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Found him entertaining and enlightening

I thorougly enjoyed his class. Great guy.

Dr. Cristol is a good professor. His lectures are interesting and his questions and tests are made to provoke thought and originality. Those who claim he is unfair are simply complaining because they failed to get an A with memorization alone.

His tests are fine, cares a lot about teaching. He does love himself, but he is very smart and a good lecturer. He's really not hard if you like the subject.

Outstanding lectures. Funny and engaging. Most entertaining lecturer in the biology department. Very available to students- I have 220 kids in my class and he has one-on-one study sessions with at least half of us the week before every test. Very difficult exam, but that is the nature of the class. Very highly reccomended.

THIS WAS THE BEST CLASS I HAVE EVER TAKEN IN MY LIFE, IT WAS SOOO INTERESTING AND I KICKED ASS IN IT!!!! TOP 5 IN THE CLASS BABY :) THIS PROFESSOR IS SOOOO INTERESTING AND AWESOME!!!!!

Cristol is awesome. While it's true that his tests are very difficult, they're manageable if you put in the amount of work expected at a place like this. I look forward to all of his lectures. He's intelligent, helpful, and hilarious! He makes a huge lecture hall seem intimate. Take him despite the challenge - you won't regret it.

He's an excellent professor, very smart.

His tests are a pain in the butt, but his lectures are entertaining and he makes sure that you are not bored... a ton of work but a good teacher and a good but hard clas

videos, features cool. Threw a couple hissy fits, but overall very cool guy. Tries to spread out tests, but sooooo hard and so much material no matter what. class average is usually 70-75; lab is pretty easy. Ok class. Wasn't my favorite but i liked it.

VERY difficult tests. Prepare to study a lot, otherwise fascinating class, i have yet to miss a lecture. Lab is easy. If you take the class be prepared to work more than you have before.

This class consists of many tremendously interesting lectures which, along with a heavy amount of textbook reading, have all increased my interest in Biology. Tests are difficult if and only if you do not listen to what he says in lecture. If you go to lecture and pay attention, you should do fine.

Basically I came in loving biology, and I will be leaving hating it with a passion. I just want to finish this semester. Class is pseudointeresting. Really nice guy, but not a nice teacher. Lab is ridiculous, i think it hurts people more than help. But anyways...only take this class if you absolutely have to!! Not otherwise.

This class is AMAZING! Despite the huge class size, Professor Cristol does an excellent job of explaining difficult concepts well and his use of remotes like those on Who Wants to be a Millionare ensures that he knows whether or not people are understanding the concepts. Despite his difficult tests, Professor Cristol is an excellent teacher

This is a HARD class, period. That being said, Cristol is an interesting/good prof. Puts all lectures online. Gives participation grade. Must keep up with reading to do well. Five tests. TA's helpful for review. Lab sucks. Use textbook website, helps a lot. A's are possible if you work hard and are good at memorization. Dont take for fun!

Seems like a nice guy. Very confident about what he knows, but he is willing to admit when he's wrong. Yes, the reading is dense and mostly memorization, but just read and study well and you should do fine. It's his first year teaching this class, so his expectations are a little skewed. Recommend it for people who love biology a lot, not dabblers.

The class is challenging but definitely worth it just for the lectures. Dr. Cristol's class was my favorite this semester because he always made the material seem interesting where it could have been really awful if someone else was teaching. Plus he isn't afraid to discuss sensitive topics that other teachers might be afraid to bring up.

Not easy - at all. However, still an impressively talented lecturer when stacked up against the rest of the biology department. Probably the only W&M bio professor who had friends in high school.

This class was definitely interesting. Cristol has a great, dry sense of humor. He shows entertaining video clips a lot. First test was incredibly hard, second was relatively easy. You have to read the book, but he covers almost none of that material in class - answer the study questions he provides to be prepared for the book portion of the exam.

Good professor but be prepared to work. If you arn't planning on doing anything with Bio as a major/minor think carefully before taking. Fun tests though....gotta love little Johnny.

total hottie and total genius.

Cristol is a really funny guy but a tough professor. He teaches random information in class and expects you to learn 75% of the material on your own by reading the book. Test questions are tricky and involve thinking, not just memorizing.

I'd recommend his Animal Behavior class for anybody. Lectures are interesting, he's got a good sense of humor, he likes to provoke arguments and play devil's advocate. Tests are hard and require much thought, but go see him and plead your case and sometimes he'll give you points back. Pretty easy to get a B but hard to get an A.

Cristol is the best professor in the department hands down. This class was soooo interesting. He really made an effort to help out anybody who came to see him and was always ready for questions. Lectures were awesome with fun clicker questions. Cristol's got a great sense of humor and is not afraid of controversy. Tests hard, but worth it.

This class is soo hard. I have study group everyweek, read all the crazy long chaps, and review all the powerpoints just to get a D on the test. But I do give it to him he is willing to add a few points here and there if you can back up your answers on the test. However, if your not going into the medical field pick a diff class or professor!!

professor cristol rules. I want to be him.

Great Professor!Interesting lectures, and extremely helpful in office hours and willing to help every student who wants it.STUDY SMART and for complete comprehension.He expects you to know everything but won't test on it all..literally anything in text or lecture is fair game to him.Some questions spitback/text ques, most critical thinking.STUDY!!!

If you want a good grade, which is pretty much what you should be trying to get in college, then don't take this class. Cristol needs to realize that students are taking other classes and his tests are really hard, too hard for a 200 level course. I didn't enjoy this class, although I learned a lot, I felt very stressed the entire semester.

Yes this class is difficult but its college- deal with it. You need to read & reread the text. Be prepared not to just know the information but be able to use it. Memorize anything he says (aka phylogenic trees). Cristol knows a lot and so will you after this class. Take if pre-med or science major only. STUDY!

One of my favorite profs. Knows his stuff, interesting lectures. Read lots of articles and did research project, which really helped me understand the way science is done. Emphasis on critical thinking, not just memorizing.

Dr. Cristol is the man! Look, this class is not easy, but, consider that I had NEVER taken a Biology course before and still managed a B. If you took AP Bio you have no excuse to do any worse than me. Never had any interest in Biology, and this guy got me thinking like a Biologist. I almost considered switching my major. Go to his office and talk.

Only take his class if you have to. He makes very hard tests that may ask detailed questions about ANYTHING in the textbook. The bottom line: this class was unreasonably hard (studied 40+ hours for the final, got a C+). Ended up with a B+ for the semester.

He blames you for poor grades and tells you it's your fault for not being able to think critically. He thinks nobody has taken classes before that have critical thinking in them. His test questions are more memorization and mind-reading than critical thinking. You can study for hours the exact way he says to and barely get a B. Avoid if possible.

Lecture is interesting. Reading is very intensive and dense but you have to memorize every page of the textbook to do decent. Tests are very hard; allow 4-5 days of constant studying day and night for each exam to get a B, double that amount for an A. This class is clearly a "weed-out" class for all of those who want to become doctors.

Cristol is a fun professor and keeps the class interesting. But, he also makes it very difficult so be prepared to study a lot and not get the grade you expected

Tests are crazy hard, but I feel like I benefited a lot from the class in learning how to study smarter not harder. Take a class with him. You will struggle but you will find that it was well worth it at the end.

This professor is absolutely brilliant - he is the best. However the grading is very difficult so be ready to commit hours for studying and reading. He expects critical thinking abilities but this causes exam averages to be in the 60s. You will learn so much (this was my favorite class), but I wouldn't recommend this class to a non-science majors.

A very difficult, weeder class for premeds (many become pysch majors). Lecture is always interesting but tests are very hard with lots of critical thinking. Definitely read the assigned chapters from the textbook. While the tests are difficult, between lab, clicker questions (just go to class) and a short reading assignment, it is too hard to do ok

The class is all memorization. He says it isn't, but it is.

Cristol's class is insanely hard. If you want a B or an A be prepared to spend a TON of time reading, taking notes, and studying for exams. GO to the lectures, everything that overlaps between the lectures and reading end up being the essay questions. Don't take if you're not planning on being a science major. Great lectures. Just work your ass off

Cristol is so amazing. The negative comments here are from people who did poorly. Just be prepared to work - but you'll benefit more from this class than any other.

Best professor at William and Mary, you won't regret taking his class.

This class does take a lot of time and effort. But if you put in the work, you will see the results. Cristol is a great lecturer-funny and engaging. Contrary to other posts, he is a lenient grader. Go to class, actually study people, and you'll do extremely well :)

A brilliant and engaging lecturer, read the book before class, even if you don't take notes. His tests can be a little difficult, but go to his post test rundowns, he WANTS to give you points back if he can. He wants his students to do well, and does everything he can to help them do it.

Excellent lecturer! He puts so much time in for his students and always wants them to succeed. He, at least to my knowledge, probably has the most office hours offered on campus. And people here will whine about tests and how its impossible but it really isn't! His tests are completely fair!

He's a decent lecturer, but he doesn't seem to care that much about his students. The tests are designed to take the entire 50 minutes, so if you can't immediately think of the exact answer from the textbook, you're screwed. He likes to think that his tests encourage "thinking" and "learning" but they're entirely memorization. Avoid if you can.

Tests are unbelievably difficult. It's without a doubt not just regurgitation of info, you have to apply your knowledge very specifically HOW HE WANTS YOU TO. He's a very pushy guy, wants to change the world, and expects everyone in this class to center their lives around bio 220. But he gives loads of extra help when it's needed (...it will be).

Engaging lecturer and helpful professor. Tests are really difficult. Do all the reading.

I took this class as a senior, non-bio non-premed major without a strong background in biology. This class is the most difficult one I've taken, in my opinion, because it requires a LOT of time. Readings and lectures are important. Get extra help if you need it. I did enjoy professor Cristol though, he's a funny guy and willing to help if you ask.

Going in, understand that this class is a college class. Doing well in high school bio doesn't mean you'll do well. Conversely, I didn't take AP bio and I got an A in this class. Cristol explains material in lecture and tells you how to study, the rest is up to you. Memorize the book, you will do poorly. You must ingrain the material, then apply it

Professor Cristol is a really funny, interesting guy. He talks a big game about how hard the class is, and you have to work, but he's very clear about what his expectations are and what you have to know. He sincerely wants to help people if they need it and provides tons of of opportunities for that. There's a lot of memorization.

The class is hard because you're expected to know the material well enough to actually use it. In a course intended for majors, I don't see how that's a bad thing. However, the course would be difficult regardless of the teacher, and Cristol was fun to watch in class and spent crazy amounts of time working with students outside of class.

You need to study. A lot. Keep up with readings and you'll get by, his exams are absolutely brutal. I didn't and I suffered for it. Fortunately he's a great lecturer. Definitely a weed-out class for the pre-med students. If you're pre-med or bio you need to take it, if not, just skip this one.

Really wants his students to succeed and understand the material on multiple levels.

Dan Cristol is a wonderful professor. He is hilarious and a great lecturer. He is extremely willing to help students who need it. This is meant to be a weed-out class and does its job, but if you do continue in biology you'll still remember what you learned in this class. And remember: he curves at the end!

Bio 220 will take a lot of your time if you want to get an A, but it is possible. This class is full of Bio majors, so don't take it just for the GER- take it because it interests you. Cristol is very intelligent but also expects a lot of his students. Read the chapters, go to review sessions, and attend all lectures, and don't get caught behind

Nice guy, but tests are very difficult, even with a crazy amount of studying.

I LOVED this class. Cristol wants you to think differently from your high school days, and that is why the material is challenging. Clicker questions, out-of-class assignments, and four exams. A worthwhile class for those pursuing the biology major - I wouldn't say the same for others. If you spend time talking to him, you'll earn a great mentor.

Cristol is magical! His class is so easy, don't listen to the other people. Just go to all of the review sessions with the TAs (they'll tell you what's on the test)

Class was difficult, but well worth taking. Do not expect an A.

challenging class, very passionate about birds

very difficult, but a great professor. he engages his classes and is clearly very passionate about the subject and about educating his students. you definitely need to attend class AND read the textbook for the exams. he includes material from both, so you must study a lot, but i loved class BECAUSE of him

The class itself is designed to be hard to weed out those who are trying to go premed. Professor Cristol is a hard teacher but he teaches you well. The coursework is very difficult, but if you do the work you will do fine. He does curve so that helps a little. It's just all about time management and not procrastinating.

Professor Cristol is by far the best teacher and person I have ever met. His class is simple and it changed my life. If you take his class, you will have no trouble passing. Everyone who says he is terrible needs to get a life. Make sure to take his class!

I learned so much from this class...HOWEVER tests are almost ALWAYS random trivia. You can't remember, apply , or guess if you tried because the only right answer is HIS answer. getting an A in this class has less to do with effort than with luck.

Professor Cristol is well known for teaching a difficult class designed to "weed out" those who can't cut it in Biology. That said, I thought he was a fantastic lecturer, and the more I progress in my Biology major, the more I appreciate how hard he made us work in his class. Seriously, learn EVERYTHING, it can only help you later.

I took this class years ago and yeah, it's hard. But as someone who continued with biology, I've come to really appreciate how hard Cristol worked us. The work you put in now will pay dividends in later bio classes. To succeed: go to class (duh), answer textbook questions, sketch phylo trees ahead of time, and fight for every point.

Cristol is a great lecturer. He is interesting to listen to and presents the material in a fun way. Go to class and really listen to what he says. Read the book, doing questions from the textbook really help you prepare for the tests. The tests are hard but just, read, listen, attend class, and do his practice tests and book questions.

A lot of people complain about how hard he is, myself included, but you'll realize that he is a great professor. He really teaches you to think critically and make connections, and he is really enthusiastic about his work.

Cristol is one tough professor- no getting around that fact. As a junior who took this for a GER I still had a hard time even after attending the College for 4 semesters. Still, this has been one of the highest quality classes I've taken and feel I learned tons of really important information. Recommended if you don't mind a challenge.

Extremely difficult due to the large amount of free response questions, which come from small bits of a lecture or a paragraph from the textbook. However, this is a top quality class (my UVA friends didn't find their bio class nearly as interesting) so you're risking a bad grade but you'll learn a lot of things, some of it is cool. Your call.

This class was very different than my high school AP class; less attention to detail and more to the big picture. Lectures are interesting but tests can be confusing unless you learn to think like him. Read chapters before class, it really helps, but when reviewing just skim and look for things he talked about in lecture.

Cristol's class is very difficult but not impossible. Like all or most hard classes, you get out of it what you put into it. That being said, use all of your resources - ask questions, go to all review sessions, do all practice problems, & read the textbook. WORK HARD & you will do fine!

As a premed who feared going into this class who got a 3 on AP Bio junior year/not a Monroe scholar, I can assure you I did not go in with a strong science background. I got A's on every test including the final through effort. Cristol is a great lecturer, very intelligent and helpful, so its really only up to you to put in the (doable) work.

He's a passionate teacher and you will learn so much from this course. It is not easy, but its rewarding. Daniel is a bit arrogant, but makes the class interesting. Go to his office hours and get as much as you can from the textbook and the lectures and you will do fair. Do not take this just for the GER.

It is a very hard class. You have to put in a lot of work. But if you are passionate about the subject you will learn things. Always go to the review sessions and office hours. Cristol will always answer your questions. Try to submit regrades when you can, any point helps in this class.

This class was very hard, but it was extremely rewarding once you got the hang of his teaching style. My advice for the class is to do all of the readings on time and outline them, go to all of the lectures, go to the exam review sessions, and go into his office hours to argue points back on exams. In all, the class is difficult but doable.

Lectures are engaging. It was nice that he briefly stops once in a while to check that the students are getting the material. Tests are difficult and take some adjustment. Cristol seems kind of intimidating at first, but he is accommodating and helpful if you request office hours. It's not an easy class, but don't be afraid to take it.

He is a REALLY tough grader. I got an question right, but I didn't put all the other right answers down (there were multiple that he didn't ask for), so I got half credit for that problem. THAT was really annoying and my only issue with this class. I really enjoyed the field trips and connections I made in this class. Fav class of the semester!

Cristol pushes you hard and definitely makes you earn your grade, but he also has a sense of humor and is approachable. The class is one of the hardest I've ever taken, hands down, but I think that's the nature of the class, not necessarily just Cristol being unreasonable. Don't take this class if you aren't ready to work really hard.

Professor Cristol is a tough grader. He wants you to be specific and while that's good, sometimes it hurts your grade when you know what you're saying but he wants you to say EXACTLY what he's asking for. However, this is balanced out with the fact that he's a super nice guy also. He's willing to work with you to ensure you pass the class.

He is a good teacher, though hard.

Yes the class does require you to work for the grade, but the Proff is great, the lectures are compressible and I would definitetly recommend this class to anyone.

Professor Cristol's lectures are concise. The textbook contains a massive amount of information, but Cristol clearly explains the concepts you should focus on during class. Downloading his powerpoints from Blackboard ahead of time makes note-taking and studying much easier. If you enjoy sarcastic, dry humor, you'll probably find him funny.

Class is hard, but definitely passable. Show up, pay attention, take notes, do the reading, and you'll be fine. Only studied the day before his continuous assessments, and I still did very well. Just make sure to pay attention in class and if you don't understand something, go and talk to him. He's a great guy and is very clear.

The class is difficult, but do the reading and pay attention in lecture and it shouldn't be too hard. Crystal is very receptive to questions in class and office hours, so don't be afraid to ask for clarification (even/especially in a test) if confused. Be prepared to learn to love birds.

Great lecturer, but has little patience if you don't care or are unwilling to try hard to understand the material. Is typically helpful when you meet with him and is available if you ask.

One of my favorite classes at W&M. Really interesting and fun, but participate and devote time/energy to the subject. Had him for 220 as well- exams are more straightforward in this class and content is really fascinating.

If you had data on reviewers' grades and the score they gave Professor Cristol, you'd find that there is a strong correlation between poor grades and negative reviews. If you buckle down and put in the work, not only will you learn a lot, but you'll also get a good grade.

Ornithology was one of the most fun classes I've ever taken. Never thought birds could be so cool. If you can take this class, you definitely should. Total blast. Cristol is funny and tries hard to make sure everyone takes something away from the class and has a good time

Dan the man is an amazing professor. As a second semester junior, I was nervous about taking his class. But, I cannot express how good of a decision taking Ornithology was. It has changed my view of biology, and I have come to seriously respect Dr. Cristol. Take him for Ornithology and you won't regret it.

I am a huge fan of Professor Cristol. I loved ornithology with him. Grades based on multiple projects, final, lab quiz, midterm, and participation. I had so much fun and I wish he taught more classes because I would take another with him. He is such a funny and cool guy. He wants all his students to succeed and get an A. Labs are early but fun.

Ornithology was amazing. Majority of grade is based on options/projects that YOU choose. Early morning birding with Dan Cristol is both fascinating and fun. His enthusiasm is infectious. Take the weekend trips, if you can. For both new and experienced birders, this class opens up a whole new world. Very highly recommended.

I have not left a review for a professor in my four years at William & Mary, but Prof. Cristol has inspired me to leave my first. His Intro to Ornithology class was by far one of the most enjoyable, engaging, and interesting classes I have taken before. His enthusiasm for birds and his near-encyclopedic knowledge of them makes him one of the best

Prof. Cristol is very patient and enthusiastic. Not very harsh when grading. Definitely love the birdwatching lab. Relatively heavy workload but you can learn a lot. Highly recommended.

Super interesting material and it is clear that Prof Cristol is really passionate about it. There is a lot of reading for each lecture, and discussion posts due each Thursday. However, it is very manageable. Early labs are fun, but quizzes can be a little difficult if you don't prepare adequately. Overall, great class!! Wish he taught more at WM