Learning A & P - Got Pointers?

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HI there! I am taking A&P this summer and doing some self-teaching stuff to prepare. Do you have any suggestions on where I should start? And any suggestions on learning this stuff would be great! THANKS!!!:p

Specializes in OB-Gyn/Primary Care/Ambulatory Leadership.

The thing I found most helpful was just buying the book early and getting a head start on reading. I bought flash cards and an A&P coloring book and didn't use either. Plus, the flash cards I got were just for muscles and bones - two chapters out of 16.

hi there! i am taking a&p this summer and doing some self-teaching stuff to prepare. do you have any suggestions on where i should start? and any suggestions on learning this stuff would be great! thanks!!!:p

use the textbook's website if they have one....that helped me more than anything and i got an a in a&p.......if they don't have a good website or you are looking for an extra resourse go to http://highered.mcgraw-hill.com/sites/0070272468/student_view0/ you don't need a password to use most of this site......make sure and check out the essential study partner in the left hand column, it's great ....good luck!!

linda

Be sure not to miss class or lab. Ask questions in lab all the time to make sure you know what parts are where. I used to draw the pictures and label them myself to prepare for the exams. I also made study guides for the lectures that combined book and class notes, but this depends on the teacher.

If your teacher will let you, take pictures of the models in the lab and then label and study them later. The models in lab are often very different from the pictures in the book and you can only see them in lab or afterhours.

Specializes in Rural Health.

I was really nervous about A&P and I wanted to get started before class actually started. I was glad I didn't and I waited. My instructor teaches us only what he wants us to know and what is helpful for us to know in nursing. We skip probably 80% of each chapter and we only review highlights. We had to know bones, muscles and nerves BUT he picked the ones he wanted us to know, we didn't have to know all of them....so some things are better to wait until class starts.

If you really want to get started, review the 1st few chapters of your book or visit some A&P websites and review the basics (the 1st 2-3 chapters). For us those were concepts that we whized through in class because he was assuming that everyone had (and passed) Bio already. It had been 10+ years since I took my Bio class....so that stuff I had to basically relearn.

Good luck!!

mom2michael's suggestion is a good one. I've found that when I study ahead too much for a class, I end up trying to absorb things that the professor doesn't end up emphasizing. Don't get me wrong, there's nothing wrong with learning everything, but one's brain can only hold so much! Part of a professor's job is to direct you to what's most important.

That said, reviewing the first chapter of your textbook is probably a good idea. Understanding anatomical position and the body planes (saggital, etc.) will come in handy.

You will also most probably have to memorize all of the bones; if you wanted to start some real studying and memorization, I think that would be a safe thing to expend energy on. You'll also need to learn about the major organs, so checking out some pictures and anatomical models wouldn't be a bad idea.

You'll do great--good luck!

Start memorizng bones! Save yourself some stress when the pressure is on!

HI there! I am taking A&P this summer and doing some self-teaching stuff to prepare. Do you have any suggestions on where I should start? And any suggestions on learning this stuff would be great! THANKS!!!:p

Hello,

I am a student currently in advanced physiology. I have found that knowing basic principles is essentially important in A&P, I would myself suggest starting at cellular level, learn essentials for cells to survive. Also remember structure is related to function(key). A&P is alot of memorization as you probably already know. I would also recommend going over tissue types. Start slow, dont try to do a mile quickly. Relax and think thouroughly about what you have read a little at a time. Knowing the basics will help you to understand the more complex. I hope I've helped you in some way, A&P can be frustrating at times, just keep on it, it will sink in. :) I still use my A&P book all the time. Although I achieved good grades in my A&P classes, I still find myself having to refresh. Good luck! Snoopyangel :plonker2:

Specializes in L & D.

I'm taking A & P I online. I print out the "lecture notes" for the week, and read the chapter while taking my own notes. I then go to the text website to use the interactive learning games & take the online quizzes. Before an exam, I use the text study guide, answer the chapter questions and summarize my notes.

When I have things to memorize - histology slide photos, bones, and now muscles - I put them onto index cards. That way, I can keep them with me to review when I'm waiting in line somewhere, or standing in the kitchen waiting for dinner to cook. I also remove the cards from the pile when I am sure I know the info. It makes me feel better to see the pile getting smaller as the test approaches, knowing that I only have a few more things to learn!

Beth

I'm taking A & P I online. I print out the "lecture notes" for the week, and read the chapter while taking my own notes. I then go to the text website to use the interactive learning games & take the online quizzes. Before an exam, I use the text study guide, answer the chapter questions and summarize my notes.

When I have things to memorize - histology slide photos, bones, and now muscles - I put them onto index cards. That way, I can keep them with me to review when I'm waiting in line somewhere, or standing in the kitchen waiting for dinner to cook. I also remove the cards from the pile when I am sure I know the info. It makes me feel better to see the pile getting smaller as the test approaches, knowing that I only have a few more things to learn!

Beth

Online A & P? Where and is it accredited? It would be so great to be able to do it online! Can you send me a link?

It takes a lot of effort to succeed in A&P. Read the chapter before class, take detailed notes in class, review those notes later that night, review all your notes for the previous week on Sunday, and study for tests at least a week in advance.

There will be alot of memorization in the lab (bones, muscles, nerves, blood vessels, etc.), but for the class you cannot just memorize. Understand the concepts and be able to apply them, rather than just regurgitating answers.

It is doable, and if you learn it well, it will help you SO MUCH in nursing school!

Specializes in L & D.

The online class is through Hudson Valley Community College in Troy, NY (upstate, near Albany). Although the class is "online", there is a weekly two hour lab on campus where we take exams, lab practicals and do our labs.

Beth

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