BIOL 3240

This is in my top three classes at UVA. Furthermore, in this class more than any other I have walked away feeling like I actually gained a mastery of a subject that I can apply in med school, reading immunology literature about cancer, and just explaining what happens when you get sick. Professor Kittlesen likes to teach big concepts through walking you through experiments so you can "think like an immunologist." This can be frustrating at times, but I can promise that it works. To succeed in this class I would reccomend keeping up with the readings before class so you aren't lost and then studying for tests ~4 days prior to tests in a group that transcribes his lectures and reads the book, generating questions for each other and Kittlesen to ask him. Even with that high level of preparation, grading is brutal in this class and a 93.5 is an A, with no "curve" in the conventional sense. He "curves" by building points into the test, so that if you missed every question you would still get like a 30. Not the most helpful but an A is still attainable. Absolutely reccomend but would encourage a strong bio background because it makes the sometimes complex material manageable.

I took this class after reading all the reviews and they were right. This is a great class and Kittlesen is a great professor. But you have to work really really hard in this class. You have to keep up with the readings and you have to study every day pretty much if you want to do well in this class. You also cannot mess up on a single exam because that brings your grade down. Go to office hours and ask all the questions because they will help you when it comes to the exam.

Best science course at UVA with the best professor! By far the hardest class I took at UVA but also my favorite! I'd recommend taking this class 2nd, 3rd, or 4th year. The course is a lot of work and I didn't keep up with the readings in the textbook too well, and skimming the reading before each lecture definitely would've helped. I got a B+ in the class which was great considering the material is so dense and very detailed, just it can be overwhelming at times, but I found recording Dave's lectures and re-listening to them to study was the best! I also found asking Dave questions after lecture was beneficial.

This has been my favorite class at UVA! Kittlesen is such a knowledgeable guy, he's very approachable, explains tough concepts amazingly well, and makes the class so much fun. It is really hard though, because your grade is determined only by 5 tests that are each about 28 multiple choice questions. The tests are during the 50 minute class period, and he hands out practice tests for the first 4 tests (very similar to his intro bio class). Homework is optional (but can boost your grade by 2%) and is through a site called Rocketmix. He said this was the first year he was doing the homework for extra credit, so that might change. Every second of class time is chalk full of information, so I would highly suggest recording it. Near the end of the course he goes over some really applicable topics such as vaccine development, how we eradicated polio, and immunotherapy of cancer. Overall a very interesting class taught by a really passionate and funny professor! Would highly recommend.

You will NOT regret taking this class. Dave is the best professor I have had at UVA thus far. His lectures are so interesting, and he presents all the material in a very engaging way. That being said, it is a very hard class, so it should not be taken as a GPA boost. His exams are very short which makes every question high-stakes, but they are very doable if you understand EVERYTHING he has said in lecture. I feel like I learned so much from this class that will be really applicable in the future, and I would recommend it to ANYONE in the bio major.

As somebody who had Dave in person (BIOL 2100) and online (BIOL 3240), I can confirm that he is a wonderful lecturer in both settings. Immunology is his specialization and he clearly is super insightful about the topics. The amount of material is kinda terrifying, but it's honestly super cool and interesting. It's been a while since I took a biology class that has made me super excited to learn the material. The course grade is broken down into 5 exams [4 x 21.25%;1 (the lowest) x 15%] and the final is not cumulative. The exams were open-note and mostly MC, the exception being a few SAs for a couple of exams. It's possible to earn 2 points extra credit by doing online quizzes. The textbook is helpful for clarification, but it's not necessary to read all of it as it contains excess information. Dave only tests on lecture material, never anything solely pulled from the textbook. As for exam prep, he releases full practice exams and hosts a Q/A session before every exam. If you don't do anything, then go to the Q/A sessions -- he almost always has the exams written by then and gives his answers tailored to the questions on the exams.

TLDR: Highly recommend Immunology with Dave. He's a really kind and knowledgeable professor who values the learning of all his students. Listen closely to the lecture and supplement with the textbook. Go to the Q/A sessions. Enjoy the content!

dave is one of the best biol professors that i've had. in my opinion, many biology professors don't really care about teaching, but not dave. his lectures are logical and he clearly explains every point, and he makes fair tests that aren't too easy but are not too hard. he also gives practice questions (something that other biol professors refuse to do) and also extra credit, again setting him apart from the rest.

immunology isn't too technical of a class. it's certainly not easy, but it's not incredibly technical either. try to synthesize all the material in the unit (he really likes it when you do that). I got an A and my strategy was just to transcribe (word for word) all the lectures (because he only tests on those) and then study the concepts dilligently. He's a sympathetic professor because he allowed tests to be open note during covid and will ensure that the class average on tests isn't completely abysmal (i think he likes a B average).

if you're really into immunology then you'll absolutely love this course.

I was uncertain about this class going into it but it ended up being one of my favorite classes at UVA. Dave explained things really well and stopped for questions to make it more like a discussion. He also tried to help us think through the steps that scientists were going through when discovering new things about immunology and told stories that were entertaining yet eventually relevant. There were five exams, each worth 21.25%, except the one you did the worst on was worth 15%. There were also extra credit homework questions that could add 2% to your overall grade. The class was online so the lectures were recorded. I found the best method of studying for me was just to rewatch the lectures, go to his review session office hour, and take the sample exam he sent out. He said that exams would only have material covered in class, so I didn't do the readings at all and watched the relevant lectures again before an exam and ended with an A+ in the class. I think that it's very possible to succeed in this class if you pay close attention in lecture and/or rewatch recordings.

Kittlesen is incredibly passionate and knowledgeable about the subject, and he makes you *want* to learn more. The tests (open-note) are much based off your understanding, memorization won’t help you. Kittlesen records the audios of his lectures but try your best to never miss a class (he makes them really enjoyable imo!). Go to office hours too! I did the textbook readings before each lecture but honestly doing them after is probably better so you can refresh the concepts he actually mentioned in class (he’ll only test you on those). This class isn’t easy but if you show up and study in advance of exams you’ll be fine. All in all, amazing class. #tCFS24

Kittlesen is great! Nice to have a professor in the biology department that you can tell loves his job and cares about his students and their well-being. Super kind, always willing to help, answers a ton of questions. Class is interesting, I learned a lot, and he is a very engaging lecturer.

As for the course itself/content, it's not super easy. Exams are 100% of your grade and he asks questions that require to know how to understand apply information instead of just memorize, since they are open-note, so you need to know your stuff. He especially likes to explain and ask questions about complex detailed experiments of how many immunological concepts were discovered and/or tested, so paying attention during lecture and taking good notes is key, as his slides are more of a outline. The textbook can be helpful for explaining class concepts in a simpler way after hearing them in lecture, and audio recordings are a great resource for studying. No work outside of exams. Would recommend if you are want to learn the subject! Not for a GPA boost though #tCFS24