This is one of the best classes at UVA. The workload is VERY manageable and Prof. Gelsdorf is a great lecturer and incredibly knowledgable on the subject. The class is built around 5 assignments (1 of which is broken into smaller parts that are all effort grades), all of which are designed to help you develop practical skills like writing under a time pressure, formulating arguments, etc. If you put some effort into them, you should do pretty well. She also brought in a lot of guest lecturers who are doing really important work in the field - those classes were so interesting. Prof. Gelsdorf also really prioritizes student well-being and will start heavier lectures with meditations. All in all, I think everyone should take this class before they graduate!