BIOL 3240

Kittlesen is perhaps the best lecture at UVA. He is passionate about immunology and it shows in his lectures. He challenges you to critically think and apply your knowledge on his tests. This has been my favorite class so far at UVA and it covers an extremely interesting topic.

Easily my favorite class I have taken at UVA thus far. Professor Kittlesen is an enthusiastic lecturer who is able to make even the most complicated topics of this course seem logical. Each test is curved, but the class itself is not. The test material focuses heavily on things he introduces in lecture that are not in the textbook, such as experiments and disease examples, so DO NOT miss class (not that you'll want to!). The material is very difficult and requires a lot your of time devoted to studying, but if you even have a remote interest in the human body, medical science, or cell biology--take this course! You won't regret it :)

So awesome. Most people on here say it is one of the harder electives; I found it to be much easier than any other electives or core classes since being at the University, mostly because the information is so interesting and he presents it in an alluring way. This class has even inspired me to look into Grad programs. I recommend it

This is a class that's hard to enjoy unless you have kept on top of your reading. Kittlesen's lectures make a lot more sense if you've prepared. The reading is important and you have to completely understand the experiments he outlines in class. Pay close attention in lecture and you'll be okay. Also, do the practice exams he gives out, but don't only study the material on those exams- they're not always indicative of what the exam will be like.

I went to about 20% of the lectures for this course, studied for about two days before each test, would've gotten A except that I did not know that the tests had free response questions until I showed up for the first exam. Don't be me, and you'll get an A.

Incredibly good professor! Reading and material can be very tough, but one of those classes where you actually feel like it's worth it! Glad I took it for sure! You gotta do the reading though or else you'll be completely lost in class. Class notes and experiments are important on the test, can't just read the text.

Even if this class is one of the harder bio electives, it's truly a fascinating subject and you learn a lot of awesome information that will probably come up later on especially if you're pre-health. Plus, Dave is an immunologist by trade and is truly enthusiastic about the subject - the best advice is this is one of those classes where you HAVE to do the reading. The textbook is pretty good so this isn't terrible, but reading before will make the lectures make more sense and you will have a much better hold on the material. The tests are tough and too short for comfort but not impossible, and it still feels worth it if you really enjoy the subject.

Dave is a very round-about professor. He likes to tell stories about the discoveries in immunology that are sometimes poorly constructed and it's difficult to figure out what he's trying to get across. If you are trying to learn immunology for the hell of it, good for you, and I would recommend youtube and alternative methods that are a little more concise than Dave. Immunology is a tough subject to digest, trying to understand Dave's testing techniques is even more difficult. But hey, different strokes for different folks I guess.

This was the best, most engaging, most interesting class I have taken at UVA. Kittlesen is phenomenal and makes the material so easy to understand and class so much fun. His anecdotes are incredibly interesting and he goes above and beyond to keep the class entertaining and insightful. I wish I could take this class again. It made me more excited to learn than I have been in any other class here. 100% would recommend. The material can be a little difficult but it's SO interesting it's easy to study and totally worth it! Not to mention, the structure was 5 non-cumulative exams which reduced test anxiety for me and made the chunks of material very manageable.

This has been my favorite class at UVA so far. Professor Kittlesen really focuses on big ideas and themes of immunology instead of minute details. His exams test conceptual understanding over memorization, which is different from a lot of other biology professors, but very refreshing! Don't let the GPA or difficulty stats scare you away from taking this class. Before I signed up, many friends warned me it was the hardest biology elective according to course forum. Since this is the first elective I've taken in the department I can't argue against that, but it certainly isn't a difficult class if you're willing to put in the time to understand the material. I would definitely recommend skimming the readings before lectures. Also, don't be afraid to raise your hand during class if you need clarification; Kittlesen encourages it!