A&P 1, Any Tips or Tricks to get the most out of the course.

Nurse2b7337 · Apr 27, 2014

I generally went straight by the book. The book as well as powerpoints you attain from yr instructor is where yr test comes from. If I didn't understand a concept I would seek out YouTube videos. Always read ahead before class as this helps in understanding and being prepared as yr instructor explains during class. Good Luck!

ALIwillbeRN · Apr 27, 2014

I'm not a book person but I made tons of flash cards, and I got an A in both A&Ps

neld257 · Apr 27, 2014

YouTube videos are a great tool for the anatomy portion of the class. They are a great way to get more study time outside of the lab. There are many professors out there who post videos using the actual models you will use in the lab. My school also has an anatomy practice lab set up in the library and if your school has one, you should take advantage of it. For the physiology portion of the class, I used the book and notes (which came from the book). I made tons and tons of flashcards from the book and notes (though I know flashcards don't work for everyone). I found that they were an effective way to break down the information into smaller pieces. One very important piece of advice I will give you for AP is to study EVERY SINGLE DAY! There is an overwhelming amount of information that you must cover in both AP1 and AP2 and there is no way to learn it all if you do not study every day. I finished both AP1 and AP2 with nearly a 100% average by simply putting in the time. There were others in my class who said "I don't understand why I did so poorly on this exam, I started studying a week before!" That just doesn't work in AP. AP1, at least at my school which is a community college, is the make or break class for nursing. We had 48 people in lecture when the semester began and less than 20 made it to the final! People underestimate the amount of work required to become a nurse even in the prereqs!

pmabraham, BSN, RN · Apr 27, 2014

Good day, jnichox2:

1. Review https://allnurses.com/pre-nursing-student/how-get-any-846733.html and put the foundation into practice for every class you take on your journey.

2. I've found recording lectures while taking notes; and, then listening to those lectures while rewriting notes, driving around, taking walks, etc. to be invaluable. I've been using Amazon.com: Sony Digital Flash Voice Recorder (ICD-PX312): Office Products since last June; it works very well. I use the software that comes with the recorder to give the file a meaningful name; then I sync it to my phone.

3. Anytime you get a grade lower than you were expecting that puts you on track to get a lower grade than you desire, then as quickly as you can do so, schedule time to see the professor. Take your notes, your book, and other tools with you. Show your professor your notes and ask if there's anything missing or off track. Ask your professor the source of the test questions (i.e. the book you are using, the PowerPoints used, etc), and note the sources to lookup later. Ask how you can be better prepared next time. Do use the tutoring / learning center of your school if they have one.

4. Be sure to go go all lectures, and every lab; don't cut out early. Even though I'm almost done with my prerequisites (only two more weeks), I'm still in shock on how many students cut lectures and labs or otherwise leave early. This is YOUR time to invest to learn, to grow. Spend the time, ask questions, review, etc.

5. Do participate in class. I find that either A) I will have correct information reinforced or B) incorrect information invalidated so I can through it out (the less time it remains in my brain, the better off I am in the long run). If you've taken psyhology classes, you've probably learned about "imaginary audiences" where we believe the whole world is staring at us, focused on us, etc. Well, that's not the case - it is imaginary. There are no dumb questions, and while you may have a few classmates who sigh upon those who participate, it is their loss, not yours.

6. If your school has a model room that you can goto outside of lab, use it regularly. The more time you spend touching, feeling and getting to know the models, the better off you will be come lab practical time. Learn how to use a microscope, how to focus quickly, and move the slide around to different objective points. Learn about dichotomous keys for histology. Learn landmarks that will help you quickly identify what you are seeing.

7. There are thousands of outside resources available on youtube, the Internet at large, etc. Search allnurses.com and you will find the best of the best listed. Though I would wait and see what you'll need based on how you are doing in class. It can be easy to get off track otherwise.

Thank you.

EmilysMama · Apr 27, 2014

I was fascinated by Micro so just reading the book was about all I needed for that. For Anatomy, as much as I like science it fries my brain cells. Repetition, repetition, repetition.. I have a study buddy that likes to repeat stuff verbally, where as I do like to read over and over, so it works for the two of us to study together. I have flash cards and a coloring book but I was so busy with family and just trying to keep up with 4 classes I never really got to utilize them. I did like the little notes in the coloring book though. Cool little trivia things like that make stuff easy to remember.

jnichox2 · Apr 27, 2014

Thanks you everyone. I will keep all this mind!

PNW0212 · Apr 27, 2014

Well, I never fully read the book, I skimmed areas which I was unsure of. I used mainly class notes and the study sheets. I would print out these "fill in the blank" type of things for anatomy or physiology and get a dry and erase clear sheet to put over the paper and write on that. That way, I could practice as many times as possible. It was very useful. And studying a little every day helps instead of just a bunch all at once:-) good luck!

AmyRN303, BSN, RN · Apr 27, 2014

Another tip: make sure you understand physiology as well as memorizing anatomy. Memorization is great however you do it, but unless you understand physiology, it's harder to put the pieces together in nursing school. Know why, how, where, and what does xyz....don't just memorize the bullet points. It will be much more helpful down the line.