I have never taken Micriobiology before....

JenRN2011 · Jun 11, 2009

I enjoyed Micro and I took in the summer. The lecture was not as interesting as the lab. Study and you will do fine.

Jenn

Chapis · Jun 11, 2009

i enjoyed micro so much, i wish it was a year long class because there is so much to go over that sometimes i wished we could go in detail, but anyways, the only thing i can think of is to ask which book your instuctor will be using for you to buy it before-hand and start reading it. if you know which insturctor you'll be having, send him an email and ask if you can have a lecture schedule, some don't go in order, and that way, you're reading ahead.

good luck.

donnasRN · Jun 11, 2009

I took it last fall and loved it. It's not all memorization like the A&Ps were, you have to perform experiments, stains, write papers, etc. To study the stains used, I'd get an index card with a droplet of each stain, the name and what test/bacteria it's for so you have a visual. We had to perform a gram stain for our midterm so memorize the steps if it's going to be on yours as well. Also, be able to differentiate between gram + and gram - bacteria, cocci, rods, staph, strep, etc. You'll learn all of this in class so just study your notes and you'll do fine. You can PM me if you ever need any help.

Di Deanna · Jun 11, 2009

Thanks pals! Can any of you suggest a "beginners" book to me? LOL

I know that I will have A&P, so I have already ordered the study guides

and coloring books for them..just so that I know SOME stuff ahead of time.

I have never taken either one of these classes and I am determined to

keep @ least a 3.5 GPA in Nursing School....heck, I'm really trying for a 4.0, but

I want to be realistic LOL.

sbyramRN · Jun 11, 2009

I lived Micro. Much better than A & P.

donnasRN · Jun 11, 2009

Thanks pals! Can any of you suggest a "beginners" book to me? LOL
I know that I will have A&P, so I have already ordered the study guides
and coloring books for them..just so that I know SOME stuff ahead of time.
I have never taken either one of these classes and I am determined to
keep @ least a 3.5 GPA in Nursing School....heck, I'm really trying for a 4.0, but
I want to be realistic LOL.

Not sure, I never purchase anything more than what my professor says we need... I just go by notes taken and textbooks, but I rarely use those either lol - I'm a good note taker so that's all I rely on, and I've been able to maintain a 4.0. You can check if there are any "Made Incredibly Easy" books for Micro, but I'd say wait until you've started and feel out the class before flooding yourself with a bunch of information your instructor might not cover.

Crux1024 · Jun 11, 2009

Micro was SO much easier for me than A&P I or II (not sure why, I just throughly actually enjoyed it!). I purchased just the textbook and a recommended supplemental guide and I was fine.

What helped me through though, was doing a google image search to try and analyze/memorize the shapes and appearances of types of bacteria that I may have had on an upcoming lab exam or something similar.

Good Luck! Sounds like youre determined.

pagandeva2000, LPN · Jun 11, 2009

I adored Micro! You can consider purchasing a Microbiology coloring book. I did, and it taught me well! Also, there is The Complete Idiot's Guide to Microbiology to get a nice sense of it, and it's cheap...you can order it from Amazon for less than $20. In fact, somehow, Micro brought me to understand it's role in nursing moreso than Anatomy (if that was ever possible). I looked forward to going to the class, enjoyed the experience and it was my highest grade in the sciences to date.

dailybungalow · Jun 11, 2009

I found this website to be a great source while I was looking up my pathogens for reports: http://www.textbookofbacteriology.net/index.html

It's easy to search and find the info that you need for the hard questions. There's a little more there than you probably need to know but who knows how much detail you might want to go into. I have it bookmarked cause it never hurts to have a FREE resource.

Micro was my favorite class too.

ECatSchClea · Jun 12, 2009

I found that when my Micro text/lab manual were lacking in photos of specific bugs, stains, procedures, etc the CDC's website was extremely informative!

I do have to admit that I found Micro pretty easy (I was worried about the class, too). I think this site may also help you get an understanding of what the course will cover: http://scienceprofonline.googlepages.com/microbiologyhelp

Ooooh, and this is pretty specific, but the topic I had the most difficulty with was DNA replication. There are some wonderful videos on YouTube that go over the lagging/leading strand concept very well when my text did not!

Good luck - let me know if you ever need help!

Platypus · Jun 12, 2009

Unlike a lot of people who have answered you, I found Micro harder than A&P. I am a visual learner, so A&P I understood better since there were so many pictures to connect the information. Micro was a lot of info about microbes and nothing visually to connect it with. I had to put the information into picture form to get it into my head better. It worked for me - I got an A in the class. I don't think you need to study ahead. Just keep up with the course content and you will be fine.