I am so frustrated with Anatomy & Physiology :(

[Jonahyona]

Hello everyone,

I am currently in Anatomy & Physiology 1. It is a prerequisite to the Nursing program here at my college. My current average is only a 71 (You need a 76 to pass). We get a TON of material to study and memorize (200 or so terms). Lecture is completely useless to what we do in the lab. I study for hours only to feel like I have learned nothing. We get quizzes during lab on things we need to self-teach ourselves. Honestly, I feel like the entire course is self-teaching. The professors are useless and you can tell that they really don't care. I have emailed them before and I get a vague, careless response from them.

I KNOW I am not the only one in my class who is failing. I feel like a majority of the class is. Anatomy & Physiology takes up so much of my time that all my other classes work gets put off. It has also simply made me depressed. I get so frustrated because no matter what I do I seem to barely pass/ fail the exams. I may just drop out of the program. I don't know what else I can do. I feel like I am in med-school sometimes. My school offers no study groups, extra help and even the A&P professors obviously don't care if most of their class fails or not.

I see my goal of ever becoming a nurse slowly floating away.

- A frustrated A&P student.

[bryonss]

When I took Anatomy and Physiology 1, I studied every day in the science tutorial lab. Before the lecture I read the chapter and took quizzes, repeating until I scored above 98%. On weekends I made flash cards of all terms and definitions and concepts. I asked other students for phone numbers and I organized study groups to meet in the library. At study group meetings, we practiced the flash cards. There was a lot of time wasted organizing, getting to and from meetings, but anticipating that others would see me answer flash cards made my memory work better. Otherwise, I would get sleepy trying to memorize. My brain needed a reason to remember something: Fear of humiliation worked. My other motivation was my determination to get the highest score on every test. I was embarrassed on the first test because I got the second highest score. The woman next to me in class got the highest score. I talked with her and learned that she was a Dentist. After that, I decided to practice until I got 100% on practice quizzes. By the time I went to class I already knew everything that would be presented in lecture, so I often spoke up to correct the instructor's mistakes. Part way through the class, the instructor was conversing with me like I was an expert. That's how I got the highest score in the class. Now to do it all again for Anatomy and Physiology 2.

[Kerryberry]

I find that going into YouTube and watching good videos on the AP topics helps solidly and explain things with video animations as well. Some good ones are from Beverly Biology, Bozeman Science and Kahn Academy. Good luck. It is a a lot of info but it all builds and will make sense when studying diseases in nursing school! Keep working!

[joliejolie]

I really need help with A&P 1.. I just started the class this semester and I really want to get into the nursing program but I'm just such a huge procrastinator.. I know it's a habit I really need to get out of.. I'm just not sure how to study for the class or how to make myself understand more than just memorize.

[Kerryberry]

Ok listen. I want to help. I got A's in AP and it's doable but you MUST do a few things.

1. You have to stop procrastinating NOW. AP IS A TON of information and you don't want to get behind. You'll be miserable trying to cram and this is NOT a cram course.

2. Read assignments and then go online to YouTube and type in whatever the topic is and watch great videos with animations. This REALLY helps plus it gives you the info from another person and medium. KAHN Academy is good. There are others including Crash Course.

3. You won't do well unless you're willing to put in ALOT of time studying. AP builds on itself and is essential to understand if your going to do well in AP2 because AP 2 assumes you understood things like transport proteins in AP 1. So when you study the Endocrine system in AP 2, You'll

Understand right away what is going on. Professors don't re-teach AP 1 concepts so u need to understand them thoroughly now in order to move at the AP 2 pace. If you're willing to put the time and effort in you should be able to do it but it's serious. Plus, who would want any nurse taking care of them who DIDNT put the time in studying anatomy and physiology??

Just do it!

[Kerryberry]

That's the best advise too! Always read ahead so that in lecture it's notnnew info but it's a a review of at least most of the material...

[Kerryberry]

One way to move past memorizing is to pick a topic like Proteins and then think of all of the things you know about them in some kind of logical order. What are they synethized from, where? How? What function do they have in the body? Then you begin to connect dots. Memorizing works only so far because we then have to apply the knowledge to situations like in AP2 lab where we r given a case study with a list of symptoms and we have to determine what is and isn't occurring in the body systems. So yes, the knowledge must go past memorizing and into critical thinking as we learn more information.

[Kimberllie Turner]

I am Failing my class hands down and I also feel like I should go with plan b career but I've wanted to be in the medical field since I was in kindergard. I knew it was going to be tought but honestly how did anyone ever pass this and learn like everything in the time the course and instructers want it finsised and I also agree I strongly feel like im on my own

[Jalden80]

I realize this post is from 2011 (I hope the student ended up finishing and is happily working. would love an update!) but since I found this post as a nursing applicant looking for something else I hope this post will help someone else. 

Im a non traditional student in my early 40s who has no degree and decided to start the nursing path late in life after over 20 years out of school. A&P was the first "HARD" class I had and I had to shift the way I studied. 

A&P1 is (luckily?) still a lot of memorization. It's mostly cellular study as the most complex application, with a little bit of neuron and muscle/skeletal study towards the end. I discovered creating quizlets on the unit objectives helped me think about the content and learn to condense the information to the most important parts. Writing them accurately and well enough that I could share it with classmates also helped make sure I understood what I was writing and would prompt me to reach out to the instructor if something wasnt clear. And thats the second part. Talk to your professor, email, schedule office hours with them EARLY AND OFTEN. I probably talk to my professor every single week. I PROMISE that they want you to do that. It's way more frustrating when the students suffer and bomb testing when it could have been easily cleared up with a chat or more discussion.  I've had probably 5 emails and two visits with my AP2 professor on JUST this unit alone to make sure I was understanding the physiology correctly. 

I also draw diagrams of things, like action potentials or ion flow in and out of a cell, etc. It helps me understand the flow and the steps. It also helps me with recall during a test. I invested in whiteboards for my office because I found that going into the study lab at school and drawing out things helped me visualize it better. 

Go to open labs if you have that at your school. Look at the anatomy in person and use the lab tutor. If there is homework available or practice sheets, do them, even if its not for a grade. 

and the last part is probably the hardest to adhere to of all: Commit to school as your PRIMARY focus. I say this as a mother and wife who has life obligations. I had classmates who struggled and talked about how unfair the class was or how the tests were designed to be tricky or manipulative, etc...but then they had VERY active social lives. Im not promoting burning yourself to the ground. Self care is very important. But its not a pass. Go hiking. Get a pedicure. Take a day off maybe, IF youre doing well. But that doesnt mean going out at night or taking the weekend.  I come home from school and immediately sit at my desk and continue working. I'm fortunate that I can be a full time student and not work and recognize thats not a luxury everyone has but I do this because nursing school is competitive, the classes are difficult and my husband (who also is a licensed medical professional) understands that it takes ALL of your attention to do well.  With that in mind, if youre able to minimize distractions in whatever way is sustainable for your life, income, situation, and maximize whatever free time you have, thats my recommendation. I have said to family that I'm sacrificing my life now for the long term benefit later. "I'll see yall in a few years, I'm head down right now."  I'm very lucky to have so much support and I hope my reply doesnt sound privileged and out of touch. I quit my full time job, which was TERRIFYING as a mother to do, and as such, I treat school like it is my job for now.  

For what its worth, I completed a&p1, Ethics, and Human Growth and Development with an A after doing all of that. I currently have a high B in a&p2, an A in Pharmacology and in 2 weeks I start an accelerated Microbiology class. I'm modifying my study habits now to scoot back into A territory again with A&P. It really is a full commitment.  I wish all of us the best of luck! 

[Natasha A., CNA, LVN]

Hi, please withdraw and retake the course only because you do not want any W's on your transcripts and you've worked so hard to get to this point. Nursing school is competitive so you want to have great transcripts. Plus, A&P is the foundation for every nursing class. It's a must that you know this material.  Please take this break time to review all you A&P notes. A&P is a fast course so you want to be ahead and review.  You may not see this yet, but you are receiving a glimpse of nursing school far as having to self study, be resourceful to find a tutor, books, videos, etc to enhance your learning, having professors who may not compliment your learning style so you are going to need to accountable for your own success. Please take this time review every chapter A&P, but first learn how to study exams. Read books how to study exams in general. Hopefully this may help you. You can do this! ?

[Nurse Alexa, MSN, RN]

In my opinion, A&P was one of the most challenging pre-requisite you will take because it incorporates lots of memorization. 
 

It's important to take one topic at a time. To study pieces of your work every/every other day and not cram.

Mnemonics have always helped me because they are an easier way to memorize terms and anatomy. 
 

Group study sessions are also key. Talking the work over with peers is priceless, and sometimes hearing others explain a challenging topic out loud is all you need for the topic to finally stick.

 

Hope this helps! ? 

[Amy Swetz]

I have a 4.0 GPA & I have a 79 in A&Ap right now. My professor just reads the slides for lecture & teaches absolutely nothing. She won't give study guides or help us in anyway. She tells us to make diagrams!! I have 100% on all assignments & lab practicals I gets Bs. But the lecture exams are on lockdown browser, on camera & microphone. I have been an LPN for 18 yrs & I'm going for my RN but this class is ruining everything. I am most likely going to drop & retake with a different professor she just says lecture exam on chapters 7,9,10,11,12. Nothing else! So I have no clue what to study at all. I have a 79 & 77 is failing ughhhh

[Liisa444 BSc]

When I took A+ P online (basically self-taught) what worked for me was to watch various videos on YouTube after I read a chapter. I used a dry-erase board to draw processes out. I also would talk aloud to my cat about what I was learning. Sounds silly but it helped me understand what I was learning. But I lived and breathed A+P. I reviewed my notes daily and spent 3 to 6 hours studying every day. ( including watching videos, or taking practice tests). I gave up using flash cards. There were way too many terms to handwrite on cards. ( It was a 6-credit course).