A&P Hype

TexRN, BSN, RN · Jul 30, 2013

I know that feel, I have a 19 month old and a 5 month old!

DadStudentPerhaps · Jul 30, 2013

I can't imagine taking it online especially with the lab portion. I took the first A & P in a five week summer session and passed, barely, with a C. The second one I took in a regular session and got an A. The material is extensive, the book is gigantic and covers both A/P I and II. I thought it was the biggest textbook I had ever seen, until I got my Fundamentals of Nursing book! McGraw Hill offers on online tutorial with the book but it is soooooo time consuming, and it was required as homework in A & P I. It wasn't required by my second professor, and I got a better grade in that class, so I'm unsure if the tutorials helped. I would recommend doing all the reading, doing all the self tests, even using quizlet for A & P. Use extra time in the lab and really memorize the muscles and bones and arteries and veins and organ systems and nervous system. That is what you will use more in nursing than cell biology, although you do have to know it for the class.[/quote']
I did my A&P I online with McGraw Hill also. I took my lab at the school. I agree, the amount of homework was almost overwhelmingly. To add to the workload, the Professor put in the wrong due dates right after mid-term and it took him about a week or so to fix it..... I couldn't do my online assignments! When it was fixed, I was behind.... no fun :)

DadStudentPerhaps · Jul 30, 2013

Very good detailed description! :-)
I must agree that it's a lot of reading and memorization. I'd go as far as saying you can't progress through the course without a grasp and understanding of the previous material covered in previous chapters. My A&P courses were divided- A&P I covered bones and muscles, mainly a lot of memorization; however, A&P II was a little more difficult (in my opinion) because there were more physiological processes. Outlines and flash cards will become most helpful!

I'm amazed at myself for being to recall a lot of the information covered ..... lol.

destrier · Jul 30, 2013

I think it depends on how you learn. If you are good at memorization then Anatomy would probably be "easier" for you. Physiology is a different kind of learning (for me anyhow). You have to really learn the why's and understand the processes. It is not the kind of class you can just memorize facts. It really just depends on the person, imo. My only tip, be prepared to put in the study time, and know that you may have to change your studying style depending on the class. Good luck!

stylishest · Jul 30, 2013

I'll most likely have to do it online. My community college is odd and makes it into two seperate classes. Not sure if I like that.

I took A&P 1/2 online (labs on campus). It was a very interesting class, lots of studying, and reading. But it is all very interesting. Stay completely engaged throughout the course, if you begin to fall behind it will become overwhelming...understanding is absolutely crucial, as all the other sciences will build on it. Nothing seemed difficult to grasp, but it takes time to take it all in.

DisneyNurseGal, BSN, RN · Jul 30, 2013

My school had separate Anatomy and Phys classes. Phys was FAR AND AWAY the hardest class I ever took. I studied at least 35-40 hours a week (it was a 4 credit class). I EARNED my A in that class.

little_ladie · Jul 30, 2013

In my school, Anatomy and Physiology were two separate classes. Right off the hop, Anatomy separated the students who put in even the slightest effort from those who did not know how to study, as over 25% of students who made it to the midterm, dropped out afterwards. In fact, the average mark on the midterm was a borderline failing grade. Needless to say, the number of students enrolled in physiology was much smaller.

On the one hand, this SHOULD scare you. You really need to study and focus yourself in these classes. On the other hand, as long as you are putting in the time and effort, you will be fine.

Here is my opinion of these two classes, having received an A+ in both:

Anatomy: The sheer volume of information and memorization is what gets people. Utilize your lab time. Instead of running out of the class because you're "finished" early, ask questions, go over the material again, quiz yourself on what you just learned. Go in to see your prof during office hours. Just go over things again and again.

Physiology: This class isn't "harder", just different. You are no longer memorizing mass amounts of names and functions. In this class you need to do a lot of learning and connecting on your own. Many exam questions took the knowledge you learned in class about two or more systems, and it was up to you to consider how these systems would work together. These classes require you to build on all the knowledge you gain and be able to reference yourself back to things you are "no longer studying"

In the end however, every class is different, every prof is different, and every student is different.

Good luck! Having belief in yourself is step number one. If you are dedicated to doing well, then you will! I never thought I would ever be more than a "B student", much less in a science course (!) but as soon as I made a decision to do otherwise, I made it happen. I truly believe anyone else can too.

hi616 · Jul 30, 2013

Like others have said, the class simply requires a lot of material to be learned in a short amount of time. Anatomy and Physiology were taught separate at my school. Physiology required more studying for me just because there are more complex processes where as Anatomy and simply memorizing the rotator cuff muscles and what they do. Also, the way your teacher tests you can make a big difference in the difficulty level of the class. Both of my professors used multiple choice only tests so they were rather easy. It was a class for non-science majors and I wasn't allowed to take the higher level class because I wasn't a biology major even though I had several upper-level science courses under my belt. I really pushed myself to learn above and beyond what was presented in class since I knew it would be so important for nursing school even though most of my classmates blew the class off.

DisneyNurseGal, BSN, RN · Jul 30, 2013

I'll most likely have to do it online. My community college is odd and makes it into two seperate classes. Not sure if I like that.

I liked them separate. They require such different methods to study, I think it would have been hard for me to have them combined.

halfglassfull · Jul 30, 2013

I liked them separate. They require such different methods to study, I think it would have been hard for me to have them combined.

Me too. I too take separated classes.

16mm · Jul 30, 2013

Number 1 piece of advice is find a good teacher on ratemyprofessor. I'm taking both a&ps this summer and I'm doing great. You have to have discapline though. You can't fall behind AT ALL.

Dezi919 · Jul 31, 2013

I see a lot of hype over this class. I understand why, but is it considered a difficult class? Any tips for when I take it? Is it common for schools to offer anatomy as one class and physiology as another? Thanks. :)

It isn't that bad. It requires a lot of memorization. People who are good at that will succeed. If you're not good at memorization it doesn't matter, you can train yourself. Remember to sleep when you're tired. It gives your brain time to regenerate. Some schools offer A&P as separate classes. I took A&P 1 with 2 other classes in the summer (Psychology in class and Human growth and development{Online}. I found lecture easier and lab harder. It is wise to go into the lab and study. Look at the models and pictures and touch the models. Hands on seemed to help a lot of people with lab. I was also not a visual learner. I was more of a audible learner. You may be better at physiology(aka lecture) or anatomy(aka lab). I studied the lecture by rewriting the notes, reading up on things I did not understand and doing the study guide. I used flash cards, youtube videos, pictures, and the lab to study for the lab. I dedicated at least 8 hours a day for the course. It takes time management, focus, memorization and dedication to succeed in the class. Make sure you have sufficient motivation and join a study group! I also worked weekends but in the end I got a 83% which is a B. I was happy for that.