Anatomy and Physiology

fingers_crossed · Apr 20, 2014

Hi there!

What programs are you applying to with a January start date? I have applied to programs starting in September, but may need to start in January instead. I don't know which schools offer January start dates though.

I though BIOL 235 at Athabasca. To be honest, it was quite intense, for me at least. The format of Athabasca courses makes them more convenient (self-paced, can start whenever you like, can write exams when/where you want, etc). However, the trade off is that you lose a lot of guidance that comes from traditional classes, with lectures that synthesize the material, an instructor guiding you and classmates to interact with. You do have a tutor, but you are still essentially teaching yourself the material. For me, this meant that the course took a lot longer than expected. However, I have heard on other forums of some people completing it in a much shorter time. If you are motivated, I think it's definitely possible, but you would need to work on the course all day, everyday. But, it all comes down to your personal study habits and the type of educational background you're coming from. Basically, completing the course in 3-4 months would be demanding and difficult, and I wouldn't recommend it, but it's possible.

Another thing to consider is that when you register for a class with Athabasca, if you do so after the 10th of the month, you cannot start until the next month. So, the earliest start date if you registered today would be June 1. However, they would send you the textbook right away and you could technically get started, you just wouldn't be able to schedule any of your midterms until after June 1. Just something to consider. Good luck with your studies!

samantha21 · Apr 20, 2014

I was looking into the transfer program at the University of Calgary. However, I probably won't be able to apply for January, it seems a bit out of reach to complete Anatomy and Physiology 1 and 2 and a Stats class online, by August 31st!

Thanks for the information though, I will need it when I do take the class!

Where have you thought about applying for September?

fingers_crossed · Apr 21, 2014

I've already been accepted to Lakehead (sep 2014) and waiting to hear back from Western (sep 2014). For January start dates, the only one I know of is also Calgary, and I would apply to the degree holder route. It would be nice to have a another place to apply to as a backup though.

Probably a good idea to give yourself more time to finish the course, as it will make it less stressful than having to rush through the course with this deadline looming over you the whole time.

I'll try to give you some more info about the course. When I first signed up for BIOL 235, I thought it would be similar to other online courses I took during my degree, which still had lectures, just posted as a video online. But actually, there is very little that you do with the course online. You learn the material yourself through the textbook. The book comes with a code for a website that has extra resources, like animations, activities and quizzes to help you learn. You complete 3 assignments on a word document, and 3 quizzes online at home, and 3 midterms/exams which you schedule 3 weeks in advance to write at an invigilation area in your area. If you write at one of the Athabasca campuses, I believe this is free, but otherwise you must choose from a list of approved invigilators all over Canada, most of which will charge you a fee (My invigilator charged $60 each for the midterms and $90 for the final exam). The invigilator list is quite extensive, so there should be one fairly close to you. There are a lot of chapters to read/learn in between assignments/quizzes. I used a lot of youtube videos to help me with some of the concepts I was struggling with. Interactive Biology and Khan Academy were both excellent sources - they both post free online videos about ANP. There is an option to purchase extensions to the course if necessary. I think the only reason you would need this is if you kind of got distracted or lost motivation for a while and then had trouble getting back into the course. They provide you with a recommended schedule that is reasonable, and should get you finished the course in about 8 months (even though you have 12). For me, I got busy for a month or two and stopped working on the course at all, so I had to work a lot harder to catch up again, but I still managed to finish in 7.5 months (almost all day everyday for 2 months). Also, if you fail one of the quizzes, I believe you are given a chance to redo it over the phone with your tutor. And you are allowed to rewrite one of the midterms/exams if you failed, or if you wish to improve your grade, but you must pay a rewrite fee, and pay the invigilator again. Still, it's good to know that it's an option if something does happen, if you are willing to pay. You do need to pass every midterm/exam in order to pass the course.

samantha21 · Apr 21, 2014

Congratulations on getting accepted!

And thank you so much, that really helps! :)

Good luck in everything else you do! :)

hartab · Jun 28, 2016

I thought I'd leave a comment for those currently taking the biol 235 course through Athabasca currently (2016). I just finished taking the second midterm and will be finishing up by the last week of August. I'm also taking the course as a prereq to apply to the degree holder route with the University of Calgary!

I started the course at the very beginning of April giving myself 5 months to complete it. It is absolutely possible to finish this course in 4-5 months, but with that being said, you do have to read A LOT. I read 2 chapters a week on average and read each chapter again a second time, two weeks prior to taking the midterms. The first exam I made an 80, not knowing what to expect or what to focus on, but the second midterm I made a 95. Both the quizzes I made over 90's on, being that you can take them at home so there is no need to worry about those. I will say that the quizzes seem to have much more challenging questions than the tests however. I have found that the best way to study is to just really read with the intent to understand the content as best possible and to be very focused and deliberate in your readings. It also helps to go through the practice quizzes provided via willey plus when you register to the course.

If you want to take this class in a short amount of time, just be sure to have a lot of time to read and to complete the assignments, which can be quite time consuming. It seems quite overwhelming after you get past the first chapter or two and the content only gets more complex, so remember to not overwhelm yourself with "what if's" and try to focus on what makes the readings more interesting on a personal level. Like reading how the hormone prolactin can cause erectile dysfunction (should it be overproduced) in men, but causes the production of milk (when pregnant) in women! haha

Ayumi23 · Mar 22, 2017

Hi, Im currently taking biol 235 from athabasca. Will be taking the first midterm next week and im not sure what to expect. Any tips aside from doing the quizzes in Wiley's?

ltruong · Aug 11, 2017

Hi! I just started BIOL 235 at Athabasca and I'm wondering how in depth the tests and quizzes actually are. Would you say that you had to know every little detail? Or was it more focused on general topics?

I totally agree with what you said about the amount of content you'd have to get through if you only have 3 to 4 months. I think the study guide they have is realistic though to finish it in 44 weeks. Even doing 2 chapters in a week if you've got a full time job is A LOT in my opinion.

JReid26 · Jun 17, 2020

On 4/16/2014 at 6:19 PM, samantha21 said:
Hi,
Im hoping to get my pre-reqs finished by august so that I can apply for January admission.
I was just wondering, has anyone taken Anatomy and Physiology 1 and 2 online at Thompson Rivers or Athabasca?
Is it possible to be completed in 3-4 months if I dedicate my time to it?

Hey I know this is a super old thread but I have only 3 months to do it haha were you able to get it done?! I am about to finish the first third. I figure if I can do one per month ill get by...