Brilliant in lecture, Horrible in LAB....

srkastc · Jul 19, 2007

I am taking A&P II this summer. We just had our first test in lab, and I am really dissapointed in myself because I got a "C". I feel like something is wrong with me! I have no trouble getting an "A" in lecture. I grasp concepts and remeber words pretty easily. It seems that the majority of anatomy students tend to do better in the lab than the lecture, but not me! Does anyone else have this problem? What do you do? I really need an A in this class. If anyone has any study tips or words of encouragement, I would really appreciate it. I feel like I am drowning in lab, and I know I can do well, I just need to figure out how!

I know exactly what youre going through! I have taken 2 lab exams and made 2 B's (thank God for extra credit!) and 2 lecture exams with mid to high A's. I have a 4.0 and can see this class causing my GPA to tank. I think it's just test anxiety coupled with having to master a large volume of info in such a short time. I struggled with labs more last semester because I didn't see how they were relevant. When I find the relevance and can apply it to real life, I tend to do better. I hope that by this Fall when I go into my nursing class I will be over some of this anxiety! Study hard and stick with it - good luck!

TheCommuter, BSN, RN · Jul 19, 2007

I have this same problem. I am an excellent visual learner, so I do well in lecture. Last semester, I earned an 'A' grade in lecture and a 'D' grade in lab for my A&P II class. Since the lab grade is worth 30 percent of my total grade, it dropped my overall grade for that class to a low 'B.' Last semester, there were 2 lab exams. I earned a 'C' grade in one and an 'F' grade on the other. On the other hand, I did extremely well on all of my lecture exams. My overall grade for A&P II turned out to be a 'B.'

Since I'm not a good kinesthetic learner, I tend to have extreme difficulty with the hands-on tasks of lab science. In addition, all of the slides look the same to me when I am viewing them under the microscope.

Wsmith16, ADN, BSN · Jul 19, 2007

I had the same problem but with my summer micro class. While everyone else was getting 100's on the lab test I ended up with 64's. And while everyone else was getting 60's in lecture I was getting 90's.

Anyways, the best thing to doi if possible is to go to the AP lab to practice your skills. Can you stay a little longer after class.

Also speaking to the prof may help as well if they see that you are really trying maybe they'll be willing to give you extra credit or bump the grade up.

ERvik · Jul 19, 2007

I can really sympathize with you. Last year I was really worried about the lab tests in anatomy class because I'm a much better book learner. I did find one trick that worked for me though, I took pictures of all the models, charts, and even the cadaver and studied them at home. I know not all schools will allow this, but mine did and it helped A LOT! I ended up getting A's on all my lab exams. Talk to your teacher and check the policy. Good luck!

Vicki

pinkiepie_RN · Jul 24, 2007

I have this problem but I'm almost done re-taking A&PII this summer. I've learned that the only way I can actually learn the lab material is to constantly look at my notes and the terms. I also try to match terms to their location and write out their structure and function.

You're definitely not alone and I wish you the best of luck!

Syncere · Jul 25, 2007

When I took A&P 1, I didn't do that well in lab either. I ended up with a B in the class, so I knew I had to step up my game for A&P 2. What worked for me was I took pictures of EVERYTHING with my digital camera, including the cell slides. I then went home and printed the photos out and labeled them. I would study them for an hour each day for a week before the test. I never had to spend extra time in lab because I had all of the material that was needed for tests. I aced every single lab test. I came out with an A in the class. I just wish that I had thought of it for part I of the class. You should give it a try. Let me know if this helps!

Northstar Angel · Jul 30, 2007

here are the tricks my lab partner and i came up with for lab... hope it helps you :)

1. attend every open lab you possibly can!!! we discovered that we simply didn't have enough time during our lab class to adequately complete all the labs we were scheduled to do.

2. get as much hands on "model time" possible. the best way to identify what is on a lab practical is to actually handle what the instructor is going to use. ie. models, organs, slides, etc.

3. use a digital camera. my lab partner and i discovered the magic of digital cameras! it is possible to focus on the eyepieces of a microscope to get slide pictures to study. we took digital pictures of every model from every angle we could...this also included any model keys so we knew what the various parts were. this is no replacement for touching the models but it sure helps reinforce what you worked on in the labs.

4. use a "system" approach to learning the body. ex. instead of trying to learn muscles piecemeal, learn them as they are used in the body... xxx muscle extends the arm, xxx muscle flexs, etc. this way, you have a mental 'checklist' to run through as you are doing a practical, making sure you don't forget anything.

these worked for me pretty well. i consistently had one of the highest lab scores for my class, and we were all pretty motivated.

hope this helps and good luck :)

angelica