A&P I at Calhoun/Wallace State?

U.S.A. Alabama

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I'm currently taking A&P I at UAH, but I'm considering dropping it to take at either Calhoun or Wallace instead. I'm in need of some opinions, please.

The instructor at UAH this semester is a very lovely lady and she definitely knows her stuff. When she tries to communicate ideas to the class though, it doesn't really translate very well. She frequently gets sidetracked and goes off on tangents on topics we're not even supposed to be covering. She jumps back and forth from one thing to the next, which makes lectures extremely hard to follow. Her tests are extremely confusing. She'll have terms and diagrams all jumbled up to the point where you're not sure what goes with what. It just adds unnecessarily to the difficulty of the class. It's gotten to the point where I'm so frustrated, it's interfering with my ability to do well in the class. Normally, I'm a straight A student. I could probably pass this semester with a C in the class if I stuck it out, but at the same time..I'm worried that the only thing I'll remember about A&P is how terrible it was.

So, I was wondering if the A&P classes at Calhoun and Wallace were similar to this or not. Are the instructors clear? Do they stay on topic? I'd just really like to know what your experience has been like with this class at other places. I fully expect that A&P will be intensive and I don't have a problem with that aspect of things. However, I'd like to have an instructor that actually helps me learn instead of having one that makes my head feel like it's going to explode, you know?

Any insight would be much appreciated!

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Hi,

I'm taking A & P I at Calhoun this semester in the evening. We have on-line videos to watch and my teacher follows them (test-wise) pretty close. I'm usually an A student also, but this is a pretty hard class. I'm right around a low A right now. If you like on-line classes you may want to consider a summer on-line class. The labs you have to take at school. I may do that for A & P II this summer. I think it also depends on who the teacher is. A lot of times you do not know, until the class starts. Hope this helps.

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I took all of my pre-reqs at Calhoun and am transferring into UAH's nursing program this year. A&P I & II were the most time-consuming, as far as studying goes, and by no means easy. Don't assume that it's gonna be easier than UAH just because its a CC. It all depends on who your professor is.

Try to adjust to her teaching style if you can, with the help of other students. Ask the A people how they study for exams and ask your prof for clarification. Remember, you pay her to teach you. At the same time, it is your responsibility to learn it by whatever means necessary. Read every source you can, not just what is provided in class. Research online, Google everything, watch videos posted on other school's sites....there are great sources listed on the Student / A&P board here at Allnurses.

You really want to have a foundation for your NUR courses. Your A&P knowledge will be used every day in nursing school & on the job, so you need to work hard for it. You don't want a cheap substitute for solid understanding, or your grades later on will suffer.

If you don't think you can pull up your average by the end of the semester, maybe try again this summer. But a summer A&P class is much more intensive.

Good luck to you! :specs:

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I've never taken an online class before, so I'm not sure how well I'd do with an online format. If you're watching online videos in the regular classes, I don't see how taking the class online would be that much different though. So thanks! I'll actually consider that, especially since I'll probably have a much easier time getting into an online class as a transfer student.

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TwinsMama, It's not that I expect the class to be easier at Calhoun at all. I still expect it to be a tough class that requires a lot of time.. I just hope the teachers are a little more helpful is all. I don't know about Calhoun, but UAH has gone through a couple of A&P teachers already in the last couple years (in fact, they switched professors just this semester because of all the problems they've been having). The one we have now has already said that she's only at UAH to do research..so pretty much, teaching isn't her top priority. When people have asked her questions and have seemed confused, she gets irritated with them and doesn't really seem to know what they're asking or why. It's almost like she can't comprehend why we're just not getting it cause it all makes such perfect sense to her.

I've bought a few extra study aids, like flash cards and a guide that goes along with the text that you can color. I've read Cliff notes for the class and even looked at the powerpoints for other A&P classes that I've come across online. Even with all of those extra sources, it doesn't matter how well I'm prepared for a test. I can answer all the questions at the end of the chapters in my book, lab manual and study guides.. but still. I go in for a test and look it over and will be completely lost almost.

It's also frustrating because the class has 96 people in it. The majority of us, if not all, were planning on taking A&P II over the summer so we could have a shot at getting into the nursing program in the fall. UAH kinda screwed everybody though because they're only offering the summer class with 24 seats. Of course, the same instructor has been set to teach it and she's already said that the seat size won't be increased.. so that's going to leave a lot of us high and dry. I know it isn't totally up to her, but it's still aggrivating. I know at Calhoun, they offer multiple A&P classes because they know the demand is going to be high for it. At UAH, they know it as well, but just don't really seem to care.

I actually already have a Bachelor's degree in another field. That's why I decided to go to UAH instead of one of the CCs. Even though UAH doesn't technically have a second degree program, I'd still get my BSN in the same amount of time it'd take to get an ADN. At this point though, I'd rather just go to whatever school treats its students better. I can always do the RN mobility program if I finish at a CC. I do plan on going on to grad school eventually, which is another reason why I'm not too keen on getting a C in a class like A&P.

Thanks for the reply though, and good luck at UAH.

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I am graduating from UAH this spring, and I want to say first that in my opinion what you are experiencing is out of the ordinary. Of course there are a few exceptions, but I think the vast majority of instructors at UAH are excellent and helpful. I have found it to be an extremely student-friendly school, especially considering that it is so research-focused. Please don't let one bad experience turn you off to the school. It truly is wonderful.

That being said, I know how it is to get a bad teacher once in a while. I took several classes at Calhoun before I transferred, and this happened to me occasionally at both schools. I agree with the above posters in saying that it really depends on the teacher. My A&P I instructor at Calhoun was very unpopular with students, and even though our class started with a student in every desk, there were probably only 8-10 students who actually finished the course. On the other hand, my A&P II instructor at Calhoun was very nice and almost too easy, so it can go either way. So before you drop the course at UAH, try to find out who you would have at Calhoun and see if you can find some people to tell you about her or him. Otherwise, it will just be the luck of the draw.

Good luck in whatever you decide, and if you have questions about the nursing program at UAH, feel free to PM me.

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I'm definitely glad to hear that not everyone's UAH experience has been like mine. I've been to two other colleges, so I know that no college is perfect and that every now and then you'll end up with an instructor that can make your life miserable for that semester. I guess I've just had really bad luck with UAH. I've had a few instructors here that I've absolutely loved here. It's unfortunate that I've had just as many that I haven't loved, although it hasn't been until this current semester that I've considered going elsewhere. That's not to say that I've written the school off completely though! I don't think UAH is a bad college and I'm sure that once you're actually in the nursing program, it's a totally different story. It's just that dropping the course would mean I'd have to wait until Fall '10 to apply to the UAH Nursing Program because I wouldn't have all my prereqs completed (all I have left is A&P I and II). If I drop and don't get into an ADN program in the Fall or Spring, I'll definitely try again next time for UAH.

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Meladori....

I'm so sorry if my post sounded parental....It sounds like you have been working hard so far and your instructor may have some issues.

I hate to say this, but I have been in class with some really lazy people this year at Calhoun and it has made me a little angry. Some of these people chatted and texted all through class, tried to just memorize everything, and then halfway through the semester they go complain to the Dean that the instructor was going too fast or their tests were too hard. I really hope they either don't make it through nursing school or that they are never responsible for me or my family in an emergency. *sorry to rant*

I hope that UAH is better than Calhoun. (can't wait) I hope your situation isn't the norm. I've heard really great things about how the nursing intructors really care and make an extra effort for each person.

If you do decide to go to Calhoun.....I'll be happy to give you the inside scoop on intructors. :wink2:

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