Does it get easier after anatomy class?

nursing96student · Sep 29, 2016

A&P is a difficult class. The first lecture exam I took I got a C in. From then on, I changed my study habits. I read my lecture notes every day for 2-3 hours and I would start studying for exams a week in advance. Quizlet really helped with memorizing terms and study groups helped out a ton. But instead of just memorizing terms, I applied them to real world situations. This made it really easy for me to grasp the overall concepts.

ItsThatJenGirl, CNA · Sep 29, 2016

It's a tough class. I study by repetition - writing/drawing over and over and over. I listen to lectures multiple times. I make flash cards. I rewrite my notes multiple times. I go to the study lab, and tutoring. It takes up about five times as much time a week as my other classes.

Good luck.

VioletKaliLPN, LPN · Sep 29, 2016

I intend this with love.

It becomes more intense in Nursing school. A&P is your foundation, it must be understood.

The sheer amount of work is far more in Nursing school. Also, in my program there was no one accepted that did not have an A in A&P. Competitive admissions means that the highest grades win.

Being honest here, because I know you would likely prefer to know the hard truths.

ottersloveoysters · Sep 29, 2016

Personally for me, the prerequisites (A&P, Chemistry, etc.) were the hardest classes. Nursing classes were definitely challenging but not more than the prerequisites. I was also a second career student (already had a B.S. and M.Ed.) and I found I had to put in more hours studying to get good grades in nursing classes than I did in other areas of school. It is challenging but do-able.

NurseGirl525, ASN, RN · Sep 29, 2016

A&P was a cakewalk compared to nursing school. Sorry, but A&P, especially I, is nothing but memorization and regurgitation. Nursing school is thinking on a higher level, without memorizing. It's application.

Evaluate your study habits. See where you are going wrong and fix it. It's the perseverance that will get through.

SmilingBluEyes · Sep 29, 2016

Consider it prep for nursing school. I don't think nursing school was "hard" when it came to didactic, but it was a new culture to assimilate myself to. And so very time-consuming. Get your organization skills down now, before school or even if you are a straight A student, you won't succeed.

AliNajaCat · Sep 29, 2016

Anatomy and physiology require different skills. Anatomy, it helps to be a three-dimensional thinker, able to see structures in space. Once you get to that point, it falls into place a lot more. The Anatomy Coloring Book (this is a real thing) will help you, too. (Amazon has it)

Physiology needs attention to systems, the fitting-the-puzzle-pieces-together process. There is also a Physiology Coloring Book that you will find very, very helpful in that.

As to whether it gets easier... nope. Unlike other majors, you are held responsible for all previous class content and at higher and higher levels as the semesters progress, and for integrating it all into a cohesive whole. So squeaking by and wiping your hands on your jeans and saying, "Whew, that's done!" is not going to work AT ALL.

Find a good tutor in the student help section-- you may need to try out more than one to get someone who can really work with your learning style and help you adapt to this totally new sort of education.

Sour Lemon · Sep 29, 2016

A&P was a cakewalk compared to nursing school. Sorry, but A&P, especially I, is nothing but memorization and regurgitation. Nursing school is thinking on a higher level, without memorizing. It's application.
Evaluate your study habits. See where you are going wrong and fix it. It's the perseverance that will get through.

I do much better with thinking and application than I do with memorization, so the opposite was true for me.

TheCommuter, BSN, RN · Sep 30, 2016

I struggled in the sciences (A&P and microbiology), yet found nursing school relatively manageable. Of course, your mileage may vary. Good luck to you.

BubbyBoogs · Sep 30, 2016

A&P1 is a lot of memorization. Flash cards may be your best friend. It really depends on how you learn. I study best alone however many people benefit from study groups. Also, see if your school has a study place with tutors available. A lot of them will have a lot of resources like videos, quizlets, examples of past test, etc. that the instructors themselves do not provide.

Lemon Bars · Sep 30, 2016

I do much better with thinking and application than I do with memorization, so the opposite was true for me.

Yes! Anatomy was the worst! And chemistry was also terrible. I hate memorization. Nursing school still involves some memorization, but not as much and you get to apply the information to a patient's condition and it becomes more real. Don't despair the pre-requisite are at least as hard as nursing school, possibly harder.