OK, today I signed up for A&P 1 and 2 for the spring semester. Each will be an 8 week class, so I'm planning to do a little studying in December to prepare myself. I had another thread and it was suggested I learn bones and muscles as much as I can before the class starts.
I saw somewhere that histology is also difficult?
Any tips? Is it really that hard? I'd really appreciate any tips that will help prepare me so that I'm not completely overwhelmed when class starts.
I've never taken Biology or Chemistry in college (and only biology in highschool 20 yrs ago) -- so I'm looking for all the help I can get to make this class a success.
I am taking anatomy right now. I have found that histology is not bad, pretty simple, just memorize, it the easiest of all subjects. I studied for histology by taking pictures and labeling the back and quizzing myself like double jeopardy. Bones are not bad but time consuming for there is allot of memorization, I did the same take pictures and memorize. Muscles is a nightmare on elm street. I do recommend in finding others who have taken this class and see if you can borrow their notes, lab book, etc. to start studying, and have someone quiz you.
In addition, it all depends on school. We were given a list of things we had to know for lab, we where not quizzed on all aspects just the specifics things they believed we needed to know. Lec was all memorization of the notes.
Bones was harder than histology for me. Our lab exams were set up where we were looking at tissue samples under the microscope and had to be able to name what kind of tissue it was. We had questions on whether a cell was simple squamous and where that type of cell would be found, or pseudostratified columnar and where that cell type would be found... etc. I did flash cards based on cell type... for example: Pseudostratified columnar on the front of the flashcard with a list of locations of this cell on the back. I spent lots of time with the microscope, drawing what I saw. I asked the instructor what magnification he would be using for lab exams, and studied at that same magnification. Some teachers use diagrams for lab exams, we had the actual specimens. We had diagrams on our lecture exams that we had to fill out. I thought about when something was ciliated, what cilia was meant to do... add the physiology to the anatomy and it can really help. Think about both the structure and the function and tie them together in order to remember something. Don't spend a TON of money on supplemental material like I did. I never used half of it. The internet is a huge resource, your book may have a website to visit with practice exams and labs. The more exposure you have to the information, the higher the chances that you have to be able to recall it. I will not ever allow myself to take an exam without being exposed to the information at least 4-5 times... First time: read through the chapter. Second time: outline the chapter. Third time: make flash cards on only bolded items in the text. Fourth time: another good read through the chapter. Fifth time: make a study guide with drawings of the anatomy of the chapter with labels. The day before the lab exam, I would make sure I could draw the material that I was being tested on.
And oddly enough, I still remember a lot from Anatomy and Physiology. So, find something that works for you and run with it. Try not to memorize it for the test, but to commit to really trying to know this stuff. It has helped me in my classes afterwards. Good luck!!!! I was in your same shoes right before A and P and know the anxiety. Just power through it. I always said, "I don't have to understand it on my first time reading the information, I just have to get through it."
I would never attempt to take any science or math course in 8 wks b/c there is so much information to absorb and commit to long term memory....but that's just me.
I used: http://www.histology-world.com/ and the "Shotgun Histology" videos on YouTube. I agree with 'coast2coast' though, relax and enjoy it. It's not as hard as you think and can be a great deal of fun.
8 week classes are really compressed. I would take a longer time period class but if you are have to do it in 8 weeks, do it. I found histology a breeze. If you already have found learning bones, muscles, blood vessels, and nerves easy to memorize and recognize, then you will find that histology is easy.
Learn the different types of cells first using the aids listed on this thread. Good luck.
OK, today I signed up for A&P 1 and 2 for the spring semester. Each will be an 8 week class, so I'm planning to do a little studying in December to prepare myself. I had another thread and it was suggested I learn bones and muscles as much as I can before the class starts.
I saw somewhere that histology is also difficult?
Any tips? Is it really that hard? I'd really appreciate any tips that will help prepare me so that I'm not completely overwhelmed when class starts.
I've never taken Biology or Chemistry in college (and only biology in highschool 20 yrs ago) -- so I'm looking for all the help I can get to make this class a success.
Thanks!!!
How did you get to take A & P I and II in the same semester?
Specializes in Occupational Health & Safety, General....
I think you dont need anymore histology in nursing anatomy...It is much better to study physiology..or "Anatomy and Physiology".
Anyhow, there are lots of free anatomy video you can download in u-torrent... It is more fun watching it in "real world" to augment your what you have studied in books!
i found flash cards in general with pictures (i got lots and lots of pics from Google images) to be very helpful when it came to knowing my bones, muscles (keep them in their proper prospective of where they are in the body - they will not just throw a muscle on the table at you!) and histology.
Depending upon how they show you the histo sides (pictures, on the scope etc) they can all look a bit different - try to get as many different samples as possible. With cell types - know the basics - and take in all the info from the shot of them as possible. e.g. epithelial come a few different types depending upon where they are in the body - and remember the basic biological rule - form always fits function!
A&P!&II can be taken together - but in all honestly - from those i know that took it said that they did not get as much out of it when they look back. And the same was said from some students that took it in the summer one right after the other. Over all they all said that it was kind of more like a knowledge dump.
As a side - i know that most schools require you to have finished Bio.101 and Chem101 (along with the labs) before being allowed to take A&P's and micro. You may want to double check that requirement - as even our local CC required that. And i know that all of the nursing programs (in our area, even as a 2nd degree student) require them as well before applying.
there is a lot of basic info that is needed from those classes before under taking A&P.
(i speak from the prospective of someone that has a bachelors in biology and TA'ed Micro).
Google the type of tissue and when Google pulls it up, click on "images". It will pull up all types of slides and such to view. I took A&P I this past summer and am enrolled in A&P II now. This was a study tip my instructor gave us last semester and it helped me a lot. Good luck!
When your teacher is going over the models and slides to the class, write down what terms she tells you! They will be the ones you're going to have to remember for the test!
My book had so many unnecessary terms and labels that we didn't need to know for the tests.
And the most helpful thing I ever learned from my friend was to TAKE PICTURES! Use your cell phone and snap some pictures of the models! I even took pictures of the slides, just put your camera towards the lens and with some adjusting, you can take pictures of what you see inside the microscope.
That definitely helped me the most when I studied histology. And then, i would draw my own pictures of the slides and label and color it.
heather93612
5 Posts
I am taking anatomy right now. I have found that histology is not bad, pretty simple, just memorize, it the easiest of all subjects. I studied for histology by taking pictures and labeling the back and quizzing myself like double jeopardy. Bones are not bad but time consuming for there is allot of memorization, I did the same take pictures and memorize. Muscles is a nightmare on elm street. I do recommend in finding others who have taken this class and see if you can borrow their notes, lab book, etc. to start studying, and have someone quiz you.