Hi A&P know-it-alls: study ???s for you!

Nursing Students General Students

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Specializes in LDRP.

I'm starting A&P in two weeks or so-just wondering what you found helpful study- wise? I ordered a "coloring book." Is that useful? Also, what exactly does lab entail?

My class is for an ADN program and is the only anatomy/phys class I will have, so I want to get the most out of it. It's a six credit hour course, and I'm looking for study tips. It looks like its going to kick my butt.

Thanks everyone! Have a happy day!

Amy :)

Specializes in tele, ICU.

i'm taking it in a few weeks, too (along with micro- yikes) and also ordered a coloring book. i also got a book called "a & p made incredibly easy".. hopefully that will help as well. i plan on studying the second those books come even before my semester begins.

Well I didn't use my coloring books much for the 8 week class because it went to fast I just didn't have time, but in A&PII which will be normal speed I will have more time. The Incredible book is nice it takes the concepts and makes it simple so you get the basic concept and then can go on with this. I feel the coloring books will help in the second class more because it is all about the systems and the coloring books look great for that. In our first lab we did work in the book and then we dissected a cat and we will do the same in the second lab, we looked at lots of slides of cell and tissue types. Good luck plan on lots of Study time and memorize memorize

Rhonda

I was able to do well in A&P I and II by reading the chapters, and high- lighting the main points. Needless to say, my book looks like a rainbow...LOL. I would use different colors to show contrast, and make little notes out from the text. I would encourage all students to "use" their books, and not be afraid to write it them. I never plan to sell my science books anyway, because this information is never changing. I refer back to my A&P books a lot at times, and would feel lost without them. After reading a chapter, I would go back and write my own notes, which is similar to other students writing flash cards. I never had enough time to write the many cards it would take to cover these long chapters, and you will have to wisely delegate your time. Also, I would scan the diagrams that was going to be part of our tests, and make two copies of them. Then, I would "white out" the labels of one of the copies, and use it later to practice my memorization skills. I would do this by numbering the blank labels, and write the answers down on a numbered sheet of note book paper, until I got them right. My teacher would tease me and say that she could use my test diagram as a "key"...LOL. At least I knew my diagrams...I would usually wait until the last few days before a test, and start cramming the diagrams into my head:chuckle . I would even have notes pinned to my bathroom wall (you have to stop by there a few minutes daily...LOL), and would keep a pile of my notes and diagrams under my couch, and also hanging by my desk. In other words, "You have to eat, and breath this stuff constantly", if you want to absorb enough information to do well on the tests. It will be one of, if not the most challenging courses that you will have to take. If you gain a good understanding of this subject, you should do well throughout the rest of your classes. I made A's in both A&P I and II, but I had to spend a lot of hours studying. If you do well in this class, your other science classes will be less troublesome. Finally, I would suggest that all students get these major science courses out of the way, before starting nursing classes. I just finished my last science, Microbiology, along with Psychiatric Nursing. I was able to do well on both, but I would have rather not had to take the science during the short summer semester. I hope these suggestions will help some of my fellow, future nurses...Take care people....Darby :) :rolleyes:

I didn't get a coloring book. We used the Hole's Human A&P 9th ed. published by McGraw-Hill along with the workbook. The book is good...has a lot of illustration. I also had a wonderful instructor. If you are not using this book in your class, you may want to check it out at the library. Good luck with your studies!

;) KELLYGIRL;)

Hi,

I recently completed an eight week summer A&P I Class. I will have nursing Fundamentals and A&P II this fall. I got an A in A&P I, and found it somewhat difficult but not too bad. I used coloring book a little mostly prior to class began to learn Tissue types and some bones etc. Once class began I hardly touched the coloring book again. Too busy. Our 1st lab test in A&PI consisted of identifying microscope parts(arrows on them), parts of cell model, stages of mitosis etc. 2nd lab test was identifying slides of tissues, types of epithelial, connective etc. by microscope. Next was bones, then bone markings, muscles, and finally brain parts. Therefore lab mostly consisted of inspecting all models that applied and learning to identify parts.When it comes to bones they may be articulated(assembled) or separated so you have to really know them. Our instructor let us know from the start that we would have to spend extra time with the slides, bones & models to be successful. If you can't live in the lab, I found my most useful study tool to be the web sites available that show good images of tissues and models of bones, muscles, etc. Here are a few of my favorites: http://www.kumc.edu/instruction/medicine/anatomy/histoweb/

http://rcs.rome.ga.us/hargett/anatomy/muscles/

http://www.getbodysmart.com/index.htm

http://www.linkpublishing.com/interactive%20exams.htm

Hope this helps,

Judy

My best advice for A&P is to make flashcards and take them with you everywhere. Good luck.

I found the coloring book useless! I just read through the chapters and took really good notes in class! I had anatomy and physiology separate from eachother, it was a premed course, I was thinking about med school at the time. The lab was disecting a cat and learning the anatomical structures. You might want to check and see if your school library has lecture/lab videos. Mine did, and they were extemely helpful. We also used plastinated body parts, sheeps eyes, and cross sections from CT scans and MRI images! You can also check out the "ADAM" selection of CD- roms for some help at home on the computer. I liked those really well, also. Well I hope some of this helps, It helped me alot! I got an A in Anatomy and a B+ in Physiology! Let me know if you need help finding the ADAM CD's. I think I have them here and I could send you a copy!-Tara:D

My advice... memorize, memorize, memorize! I am old and my memory isn't as good as it could be, but I did fine with A & P... and my instructor was into rote memory. I had to work hard just memorizing... flash cards are good, copying your lab manual so that you can study the pages whenever you have a free minute(some around you might think it's kind of gross to be poring over dissected corpses while you are drinking coffee or even at a child's concert, but hey, you do what you need to!), get with a study partner and quiz each other. These things all helped me... finished with an A in all parts.

I have 2 copies of the coloring book... a nurse friend sent me her copy recently... neither one is colored. I have used it to read parts that are written differently than the text, but didn't take the time to color. You'll find what works for you, though.

Jgreenlady, THANKS for those links! That is VERY helpful! I'll be taking A&P 1 this fall (maybe online), and every little bit helps! Thanks!

Darby is right...you've pretty much gotta live, eat & breathe this class. I got an A in A&P I this summer (phew!) and that's what I did. I would read the chapter in the book first, then during lecture, I would follow along in the book making notes in the text as well as in my notebook. Then I would re-write my notes after class. This made them more legible and gave me a good review as to what was covered while it was still fresh in my head.

I made some flashcards, but not too much. I would write down important things & even draw diagrams with labels so I could keep them in my purse and then be able to pull them out & look them over when I had a minute here & there. I made color copies of some photos in my text (for tissue samples, etc) and made some flash cards out of those as well, in order to prepare for the lab exam.

I didn't get the "coloring book" that I've seen at bookstores, but I did get the study guide that went along with my A&P textbook. It wasn't required for the class, but it really helped me study. It had some coloring in it though. For those, I made xerox copies of the diagrams, etc., then I'd color my copies and label parts (bones, etc) over and over again.

It was a tough class (especially the physiology part), but if you put forth a good attitude & effort, you'll do just fine!:cool:

Specializes in Adolescent Psych, PICU.

I am taking my Anatomy and Physiology seperate as well. My anatomy was taught by a Med school anatomy teacher and she was tough but good and you really learned it all!

For her class I did find the coloring book to be helpful. She used a whole range of anatomy books to teach out of so I was always checking different anatomy books out of the library to use. I loved it and made an A.

Flashcards are a great idea as well. Also since you have time before class starts get a human body atlas of some kind (they start from $20 and go up to very expensive) and start memorizing, becoming familiar with the names and bones and muscles....since you will have to learn that anyways, that is your foundation for everything else you will learn in the class.

Lab is more the actualy hands -on part of Anatomy, we had models of body parts, for a few days we had a real human brain (that ws awesome!!!), diagrams, etc.

It is not a *hard* class, just a lot to learn. But I think for most health care type people it is a fun class and interesting as well.

Marilyn

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