's first exam and did 20 pts worse than my highest score on Parichy's. I really wish the bio department would choose one professor for this course because it is super disorienting to have to change your study methods halfway through the semester.

Great professors. don't buy the textbook.

Dave was the man, though the material takes time to work through, its a very doable class. Dave was very clear cut, concise and knew exactly what he was going to talk about every day. Doug was a bit more scattered, and the exams showed the differences between the two. You either know Dave’s material or you don’t. With Doug, you can know the material and still have difficulty interpreting the point of the question. I learned a lot though. Worth taking.

Idk what the guy below is talking about, but the study questions that they posted were really helpful. They basically told us what was going to be on the test. Just go to office hours, where they go over the study questions, and you'll be fine. Honestly, this was probably the easiest semester of genetics in like the past 7 years. Dave was the man, very knowledgeable and had a nice humor. Doug was also very nice, though I thought his half of the class was less interesting, as he talked more about bioethics. Dave talked more about cellular genetics. All in all, the people that took this semester of genetics lucked out on professors tbh.

Professor Parichy is extremely knowledgeable but his lectures are quite difficult to follow - a bunch of the topics at the beginning of the semester could have used a lot more clarification in lecture than they got, and he seemed to assume we knew a lot more about genetics going into the class going in than we did. Additionally, his study questions were not particularly helpful, and exams often featured several questions regarding specific details from examples in-class. The textbook was only minimally related to the course material and isn't worth buying or renting. I personally found his half of the class a lot harder than Doug's, but your mileage may vary.