A&P - Lecture exams v. Lab Practicals

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Which was harder for you? I aced my first A&P I exam, but am not feeling so good about the practical. I think I overstudied on tissues and bone, which will help me with the next exam, and not enough of everything else. There were some sections I either got totally right....or totally WRONG.

Ugh! 

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Congrats by the way! Depends which University or CC your in. I'm here at the University of Arizona and both are pretty tough. I went to my Dr's office hours and he said I do better explaining things than I do on the test because of the format of the lecture exams. As for the practicals, you have to know everything they teach you in lab. In my opinion, the practical is a hit or miss. You either know it or don't and every professor/Dr. is different.

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I am taking A&P 1 an d Lab right now, and I love lab, but lecture is killing me. I have aphysiology instructor that does not focus on anatomy at all. I have a 96 total in lab, but an 85 in lecture. We have our mid-term in lect. next Friday, and All I ahve to say is I am so grateful I made a few friends to study with!

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the practicals are really hard for me. There's just so much information, and I'm having a very hard time with it. Our first practical was over tissues and the integumentary system, and cells. We had to look in a microscope and identify the cells, know all the layers of the skin, and a bunch of other stuff. I know there was about 80 questions on the lab practical but I can't remember what a lot of it was over other than tissues and integumentary system... oh yeah, the anatomical terms. The different regions of the body were on there.

I failed our practical on the skeletal system :( I have no idea what happened, I studied for DAYS for that test. She had different bones laid out on the tables and we had to identify all of them and specify right or left... the test was about 70-ish questions and I failed it. There were some things she said we would need to know that she didn't have on there, and A LOT of things she said we didn't need to know that were on the practical.

We JUST started muscles- I hope I do better on this practical than I did on the last one. Her lecture tests aren't too bad thankfully, I get As on those as long as I study. It's the practicals that are really hard for me.

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I just had my second lecture exam (covering cell metabolism, tissues, and skin) and am pretty confident that I did very well. :smokin:

The practical, though, was awful....it was 150 questions covering 6 1/2 chapters. The next and last one will cover the remainding 6 1/2 chapters including all of bones, joints, muscles, execretory systems, and acid/base/electrolyte balance. :eek:

If that wasn't bad enough, it will be two days after the final lecture exam. :uhoh3:

But, in spite of it all...I am really enjoying this class. :)

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I need help to form a study guide for A and P (my tutor isnt much help) we are focusing on tissues and bones...help please

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Not only did I NOT bomb the lab practical, I did exceptionally well on it. I was stunned when I saw my score – I even went thru all of my answers to see the marks. Had to see it to believe it!

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Had you asked me when I first took A&P (retaking it b/c my first one was past the 5 yrs limit) I would have said lab hands down was harder for me..dreaded going to lab every time.

Having the lab instructor I have now, I actually look forward going to lab. He's phenomenal! Has a great way of taking all the info we need to know for the practicals and putting it into little bites that are easier to understand.

Honestly, lab is much easier for me. You only have to memorize things..where they are..the name etc, you don't have to really know the inner working of that particular bone, tissue, muscle etc to be able to identify it. lecture is where there is SO much info to read, understand and keep in your memory for the test. What I mean is take a wrist watch..the lab section is only asking you to ID the parts (name them, where are they) the lecture section is the part that not only wants you to name them and know where they are but you also need to know the how and why that each part holds...

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I do great on the labeling, but have a harder time with physiology.

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I get what you're saying that memorizing and identification is easier than understanding the physiology behind it, but I thought it was tougher because the lab practical was total recall. With lecture exams, you can eliminate obviously wrong answers and think your way to the right one, but not so with the practical. You either know it off the top of your head or you don't.

I practiced alot of the labeling assignments, but even those had word banks to choose from. For the next practical, I'm making up a master answer key to the labeling assignments in my lab book and will practice those until I can complete them without checking my textbook or notes. Even though I still did very well on the first practical, I felt that I struggled through it - it was very stressful. I would like to be better prepared for the next one even if the final outcome is the same.

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I think they are both extremely difficult in their own ways. However, I have an amazing study group and we are committed to getting A's. I just had my 2nd practical yesterday on tissues, bones, and bone markings and I got a 98! I am so excited. I am holding on to a 94 in lecture and a 96 in lab. Both are seriously tough. But so much fun. I do notice that with all 5 classes and 3 kids I have absolutely no life whatsoever and don't know the last time I had some me time. I just keep telling myself it will all be worth it to reach my dream!

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