Anatomy is pretty darn hard.

justme1972 · Apr 9, 2008

If only you and one other student are failing the class, the it's not the material, you are just not studying enough.

Anatomy is a very, very difficult course and if you have a muscle exam on Thursday and you haven't started studying for it, I can tell you already to expect another F.

It takes an extreme amount of dedication to pass anatomy, alot of reading, tons of memorization, it is not like any other class you will ever take.

HM2VikingRN, RN · Apr 9, 2008

Do you have an Anatomy coloring book?

If not buy one. Prior to each test use that to help study for the systems on that test. (Color in the areas that you are trying to learn.) Its a funny thing but anatomy is something that is learned through a variety of sensory systems. Also go to the lab and practice on the models. Color helps the systems fixate in your brain. Handling the models gives you tactile memory. Writing things down puts it in your brain yet another way.

Another hint. Learn to think visually and in 3-D.

Buy the Anatomy/Physiology flash cards.

Another hint: Find a good lab partner to study with and quiz each other.

Go to your instructor and ask how to get tutoring.

As you are studying locate the structures in your own body. You can literally build a mental crib sheet by touching the various structures as you study. (Obviously you can't touch your liver but you get the idea.)

I am trying to help you study smarter not harder. Studying smarter is recruiting as many learning pathways as possible when trying to acquire new material.

HTH!

seanpdent, ADN, BSN, MSN, APRN, NP · Apr 9, 2008

It takes an extreme amount of dedication to pass anatomy, alot of reading, tons of memorization, it is not like any other class you will ever take.

I agree 110%.

Anatomy is the basis for all that you do and/or see as a nurse. How can one expect to properly take care of a pt if you cannot identify and or locate anatomy properly.

It IS the toughest subject you will have. And you DO have to dedicate most of your waking hours to studying hard just to pass!!!

Best of luck.

HM2VikingRN, RN · Apr 9, 2008

Study smarter not harder....I think it is expecially important to help people learn how to study not just tell them study harder...

But yes it will require daily study...

RunninDad · Apr 9, 2008

I'm not sure I'd say anatomy is the hardest subject. I didn't study that much when I was taking it, and had a B+. The body is a machine, so just think of it as a machine like a car or computer, and it really does honestly get easier, at least it did for me. Flash cards, and that jazz never worked for me. That type of thing has never worked for me in fact, though my wife swears by it - that's what got her through nursing school. Myself, I'm more touch and see. I need to be able to actually see things so the labs are where I did a good amount of my learning. I passed a lot of my lecture class simply by understanding the labs. I definitely agree that staying after in labs and getting hands on experience will help you. When we had our final, touching body parts wasn't allowed, as they could be seen as 'signaling' so while a good idea, could be hazardous to your grade. Find out before relying on that method.

At any rate, good luck and just stick with it. If you aren't able to suffer through AnP1, then it's better to finish now and start anew. It may take you a try or two though. One of the ladies I worked with took AnP3 times before she finally passed. She went F, D then her 3rd year taking it she got an A. Pretty nutty huh?

Keep reading and going to labs!

casi, ASN, RN · Apr 9, 2008

I'm not going to say that you aren't studying hard enough, because you probably are.

As I've told many people biology classes aren't hard, what is hard is learning how to learn biology.

First I would find out your best learning method. Sometimes people just suck at reading the book. For me reading my anatomy book was like reading German (I can't even say hello in German). I can also stare at my notes and pictures until I'm blue in the face and I won't remember much. I'm a doer. I have to label diagrams and answer test questions to learn. So find what studying style works best for you.

WildFlowers84 · Apr 9, 2008

I totally agree with you..

I studyied about 20+ hours per week by myself, with a tutor, and in study groups and got B's on the "bubble in section" and F's on the lab portion. Because the section was not equally divided, I got an F on EVERY exam! :bluecry1:

The average score was a C.

Needless to say, I had to drop that class a couple of weeks ago and will be retaking it over the summer with no other courses.

I did the coloring book thing and it is VERY helpful, only problem with that is it takes awhile to color each thing in! But great memory devise.

If you just need a C in the class, I would say stick with it, but if the school you are trying to get into is very competitive, I would think about another option (i.e. retaking the class at a time when you are more able to pay a lot of attention to it)

If you were to retake it a coupole of good things come out of the situation:

1. You will already be familiar with all the material from the class so it could make out to be an easy A in the class making you a god(dess) to the rest.

2. If you end up with a D or an F right now- the new grade will replace it with an even better score raising your GPA. yeay!

Hope that helps. Best of luck to you, I can totally empathize with ya!

Hoping4RNin2010 · Apr 9, 2008

Uggh I just typed a whole big reply and then accidentally erased it. Grrr.

Anyway, I am taking A&P right now and so far I have an A and so maybe I can share some study tips for you.

First, with this class I think it is easy to get overwhelmed if you take all of the information at once and try to memorize it like that. Like right now, I am studying muscles for our lab quiz tomorrow. At first it was so very overwhelming trying to remember all of these new names, on top of all of these new movements like supination and so on, not to mention origins and insertions...I said there is NO way I can remember all of this in one week. I first got the coloring pages of the muscles and colored them in making the muscles I was focusing on "pop". I took one section at a time. I started with the facial/head/neck muscles and I would say the name of the muscle while running my finger over where it is. This helps me "see" where it starts, where it ends and this makes it easier to understand what it does. Sometimes I will try to make up some silly connection to help me rememer also, like the word zygomaticus is silly and makes me smile...

I worked the face muscles and then moved on to the next body section. When I would quiz myself on that section I would go back and quiz on any section I had already completed, recementing it in my head.

There are also websites that you can use to quiz yourself with diagrams and such. I have one for muscles if you like I'll post it.

The more different ways and senses you incorporate into studying the more likely you will remember it. So touch it, color it, say it out loud so you are vocalizing it AND hearing it. Rewrite it. Just keep hammering away at it, you WILL get it!

Itshamrtym · Apr 9, 2008

I agree with the above posters. A & P was very difficult for me too.

I had to re-take it as my grade was a "D" the first time.. A "B" the second time with a different instructor. That can make the difference.

Don't beat yourself up about it. I spent a lot of additional time going to open labs. This was very helpful for me. And also the coloring book was very helpful too. Getting into a nursing program can be very competive these days, so you most likely need a very good grade... If you have to re-take it, so be it.... Just don't give up!!!! Good luck to you and take care... keep us posted.. :nurse: :redbeathe:nurse:

queenjean · Apr 9, 2008

How have you done in your other prenursing classes?

My advice to you is that if the nursing schools to which you will be applying are at all competitive, *DROP YOUR CLASS* on the last day possible, then re-enroll the next semester. Even if you start doing really well now, what is the best possible grade you can get out of it? Maybe a C? How is that going to look on your application to nursing school--not too good. And obviously you aren't really understanding or learning the material.

There is no shame in dropping the class and then retaking it. This was what I wish I had done with chemistry. I COULD NOT understand the material, and struggled for a D. I had to retake the class anyway, and ended up with an A in lab, B in lecture--it all just clicked the second time around. Since I had already been exposed to the material, I wasn't starting from scratch, and I had time to reevaluate what worked and what didn't as far as studying went. I also had a different instructor, and that style seemed to work better for me.

With a C (or god forbid a D) on your official transcript in a major class like anatomy, unless you have really high grades in all your other prenursing classes including the other sciences, you are hurting your chances to get into the nursing school of your choice (of in some cases, of getting in at all). Dropping now and retaking the class will more than likely result in a higher grade.

Good luck.

MikeyJ, RN · Apr 9, 2008

Studying A&P is about studying smarter, and not necessarily harder. If you are studying it "hard" now, and still not doing well.. you need to figure out how to smarten your study habits. Focus on what you are doing poorly in.

Anatomy lab was a beast, and to this day I have no idea how I did so well in A&P I and II. I didn't put that much effort into studying for the lab, but instead the day of lab I would literally sit down and memorize the material for nearly 7 hours straight.