He is a great guy, restoredmy faith that there are good bio teachers

interseting and fair

a solid teacher and good sense of humor

Best Biology teacher by far.

Great teacher, bad test writer. Midterms look like finals, better write fast

Enthusiastic and caring teacher! A diamond in the rough in the Bio department!

easy multiple choice tests

easy m.c. tests - sincerely wanted everyone in class to get A

Excellent Instuctor, one of the best of the biology department

Nice and not out to fail students.BUT tests too detailed making it hard

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PVA is a great teacher, and very enthusiastic. He makes dry material pretty interesting. Fair tests.

Solid Teacher. Very clear in class. His online notes are perfect for tests, which are very fair. If you put some time in you will do fine.

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Probably the best prof in the bio department

By far the most interesting prof I've had. Very knowledgeable and has a passion for what he teaches.

Awesome prof, my favourite prof yet in bio. His tests are difficult, but it's worth it b/c you actually learn a lot (I wasn't interested in anything about cell bio until I took this class)

He is absolutly passionate about the subject matter, and subsequntly makes class Very interesting.

Great prof, nice guy, one of the best in biology

This dude has got to be one of the smartest guys ever. He is very well read, loves teaching and the course is awesome because of it.

This guy is a credit to UVIC. This is by far the most interesting course I have taken. He is very passionate about teaching, funny and very intelligent and as a result the course is awesome. I would take any course this guy is teaching, it was by far the highlight of my day.

best teacher ever had at uvic. course is interesting and helpful for general knowledge and conversation

When I signed up for classes, I expected the least out of this one. It turned out to be my favourite class of the year, all thanks to PvA. He's one of those professors who you could ask about nearly anything, and he'd have a (correct) answer. Well read, passionate, humourous. It doesn't matter what you're studying; enroll in this course.

GREAT prof!!!!! he presents all the lecture in an very interesting way. His lecuture notes are interesting as well. Funny prof, likes to make jokes! i can feel that he really loves plants so so much!

He would have been a great prof if it were not for his criminal midterm questions. The questions were on trivial and useless information, and had nothing to do with the meat of the course. Maybe he's better for the upper level bio, but he's not the greatest for 190B.

He is an amazing prof! He works really hard to make the lecture interesting. He brings tons of things to class (ie. coconuts) and even prints off the notes for you! He has notes posted online that are in his voice that are much easier to study from than a text book. I have absolutely no interest in plants and I actually enjoyed his lectures.

Von Aderkas is a good prof but you need to be prepared to write really quickly. He adds a lot of interesting material to the course but it does seem like he goes fast. Still, he gave me a new respect for plant life. lol. Good sense of humour.

He's weird. He talks about plants in a... sensual... way. Kind of creepy? But also kind of funny. He's awesome for putting up essay-form notes after class and for printing the notes for you so you don't waste your own paper. All you have to do is show up to class with a pencil and be prepared to write a LOT of notes.

Von Aderkas is awesome! Really cares about his students and wants to see them do well. Go to class and take down what he writes on the board and you will ace his class. Very enthusiastic and knowledgable about the course, THUMBS UP!

Really cares about what he's teaching and wants you to do well! He can make anyone truely appreciate plants, two thumbs up :)

Really enthusiastic and kind

Patrick is the BOMB. He teaches clearly, and loves the topic and knows tons. His notes for if you miss class, are like listening to his lectures. Go to his class, write tons of notes, of extremely interesting information, and you'll do well. Just 3 multiple choice tests. Really sheds an impression, to what a good lecturer should be.

LOVE this prof!! He gives amazing real-life examples from his studies and usually brings something into class to show what we're talking about (such as grapes for all 360 students one day). Found him really easy to listen to. He really provided the class with everything we needed to do well.

Great! Brings props to class, really passionate about his topic, funny, full of interesting information. Take this class.

Patrick was a very nice guy, had printed notes at each class that were complete (no textbook referring needed). His notes were clear, but a little too wordy. What he wrote was very understandable and readable, and explained concepts and facts well. One bad thing is that his exam Q's were a bit much (focused on random details that weren't expected).

There is not enough room to describe how amazing and passionate Patrick is. I don't agree with some of the other reviews here unless those people were expecting an easy A for some reason. His lectures are like stories and you HAVE to go to really get a sense of it all. You have to dedicate yourself and study, thats all it comes down to.

Dr. Von Aderkas was a very enthusiastic, passionate professor. He was hilarious and kind, and his lectures were great. My only criticism is on his notes - they are a little disorganized at times. But can be deciphered quite easily! GREAT professor!

Patrick is a really awesome guy and a very engaging and interesting professor. Each of his lectures were told like a story and class was looked forward to each day. His tests are a little weird, some strange questions that you wouldn't expect. I barely opened the VERY expensive text and got an A. I wouldn't recommend buying it.

The best prof I have had while finishing my university degree!

Great Prof! Very likeable and amusing. His lectures are so interesting and he really tries to relate to his students and lecture about topics students care about. He listens to his students and uses student feedback. Highly recommend this course as it is super interesting and a fairly easy course once you understand how to approach his tests.

I have never written a review on a professor before but this class and the prof were so amazing I had to. This was my favourite class I have ever taken in university. Most fascinating material and such a fun class..I never wanted to miss a lecture. The tests are fairly easy, all multiple choice & some book questions but can get wo reading it all.

I absolutely loved having Patrick as a lecturer! He was so passionate, that I actually wanted to listen during class. I definitely zoned out less during his lectures, and his print-out notes were very clear and organized!

Good teacher, he will print off the notes for that class and give them to you individually.

He had the best notes, easy to study. I hate plants but he made them interesting.

Patrick was my favorite Bio prof this semester! He provided note packages for us in class to fill out which was very helpful and kept me focused on the material. His exam questions were super fair as he only asked questions from these packages and nothing from the textbook.. so no extra reading was required. Overall he was a great and friendly guy

Patrick is amazing. He is very inspiring and engaging-he makes learning about protists and fungi seem fun and interesting! Really great guy. I would take any of his classes solely because he's the prof. His fill in the blank notes are very helpful and all you need to study with.

Although I found his portion of the lecture material very boring, he made lectures interesting. Very enthusiastic and makes a lot of jokes. He also prints out fill in notes for everybody. He gives a lot of hints as to what he's putting on his part of the tests so listen closely and study his printed notes, those are the best test preps

Makes lectures really interesting, but be prepared to remember historical facts for a bio exam.

Really entertaining and informative lectures that focus on more than just the more obvious characteristics of plants- deep dives into interesting historical and social details. I thoroughly enjoyed attending each lecture. Overall really great professor, would definitely take another class with him.

I wasn't very interested in the topic, but he made it bearable. Funny guy. Really likes his fungi.

Patrick is a breath of fresh air. Awkwardly funny and super knowledgeable about his field. He likes to incorporate historical facts into his lectures, which I enjoyed as I found stuff easier to remember. This may not be everyones cup of tea though. Seems like a good guy too. I think he cares about his students success.

Best bio prof I've ever had, never met a prof who could make a first year bio course interesting. Gives excellent preparation for student success through methods of note taking, asks engaging questions , and gives good insight as to why the thing's we're learning about are important. One of the best profs at UVIC spoken from a 4th year Biochem kid.

Patrick loves you too much to let you fail. His passion for Biology makes the class so much more enjoyable and engaging - he gave us a map of trails to walk when were stressed. And his advice for academic success? Get a dog. Literally the most perfect man.

Such a good prof. Made you want to learn about the sometimes boring biology. Funny and pretty engaging yet still very knowledgeable. I wouldnt take/pass bio if I didnt have him

Really knowledgable about the course material and is clearly passionate about the subject. Simplifies complex concepts very well. Well paced lectures and very approachable.

Patrick vOn aderKaS was my Bio 184 lecturer, he has by-far the best notetaking style and taught with the most passion. I would definitely recommend him as a prof, love you pat <3

Patrick is honestly the best prof. Regarding the bus crash on the way to Bamfield at the beginning of the semester, he was the most accommodating. He made sure all of us got access to the materials we needed and genuinely wanted all of us to succeed and did all he could to ensure so.

His lectures are very interesting and easy to follow. He uses questions throughout the lecture to confirm knowledge, and uses stories and it helps us remember better. He also gives fill-in notes so it is not as difficult to follow through. He's really passionate about the students and prioritizes our needs. I would like to be taught by him again.

My favourite professor this semester. He printed out fill-in-the-bank notes for all 800 students and also made last minute study notes before the midterm, and provided lots of practice multiple choice questions. His lectures made the boring content seem a little more interesting.

He was such a great prof! The content was interesting but pretty surface level as there was a new topic every day. He always asks for feedback from the class and is the nicest guy ever. The midterms were multiple choice though this can change. You need to study but if you do its an easy A!

Patrick's an absolute legend. Makes every class super interesting and with every lecture having a different topic, things stay fresh. There's only 3 midterms and a final, all multiple choice, super mellow. Amazing class and amazing prof!

an amazing prof! I had my first class with him during my last term of undergrad and wish I had found him sooner. His passion for the topics is clear in his teaching and becomes contagious. He is personable and understanding, and incorporates little things to give students some choice. Very fun, engaging lectures. Tests only.

Patrick was one of my favourite professors of my degree. You can tell he is really passionate about the material, which adds so much to the learning experience. He was absolutely lovely to talk to in office hours, and goes out of his way to help students out. I took this course as a non-bio major and found it incredibly interesting.

Although it was an elective I actually wanted to show up at 8:30 AM. Lectures were really interesting, but honestly can miss a few lectures without losing a whole grade (just read the textbook). His tests require some thinking and aren't just regurgitation of material. He is really easy to get a hold of through email as well. Just a great prof!

An amazing professor who loves what he teaches.

Amazing Lectures

absolute goat. outlines everything needed to know before tests clearly and the tests were written with no intent to trick you.

Patrick is such a gem! Witty, personable, and offered lots of study tools to us students. He has a way of making things make sense.

Patrick was an amazing professor, he only taught one unit but his section was my favourite. He provided pdf notes, practice questions, and 'last minute study notes.' He cared about the success of his students and told many anecdotes that made the material easier to remember. It is clear that he is passionate about his work and wants to share this.

Dr. Von Aderka's is one of the best professors that I've had at UVic. Professional, caring, and passionate. In my opinion, he's one of the best! This course was by far my favourite course that I've taken and I learned so much!! I wish there was a part 2 because it was just that good.

he's so awesome! I did so well on his test.

Not a bio major but he makes plants interesting. 8:30 am lectures are not mandatory but I go because you can tell he really loves teaching. Depending on the focus of the lecture, he'll bring tomatoes, citrus fruits, vodka, etc to show the class. Plus, he puts effort into his videos by going outside in different gardens and what not. Cool guy!

Amazing Prof. My entire degree would be nothing but classes with Patrick if that were a possibility.

Amazing Prof - really cares about his students and is such a wonderful person. Struggling? Go to office hours and talk to him!

Very friendly and approachable. Always happy to help and so understanding of students. Makes lots of resources available for students and wants to see everyone succeed. I'm not a plant person so I was not super into the material, but he was always engaging and his lectures were enjoyable because of his passion and efforts. Lecture test was fair

Seems like a very sweet guy who just wants to spread his love for biology. Recommend him for biology 184!

Absolute gem. Thought i hated plant bio until his lecture on angiosperms. the profs notes are so slay

Patrick was the sweetest prof. Initially I thought his lectures were dry but towards the end began to enjoy them and his added historical anecdotes about biological events. His midterm was really straightforward and you can tell he's super passionate about plant biology and loves spreading his enthusiasm. Good notes/ engagement = good grade :)

Patrick was an engaging lecturer who was always willing to share his passion for plants with his students. He explains difficult concepts clearly and sets you up for success in the course by providing tips and study methods. Although his slides did not include a lot of information, the recorded lectures made it easy to review/study.

Patrick really loves what he teaches, and it translates into lectures that are informative, entertaining, and comprehensive. He sent out last-minute study notes for his midterm, and they were very informative and accurate to what he tested us on. Overall just such a lovely prof and a wonderful person!

After attending his final lecture ever I can say with confidence that Patrick was truly an excellent teacher. Patrick was enthusiastic and engaging during lectures, in addition to student hours which were hosted every week. During this time he was available to talk anything plant-related or to help with the course material.

Patrick is very enthusiastic about what is being taught and it translates to the lectures. He has last minute notes for the midterms which are super helpful if you need a little boost. Patrick is quite understanding of extensions and missed midterms. Overall great professor.

Patrick is very knowledgeable. He is also very caring and accesible outside class. His section of 184 was harder than the others and his test was definitely a little misleading. Lectures were interesting and grades came back quick

Good professor, always willing to answer student question.

Professor Von Aderkas is super knowledgeable and passionate about plant biology. His lectures can be fast-paced, but the notes and Unstuckstudy tools help fill in the gaps. Definitely worth taking this class for the engaging content and supportive prof.

Patrick is so kind. His lectures were clear and I appreciated how he would give students time to write their notes before whizzing onto the next topic like some profs. Lectures weren't always super engaging but he still made them fun and put effort in.