Anatomy Class???

lifelearningrn, BSN, RN · Jan 14, 2011

Ah- the dreaded bones. How I wish we just had to learn 'every bone in the body'. Instead, it's all marks and grooves and holes and ridges on each bone! Ug! I will say that it all depends on your teacher how forgiving this part of this class is. I didn't do well at the bone part of anatomy at all.. but I still pulled an A in the class.

Is this strictly an anatomy class or a physiology one as well?

Saysfaa · Jan 14, 2011

I did it by putting a lot of time into it and using the various ways of working smarter rather than harder. That would be things like working on them when I'm most alert, doing a little bit at a time - often, making up mnemonics and other types of associations, and so on.

By a few months after the class, I had a working knowledge of some but no where close to all of them. The main benefit has been that a quick reminder brings it back when I need it now.

I agree that the bones were the hardest section.

zbb13 · Jan 14, 2011

I had a hard time memorizing the anatomical terms, so I photocopied the lab diagram (and the diagrams my instructor gave us to fill in) and then whited out all the labels. Then I photocopied that about 15 times. I would study the info, then I would take a diagram without the labels and fill it in. I would speak out the names while I was doing this (it helps to do it with a multi-sensory approach). That way you are reading, writing, and speaking the words. I repeated this over and over until I had it down 100%.

I aced anatomy and the lab tests, but I don't remember much. I am not that worried about encountering these terms in nursing school and drawing a blank. I am sure that with constant, practical use of these terms, it will come easier.

I also used online resources a lot. I went to the different publishers of anatomy textbooks, for example McGraw Hill, and I found their website. They have a lot of good resources like anatomy games, etc. I used those and found them very helpful to supplement the rest of my very dry, kind of tedious and almost-torture like memorization of terms.

Good luck.

jballa34 · Jan 14, 2011

Thanks for the replies!

It's strictly an Anatomy class, (thankfully). I'll definitely use the study tactics you mentioned. Awesome advice, I'm confident the professor is making the class out to be harder than it truly is just to see who can be weeded out early. Hopefully I'm right, no doubt it will be hard however.

Thanks again!

thenameismac · Jan 14, 2011

Honestly the hardest part for me was learning the muscles. Bones weren't that hard for me because I would wave at someone and say "I'm using my digits" or bump my knee on the corner of my desk and say "My...uh....patella!!!" Lol. It gets amusing when you do it like that.

jballa34 · Jan 14, 2011

Honestly the hardest part for me was learning the muscles. Bones weren't that hard for me because I would wave at someone and say "I'm using my digits" or bump my knee on the corner of my desk and say "My...uh....patella!!!" Lol. It gets amusing when you do it like that.

Well the actual bones aren't the problem it's the 15 ridges and grooves on EVERY bone that make it hard. I learned bone names in high school anatomy, what my professor is asking is astronomically difficult.

DarkBluePhoenix · Jan 14, 2011

Honestly it is not that difficult. I am taking winter intersession 6-week anatomy class which is pretty brutal. Just had for lab practical and first exam. We do about 3 chapters a day and an exam&lab practical every 2 weeks.

It is alot of memorization but not hard. I make notecards for everything! I make up questions and put them on notecards. I print out pictures and put them on notecards then have my family friends and coworkers test me.

Its just like anything else, you either know it or don't know it.

As for spring...I am taking microbiology and physiology...UGH...

Now that is going to be difficult.

Thirdwatch · Jan 14, 2011

If you have an Iphone, smartphone or blackberry, try to subscribe to this software. I study on my breaks and while waiting in line.

http://www.skyscape.com/estore/ProductDetail.aspx?ProductId=2833

Saysfaa · Jan 15, 2011

Good idea, Thirdwatch. The technology isn't necessary for it, though. Paper and note cards work also.

echo56 · Jan 15, 2011

Anytime I have to memorize a diagram, I do the photo copy thing/white out the names. 15 times does sound about right. You'll remember enough to get the test finished, and yes you may forget. But what will happen... once you start med surg etc, what you memorized will come back when used in practical applications. All the words will start to make sense when combined with a reason vs just a skeletal picture.

pdxmomazon · Jan 15, 2011

I'd say spend as much time with the bones and models as you possibly can. You need to learn what the markings/muscles look like on the models you'll be tested on. Form a group and quiz each other. I spent an inordinate amount of time my first term making notecards and they didn't help me one little bit. I think in terms of systems, and it's hard to apply that to anatomy, but for me it helped to think of how the bones articulated, and to think of the tendon that would be associated with a given bump. My classmate was having a really hard time until she started sketching everything out. Getting both sides of her brain working together made a hug difference. Finally, look up anatomy models online. A lot of schools have them out there, and there are several where the picture of the model has a "roll-over" feature that will expose the name of the bump/muscle etc. It's great for studying.

Good luck!