Does it get easier after anatomy class?

chtzu, BSN, RN · Sep 30, 2016

A&P was the worst!!! I hate admitting that I did get a C for both A&P1 and A&P2. (I got a 59 on one of the finals, so embarrassing) But I got A's and B's through nursing school so don't let it discourage you. Just keep working hard. Study groups helped me and have someone test you. A&P is a good foundation but it's taught much differently in nursing school. I think I was more interested so it encouraged me to study more.

Mrs.D., BSN · Sep 30, 2016

There's been some great & practical advice for studying, so I won't bother with that. But I will say that I use what I learned in A&P--and chemistry, for that matter--on a daily basis in school. It's SOOOO important to really understand it. You truly want to understand it as best as possible. I would suggest taking the class again if you get anything less than a B-. Yes, it might suck waiting an extra four months to finish your degree, but it will be so worth it. However, as they say, "Cs get degrees!" lol

There's a reason that many programs won't accept students with certain grades in certain classes--most students will get lost with each advancing semester because the classes build off of what they were supposed to learn previously, STARTING with A&P. I have someone in my class right now that did that (took the course again BY CHOICE), and she doesn't regret it one bit. I'd bet she understands more with her two classes of A&P than I do with my one successful go 'round.

I am also an adult student with two non-nursing degrees. I received a total of one B between my two degrees and the first half of this one (damn precalc trig!). I am currently in the second half of my BSN right now, and it's very tough. I will feel BLESSED to make it out of this with a B! We are allowed to get as low as a 77, or 78, maybe... I feel like I am burning out, just as they are asking for more... There's just SO much. BUT it's exhilarating, and I'm learning more than I ever have. I literally do not have the time or brain power to be looking up basics that I should have learned in A&P and chemistry. I hope you figure this out and are able to continue getting your As & Bs, but if not, don't be discouraged because you are definitely not the only one struggling, nor the only one potentially having to repeat a course.

Don't give up! Sometimes we need a little extra education in one thing or another. Just work hard to master it--even if that means taking the course over once more. When you have it, you'll be grateful... and then feeling it all over again in your med/surg rotation

Good luck!

Jessica1019 · Sep 30, 2016

I took A&P 1 lecture & lab during the summer & it almost drove me nuts. I managed to get by with a B, but it definitely was not easy. I read over the chapters ahead of time & wrote down anything I thought was important (I found that I retained the information better if I wrote it down). But surprisingly I am really enjoying A&P 2 this semester & it shows with my grades. I'm not sure if I learned how to study or what. I didn't like A&P 1 because of all the chemistry we had to learn, it completely threw me off.

RandyB-FutureRN · Oct 4, 2016

Establishing a study group was very helpful for me in A&P 1. The teacher encouraged it and she could easily tell who was studying as a group, especially for lab tests. I later took an accelerated A&P 2 course in the summer and used my skills from group study and applied it to myself since our class was only 7 people. I did better in A&P 2 than I did the first one as I was more prepared with critical thinking skills for tests.

jb009 · Oct 4, 2016

If you haven't started nursing school and are finding just A&P tough, I'd carefully reconsider you career choice.

Stephdee201 · Oct 7, 2016

I'm in the same boat as you right now! An adult student back in school. I just got my mid term grade and shocked myself with a B. I really had to change my approach on studying. I could tell I wasn't going to be able to keep up a couple weeks into this class. Best advice I have is look over the material every day, don't just mesmerize understand the concepts, and grab an a and p coloring book for when you don't feel like reading! Oh and if you have a tough time understanding something look it up on YouTube. There are some great people out there that make things simpler so you can get a better grasp on them.

nalie2, ADN, BSN, MSN, RN, NP · Oct 9, 2016

I believe the classes get in easier in a sense. Easier because A&P is your foundation and you will use that knowledge in nursing school.

traumaholic, BSN, RN · Oct 9, 2016

I honestly thought A&P was a walk in the park compared to microbiology, although i did find microbiology more interesting. A&P has surely made work easier in some ways. Form study groups, talk it through, and teach someone who has no idea about it so you can learn it better.

HarleyGrandma, RN, EMT-B · Oct 9, 2016

You've gotten some great advice, try something new to change it up. I found some great apps for A&P to use on my phone. Those are great for 10 minute power study sessions while cooking dinner or waiting in line at the grocery store. Study everyday, even after you complete the class, because you WILL need this stuff in nursing school :-)

Another *mature* student here, its a new way of thinking and doing stuff, its awkward but exciting!

NuggetsHuman, BSN, RN · Oct 9, 2016

A&P1 was really heavy on memorization compared to A&P2 where I took it.

It also takes a bit a get used to an instructor's test writing style.

Have you been able to take advantage of office hours and/or open lab tutoring hours? I was working full time and didn't have much availability to do so. However, I found it really helped to go back in as much as I could and look at models and histology slides so I could have more time than we got in lab. I also had a copy of the anatomy and physiology coloring books that someone sent me as a gift (she ended up not using them in her med school program), and watching Crash Course and another instructor's lectures with the same textbook we used on youtube. A&P 1-2 are by far the most time-intensive prerequisites I've had thus far.

Don't give up! You can do it!

MiladyMalarkey, ASN, BSN · Oct 10, 2016

I'll tell you what worked for me. Part of the challenge of A&P is it is literally 2 classes in one. Lecture: Our instructor either had power points or notes we could print off...I read these & followed along in lecture scratching off additional notes as needed & here is something foreign to me, I actually had to READ the chapters in our textbook to understand the darn notes/ppts to understand what the instructor was talking about, if I didn't do that I would've literally glazed over & would not have understood anything. Lab: All about memorization. I'd literally make a list of all the bone/organ/muscle we had to know & write it's name 10-20 times(spelling counted for us) & would memorize where it was located. Would not move on to next part till I knew it's spelling/location. When I moved on to next part, I'd go down the entire list from the beginning over & over again, only adding the next part after I could spell & locate all previous parts on list. It was grueling but absolutely effective. I got either high B's or an A on my practicals every time! I passed A&P 1 with a B+ 2 with an A. Patho I also passed with an A because I read the chapters until I understood the content. You can do this.

BarbnAction · Oct 12, 2016

Make sure you know your learning style and find you a student who is doing better than a C in the class and study with them. Be sure to review your notes right after each lecture. All I can say is that you're doing better than I did 13 years ago when I took A&P I. I did poorly in that class and I let it made me change my major along with having small kids at that time. I think I'm ready now to give it my best. I feel like I need to fulfill this dream of becoming a nurse. I hope this word of encouragement will help you as it will help me as well.