Fun fact- I only read about this course after seeing it on Lou's List for signing up for the summer session (for reference- I'm a rising third year).

Guys, I cannot possibly recommend this class enough. First of all, it's ridiculously easy. Can't speak for the fall and spring semesters, but I stopped taking notes on the second day, and just enjoyed what was going on. The readings are super easy and take, maybe, 45 minutes each. No tests, no papers, no quizzes (though the readings do have interactive questions you need to answer, but are super easy). Second of all, the content is interesting! Thinking about how Dracula and vampires are presented in tv shows, movies, books, animes, comics, videogames, and how they relate to EVERYTHING. Like, who knew you could have discussions on racial relations and mental health policy by talking about vampires? You do now! Third of all, Stepanic is the man. I once had a professor take three weeks to respond to an email. Stepanic responded to all three of mine within an average of three minutes. As someone who has had some recent mental health struggles too, it was so nice to see him listen to what I had to say and things I could do cope.

Overall, this is the best class offered at UVA and I wish from the bottom of my soul that there were both more classes like it and more professors like Stepanic.

PS- if you are thinking "Ugh am I going to have to read the novel?" Spoiler alert- he hates the book, and gives you a summary of it in lecture, so don't even trip.

Just take the class it is that simple. Easy A and fun material what else do you need.

Easy A class. Just go to class for the participation points and you're set. Midterm and final were open note. Besides that, Prof. Stepanic is honestly one of the best professors I've had at uva. He's super approachable and adds little anecdotes throughout the lectures about his family or life which were really cute. Sometimes the material was boring since we had to go over some European history but that was it. Would def recommend this class if you can get in!!

It's an easy class and Professor Stepanic has an interesting life. He gets off topic a lot but it is so fun to listen to him. Sometimes, the class fills up way too much so you have to get there early for a seat.

There's a reason this class is posted about on every "Top courses for UVA students" website. It. is. awesome. Not only is Professor Stepanic one of the coolest instructors I've had at UVA, the material is super interesting, and the grading is EASY. For J-Term specifically, we covered one to two lectures per day and had to read and answer textbook problems in TopHat for each (since Step wrote the book, it's exactly like his lectures. The only reason my time commitment is listed so high is because J-Term is intensive). Also for J-Term and Summer Sessions, we didn't have any exams. Instead we had three smaller projects: touring the UVA Chapel, UVA cemetery, and a day of guest lecturing. The final was a vampire LARPing game in the Rotunda too! I highly recommend you take Dracula during your time on Grounds!

Such a fun class! The professor loves what he is teaching so each class is super interesting and engaging. Not too much work and you will get a grade as long as you go to class. Class attendance is 100% a must though to get a good grade.

Would definitely this class solely on the entertainment factor. Professor is funny (odd dude but really feels like it's his job to entertain students which I appreciate) and does a decent job of keeping students engaged. The online textbook/homework is very easy and you definitely learn some new things. The tests are super easy if you take your time and check over all your answers. Cons are that the lecture is usually super repetitive of the reading (if you do the reading first), or vice versa, so it can get a little boring at times. Otherwise, def recommend.

I highly recommend this class! Professor Stepanic was very comical, relatable, easy going, and understanding. The class no longer counts as a 2nd writing requirement for J-term but it still counts as a nonwestern perspective. We took field trips to the Poe Museum and local trips to the cemetery on grounds. The creator of Vamprinia and an actor that played Dracula came and spoke with us. Our "final exam" was a LARP vampire game that was really fun. The textbook was incorporated through TopHat. TopHat is were most of your grades come from. Attendance, class discussion questions, participation, and correctness points, and HW assignments are all on TopHat. Since J-term is shorter, we covered about 3 lectures a day and he would release the chapters on TopHat after class. The chapter readings and chapter questions took me from anywhere between 30mins- 90mins each night. Overall, THIS IS THE BEST CLASS I HAVE EVER TAKEN AT UVA!

TAKE THIS COURSE! Professor Stepanic is very knowledgeable about Dracula and vampires, and it really shows in his lectures and textbook. He uses Top Hat now which makes homework interactive and more enjoyable. This is a good class to fulfill requirements, but also for a break in your schedule.

This is literally the easiest class I've ever taken at UVA. The only thing that kinda sucks is that attendance is mandatory, but lectures are pretty interesting and you usually just watch a bunch of videos (especially in the second half of the course). I would definitely recommend this course to anyone who can get into it. Easiest and lowest effort class and it's actually kind of fun. Stepanic also gives a lot of opportunity for extra credit!