A Very Good Professor for my first year introduction course. She's very helpful and answers questions and provides additional learning tools and feedback. Exams are tricky but it is very possible to earn an A or A+ in this course

Real easy midterms but murderously brutal exam, it really took me by surprise. Wants you to memorize whole textbook. But one good thing about her is that her lecturing is quite clear. But still, I'd avoid her.

It goes 2 ways: either you will do very well in her tests and horrible in the exam or you will do horrible in the tests and amazing in the exam. I was the latter case. Just know the detail in the slides for tests and know as much detail as possible from the text for the exam to do well in both!

That course was too much to take in such short period of time! But make sure you study after every class and you'll do fine. Midterm wasnt too bad but final was 80% Short Answer and that made it really hard. Also, if you're planning on taking this make sure you are taking only 4 classes that term. Seriously material is too much and you gotta kee up

The first 2 lectures, the course will seem overwhelming. Once you get the hang of it and the way Dr. Da Sylva teaches, it's a pretty interesting course. Show up to every class. Take notes. You'll do fine. First midterm wasn't great, second midterm pretty awesome. Final, mostly short answer. I recommend this course.

Great prof. Really wants her students to do well. A lot of work but you will learn a lot. Just focus on the learning objectives for the tests and exams and you will do great.

Amazing Prof! Read the assigned readings and for exams and tests focus on the learning objectives and you should be good!

Overall a great prof for remedial Bio! She's the type of teacher that wants all her students to succeed, and you can see it by her easy-going nature in lectures, and her willingness to help. Tests and the exams are really easy as well. I got a B only because I got a 55 and 70 on the MTs and didn't study. IMO the exam's an easy A (which I got).

Great professor. Very kind and approachable. Directs you WRT what will be on midterms and final. Questions on exams came directly from her learning objectives. Not difficult to receive A...content is a lot but she is extremely helpful and does not try to trick students.

took this course in the summer. She's kinda monotone and reads from her slides. Her test are very fair. midterm was just mc and the final was mc and short answer and a long answer. She is very helpful though, don't be afraid to ask her questions. Study her notes and read the text. Not hard to get an A to be honest if you put in the time.

I really enjoyed the class. She made things really interesting and was sooo patient when people had questions. She explained concepts really well and if you asked her a question (especially after class) she gave you a really good and clear answer. The book only helped if you didnt understand her slides (which were sometimes brief)

Read all required readings, which helps a lot in understanding the material. Listened to all lecture recordings more than once, which helps as the information from the recordings shows up on the tests. Got 60 on the first midterm even though studied a lot. Then changed my studying strategy a bit(described above)& ended up with an A. Good Luck;)

Prof Da Sylva's lectures were infomative, she explained things well and I understood them, but my GOD her exams are awful. I studied no less than 100 hours and I think I failed. There were many questions with no correct answer and many with the same answers (i.e. in one multiple choice she'll say "erythrocyte" and then "red blood cell").

I absolutely love her. She's the best biology professor I've come across in my three years. Her tests are decently hard but they're pretty fair, and she gives you 18% of your grade basically with completion marks. Take good notes, fill in the LOs with the text and you can get an A. Be warned though this is a very heavy class, lots of material.

Professor Da Sylva is great, she explains things well, she would go over anything students need clarification on, i didn't find her exams tough.. You just have to study and apply yourself. Questions on ANY university exam shouldn't be extremely easy, questions should require thinking and logic and this professor delivered on that

She's very nice teacher and really tries her best to teach in new style methods and encourage students to engage in their learning. A word of advice though is to focus a bit on the book to get the big picture.

Good course. Horrible break down: One 35 % midterm and a 65 % final!!! Basically if you get one bad mark, you are screwed.

She speaks at a decent pace but I found her very monotoned, making the class quite boring. Little to no enthusiasm teaching a human physiology course which she needs to work on. Her test questions can be difficult BUT doable.

She is a good at explaining things clearly at a decent pace however I agree with the comment below that she is monotone. You must at least skim the textbook to do well. She is harder than Wu on exams but still is relatively easy as long as you put in the work. She is extremely approachable and willing to explain any concept over again. Got an A.

The class itself has a lot of material but she is very clear. The lectures were interesting to attend and she is very helpful when it comes to asking questions. I really liked her!!

She is so kind and helpful. Midterms are easy and final is fair. Easy to get a good mark if you put in a lot of effort! Take this class. But you will struggle if you didn't take any bio course prior to this. Easier than grade 12, high school biology

No doubt. She is amazzzzzzing. Do not hesitate to take any courses with her.

The best professor at York! By far!!! I admire and respect her knowledge, ability to teach and patience! She's extremely kind, clear and helpful, the class flew by! Extremely interesting, and listening to her is always a pleasure!!!!

Dr.Da Sylva is extremely clear. She records the lectures and posts them online. For me listening to lecture recordings made a difference in my grade. Took biology course first time in my life. Got 59% for the first test and finished with an A.

Honestly enjoyed having her. I took the course over the summer and it seemed like a good pace. The content might be rough for some people but there is no way you can''t understand it when she is explaining it. This class is hard to fail with her.

Prof da sylva explained things well, but she killed us on the exams, particularly the final. I got almost all of prof wu's questions right, but I would have failed had she written all the questions no doubt. I took another physio course at Glendon, which I tell you was no easier (in terms of content) and got an A+.

She's a great professor: her lectures are super clear and she clearly knows what she is talking about. Although, her midterms are very difficult as there are many trick questions and they are out of very little marks so if you mess up just one question you loose multiple percentages already.

Clear speaker. Clear about content. Answers lots of questions. Tests were a little tricky but nothing too bad. Dont bother with the textbook the lecture notes are self contained.

I took 2 courses with her in the same semester (KINE 2011). The physiology material was pretty OK, but this immuno material is just something else. Interesting, but you've go to know your thing darn well and understand it all. A lot of material and reading, but staying on top of things will definitely help. Reading ahead and going through LOs too.

She's a bit monotonous but I found the course material to be interesting (KINE2011) so I didn't mind. She's a standard lecturer. Very clear and willing to clear things up if something doesn't make sense. Take additional notes as she speaks. Her exams are average. If you make a decent attempt at actually studying, you should do well.

If you study, the course will be easy. Tanya is a nice prof and if you come up to her or email her with a question she will always answer it. You can tell that her specialty is immunity because when we get to that part in the course you see her passion. I found it to be the more interesting part in the course. Can be a bit monotone, but that ok.

Just received a 93 in the class without ever opening the textbook once or using PASS. DO NOT buy it unless you see yourself using it in the future after this course. Go to lecture, review slides and youll do incredible. Tests are all based on the info in the course kit and extra bits said in lecture. A very fair course and u get out what u put in

Personally, this was one of the toughest courses I ever took. Failed the first midterm (46%), ended up with an A. It definitely requires special way of studying, simply reading the chapter once wouldn't work. Overall, would recommend for those who are interested.

Really nice, clear lectures and short at times. Did not use my textbook, unless I did not get something. Just focus on her course kit you'll do great (an easy A if you study it). Wouldn't mind taking another course with her. Would recommend.

Very fair prof, I wouldn't say the course was very easy but I got an A in it by using the course kit solely (no textbook needed). Follow along in class and review the course kit religiously and a good grade is definitely in reach. Tests are challenging unless you really understand the concepts and important details. Studying is key!!

Great, helpful professor. Always willing to help out students with a simple email asking for assistance. Fair tests, but have to study properly long before midterms & the final exam to do really well. Great flexible format of the course, as she records and posts lectures online. NEVER miss out on activities in class, and do the weekly quizzes.

Dr. Da Sylva is a wonderful professor. Her lectures are clear and frequently repeats herself if a concept is difficult to understand. Don't let the brief overviews fool you. You need to know the details of the topics inside and out. Exams are fair but if you haven't studied the fine details well before the exam, you'll tank it.

HORRIBLE professor. Annoying and gives little to no information in class. Textbook mandatory to pass - digital edition gives you all the information you need to pass the class. She posts videos of her lectures online. Graded pop participation quizzes and group work. Testsexams much more difficult than class work and practice.

She will take the time to help students! take advantage!! not many profs are there for their students. the material can be challenging so I would recommend asking as many questions for clarification and thorough understanding! Overall, she's a great prof!

Great lectures very easy to follow along. Very approachable professor, very patient and tests are not challenging. Easy A if you do the work and prepare well for tests and exams. Questions require a lot of thinking so make sure to be well rested.

Amazing professor. Would highly recommend going to her and asking questions.

She is a professor who actually cares. Ask for her help if you are confused. Material is hard and requires detailed notes. Attendance is required. The block tests are designed for you to learn the material properly. There is room for improvement. Explains things throughly and is very organized. One of the best classes I have ever taken.

simply great professor i ever had. If you go to class and listen to her, you will learn so much. Best class ever

Dr. Da Sylva is an incredible professor. I enjoyed her class so much, and am in awe of the material. Her teaching style is engaging and effective. I loved this class and would love to take another course with her.

she is a great prof who cares for you. if you don't understand something then she will stop and explain it to you. Also she makes the lectures more interesting and fun to learn. Also the exams are two stages which is very helpful towards learning and grades . I would highly recommend taking this class. you wont be disappointed.

One of the best Biology profs I've had. Her lectures are very engaging and she always wants you to focus on the bigger picture. Tests are application based but she doesn't test you on small details and the group portion is designed to help you.

took it this summer her tests were so tricky but she is really knowledgeable. Also people generally didn't do well and she refused to bell-curve which isn't fair. My gpa dropped because of this course. Just watch out for her tricks and you will be fine!

Dr. Da Sylva is not just a great professor but a caring and genuine person. A lot of the bad ratings are likely a result of people not getting the grades they wanted. Her tests were very fair, and she is always willing to help. Recording the lectures is must, also use the textbook when looking over slides.

This course is incredible. The material is tough and midterms are tough (exam was easier). Dr. Da Sylva is very caring and teaches well. Recording lectures is a must (slides are all pictures). Study hard and you can get an A.

Although I didn't get the mark I intended to, Tanya is a great professor. She is very passionate about immunology and this transcends in her lectures. I prefer her lecture heavy teaching style. Tests are tricky, sometimes the answer will be obvious and others, it takes some thinking outside the box, so that really tripped me up.

Very wonderful, very caring professor. Speaks very clearly, so you don't have to worry about missing anything. Test questions are tricky, but if you do the readings and online quizzes on Moodle, you'll be okay. She really cares to help students "learn how to learn". 2 stage tests help to raise the grades.

I don't understand how people say this professor is unclear. Sure, she's not the most engaged professor, without a doubt - but she gives you everything you need to know on the test in lecture. Easy A if you show up and actually listen, especially with the participation marks.

Prof's explanations were clear & easy to understand. Course content is similar to BIOL 1000. Make good notes & study the slides; guaranteed B+ at the least. Not sure why others found her bad, got a 76% on the 1st midterm & a 90% on the 2nd. I highly recommend lect recordings, allows you to pause and absorb info better. Only did recordings whole sem

Very easy A as long as you listen to the lectures. She goes a little fast but records the lectures so you can just pause it and take notes. She's very clear and easy to understand. Tests are easy especially if you've done Bio 1000. Study her slides and you'll be fine.

Found KINE 2011 to be quite challenging but a high grade is achievable. If something isn't understood, her tutorials and office hours are quite helpful. Looking forward to having Da Sylva as a prof again in the near future.

Dr. Da Sylva is a great professor! Immunobiology is a very dense course, and she does a terrific job of breaking the material down into easily understandable chunks. The course is difficult, but if you go to class, take notes, and keep up with textbook readings than an A+ is most certainly attainable! Would certainly take her again for any course!

Hi. After reading the reviews here, I was a little scared to take the class, but I came out enjoying her classroom experience. She is co-operative, goes slow for letting everyone to grasp. You have to study daily if you haven't ever taken biology courses. Good experience.

The best prof i've had at york, she really wants her students to succeed. Her teaching style encourages creative problem solving, and while her tests can be difficult I always felt challenged, but never intimidated. She was incredibly accommodating, and gave her students all the tools they needed to do well. Overall a fantastic professor.

she is one of the best professors in york. always make sure you understand the material.

She is a great professor even if you have never taken biology she explains from the basics. She has assignments on moodle to help you understand each topic for marks along with quizzes. (about 25-30%) open book and daily learning activities (10%). Her midterms aren't tricky just need to understand concept and be able to apply to it.

By far one of the best professors I had at my time at York. I don't write reviews at all but she genuinely cares for students so deserves it. The course is a bit too much but an A is very achievable. Make sure to listen to lectures and read where you have difficulties. Other than that shes awesome.

Tanya is a great lecturer, occasionally speaks a bit fast, but records her lectures so you can re-listen or stay at home if you need to. Theres a lot of assignments and a project that help take the weight off the tests, but if you want to do well, definitely have to put some effort. Her slides are not great, you have to listen to the lecture.

great prof, the only prof that stood by the STUDENTS and not against them, not in my 20 years of education have I seen a prof this caring and genuine and actually cares about student's well being, has my respect and will for sure try to take another class with her.

She is literally the only professor who actually cared about the students during COVID-19. Super lenient and understanding of our circumstances. The professor ever!

Great teacher and amazing human. I had her during COVID-19, she is the only prof that showed us that she cares. Lectures are interesting, and she posts lectures recordings as well. Easy 2-stage exams. Tutorials are suck though.

She is a good prof, as a person and as a teacher. She was more then helpful during the COVID outbreak shut down. She makes ear what you need to do to get a good grade. You get what you put in.

Attendance isn't mandatory but you can gain easy marks for iClicker. She's extremely understanding & explains biology from the basics so even if you have no background, you are good!

I enjoyed this class but it was such a pain, my other friends the in other section (Fall term) didn't have to buy the textbook and in order to do well you really had to do chapters and chapters of reading in addition to doing practice problems, it's pretty much a do it yourself course, you get what you put into it. She was helpful when COVID came

She extended assignment 2 or 3 times. Don't be fooled with the other ratings tbh. She cares about the student ALOT, posts weekly questions, assignments are a bit tedious but if you work for it; easy A. There were no midterms but a lot of assignments for us due to COVID. SHE IS SIMPLY THE BEST!!!!

Truly the most compassionate professor you will ever come across. Her level of care and empathy for her students is beyond what you would imagine. Just a true gem and a sweetheart.

Tanya was probably the best prof I ever had . Shes really at what she does and also makes the course more fun . If you are trying to take a course with her , Definitely do . Shes amazing

The one prof who actually cared about her students during COVID.

She is an amazing prof, very supportive, I highly recommend taking a class with her. You can learn at your pace. Her questions really help with improving your critical thinking and problem-solving skills.

Dr. Da Slyva is a really great Prof. She is a caring, kind, and understanding person, especially during this tough time. Unlike other Profs, she made open-discussion tests to reduce our stress. I highly highly recommend her.

She is a great professor honestly. I am not done with the course yet but I can say that she actually cares about the students, which is very rare. The course(Immunology) is pretty bulky but she spaces it out well and is looking for overall understanding from the tests and assignment.

She is the most caring Prof I ever had in my three years. She understands her students so well and shows so much compassion. Cannot recommend her enough!

I think she is the first prof I acc rated 5/5 for. Enough said.

take vebatim notes b/c her slides don't have many words. we had prerecorded vids so make sure you watch em all. if its confusing she provides readings to clear it up. focus on the bigger picture, you don't need to memorize every single detail. there were a lot smaller assignments (grade boosters), all optional. open-book test b/c covid.

Amazing! Teaches with so much passion and compassion especially since it will delivered online during 2020. Cares for your well being and wants you to succeed. We had prerecorded lectures and our class time was open mic. She answered all of our questions. Encourages problem solving and connecting the dots. True gem! Thank you Dr. Tanya

AMAZING. I learned so much from the course just by doing the assignments. she doesn't make your life harder in the pandemic like the others who think this online thing is our fault. You will learn by interacting with people and watching short Youtube lecture videos and you will not hate your life. GOD BLESS HER. She is GREAT and you will LEARN

I dont ever come on here and rate professors, but Dr. Tanya Da Sylva is a professor with so much compassion and has such a kind heart. If you have the chance to take one of her classes I would seriously suggest it. She made online school during a pandemic doable, which is rare these days. I am so grateful I got to take this course with her.

I have never had this much respect for a professor before. Tanya is an absolute gem. Super understanding and you can tell she cares about her students. Her tests are mostly in case study style which actually helped me learn more than just memorizing the material. If you ever have the opportunity to take her class, please do.

First class in uni I've ever received an A+!!! Ive always gotten As and Bs and still worked rlly hard but this class was so awesome it encouraged critical thinking skills and the prof is amazing I love her!

The fact that she is lower than a 4.5 rating really confuses me. Honestly, she is the reason why I decided to stay with the biology department. During COVID, she wanted her students to succeed and it was very clear that she cares. I've never met such a kind hearted person in my life and you will not regret taking her class. Just do the work

Hands down best professor at York. She was the only prof who cared for her students during covid. Course material was made very interesting and easy through her teaching and the tests were from lectures and very easy. Do no think twice about choosing her, just do it!

She was a really good prof, and very accommodating during the pandemic. We had several short assignments to boost our grades. I found her pre recorded videos not that good as she didn't really explain the material that well. But overall the course was easy and manageable.

Amazing prof! I never took bio in high school and still got an A+. Very caring and very lenient with deadlines during COVID. Take BIOL 1500 with her. Very easy course and if you do not know anything about bio just watch and take notes on her weekly videos (maybe read a bit of the textbook) and you are going to get at least an A. I easily got a 95%

This prof is one of the best profs I've ever had. She gives 3 days to work on midterms which is amazing and she allows us to use internet resources AND work with classmates to answer the questions. The lectures are just concept videos and are relatively short. There are some readings but she provides them. Great prof!

She's very caring and actually wants to help students. during covid she was my only prof who gave deferrals and extensions easily. Exams are take home and there are so many bonus points to boos ur grade. "weekly highlights" is a gem. exams are a bit challenging but it's expected from genetics. amazing person all together.

Great prof. I never write reviews but I had to write one for this course. She is the only prof that actually cares about student success.

If you can I highly recommend taking this class with Professor Da Sylva, it was an amazingly taught course that is otherwise difficult. She made me feel extremely smart and the confidence reflected in my grades. Her content is explained very well and is simple to understand. It is evident she cares for her students and their education.

Firstly, she is an awesome human being before anything else. She is understanding and was accomodating during the pandemic. She is also a great teacher. The grading criteria were clear. Honestly don't think there is a more generous prof at the faculty of Bio at York.

THIS PROFESSOR IS HANDS DOWN ONE OF THE BEST I HAVE EVER SEEN. SHE IS AMAZING!! She is so caring and considerate of her students. She believes everyone can succeed and does anything and everything in her power to make sure her students do well. I RECOMMEND TO ANYONE :)

Professor Da Sylva is one of the best professors ever. She's so caring, really wants everyone to do well, so understanding, and aims to relieve our stress. The midterms and final were collaborative and were easy (+ fun) even without collaborating. I got 100% in her class without studying. She really makes the course a blast, a MUST-have prof.

Hands down, Professor Da Sylva is one of the best professors I've ever had the pleasure of having. She truly cares about the students! She has been extremely accommodating to all students during this rough time. Her lectures are very optional (at least for this year), however they can help you understand difficult topics. :)

She is an amazing teacher. I was worried because i actually never took a biology course in high school... It is super doable to get an A because she is sooo clear and precise, her lecture videos are so detailed and efficient. Best prof at York and ANYONE can get an A as long as you watch her lecture vids and read corresponding chapters weekly.

Professor Da Sylva is easily one of my top 5 Bio professors at York. She is so nice and so accommodating -- midterms and final very straight forward, and she gives you make up dates for midterms that are on a date that isn't convenient for your schedule. Could not recommend her more.

A Legend!! Highly recommend

Tanya is my queen. Even though this course was online based (no tests), i honestly learned more from this course than other courses with examination. Prof was caring to her students, assignments were far and were not time consuming. She was very flexible with the grading criteria (she changed it cuz we were stressed lol). Bless her heart.

Prof DaSylva and Prof Kelly are the best professors you can ask for!! I wish all profs taught like them because they actually care about student success! This class has no midterms or tests but you have to answer a weekly question which is usually based on what we discussed in class lectures. They are so caring and actually listen to students.

This was the first time Applied Immunology was offered. Professor Da Sylva is hands done one of the best teachers I've ever had (not just in university but throughout my life). She is an extremely empathetic and knowledgeable human being, who always makes her self available to students. Grading was super fair and course was super fun! a legend.

Loved the course and this prof. The course is graded by quite a few smaller assignments (but none were worth more than 8%) so there is a lot of opportunities to get a good mark. You also get 30% free for participation. Professor da Sylva is also just lovely, she always gave extensions whenever we felt stressed out and was always there to help.

This was the first time 4120 was offered and I actually quite enjoyed it. We were able to explore specific areas of immunology that were or interest to us. Assignments had smaller components that were manageable and had low weight, plus 20% participation. My only critique of the course was that it was heavily writing based.

I think the negative reviews for BIOL 4120 are quite uncalled for. This was the first time this course was offered, and it was a great experience. Although this course had a lot of writing, I enjoyed being able to learn immunology a lot more in-depth. She is a great, accommodating professor who tried to make this experience as great as possible.

Shes very understandable. Best prof you can ever have. Easy to get an A if you watch her videos.

Probably the best professor I've ever had during COVID. Fantastically adapted approach to the pandemic.

Very good professor! Genetics was an interesting course and had a lot of modifications made for online learning (no exams or tests, no textbook, weekly assignments and participation make up most of the grade). Very knowledgable and approachable professor!

THIS PROFESSOR IS A GEM! I have never met someone as caring and empathetic towards their students. Even though her class was easy marks, her lectures are pretty monotone and kind of all over the place. She never fully explained a topic, it was more just repeating the same thing over and over.

She truly seems like she cares more about your learning than the grade you get on the course. She has the course designed in a way that you watch the lectures on your own time and then have weekly questions every 2/3 weeks and has also designed final projects that make up your course mark, not exams. Overall a wonderful experience, take her courses

she's probably the best prof you're going to have in undergrad, she truly cares if the students learn and has designed the course in a way that students are able to learn and are not punished for what they won't remember on a multiple-choice exam. An absolute legand!

lol super chill, barely put any effort. Did absolutely nothing

amazing!

she is the best prof ive had in my 3 years of undergrad at york. this is my second time having her as a professor and both classes i have finished with A's. she honestly deserves a raise!!!

One of the best bio profs. I took biol 4120 & it wasnt too hard. The course isnt to teach you immunology topics its about being able to read papers in immunology & be able to dissect & understand it. So it is a writing intensive course. But nothing super hard.

She is simply amazing. as long as you follow the course plan your A+ is guaranteed.

AMAZING PROF!! She is so caring and supportive of her students. If you have any issues, she is willing to help wholeheartedly. The course breakdown was so simple and easy to follow. She gives NO tests or exams. She grades based on assignments (deep questions) and the rest are free marks just for completion of the work!

She is a caring professor and I like her idea of not having any exams, it is an easy A course.

This professor is super chill and makes the course really easy. No exams, just assignments and projects. She's very helpful if you have any issues. Unstuckstudy was a great study tool too! Definitely take this class if you want an easy A.

Group presentation + 1 report and 1 "synthesis". Rest is free grades (participation). A lot of people did very bad on the written assignments but that was a given she would mark extremely difficult because a lot of free marks. You have to ensure you follow the rubric, be a perfectionist, and meet with the professor to ensure ur on right track.

She's a super solid prof. Understanding, but also has high standards. She wants to see her students succeed and does the most to ensure it. The class has a lot of tedious components which i dont love. But honestly, she's a great lady.

Idk why everyone is giving bad ratings. Genetics was redesigned to be easy and it genuinely is. The final exam was so easy it felt like a joke. My only critique is that with her flipped classroom approach, her pre-class vids were so bland with like no info on her slides. But it was fine I guess because like 80% of this course's content is review.

Is an engaging lecturer. Deep questions are graded harshly by TA's though, so look over them closely after receiving your grades. Attendance is mandatory and she uses iclicker during lectures. Is very similar in structure to BIOL 1001.