CHEM 4420

I LOVED this class. I am also biased as I am planning to continue in academia with biochemistry, but seriously, this guy is the shit. Most engaging lecturer I have had at UVA, so much so that I didn't take notes during class because I was just so busy listening to all the interesting stories and mechanisms he discussed. As a result of this I did occasionally have to go back to recordings of class and make sure I was understanding a slide completely correctly, but this was not bad. I took the class when it was partially online (1/3 of the semester was online) due to his sabbatical and I can see why taking this class online would be really tough as the online version is not suitable to his dynamic lecture style, so I feel badly for people who had to take this class during COVID. The exams are tough and basically just raw memorization, but this is on par for most biochemistry courses so not unexpected at all. However, for me, the material was incredibly interesting to learn about (especially the translational applications of concepts from the molecular realm to clinical), so this memorization part was never hard especially with the Anki/Quizlet decks I made. Also, although he comes off as a bit scary, do go to his office hours. He is one of the most interesting human beings at this university and if you get him talking about his research you will be in awe.

This class is pretty tough, about the same as CHEM 4410 with Grisham. The class is entirely composed of three exams, two midterms and a non-cumulative final. Metabolism simply sucks to learn, almost made me reconsider being pre-med, but the genetics/DNA stuff we do after is pretty interesting. Landers is a clearly knowledgable guy, and he's quite an entertaining lecturer. He's kind of a dick, but you just need to take his snarky responses with a grain of salt; if you ignore them and don't take him too seriously, he's funny and entertaining. He's passionate about biochem and the talk he gave at the last lecture about his own research was super cool.

First midterm for us was multiple choice because we started the semester online. Second midterm was 12 pages of basically free response - kind of a brutal exam. Learn his slides like the back of your hand, and Anki will be your friend. Make flashcards, drill them like crazy, learn structures/pathways, and you'll probably be fine. Don't underestimate how much information you need to learn and memorize for the exam, though. Not an easy class, but relatively rewarding and interesting after you finish metabolism. It's totally doable though, if you stay somewhat on top of it by reviewing with a study group every week or so and grind for a couple days before the exam, you'll be fine. He curves and drops the grading brackets so getting an A- to an A is not terribly difficult. Best of luck! #tCFSpring2022

This class seems a lot worse than it actually is! Grades are based off of two midterms and a final, as well as a number of pop quizzes during lectures (we had 8 quizzes this semester). The exams are not easy, but they are entirely based off of Professor Landers's lectures and Powerpoints. If you know these inside and out, the exams are very doable. The difficult aspect is that there's just so much information in his presentations. I highly recommend recording lectures and using them to study for the exams. The Powerpoints are missing some of the important information, so you can't really study off of them alone. Also, try to know/memorize EVERYTHING in the Powerpoints (unless Professor Landers has specifically marked it as "FYI"- aka you don't need to know it). He sometimes puts the most random details on the exams, and it's worth it to get those few extra points. Also, check your returned exams to make sure they were scored correctly. Professor Landers offers test corrections, and it's not unheard of for the graders to make a mistake. The pop quizzes are honestly kind of annoying, but they aren't worth too much of your grade, and several of the scores are dropped. Try to study for the pop quizzes before EVERY class, particularly at the end of the semester. For most of the semester, pop quizzes were given every 3 classes, but towards the end, there were suddenly quizzes given on consecutive class periods, which I did not expect. Despite the material for this class seeming difficult and lengthy, the grading scale and curves are VERY generous, particularly for a STEM course. Don't be fazed by the proportion of people getting 96-100 on every exam. Just do your best, and you will do fine in this class--it is not an intense weed-out course. Professor Landers is definitely a "fun" professor. He's a witty guy, and his little jokes and mental breaks during lectures really help make the class more interesting. In lecture, he can come off as a tiny bit arrogant, but he's actually quite understanding and helpful in office hours. He's very busy though and does not have a ton of time for students. I think this class would benefit from additional TAs and TA office hours! Overall, put in the time to study for exams and pop quizzes, take advantage of test corrections, and don't stress about this course. You will learn a lot!

Professor Landers is a fantastic professor! He is super engaging and makes the content really fun to learn. We had a guest lecturer one day and that's when I realized how boring this class could've been if we didn't have Landers. I thought CHEM 4420 was easier than 4410 just because the exams are very very straight forward. The quizzes are a piece of cake compared to Grisham's quizzes. Just look over the PPT and memorize some facts and you'll do fine on them. It is a lot of information to memorize for the exams but it's not terrible. If you're bad at memorizing, start studying early but if you're good at memorization, it won't take you too long to study. He even offers multiple exam dates which I thought was really nice of him. He's also really nice when you go talk to him in person and he's passionate about what he teaches. If you're deciding between the bio biochem and this course, I'd recommend taking this class!

My biggest regret in this class is not studying every week for the pop quizzes in class. I went to every class expecting no quiz... don't be like me. Expect a quiz ever class and study every night to avoid the crazy cramming. I thought the exams were very fair. I would study for about 4 days for the exams (truly all day) and did well on them, though it would have been a lot less stressful if I had spread it out. I also always studied in a group when possible which I HIGHLY RECOMMEND. Landers will encourage this too, but I cannot stress how helpful it was. This class was definitely difficult and required a lot of memorization, and I am not a strong memorizer so I was scared but it turned out going well for me! Landers is awesome. I never missed a lecture, even if we knew there was no quiz, because the way he explained thing in lecture really helped me to understand things. The content of this course is also super interesting! Difficult, yes, but if you're pre-med you'll probably find it very interesting, especially since Professor Landers makes it very human body-oriented. I thought Professor Landers was very funny in class and I enjoyed learning cool things in his little mental breaks. They helped break up the monotony of a 75 minute class and were just interesting! Overall, very interesting, very helpful for the MCAT, and I would highly recommend taking this class if you need biochemistry, but be ready to put in work for sure!

Landers is..... okay. He is a very engaging lecturer (something I find key in a class). However, his slides are not that great and you really gotta pay attention during class or when you go back to review his slides it will not give you enough information. I wish he would put it on the notes section of the ppt or just put in the ppts. I say this because all of his exams were directly from the ppt or you could make inferences based on the slides. Honestly, there is no other way around the material then memorizing it, so don't get too mad at him for making it that way. He may seem intimidating during lecture but really do go visit his office hours and make sure you come ready with questions because he is obviously a busy man and you shouldn't waste his or your time being silent. A nice man if you go visit him and talk with him personally. Very understanding of students positions.

Tips:
memorize the slides
don't cram youll die
go to his OH
do well on the quizzes
he will curve the class do not stress do your best

Landers is entertaining but I found that he was not the best at presenting information clearly(mostly because his slides are disorganized and its sometimes not clear as to what he wants you to take away from a slide). The exams aren't too difficult, mostly just memorizing what you see on the slides. However about 20-30% of each exam is total bullshit, like memorizing weights of the 12 components of a proton pump or remembering the specific layout of certain diagrams. I think lander's first language was probably not English (he is from Canada) because his test questions are often unclear with confused grammar and vague wording. However, there is always a generous point readjustment after each test, so it kinda works out. For some reason he doesn't use Grisham's text book even though his lectures follow it closely for the most part(but that might be a good thing because Grisham loves going into wayyy too much detail in his book). I found it easier than first semseter of biochemistry, but much more frustrating because of how the tests were.
Download all the slides when he posts them and study them!

As a non-chemistry major, this class definitely did not require more work than I put into orgo. Landers is a fantastic professor, he even offered multiple exam dates throughout the semester for people with conflicting schedules! Be sure to record his lectures, since he emphasizes what you need to know for the exams and he talks fast. There are a maximum of 10 pop quizzes given through the semester and he keeps the highest 6 grades. I would try to review every lecture before class, to know enzyme names and key facts, but don't worry about any structures or diagramming pathways on the quizzes. For the exams, MEMORIZE THE METABOLIC PATHWAYS! All the enzymes, intermediates' structures, and important facts about each steps are vital. Outline all of the powerpoints and make note of what he stressed during class, then throw it all down on the exams and you should be fine, since everything on the powerpoints are fair game. Really, memorization is the key to doing well in this class.

Landers is the goat. Best professor at uva.

I'm a biology major and i thought I'd do terribly in this class but he teaches very well. You don't need to be a chem guru to take it because a lot of the material is very logical. To do well, go to class, record lectures, and transcribe. For tests, it's straight up regurgitating material so it'll take some time.. Not a good class to cram for! Also memorize all pathways.

I disagree with the reviewer below, He is the most down to earth professor I've met in Chem. Proof that he is nice: 1. He has 2 kids going here- he gets us. 2. He buys a meal for students at semester's end who win his guessing game 3. He bought us donuts for last class 4. He is Canadian- everyone knows Canadians are nice. But for real- He's just incredibly busy, he is constantly flying to conferences, Finland, South Korea, managing his humongous research group , dealing with us obnoxious prehealth kids. The man is so busy that he actually has his own office manager

Lots of memorization. Study a little bit every day! Honestly the workload is not bad if you spread it out. Ideally look through each powerpoint 5-6 times in the days prior the exam. Read every word. The first couple times will take a while- but the 5th time you will be blazing through. Don't neglect structures; it matters, especially for the first test. Know what is high yield- all the vitamins for sure. But I think on one powerpoint there were several structures of uncouplers of oxidative phosphorylation. I memorized one, and the exam asked me to draw one. Never asked to draw structure for quizzes- only exams. He likes to give choices on low-yield structures. He is also not big on mechanisms but same thing, I would memorize 1-2, but not all of them. Metabolic pathways, I would memorize these cold. Structure of intermediates and enzyme names. Draw them out. He will pick a few pathways and ask you to draw specific portions. It sucks because you can't really predict but there you go.

Also if you have time, record lectures from the beginning! This is actually super helpful for the quizzes because I noticed that he would only quiz on things that he actually touched on in previous lectures. It takes a bit of time but I promise you will be perfectly prepared for quizzes. Also it is a bit helpful for exams, he loves to harp on certain themes, and you can simply regurgitate the answer as he presents it in lecture; you will lose less points

Also if you can, try and take Cell bio with this class. So much overlap.

People either love Landers or hate him. While he is a good teacher, eventually you'll see through his "cool" demeanor and his arrogance will shine through. The good thing is you don't ever need to read (or even buy) the textbook, but if you aren't prepared to memorize nearly every detail on his slides, this class will kick your ass. It probably will anyway. The tests are some of the hardest tests I've ever taken at UVa simply because of the unbelievable amount you have to know. The good thing is though that you really don't have to think much during the tests, you just have to regurgitate what you've memorized.

I cannot begin to say enough good things about this course. For once, I actually enjoyed a chemistry course at UVA and it's all thanks to Professor Landers' fun and engaging lecturing style. The enthusiasm he displays really makes the class more interesting and entertaining. Although there is a lot of material presented in a short amount of time (and you are expected to memorize structures and mechanisms), it's not entirely miserable like orgo or first semester biochem. The exams are fairly detailed so you definitely have to study hard but all the information is presented in the lecture slides (you don't need a textbook for this class at all). Professor Landers highlights what he thinks is important and goes over themes that show up repeatedly throughout the semester so be sure to know all of the things he spends a lot of time on but he presents everything in a very manageable way so that you don't get overwhelmed. He also takes breaks in class to go over cases where biochem is relevant or things that are random altogether (be ready for some truly random videos and pictures). There are also pop quizzes but those aren't nearly as detailed as the exams and he drops a few at the end of the semester. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the class (you can't really call a class fun, but this one comes pretty close), found the material really interesting, and it was easily my favorite class at UVA!

So this course is a higher level, University chemistry course. This means there is a lot of memorization of mechanisms, structures, and chemicals. However, unlike other courses with similar requirements, it doesn't have to be miserable. You luckily have Professor Landers teaching the material, so this course is very interesting AND miserable. But seriously Professor Landers makes this course genuinely engaging. He's a very fun guy and easily keeps your attention throughout lectures. This doesn't detract away from the requirements, however. Anything on the slides that he gives you is fair game, but the book you have from Grisham's class is really just supplemental and only needed for some more in depth explanation, no need to read it. Understand that you have to memorize and understand a vast amount of information for exams, and you'll do fine. Also, there are in class quizzes that test on recent material, so it's not a bad idea to review a little daily to get those easy points. The exams are not truly cumulative, though you are expected to remember recurring topics for them. The same can be said for the final. You can have fun and do well in the class with just some decent studying.

A class that I looked forward to attending! Landers is really engaging. In the middle of his lecture he gives us fun, mildly relevant facts to keep us focused. He did lack a little bit of professionalism, but I'm pretty sure his research is incredibly demanding so sometimes he was late to class.
The tests were very hard. A lot of things to remember, and he expects you to remember all of the structures of relevant molecules. There were also pop quizzes, which I liked because they kept me studying in between exams.
The other really neat thing about Professor Landers is that he pays attention to the effort that you put into the class. If a student is on the border of getting an A and Landers can see that the student has improved and put in a lot of effort, he will bump their grade up.
Super interesting class overall. Just really study hard, because the grades won't come easy.

Professor Landers was a great lecturer who really made class engaging with really interesting material. However, I was disappointed with his lack of professionalism. He often posted lecture slides late and did not respond to most emails. His tests were fair but extremely detail oriented, so be prepared to inhale every word and structure on his slides because you can't always predict what is necessarily "important" for his exams. There's no need to have the textbook because he does not assign reading and only tests from his lectures. Overall, I enjoyed what we learned but you will have to seriously commit the time to study.

Breath of fresh air after Grisham's 4410, work hard, take the time to study the slides and textbook, and you'll do well.

Landers is a great professor, and if you dedicate yourself and study correctly, this can be a great class. He is a transition from Grisham. You don't need to read the book, but it's vital to go over the slides several times. You need to know general concepts with enough detail to be able to lecture on any given topic. If you display an interest in his class, and actively dedicate yourself to reviewing the material, Landers is a great guy to talk to during office hours. That being said, if you aren't willing to put a lot of time into going over the slides, don't bother taking this class. The grade distribution is much more generous than most Chemistry classes, but you will also be in a room filled with biochem majors. Are you sure you want that?

hard class. Work and prepare before every class and you will do well.

Landers is a great teacher, very enthusiastic about the material and in general tries to put everything in terms that you can really understand. I had concerns about this class after 4410, but going through Landers lectures has reaffirmed my love of biochemistry and in general just makes me excited to learn about processes involved in the human body and how everything functions together. He gives 2 midterms and a final(they were worth 25%, 30%, and 30%), and also randomly quizzes you throughout the semester(he drops the lowest 1/4 of your quizzes, and gives anywhere between 6 and 10 a semester). That said, all the material is very fair, and even for times when he gets more specific, he tells you himself that it will be specific there and that you should focus on it. Never had to open the book, everything you need to know is from the slides.

If you take this class, be prepared for it to consume your life. Pop quizzes, exams, etc. However, it will also be the best and most interesting chemistry class you will take here at UVA and I've taken almost all of them and can assure you of this. It is more difficult and time consuming than Grisham's class but you actually learn information that is worthwhile and you will retain the key concepts much more so than any other class. The first exam requires you to know A TON of material (vitamins, all mechanism and structures associated with metabolism, hundreds of slides of material), but after that it wasn't as bad. I was sad when it was over.

best biochem prof. nuff said

Dr. Landers was an amazing Biochem professor; leaps and bounds better than Grisham mainly due to the way he structured the course. We had 10 Pop Quizzes which counted as 25% of our final grade along with 3 Midterms (each 25% of our final grade) and thus we were always on our toes and somewhat paranoid about when a quiz would be handed out. This fear/paranoia, however, lead to LOTS of studying outside the class which in turn lead to actually learning the extreme amounts of information that Biochem semester II entails. Overall, study the slides and basically memorize every square inch of each slide in order to get an A in the class. He was very enthusiastic, funny, and extremely engaging in class since he'd call people out in class to answer his questions. He's also very approachable and I can say that I learned and retained a lot more than I expected and was pleasantly surprised by the quality education I received from Dr. Landers. This is what I was expecting to learn as a Biochem major and his class definitely lived up to my aspirations...I definitely recommend him to every Biochem major. I left having acquired a TON of useful, fascinating biochemical and medical information which in turn boosted my confidence as a pre-med and as a chem major.

Professor Landers is awesome. He is by far the best professor I've had at UVa and biochem. has been my favorite course. If you study and prepare for the exam at least 3 days before, you'll do fine!

Amen to the person below with him not giving you points even if your answer is right, if it doesn't match the key exactly. and he doesn't curve, which could make up for it

He has a great personality and is a great lecturer, but his exams are memorization intensive. Some questions are excessively broad, but the answers are extremely specific so not only do you have to remember the answer, but also what he is really asking. He will not accept your answer unless it is worded exactly like the answer sheet(I agree that grad students suck at grading!). If you have a photographic memory, this course is for you. If not, get ready to live, breathe, and eat biochem for a semester. Getting graded down by almost a full letter grade on each test because my answers were not exactly the same as the answer key is not right.

Expects alot. Tests are very detailed and gives pop quizzes about every week.

Landers is a great professor. Infinitely better than Grisham. He actually makes the subject interesting and has a pretty good (if not dry) sense of humor. Absolutely no book reading is required, all info comes from the powerpoints. Semi-weekly quizzes force you to review the material, in a good way. Very difficult though.

Great Professor

Amazing class, cannot even compare to CHEM 4410. The Slides are informative and good summary of the important things in the book. Exams are long and hard (especially the thinker questions) but manageable if prepared. Lectures are dynamic and engaging but very fast. Landers is amazing at everything, except getting to class on time. Hardest class I've taken at UVA yet the most worthwhile.

I loved going to lecture for 442, in stark contrast to 441. Landers is a great showman, and he makes a very valiant effort to (a) bring outside material into the lecture and (b) answer questions he cannot answer by the next lecture. My one complaint about this class is the grading. The graders have no idea what they're doing (e.g. marking out CO2- and writing COOH, or marking out K=[c][d]/[a][b] and writing a+b=c+d), which is one complaint about this class. True, regrades tend to be fairer, though it was pretty annoying to turn in 9 regrades in one semester. Another complaint would be the amount of memorization required for this course that is not really that profound (e.g. draw Pol III, draw acetyl-CoA carboxylase). But overall, I think the net effect is a positive experience in this class.

This class is labor-intensive. Not much of the material is that difficult to grasp but there is a lot of it and you need to know all of it. Dr. Landers does a good job of trying to keep the class relevant and includes a lot of interesting material about what happens when things go wrong. He also digresses from the lecture material to talk about things like Frankenstein which I didn't like but is a nice break for most people.

Quite possibly the best I've had at UVA. Dynamic teacher that makes lectures fun. Although there is a lot of memorization, it's worth it. Walking away with the knowledge that you've amassed at the end of the semester is worth it.

Just study the slides.

Landers is one of the best profs I've had at UVa. I actually liked going to class because his lectures were so interesting. The tests aren't so bad if you can memorize everything. It seems like a lot to memorize, but if you understand the concepts well, then it's not really that bad... unless you REALLY suck at memorizing, then i wouldn't recommend it.

Tough class, but I've learned really good materials in this class. Worthwise class to take

He is a dynamic lecturer and knows the topic well. The tests are very hard and require a good deal of memorization. The biggest problem with this class is that although there is a lot of short answer on the tests, grad students (not class TA's) grade it. If you don't have, verbatim what is on his answer sheet the graders will mark it wrong and then it is a hassle to have a regrade.

Professor Landers is a tough professor, but his lectures are very enjoyable. To do well, you do need to work hard because he expects you to know a lot for the exams. Don't let him intimidate you too much; he is very helpful and has a great sense of humor.

I loved the class; it was hard work but totally worth it. Really fascinating material and a very enthusiastic professor!

if you hate your miserable existence, this is the class for you. i had to start taking anti depressants because of this class. Landers attempts to make the class interesting, but you know that at the end of the day, you have to memorize all the slides and every single thing on the slides. There are about 80 slides per lecture and each slide has at least 5 to 8 things you have to memorize. Multiply that by 12 or so for each exam. He emphasizes that there will be no regurgitation of facts, but that's essentially what the class is about, training you to become a biochemistry textbook. Now I'm a history major and I don't give to shits about glycolysis.

Professor Landers is by far the best professor I've had at UVA. His Socratic teaching style keeps you awake and alert, and his intermittant spurts of humor keep you engaged in the material at hand. Tests are hard, but he really cares about us learning the complexities of human biochemistry.

This class is very difficult, but it is good. You learn a lot about human biochemistry (as opposed to prokaryotic models used in a lot of other classes). Landers is one of the best science professors I have ever had.