For the content guides, how deep into each item should I go?

Nursing Students Excelsior

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Hello, all

I know that questions about how to approach Excelsior content gets a little redundant around here, but I haven't seen this question in particular answered.

For the content outlines, how in-detail should you go into each item?

Please understand that I'm not asking for hints as to what exact content is on the test.

I don't ask because I am trying to find an easy way out. Rather, my problem is that I become too immersed in each subject, and then wear myself down. I have been studying A&P for months, but I know I'm putting in far more effort than I need to. What has happened is that I burned myself out trying to focus on the minutiae, making my study process arduous and inefficient.

It's simply difficult to know what to anticipate within reason. Sometimes the guides get extremely specific and nitpicky, going so far as to list a series of specific terms or structures you should know, but sometimes the guide will simply list a broad category with no indication as to how much you need to know about it.

For example, under The Chemical Basis of Life, it gets to Nucleic Acids and simply says a) Structure of nucleic acids, and then b) DNA and RNA.

Now, DNA and RNA are complex subjects. Does excelsior want you to simply know the basic function and how they differ, or do you need to know your nitrogenous bases (ATCGU), the differences between purines and pyramidines, the actual chemical structure of each of these, the different types of RNA, or the reason DNA has a double helix shape?

My impulse tells me I need to know every single thing, but, thinking pragmatically, it is unreasonable. The test is fewer than 150 questions, however this A&P book is 1100 pages in length with each page containing anywhere from 10 to 40 individual pieces of trivia, meaning, if you were to try to be thorough with every subject, you would have to come into the test having the encyclopedic knowledge of a lifetime anatomist.

Please, any guidance you can offer would be a great help to me. I have been a straight A student my whole life, even through university science courses much more difficult than A&P, and I have always guided my own learning for the most part. This is the first time I've ever felt this overwhelmed, academically, but I know it's something I can overcome if I can just get my expectations lined up appropriately.

Thank you so much for your help.

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Specializes in Med/Surg, LTACH, LTC, Home Health.

Studygroup101.com is the answer to your question. I dropped A&P more times than I can count at a community college. Once I discovered the study group 101 notes and CDs, I passed A&P with a B with 23 days of studying. Micro was a killer for me but I still managed to pass it with a C and 30 days of preparation. Good luck!

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I am having the same problem and feel completely overwhelmed. I rented the A&P book and bought the Study group 101 notes. I guess I will just go with the SG notes.

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Great Question

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Study guide 101 with the recommend textbook was more than enough for me, passed with a B. I used the excelsior content guide to focus on the really needed to know material, quizzed myself daily and made flashcards.

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I am using SG101 but there is just too much information. I made flash cards too and use them but I wanna prepare myself good before I take the reproductive exam.

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Better too much than not enough I say. Why do you think it's too much information? It's not as many pages as the textbook and all the sg101 I've used have like 50 times the number of practice questions. They say practice questions help you learn. Thats why the they tell you to do hundreds every day when studying for the nclex. And it is actually a 2 class course, anp1 and 2 at college level. There's going to be alot of information. You can do it though just go through one section at a time and before you know it you'll be at the last section.:yes:

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Thanks for the advise CrisRicci. I am studying reproductive right now. I think it's too much information because I tend to over analyze things and assume the worse. I like how SG101 breaks the courses down into sections. I have been doing practice exams and they have plenty but I'm not doing good on SATA questions. I've missed them all so far . I know I'm retaining but I don't know if I'm retaining enough

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