Breezing along... until...

mwadams74 · Apr 9, 2017

I am in my second semester A/P and more than 50% of my class this semester and last semester are/were taking the class for the second or third time (one girl is on her fourth round of A/P 1. For many it is not an easily grasped subject, for some the idea that it is difficult makes it harder to be successful, and for others, it's just not within them to put forth the effort. I think you are making the right choice to try again with another professor. In the meantime, go online to coursera and take a free short term physiology class and see if you can get some of the terminology down. Or maybe try taking the anatomy portion first. The physiology is easier understood if you have a good foundation of the anatomy.

ItsThatJenGirl, CNA · Apr 9, 2017

In my experience, physio is harder than anatomy for most people - my instructor confirmed this for her classes.

What I'd suggest is to figure out what, exactly, is tripping you up. Terminology? Are you forgetting concepts from Anatomy?

Physio requires a higher level of thinking. You have to be able to take things you know in general and connect them. It's a lot of critical thinking and connecting dots to figure stuff out.

I would talk to your teacher before dropping if you haven't already done so. Ask him/her what they suggest.

Does your school offer tutoring? If so, DO IT! I have an A in A&P II and I go to tutoring at least once a week. While I don't necessarily learn anything new, I do get to review things and bounce ideas off of my classmates. I'd supplement with online resources like Quizlet, Khan Academy and things like that. If you class uses Mastering A&P, use that resource - it's great and you've already paid for it. Figure out the way you learn best and make sure you're using your study time efficiently. One of the most helpful things that I do in Physio is to write things down in my OWN words. If I rephrase concepts that I'm taught, I'm checking my knowledge and putting it into words that make more sense to me. If I'm not sure about what I've written, my teacher is happy to help.

I hope some of this helps. Best of luck to you.

meanmaryjean, DNP, RN · Apr 9, 2017

I failed Chemistry the first time I took it. Did not understand one thing after the first week. Stuck it out and got a big fat D-.

Re-grouped, re-registered with a different professor and voila' - A-! Also changed my study habits to spend more time in the textbook than in my notes from lecture.

paisling · Apr 9, 2017

What are you study habits like? Have you asked your prof for help or gone to tutoring? Have you checked out online resources to help with learning concepts?

Gangsteroids · Apr 10, 2017

The same thing happened to me the first time I took A&P! OP, if you haven't taken anatomy you definitely need to so you have a good foundation of knowledge for physiology. It helps me to think of physio like the body is a machine. You have to learn the parts of the machine really well and then you can see the body as a whole working together. When I was taking A&P II I kept going back to that thought and I swear it helped me so much.

You don't have to withdraw unless you really want to... a few tips:

1) Ask for a syllabus if you haven't received one. Then ask for a lecture and test schedule so you can be prepared for each topic as it comes up.

2) Review the anatomy before each lecture. Cardio? Review the structures of the heart. Endocrine? Review the structures in the brain, kidneys, thyroid, GI, etc.

3) Watch videos online to help with anything you don't understand after the lecture.

4) NOTES. Write them in class. Organize them after and then re-write them using whatever method works for you- color coding them, drawing the structures, adding personal notes to the lecture parts, anything that helps you.

5) READ THE BOOK AHEAD OF THE CLASS. This will be super important if you're really confused in the course. Read the chapters covered before you get to class. Write some notes and some questions you have, and take them to class with you. Ask questions so you can understand!

Good luck!

blackberrymousse · Apr 10, 2017

Physiology is notorious for being one of the hardest pre-reqs. It's also one of the most important because if you do not have a good grasp of Physiology, Pathophysiology will be exponentially tougher. When I took Physiology, it was a large lecture class and nearly everybody struggled with it even though our professor was awesome -- it's the material and how conceptual it is, how it requires more critical thinking and analysis, that makes it hard. Maybe you and your classmates can start up a groupme (it's an app) to share study tips and help each other. My super-large Physio class had one and it was incredibly helpful -- everyone was helping each other and the majority of the class ended up with a decent grade. I found that using quizlet and brainscape, watching youtube videos, even reading other physiology textbooks helped to supplement my studying. I definitely think it's one of those classes that almost everyone needs to put a lot of time into and I really recommend reading the relevant chapters in the textbook more than once, writing out notes & making up test questions for yourself, before going to class each week so at least you'll have had previous exposure to the material before showing up to class. I don't think it's one of those classes that someone can just show up for, listen to the professor, and then get it right then and there without prior studying and doing reinforcement studying right after class (ideally the same day, instead of waiting several days later to go over it again, or worse waiting until right before an exam to review). You should be constantly studying ahead and then reviewing as you go along.

I know this sounds like a ton of work, it is but you can do it! And I actually don't think there's anything wrong with dropping the class and trying again with another instructor. Sometimes teaching style and learning style just doesn't mesh, but keep in mind that Physiology is inherently challenging because the content is challenging.

ETA: Maybe ask your prof for permission to audio record her lectures. I did and do that for some of my classes (not my Physiology one b/c it was such a large lecture class and there would've been too much background noise) and find it helpful to listen to the recordings as I'm looking over the notes I took in class to add in stuff I missed or fix stuff I didn't take down correctly.

HDHRN · Apr 10, 2017

I struggled with physiology for some reason also. My school required us to do 3 A+P classes. They built on each other. I failed the 3rd A+P class. But I was 8 or 9 months pregnant and had like 3 other classes. I got booted out of the program and decided to give school the back burner and focus on my child. Luckily I got to come back 2 years later and retake the class. I studied by recording my instructor and following along in the book and notes. It made so much more sense to me and I passed the class with a B. Idk if that's something you can do? I did get permission from my instructor prior to recording him.

MiladyMalarkey, ASN, BSN · Apr 11, 2017

What you're feeling is pretty normal. I had to retake A&P 1, I didn't realize (after breezing through all my other classes) how in depth A&P was...especially the physiology part. It was a wake up call. So, I'm just encouraging you, this isn't the easiest of subjects & at least this time around you know what to expect. You Tube videos were actually very helpful for me when I was trying to learn the physiological aspect, our instructor used them in class too. That & actually reading those parts of the text prior to class gave a foot up in understanding. Good luck, hang in there.

WCSU1987 · Apr 11, 2017

I find AP2 hard and AP1 easier. I am stressing out hoping to get a B or higher. I am averaging mid 70's with test. The lab work, homework, and bonus exam bolster my grade. Plus we get to drop our lowest test that is 70 or above. I am hoping I can bring my grade up with the lab test, which is mostly memorization. I think that's why I liked AP1 better more memorization. AP2 is memorization and critical thinking. It's a learning curve.

UCFAshley · Apr 12, 2017

Here is a link that has been a tremendous help to me while I was in A&P. Also, if your text comes with online access, USE IT! Usually they come with more videos, exercises, and practice tests. W/ A&PII I had to self teach and rely on a lot of these resources because my instructor was a total mess and so disorganized >.

WCSU1987 · Apr 12, 2017

Crash Course - Anatomy & Physiology

I kind of started a bit late on watching these. Probably use the videos to study for the final exams.