The final is definitely the most difficult aspect of the class because you will be tested on topics that were not necessarily directly covered in class. This made it pretty hard to study for. If you read the textbook, go to office hours, and study hard for the midterms, you should be fine, but I wouldn’t rely on Dutch knockout.

If you need to take micro, take it with Doyle. Based on my own experience and what I heard from my friends who took it in the fall with other professors, Doyle is going to be your best bet if you have limited prior experience with micro or are taking it for no reason other than fulfilling a requirement. Your grade is comprised of TA points, participation points, 2 quizzes, 2 midterms, and the final. The midterms and final make up a combined total of 80% of your grade (or the final is 100% of your grade if you Dutch Knockout), so they're definitely the most important. Everything else just helps with a small boost that can help you cross a grade threshold at the end. You get an 3x5 index card on all the assessments which is helpful. The quizzes and exams definitely require pretty intensive studying. Do any and all practice you can beforehand, and practice/review throughout the semester if you can. While the textbook isn't required, I found it helpful to read through the chapters just to see the information twice.

I found the most challenging part of the quizzes and exams was the timing, so making sure you can easily recognize what you need to do to solve a problem is important so you don't get stuck. Going in, I knew the final was going to be tough based on other course forum posts, and while it was tricky and I didn't do amazingly compared to the midterms, if you study hard you'll at least make your way through it. Don't bank on Dutch Knockout unless you quite literally have no other finals to study for or are doing bad enough in the class that you can do mediocre on the final and knockout your score. If you're willing to put in the work for the semester, Doyle's class is probably the most manageable micro you can take at UVA.

Doyle himself is a funny guy-- he'll crack jokes during class and is pretty friendly. His exams suck. They're not really aligned with the course material, are confusing, and involve a lot of math. My TA was more useful in the course content than he was. However, if you have to take micro, take it with Doyle and not anyone else. He lets you have a notecard on all exams, but it's not very helpful since his exam stray from the content.

Take with Doyle!! Iv heard really bad things about Elzinga and actually really enjoyed Doyles lectures. Coming from someone who didnt take econ in hs I was definitely worried about this class but if you put in the time and effort you will do fine. Everything is pretty manageable except the final. I studied over 40 hours for it and still got a C. I ended with an A- since I did well on the other exams but be prepared for some random questions on the final. Its more about being a good test taker than studying a lot for the final.

The material is not super hard. Pay attention and take notes during lectures. The 2 quizzes and 2 midterms are pretty chill as long as you understand the material thoroughly. The final covers things that are not mentioned in the lecture, so maybe it is covered in the textbook. Doyle tries to make this class interesting, but the big lecture hall and the nature of the elementary course make this class boring.

This was a decent class. I'm not really interested in economics, just did it for the requirement. Doyle seemed to be a decent professor. His lectures weren't engaging, but then again, how can micro be? My TA Humphrey Luo was super helpful. The class has 2 midterms, 2 lecture quizzes, 2 discussion quizzes, and a final. Exams weren't too bad. Boring class, but I've definitely heard Doyle is better than Elzinga.

Doyle is a great professor! He is super engaging, kind and welcoming both during lectures and especially during office hours. His first two exams are manageable, but forget the final - it's impossible. No one I spoke to got higher than an 80%. The good thing is he curves his final grades a lot. For example, this past semester an A is a 91%. Overall, good course and Doyle is a great guy that makes taking econ worthwhile even though it kinda sucks.

This class is super chill. Professor Doyle tries hard to make lectures interesting but you just have to accept that microeconomics isn't the most riveting topic in the world. He uploads video recordings of every single lecture (pre recorded from COVID) so you honestly don't even need to attend lecture. He sends out the kahoot link after class too so just make sure to do it to get participation. Going to discussion is honestly a really good way to make sure that you're keeping up with the content. Prof Doyle also employs Dutch knockout but the final exam is notoriously harder than the midterms so I wouldn't recommend banking on it. I think there is a misconception that this is a super easy class. It's not incredible difficult but you can't slack off and expect to get an A. #tCFS25

I felt like this class was really easy. Your grade is made up of two midterms, two quizzes, TA points (I had Thomas as a TA - he was great, just participation points no HW or quizzes), and the final. The final is NOT like any of the midterms or practice questions - it's a lot trickier and makes it really hard to dutch knockout. I actually really like Doyle's teaching, it feels effective to me plus he is always available at office hours (he is flexible too). So there's always extra time and resources that he and the TAs are willing to put in. I got an A- because of the final but got As on both quizzes and one midterm - if you expect tricks on the final, you can definitely prepare to get an A.

Doyle is a laid-back guy; he tells a lot of dad jokes which are hit or miss. The contents of the lectures can be kind of boring and hard to focus on, but he tries his best to be engaging. There are two quizzes and two exams so not much room for mistakes. There's very little reading but there are some articles to read, pls read them they are on the exams. My TA was not helpful at all, we basically just sat there, and he didn't offer much help with the material, but for some of them attendance is mandatory, and they are pretty chill. I recommend going to lecture, it just helps the material stick. He has Dutch knockout for grades which is helpful. There's no homework, it's a study heavy course so please find your studying style and really try and learn/understand the material.