3.9
Quality3.7
Difficulty61%
Would Retake199
Reviews61%
Would Retake
199
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
5
86
4
66
3
17
2
22
1
8
What Students Say
“Worst professor I have had at UVA by a long shot”
BIOL2010 - 1.0 rating“Kittlesen is one of the absolute BEST professors I have EVER had at he University of VIrginia”
BIO2010 - 5.0 ratingClass Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
38%
Textbook Required
75%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B+
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-0.41 avg changeRatings by Course
BIOL320
5.0
(1)BIOLIMMUNOLOGY
5.0
(1)IMMUNOLOGY
5.0
(1)BIO386
5.0
(1)BIOL2020
5.0
(2)Difficulty by Course
BIOL320
5.0
IMMUNOLOGY
5.0
BIO203L
4.5
BIOL2020
4.5
BIO2100
4.2
Reviews (199)
No Comments
No Comments
he is a very good teacher; however his tests are very hard!
Good guy and very understanding. Will help you if you ask.
Fun guy, makes class interesting. The tests are very hard but the subject matter and class are still very worthwhile.
So hard but SO worthwhile. His intelligence scares me.
He leads an enjoyable and interesting class. His tests are very hard but he will curve, don't worry! Very nice guy.
GREAT CLASS
He is so excited about the subject that it is impossible not to like the guy.
awesome prof; excited, willing to explain any and everything, encourages questions. tests are easy, readings are generally unnecessary if you have ANY prior knowledge of biology, lectures are interesting and entertaining. good class for non-bio-majors
The material is interesting. His lecture-style puts me to sleep most of the time. Hard tests but studying should get you a good grade. He's passionate and extremely knowledgable about the subject. Answers every question. Likeable guy. Not recommended if you're not interested in subject.
Amazing class with an amazing prof. If you have even a passing interest in the subject, you have to take this class! Kittlesen is approachable and kind, especially if you ask him about him rabbits. Seriously, he knows his stuff and doesn't mind explaining anything you need explained. Take it.
extremely nice guy but difficult tests. this was my favorite class of the semester despite the tests, and I learned so much
Awesome professor who gives awesome lectures. Sometimes he talked a little too fast for my liking but his tests are extremely hard. I have friends who are getting 90s+ on his tests w/o the curve but not me, so I guess it depends.
His biology class (first levels) is quite challenging and time consuming...but he is a amazing professor!
VERY funny!
Very entertaining to say the least. You can tell how much he enjoys what he does. Tests are hard, but not unclear or impossible. His lecture notes don't show up much on the tests, so lecture can be boring unless you really love biology.
Kittleson's BIOL121 class was the best class I took this semester. He is a clear and excellent lecturer. Also, he is always willing and able to answer questions~even if they aren't really about what he is speaking about. Take this course! The level is appropriate, and the professor is awesome!
Awesome, goes as slow or as fast as you need. Great guy, even if his jokes aren't always 100% up to par
They are all lying... Hes horrible. His tests are really bad. And all he drinks is seltzer water. His voice cracks and the class is horrible.
I thought this class was challenging, but he was a really fun guy. a few of his lectures put me to sleep, but he definitely tries his hardest to make bio interesting. his tests are a bit harder than what he says- but studying for a minumum of 5 or so hours should do.
definitely not easy - study and attend lecture. he does his best to make it interesting, but something about the cracking voice and protein jabber always made me fall asleep. but if you try, you can learn a lot.
He is definietly a cool guy, has a lot of humor in the class, but the tests are not easy at all, you have to study the textbook in detail in order to do well.
This is a great class. Pretty hard, but well worth the effort. He is a funny guy and helps a lot in office hours
He is so cute and really funny! He is a really good lecturer and makes it pretty fun. Tests are somewhat hard... not too bad after you figure out his style.. but overall really good class
Fun lecturer, but he teaches from diagrams only. Notes are hard to take, and he bounces from topic to topic, leaving students uncertain of the important points.
Hardest class I've ever taken, but Kittlesen is a great lecturer, and is always available during office hours. Great professor.
His tests come from lectures, not from the text, which can trip you up if you don't take good notes. He is very excited about the material and always has a positive response when you ask questions after class, even if they are really dumb. He is one of the nicest professors at UVA.
GREAT Professor. Hard tests, but it's to be expected. Extremely helpful in answering questions. Very approachable. Go see him in office hours!
dr. kittleson is pretty awesome. the tests are pretty hard, but you'll do fine if you study well. great class too
A solid teacher. Good class, tough in the mornings, so hopefully he will have a class later in the day for the upcoming semesters. Tests are a pain, though.
He's a very nice guy and tries hard but not very good at explaining the biological principles. He tends not to use the whole 75minutes a week, which is nice but then you're not learning all you need to know.
extremely nice and helpful...very willing to meet/hold extra review sessions to make sure you understand the material. tests are very tricky and all about applying to real life.
the WORST biology teacher I have ever had. He's a 'nice guy' in lecture, but in his office hours he's just as confusing. He makes the effort to squeeze you in outside his normal office hours, but rushes through. Tests are extremely tricky. He thinks he's funny, but not really.
Prof. Kittlesen is a great biology teacher. He makes the material interesting and very clear. As long as you keep up with the material and go to class you will do fine on the tests. My only complaint is that some of the questions on the tests were really tricky and that the class was too early in the morning(9am)
He is a great teacher. You have to put in the work outside of class, but he makes the material interesting and as entertaining as it can be...He wants you to really learn the material, not just memorize it, so sometimes the tests can be tricky. I've loved the class. Take him!
compared to kopeny, kittlesen is an amazing bio teacher. yes, his class is harder, but he actually teaches. kopeny sucks. reads straight from the slides. kittlesen makes an effort to apply bio to life...good course and teacher
Wow. This class is killer. It's definitely very interesting, but it does require alot of effort. Go to class! The textbook only takes you so far; test questions are derived very much from experimental assays that he talks about in lecture. The name of the game in this class is "BIG PICTURE!"
He is SOOO AMAZING!
I made a mistake and took this... i was a first year, non-science major.... you do the math... it equaled an F... but i think it would have been better for me if i was ... pre-med... i liked the guy...
This is not a tough class. In the beginning of the semester, you'll be fine just reading the book if you've had any kind of bio on the past, but after the first exam, show up to class if you want to do well. We had to use clickers to answer questions for participation (5% of total grade), so at least showing up helps your grade.
Prof. Kittlesen is a great guy but lacks teaching ability. His tests are rarely a fair and accurate representation of the lecture. The text book is great and suffices for what you do not learn in lecture.
good guy but desnt know how to teach, exams are out of his lectures and final exams are not cumulative, i made this mistake and was doing the entire course for the final and screwed the final.. read his notes and take don notes also during class.
Dave's interesting, funny and the nicest professor i've met. he answers any stupid Qs u ask. exams are HARD but if u like biology u'll definitely love him! the course has a lot to cover so he goes too fast at times. i had hard times following him cuz i seldom do the readings before class...go to class cuz he tests on things not in the textbook
Pretty good, straightforward lecturer overall.
Very hot in a geeky sort of way. Anyways this class isn't as hard as people are saying. If you pay attention to lectures and during labs, and don't make dumb mistakes on quizzes/midterms you'll do well. I thought my high school biolab course was much harder. Workload was medium intially, but become much easier as course went on. TA's are cool.
This class was by far my favorite class I've taken at UVA. David Kittlesen is a fantastic and enthusiastic professor who will dedicate as much time as necessary to help those who do not understand a concept. His tests are challenging, but fair; he'll review any test questions that caused confusion.
Lab was fun, but midterms are tricky. Make sure you read every word in the question or you will mess up!
He is a great teacher. This is actually my favorite class. The tip about the class is always go to lectures, record if you can, because he always brings experimental assays in exam that he talks abt in lecture, which are not in the book. plus ask as many questions as you can because he is very helpful in explaning his material. Great teacher!!
He is an amazing teacher. The only reason why some people don't like him is because his tests are based on understanding the topic, not pure memorization of his slides. Read the book and actually listen to his lectures and the class will be easy. He can make any topic interesting and is always willing to help a student out with anything.
Kittlesen is wonderful. He gives great lectures with helpful slides. His exams are difficult and test whether you memorized a piece of information or if you understand that piece of information. Pay close attention to the experiments because he loves asking questions about them on exams. Overall, great corse and interesting material.
He is a nice guy and gives interesting lectures but tests are hard! He likes to challenge his students to think outside the box on tests and the answers are not always straight from lectures. To keep you you definitely need to attend lectures and read the chapters.
Cool guy, cares alot about the subject and the students. His lectures were pretty average, tests were fair, albeit a bit tricky. He had lots of interesting things to talk about. However, I was a bit peeved that he was willing to answer any question at any time, including those from people were just trying to suck up and get a reccomendation. Eh...
Good teacher, very interested in what he's teaching but unfortunately I was not.
Good teacher
He's very good lecturer. Hate his tests, though. They make me feel like I'm in wrong class, taking wrong tests.
Nice class but I think I liked him more when I took 201. Labs can be tedious since you repeat doing the same thing everytime. Exams are difficult and clicker questions are graded (unlike 201). You get full credits for assignments as long you do them. Hate the idea of a lab notebook since everybody simply directly copies from the lab manual.
Completely useless teacher. Talks more about himself and his research studies than the course material. Everything was overly complicated.
He has an infectious enthusiasm for biology. Labs are pretty easy, although this kind of hurts you when they assign the lab notebook. Tests are ridiculously hard. He seems to think that the math is intuitive, and I attended every lecture! Really study the details of the lab manual and online labs for exams.
An intense class, but one well-worth taking. His course really smashes the notion of biology as inherently "soft" as a science. Don't heed what the self-horntooters are writing about his tests being easy. They're not, really. They require a very solid grasp on concepts from the textbook (an almost no factoids). Not hard to get an A if you read.
Loves his subject which is kinda contagous. Funny anecdotes semi-intereseting lecture, BUT tests are weird i.e. only 50 minutes alotted (3-4 pages) mix of multiple choice and short answer but very detailed questions takes getting used to and CoNcEPtUaL understanding of material. Read the book, come to lecture pay attention.. u should be g00d
Excellent teacher! Loves the subject - this class is entirely centered around discussion; highly recommend this class if you are interested in cancer therapy.
Very nice teacher, his lectures are interesting and he does not speak too fast. can ask questions during class. do the readings! important for the exams. Very good teacher for biology overall
Good teacher, very patient. Go to his office hours though you may wait for a while to get your questions anwered, because his office hours is always full of students.
kittleson's class is awful. mandatory attendance enforced by clicker, but the lectures aren't really helpful. lots of repetitive homework; sometimes, you'll repeat the same (very very simple) problem more than five times. for a two-credit class, you'll be working quite a bit, and all the work is either repetitive or confusing.
Tests can be very very picky. You have to know the material inside and out. It is obvious he loves Biology, and he is very good at explaining the subject. Office hours are helpful -- he is looking to help you succeed. Advice: READ AND STUDY. You have to, or you will fail.
His tests are ridiculously difficult even if you go to lecture and read all the chapters. He is a very entertaining and nice guy, but office hours are always full and he's pretty intimidating. I don't even have any advice on how to study for tests, because I'm still clueless. Anything is game with him... and I mean anything.
Take his exams seriously if you want to pass! You might have to tailor your study habits a little bit to prepare for his exams. His exams are very tricky! Read the text or else you will be lost.
He is an enthusiastic professor who I found very approachable and entertaining. His tests were fair and straightforward and curved rather generously. With regards to the people complaining about the tests, I'm not really sure what they were expecting.
He's a nice guy and lectures aren't awful. His tests are tricky though. Memorization is not enough for this class, you MUST understand all of it. If you study, you can do well but you must put a lot of effort into it. Using mastering bio was helpful to get a better idea of what the test questions would be like. Final isn't cumulative which is nice.
he makes an introductory level biology LAB course incredibly difficult by giving an impossible midterm and final! he doesn't want kids who were exempt from the general bio lecture course who are taking the lab and lab/lecture course to get off the hook easily! i would absolutely never reccomend him! avoid at all costs!
Lectures can be boring, but he relies heavily on the textbook. I did the readings in the few days before each exam and pulled out an A. It's an introductory class though, so the curve is pretty standard. Might be harder for non-science people. Clicker qustions are extra credit, you get half a point just for answering.
Really a stickler about grades -- 89.495 = a B+ (trust me, I know) and he's the only professor I've had that offers an extra test only if you had a legit excuse to miss another one. (Its not a makeup -- he gives you a comprehensive final, which others don't take.) Great guy though. Lectures are fast but interesting if you can keep up (not easy).
It was the standard intro bio class with the usual powerpoint slides. Lectures were easy to follow if you looked for the main ideas and not get lost in the many somewhat useless details. Kittlesen has really tricky tests. Going to office hours helps if you don't get bogged down in the confused chaos of other students' questions.
Kittlesen's weekly lab lectures weren't enough to cover the things that we were tested on; they were just basic overviews. Weekly work consists of attending the lab lecture and answering the clicker questions, notebook prep, lab manual questions, and actual lab work. The lab itself is fun, but the tests were hard. Know how to apply concepts!
His tests are not easy; you really need to understand the material. Lectures and readings aren't particularly helpful. I found Kittlesen to be an entertaining teacher, but the class was way too difficult for a lab section.
His tests are terrible. After the first test you'll question where to even begin studying. Attend class or you'll never have the information you need. He puts way to much emphasis on random topics and makes an intro bio class the hardest/worst class I've taken at UVA
Kittlesen is an amazing teacher. He is delicated to his subject and makes his class very interesting. One fallback is that his tests are impossible! Reading the text, and coming to classes is NOT enough. You should really connect everything together and get the big picture.
Kittlesen is so dedicated to Biology, but for me, his test were very tough, we had to understand deeply. And the questions were very specific. I did not get good grades on this class.
Immunology is very interesting but very hard. Kittlesen is incredible, though! He knows that the material is tough and tries his best to help everyone understand. He also tests you on your deep understanding of concepts rather than straight memorization- makes it harder, but it is more worth it in the long run.
The best professor at UVa in my opinion: he's always willing to talk to students, emphasizes understanding rather than memorization, and is a amazing lecturer. Immunology was an fascinating class, the material was advanced and the tests were challenging, but definitely manageable. Take one of his classes if at all possible.
The greatest professor I've had so far at uva. It's unbelievable how intelligent this guy is. What a legend.
Attendance is a MUST. Reading the textbook is also important if you want to get an A. He's one of my favorite professors. Take a class with Kittlesen if you can! The tests do require more than rote memorization, but I think that's how classes should be.
Kittlesen is just awesome. Most biology teachers are not as interesting but Kittlesen is. Most likely (and easily) the best professor in undergrad bio.
this class is hard. if you want to be successful, read all the assigned chapters, go to lecture, take good notes (it might help if you record his lectures) and the read the chapters again. iclickers make attending class mandatory. don't get behind on the readings. it's a pain having to catch up and lectures don't make any sense.
This was the most DIFFICULT class I've taken as a 1st year. I haven't taken bio since 9th grade, so that didn't help. Dr. Kittlesen is a great human being, funny and caring. BUT his exams are extremely hard and tricky. You truly have to understand the material like the back of your hand, no lie, unless you're already apt at bio. Received a D.
Kittlesen is so hard and his lectures are very unorganized. Sometimes he is cool, but his tests are very difficult and hard to study for. He tests you on how well you can take tricky exams and not on whether you know the material. I know it is a big class, but really the average of the class should not be like a C.
I love kittlesen. he is the most interesting teacher i have ever had in my life. i highly recommend this class.
Toughest class I ever took, but it was worthwhile. STUDY for the exams a week ahead. GO to class everyday. DO the readings. DON'T memorize and think you're gonna get away with it. REALLY make sure to grasp the concepts. Class gets exponentially harder. It's doable. Don't fret if you don't get an A or A-. I barely managed an A-. It's UVA.
Dave is a legend. He's a brilliant man who makes class fun with his classic examples, anecdotes, and sidecracks. He's very helpful and I'd recommend his class to anyone who finds Biology interesting! There is a lot of hard work involved, but it's good to know that you have someone like Dave to help you along the way!.
honestly kittlesen is a great bio teacher but its premed bio- not made to be easy and its not. gotta go to class and take good notes. gotta read the book but even then at least 30% of test q's are based on pure analysis. make sure you understand this stuff, as memorizing just wont cut it.
First worthwhile class I've taken at UVA. Kittlesen keeps class interesting and clearly has a passion for what he's doing. Tests are hard, and require applying knowledge to new situations but his curves are generous. Read, understand the book, and go to lecture and a B or higher isn't too difficult.
Kittlesen is a brilliant professor. His lectures tie concepts to practical application. Take good notes in class, read the book, and go to office hours. The test focuses on applying your knowledge, so memorizing won't help, Some test questions come from the textbook, so you have to read. You'll actually feel like you learned biology.
Kittlesen is one of the absolute BEST professors I have EVER had at he University of VIrginia. This man has a deep desire to actually TEACH and cares about his students. Actual teaching is a rarity in the sciences at UVA. He is encouraging. He encourages you to think about something and figure it out yourself in office hours. LOVE KITTLESEN.
David Kittlesen is outstanding. First of all, he's an immunologist, so he's brilliant. And second, he is hysterical and makes lectures so engaging. This class certainly had difficult material, but I ended up doing well because Professor Kittlesen was so helpful and made even the driest and most challenging subjects interesting.
This class was awful. The book was helpful and you think that you have a good hold on the material but the test questions are incomprehensible. He does not explain things well at all.
Kittlesen is the best teacher I have ever had. I managed an A in the class and was concerned because I had not taken a bio course since 9th grade. His tests aren't easy; they demand understanding, not knowledge. The sooner you realize that the better you'll do. Challenging course. But then again, if it doesn't challenge you, it doesn't change you.
After the first test, it gets hard. You MUST pay attention to the lectures; when you get into the nitty-gritty of genetics, it will be challenging. Do the reading before class or you might get lost. Anyways, I managed a C+. Not great, but I don't regret it because the information was valuable.
Dave is a wonderful professor, who is very helpful if you seek him out. Office hours are an excellent supplement to class, because lectures are very large and seem to be a bit scattered. This class is VERY hard, but well worth the effort.
K-Money in da house!!! Kittlesenis awesome. He is genuinely interested in the subject and I get the feeling that he really enjoys his students. He is very approachable and helpful during office hours. His class is difficult and once you get used to his test you realize that he is more than fair. I have nothing bad to say about him.
Amazing lecturer, but very very hard tests. Course demands complete understanding of topics addressed. Definitely a pre-med weed out course.
Read before class, make flashcards, and sit in the front rows. If you do all this, his tests aren't really that 'tricky' or hard. He's a great professor with a lot to teach you!
He was FANTASTIC. There's so much information in this class but he helps you tie it all together and he makes it really interesting. I would have never ever dared to skip a class, but I also never wanted to.
Dave is great. He is engaging in lecture and is always open to questions. Whether you're on the pre-med track or just looking to fill the natural science I would recommend Dave all the way.
Great professor! Difficult class, but if you do your readings and study you will do just fine.
This man is a great professor, simple as that. He describes everything to a great detail and makes sure students understand crucial points. Tests in this class can be tricky since they test your understanding rather than how well you memorized. However, when I didn't understand something from the reading, the lecture was sure to clear things up.
Must do BEFORE Lecture: Study and understand assigned readings, then take Collab Quiz. Look over powerpoint. During Lecture: Write downrecord everything he says, regardless of if you understand it or not. It will make sense later. Both bio lecture and bio lab were reading-lecture-dependent. Don't wait until the night before the exam to study!!
Kittlesen's lectures were pointless and I skipped every single one. I ended with an A for the class and went to approximately 2 lectures. HUGE curve on the tests.
Dave is really funny and engaging in lectures! He goes into more depth on the concepts covered in the textbook, so YOU MUST READ THE TEXTBOOK. And study a lot for his tests, they aren't the easiest.
Kittlesen is super enthusiastic about the class, which really helps. You feel almost bad for not paying attention in class. It is a hard class, but Kittlesen was a great professor so if you are good at biology, you should be fine.
I loved Kittlesen but barely scraped by with a C. DO NOT take this class unless you need it for your major (looking at you, premed). Lectures tended to not be that useful because he would analyze some obscure case that seemed to be not very related to the textbook, which was what the content for most of the exams tested on.
I took this class as a first semester first year, not knowing what I wanted to major in. This class is demanding, and the tests are extremely difficult. However, Professor Kittlesen is an amazing professor and makes it all worth it! If you take this class and work as hard as you can, you will be okay (and actually learnknow bio)!
If you need to take this class, it's actually not that bad. Kittlesen is a really great professor and is incredibly enthusiastic about the course (so sad to not have him for second semester bio!). He gives online assessments for each reading that you can work on with classmates, so those are nice grade boosters. Exams can be tricky w wording.
Dave is a great lecturer, very interested in the material and approachable. His grading process is very clear and he gives a good curve on his tests (which you NEED to study for). A bit tricky material but he explains the textbook well and is definitely available for help. I wouldn't take it if science isn't your forte bc it is extensive work.
Dave has a great personality, and he makes biology engaging. However, make sure you read the chapters and take good notes cause the exams are HARD! He has preclasses or these "quizzes" to test your knowledge on the readings. He also has these extra credit opportunities with the iClickers so those helped bump up the grades. It was a weed out course.
Professor Kittlesen is an amazing guy. He's passionate about what he does and is willing to help whoever needs it. Pre class reading quizzes are tough and reading is a must. He also will introduce topics not covered in the textbook in class and many times they appear on exams so attendance in lecture is a must (plus there are clicker questions)
Very approachable. Good class. The information can get a little lost in the rest of your priorities, but office hours are a good opportunity to ask questions and get to know him. Your TA in lab can only be very helpful.
Awesome professor! It is a tough class, but he is really into the subject matter and does a good job explaining everything overall.
Lectures are pretty optional if you've had any sort of biology class beforehand, as he usually doesn't end up covering a lot of important material during class. The tests were fair imo. He seriously needs to work on organization, however; he assigns online homework at what seems like random intervals and sends about 7 emails a day.
Dave is an excellent teacher and he really cares about all of his students. He is super passionate and he works very hard to make sure people are understanding the lectures and the material. He makes you truly master the material in order to get an A. For each test I studied a week in advance on Sundays and you MUST read the textbook to get an A.
Kittlesen really cares about his class and his lectures are always very interesting and inspiring. That being said, his teaching style is often hard to follow, I would normally leave class with more questions than I had before. It can also be quite difficult to determine what the important parts of the class and material are.
Dave was my favorite professor this semester. He's a GREAT lecturer and makes the material really interesting. I would say DEFINITELY read the book and attend lectures and don't belittle mastering biology assignments. Do those carefully it will help you tremendously.
Kittlesen is a great professor!! The only thing I struggled with taking his class is the exams -- the exams are very tricky. Even if you know the materials A-Z, it is highly possible to be missing a few questions because the wording is tough. Other than that, it is an easy class. Bio lab was easy and short. Not much homework except mastering bio.
Great Guy with a very hard class. Makes his lectures very interesting and funny
Very difficult class that I have ever taken. I passed, but it was so difficult. He does have interesting lectures and wants students to ask questions.
Worst professor I have had at UVA by a long shot. It is difficult to see why people love him, because he does more to confuse students on the material than help, forcing students to learn the book thoroughly. However, he hardly follows the book late in the semester, "teaching" unimportant details rather than material relevant for an intro course.
Dr. Kittlesen is really cool and tries to make lecture interesting, but he ends up talking about things unrelated to test material. The textbook is your life preserver in this class, but even if you read it from front to back, you'll still probably miss some questions on his test. This class is a typical pre-med weed out.
4 Tests are most of your grade. I took in the summer and found myself trying to catch up on basic chemistry concepts and therefore found it hard to keep up. Consider taking chemistry or reviewing basic chemistry on khan first. Definitely retaking.
Some of his lectures can be rather difficult to get through, and toward the end of the semester he can start to depart from the textbook a bit. However, his enthusiasm towards teaching is much appreciated, and he will often curve his exams upwards a couple percentage points. Additionally, he has office hours three days a week.
Standard introductory science class. Textbook reading and lectures go hand-in-hand so in your best interest to do the reading (10 pages) before coming to class. Tests are weighted heavily at 75% and are pretty tough even while keeping up with reading. Just show up to class and do reading and you'll be OK. 1.5% extra credit from iClickers help alot
A very engaging lecturer, makes BIOL 2100 an entertaining class. There is usually 10-25 pages of reading from the textbook and an online assignment that takes 30-60 minutes for each class. Additional studying before tests can be quite time consuming. Kittlesen is a fan of complicated/"trick" questions on quizzes, so assessments can be difficult.
Prof Kittlesen is very entusiasti in terms of teaching. He knows the subject and likes to help his students. Just be patient and READ the textbook before class, will help a lot.
Kittlesen is my favorite UVA professor, his classes are tough but he is so accessible before and after lecture and with office hours. He is hilarious and printing out his powerpoint slides before class for notes is extremely helpful. Great class, legendary professor
WHAT AN ICONIC PROFESSOR! David Kittlesen such an engaging, kind, and qualified professor! Excellent professor, interesting lectures, fair grading, Dr. Kittlesen is my favorite professor at UVA!!!!!
Lots of tests and they are very specific, with lots of trick questions
The way the material is presented in this class is ideal for someone with some Bio background. Dave is a really great guy, and presents material in a logical way but it is sometimes incomplete. You may need to supplement lecture with reading if you didn't take AP Bio. Keep up with lab and go to class and you'll be fine.
Sherpa Dave is an amazing professor that was very available outside of lectures and was always on top of providing supplemental material to help students learn. Make sure to read the textbook because it is very material heavy and he doesn't post words on his slides so you have to be sure to listen carefully or record the lectures.
Dave is easily the nicest professor that I have had at UVa. He was a super kind guy and was always open to having office hours. He gives office hours in a small group, and the questions asked end up recreating the lectures from the previous class. Great way to get anything clarified that you are confused about. Dave is always accessible and excited
Sherpa Dave was a fun professor to learn from! He obviously cared about the material and his students. You have to go to lecture and will probably need to record them on your phone because he slides are just pictures. He has office hours three times a week - USE THEM! He will help you do well if you make the effort to reach out to him.
Kittlesen is an awesome professor, no question. But unless you're interested in biology and ready to put a lot of time into the course material, maybe reconsider.
Prof. Kittlesen really made online lectures funny and interesting, and it was obvious he put lots of effort into them (showing demonstrations, getting kids involved, etc) While he did take several measures to correct for online learning, his tests were EXTREMELY difficult, and I think in-person labs would have helped. Take notes on TXBK BEFORE lec!
Sometimes the wording for test questions was really confusing. Make sure to really pay attention to lectures, even small examples. Sometimes lab material is on the test. If you are interested in pursuing bio, take this course... but if you are planning to take this as a "fun" course, I wouldn't recommend.
This class is pretty much an extension of AP biology so if you took that class in high school and did well, you will have an easy time in this course (highly likely to get an A). He is very understanding, approachable, and easy to talk to. You will not get tested on anything that was not in lecture (even if it shows up in textbook).
Kittlesen is such a kind person and an engaging lecturer. He presents info in a logical way, but it is often incomplete. For that reason READ THE TEXTBOOK before lecture, especially if you didnt take AP Bio or AP Chem (I didnt take either and felt disadvantaged.) Exams are tough as hes all about trick questions. Hard work but would recommend!
Dr. Kittlesen was a very attentive professor! His dad jokes and witty personality made the content-heavy lectures more engaging and manageable.
Amazing professor. Best lecturer I've ever had.
Kittlesen is a great professor, very kind, and clearly cares about his students and the subject he teaches. This bio class is definitely very hard, and you should go to lectures as much as possible to fully understand the material. Sometimes he does use very specific examples and can go a little fast during lectures, but overall great professor!
Dave is wonderful! He makes biology really engaging and gives lots of information! His tests are challenging, and lectures are super important. Sometimes there are test questions that are only based on things from lecture rather than the textbook. Regardless, he is very good at teaching the material and with some extra effort, anyone can do well!
Awesome lectures, he explains everything meticulously, so make sure you attend! Ask lots of questions and pay attention to the learning objectives, and you'll be fine for the tests. Also, don't forget to do the mastering bio...
the best thing to do is record the lectures and go back to write everything down. there's no info on his slides, everything is in his lecture. never went to office hours or read the textbook, but you def should. exams aren't too difficult if you put the work in to study.
Professor Kittlesen is a nice guy, but his class is hard. His exams were very difficult even if you study and pay attention in class. He doesn't put any information on his slides so you have to make sure you get the information he says in class. Read the textbook and take notes.
He refuses to accommodate for students, even if they have accommodations through SDAC. He does not care for his students and is unwilling to fix his grading errors. His office hours are hectic and unhelpful. If you actually enjoy biology I don't recommend taking it with him because you will learn to hate it.
Kittlesen is the most caring professor I've ever had. He really wants to help you understand the material and is very patient with confused students. You need to put in the work for this class as it is challenging but Kittlesen really wants you to succeed.
Kittlesen teaches somewhat "to the test," but so as to facilitate your success in biology as a whole. He tries not to discourage you even though there's a lot of information. Also, no groupwork (besides lab), which is nice.
Professor Kittlesen is a very caring instructor and it is obvious that he wants to do what he can to ensure his students succeed, but the exams are pretty difficult even if you attend all lectures and study a lot. I found that the best study tactic for the exams is listening to the lectures a second time through the recordings he posts.
Dave is a really good professor - the class material just isn't the easiest. Also, I'd recommend going to TA's office hours as opposed to his since they are less packed.
His tests are heavily based on his lectures. If you miss the lectures, you are set up to fail. He is a nice professor and if you have questions he answers. The class is mostly based on the tests (70% of your grade) and they are hard. I went to all lectures, office hours, but the tests were just hard. Homework is extensive and does not help much.
Professor Kittlesen is caring and funny. I just hated his tests. They were incredibly hard for me and they were very application based. I love him as a person and as a caring professor but his class was really difficult for me. He still gets a high rating but I would recommend not expecting an easy A.
Professor Kittlesen uses slide shows during lecture but each slide is full of pictures. You have to pay attention in class because he will state an important topic for you to know and will not repeat it unless asked. Lectures are 3 times a week. The tests are very difficult and the hw questions are not similar at all to the concepts on the test.
Prof Kittlesen has taught bio better than I've ever had. Amazing lectures 10/10. Tests are quite hard though; I showed some questions to my mom afterwards, who is a pathologist and did her second masters in microbiology, and she couldn't think of an answer. Fortunately there will be a lot of cushion and extra credit to balance it out.
Professor Kittlesen is great at making well packed lectures. His lectures are very informative. However, his tests are insanely difficult. Nothing like the practice tests. I spent a lot of time outside of class studying lectures, YouTube, and textbooks. He also seemed a bit uninterested in answering questions outside of class.
I loved this class! Kittlesen is an amazing professor and he genuinely wants his students to learn and do well. Even though content could be tricky he's super encouraging, funny, and all around knowledgeable. I'm really going to miss having him as a professor.
Dave is such an awesome professor! He cares about what he's teaching, he's great at answering questions if you go to his office hours. His exams can be hard but they're predictable, the questions come straight from learning objectives he shares. All the content on exams is straight from lecture/lab, he won't test on anything he didn't talk about.
Do not enroll in this course if you struggle with exams. Before taking his tests, make sure you fully comprehend the material because they do not accurately reflect the lectures. Moreover, due to his constant outside-of-class activity, if you want a one-on-one meeting, expect it to last about 4 minutes (NO JOKE).
His lectures are amazing and he provides so much information, and strictly follows his learning lessons. 70% of the course consists of 5 exams. Exam-wise, they are EXTREMELY DIFFICULT; his practice questions don't correlate to the difficulty level of the actual exams and n0 studying (at least for me) could have helped me prepare for his exams.
I placed out of BIO2100 and took it anyway to help my GPA. This class was my hardest class first semester. If you place out of this, save yourself the misery. Hard tests, lots of reading, and labs are a joke. Exams are 70% of the grade. He's a good lecturer, but that's all he's got going for him. Don't go to his office hours. He condescends.
AMAZING! I loved this class and Kittlesen is the best! He is so funny and makes lecture so enjoyable. His tests are not as hard as people say, I would describe them as surface level knowledge but written to trick you so that you really need to read (and reread) the question and all the answer choices. Lab is fine but certain ones can take a while.
Definitely the hardest class I have ever taken at UVA. Tests are super confusing and meant to trick you. Read all answers and go back over each question. I recommend constantly studying and knowing the content before an exam, and then heavily studying the week of. The only A I received on a test was the final, which I probably spent 20ish hours on.
I unfortunately had to retake bio due to transfer circumstances. I came into the class knowing everything that was going to be taught. Even though the information was repetitive, Kittlesen managed to make lectures engaging (*pay extra attention to them*). Labs are mediocre. Exams are all multiple choice and fair in difficulty. Grading made clear.
He is such a kind soul but the class is HARD. Exams are intense and studying is rough. I struggled to find correlation between the notes and homework and the exam because there was little practice applying the concepts learned in class. Labs are honestly boring and simple DO NOT CRAM STUDYING. Find people to study with and go to P2L sessions
Dave is such a kind person who genuinely cares for his students. He's always available after class and during office hours to answer questions. His examples in class tend to get very specific which can sometimes make it hard to follow, but overall good lectures. EXAMS ARE HARD and meant to trick you. do not take this class thinking it'll be easy.
Great lecturer, bad intro class professor. He's a really great guy but should not be teaching an "intro" course level - simply too smart for a first biology course. Definitely a weed-out course, expect to be spending 15-20 hours to prepare for his tests. Tests are much harder than what he covers in class.
Most frustrating class I've ever taken. Exam questions he gives are supposed to test your "understanding" of the subject but this is not the case. I would argue it tests your ability to understand his wording of the question and how he is trying to trick you. Study and "understand" everything for first exam and if you do bad, drop the class.
Any reviews talking about the difficulty of this class are right. Kittlesen is a nice teacher and is very clear about what is going to be on the test and how to study for them. His office hours are very short but SUPER helpful so go to them if you can. Otherwise, his tests are quite hard, unfortunately.
Kittlesen's BIO2100 is a challenging but rewarding course. His lectures are engaging, but the exams are notoriously tricky. Invest time in studying and utilize unstuckstudy and other resources for exam prep. With diligence, this class can be conquered.
His lectures are very clear and concise. He offers plenty of opportunities in and out of class to ask questions. Gives bullet points of exactly what will be tested for exams - makes studying very easy.
this class overtook my life. it was so hard. if you aren't committed to a career in biology, its really not worth it. dave tries his very best in his teaching and i think if you really invest all of your time, its good.
If you don't plan to major in biology or take any upper level biology classes, this class will be very hard. Especially for students who did not take biology in high school. Passing his class is possible, but you will have to dedicate a lot of time. And the MasteringBiology homework is useless because the exams are 1000x harder than the homework.
Definitely a weed-out class. Don't listen to people who say its not.
Try to avoid taking Kittlesen if possible. His lectures are not very engaging, but since he makes all of the test material based off his lectures, they're really the only thing that matters. He makes the tests deceptively hard to study for and makes the questions confusing and not always directly related to what was discussed in class.
Very lecture-heavy class, but he's engaging lecturer and always stops to answer questions. Attendance isn't mandatory, but tests are almost completely based on lecture content, so skipping's not a great idea. Some people say the test questions are confusing, but all you need to do is think about what the question is getting at and you'll be fine.
BIOL2100 is test-heavy with test grades worth 70% of the grade. (There are some extra credit opportunities) None of the tests is cumulative including the final so you will only have to study for the unit you are on. Pull up the learning target and take notes under each LT as he explains it, as the test will covers only the LT and his lecture.
A lot of people complain about bio 2100 being a weed-out with hard exams, which is entirely true. However, I think that this course prepares biology students well for the biology major core courses as all of the upper level courses have exams that are just as hard if not harder, and Kittlesen does an excellent job teaching it!
The exams are tough. Definitely a weed-out class
The nicest guy on earth - or one of them. Enthusiastic and passionate. I was a little lost sometimes during lecture as Dave can be a little scattered. However, he has so much passion and cares so deeply for his students. His tests are tricky, but you will learn a lot. I am a genetics wiz now due to his focus on the topic. Thanks Dave!
Very disrespectful
I don't think this class is hard but it definitely caught me off guard my first year, I think if I were to take the class second year I would be better prepared and overall preform better. My advice would be to take the class second year or 2nd semester of first year. Get comfortable with college classes in general and then try to tackle this one.
Kittlesen is amazing! I had him for Bio 2100, class is challenging, tests especially, but Kittlesen makes it doable, you just have to put in the effort. He never fails to make me laugh and keeps the lectures entertaining, whether through physical demonstrations or lasting analogies. If you are interested in science, then you will enjoy Kittlesen.
Just don't
this class is absolutely atrociously difficult. I do not recommend if you are not a pre-med major. The exams are tragic. he gives lots of hw and you are constantly either reading, doing hw, or studying for an exam. he is a very caring person and i really like him personally but this class is the bane of my existence.
You won't meet a professor that will care more about your outcome in a class than with Dave. He provides chances for extra credit and gives you feedback when you need it, even when having more than 800 students at a time. His class is a little lecture-heavy heavy but if you stay engaged, you will do well.
I love Kittlesen! His lectures are entertaining and never fail to make me laugh. He cares about teaching and genuinely wants his students to do well. I dont find the tests or readings difficult even though I took this course my first semester. Lab is super easy as well. I recommend attending lecture since a lot of test material comes from lecture.
Dave is an incredibly nice person who cares about the subject he teaches, but in all honesty his knowledge is what creates a barrier between the students and him. for people who get challenging bio concepts, and i applaud you, he is great, but he often gets a little too into the weeds without explaining the basics of a concept
Prof Kittlesen is an intelligent and smart biologist. His level of expertise for intro bio can be very difficult to follow, especially because most of the testable concepts come from his comments at lecture and his biology jargon. His lecture slides have very few words, only pictures.
He is one of the best professors I've ever had. A lot of people complain about his lectures, but he wants you to pay attention to the lecture not just the slideshow. You know exactly what will and won't be on the exam. There are so many resources to boost your grade and help with studying. The people who complain just didn't know how to use them.
If you don't need this class for your major, pick another biology class. This is a known weed out course and without an already very strong background in biology you will struggle. For me, his teaching style simply doesn't work and the fact that his exams are weighted for 70% of the overall grade is sucked. Just pick another class honestly.
I'm an echols scholar and did incredible in my AP Bio course in high school so I figured I would retake this course to boost my GPA. BAD IDEA. There is so much new content and so much to study for on the exams PLUS theres so many application based questions. All in all, happy I did it bc I learned a lot but DO NOT take for your GPA.
DO NOTTTTTT take this course if you do not have to. Hands down the hardest intro science course at UVA. Professor is extremely hard to follow, lectures do not reflect the exams, and the recommended P2L ends up only being 1/8 of the exam. Coming out of this course, I can say the most that I learned was from teaching myself, not from the lectures.
Clearly very passionate about teaching. Doing well in his class is all about the exams. I would highly recommend just spamming practice problems, it is the best way. If you're like me, you'll notice a lot of people (I think they're all pre-meds) try to get really close to him and act all fake and cute. It is really cringe, but it is what it is.
Class Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
38%
Textbook Required
75%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B+
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-0.41 avg changeRatings by Course
BIOL320
5.0
(1)BIOLIMMUNOLOGY
5.0
(1)IMMUNOLOGY
5.0
(1)BIO386
5.0
(1)BIOL2020
5.0
(2)Difficulty by Course
BIOL320
5.0
IMMUNOLOGY
5.0
BIO203L
4.5
BIOL2020
4.5
BIO2100
4.2