Getting Frustrated

I dont know how these instructors expect you to make it through A&P. Every time I pick up the book to try to read it, I just get upset. To much to memorize and know all at one time. Our tests our on three chapters at a time that is 25-30 pages per chp. times 3= 90 pages to know. I dont have a photographic memory for this class and can not remember all of the stuff in the chapters 10 minutes after I read it, does it really pay to read it? I dont know. If I could comprehend what I read it would help but it is forgot two pages later because of all the **** to know.

I know how huge the volume is in A&P, been there done it last semester. Read each chapter at least once completely, including tables, and boxes....nobody can remember everything but you might recognize a term, concept etc on one of the test questions and it might ring a bell and lead you to answer the question correctly. Read the chapter summaries VERY thoroughly and concentrate on what the teacher emphasizes in lecture. Go back into the chapters and find what the teacher talked about in lecture and underline those things. Repetition and frequent exposure to the material is the key to retention. Have you tried the study guide for your book? I find those tremendously helpful because study guides seem to condense the important things.

A&P was a frustrating class for me as well.

Does your book come with a CD? If so it will include models and teach you all the names of the bones. I was much better at using a CD and/or real model then at learning it from the book.

Flash cards help as well for some people.

Good luck!

The A&P thread has a lot of helpful information. I am in A&PII right now, so I know how you're feeling. Some tips: Take special note of things the instructor emphasizes, read your book (more than once), tape the lectures, review your notes regularly, ask the instructor to clarify things you don't understand, use the CD that came with your book, join a study group, etc. Stpauligirl is right... repetition is KEY. Spend time every day reading or studying, even if you can only spare a half hour. Good luck!

I made notecards or when we had them, took the instructor's notes that I had added lecture notes to and carried them everywhere with me. When I had a few minutes of downtime, I would start where I had left off and just go over and over them. It was just a lot of memorization.

This was one of the first instructors I had run across that emphasized NO curving and sometimes some of the things she would throw at us drove me nuts. I thought I was the worst student in the class and my GPA through my bachelor's degree in Business and the prereqs was about 3.7. Turns out I wasn't the worst after all, but when I had a low "B" before the pre-optional final, I took it and ran rather than frustrate myself anymore.

Hang in there unless you just don't think you can get a decent grade before the final drop date.

Well, I am hanging in there dropping the class isnt an option. I know I failed my lecture test (first one) but got a 85 on my lab practical which is a B so hopefully at the end everything balances out. I get aggervated and lose my patience very easily but I am going to get through it regardless. I just put it aside and come back to it later.

Well, when it comes to anatomy, memorization is used a lot, but for the physiology section, comprehension is more important. What good is it if you memorize something but have no understanding of the why?

Well, I am hanging in there dropping the class isnt an option. I know I failed my lecture test (first one) but got a 85 on my lab practical which is a B so hopefully at the end everything balances out. I get aggervated and lose my patience very easily but I am going to get through it regardless. I just put it aside and come back to it later.

Like I said, I had a horrible time....so, if dropping it is NOT an option, just keep doing your best....for me, it was about memorization, time spent in the library studying the models, and just making myself stay motivated....how about study groups? Got a couple of friends in the class you can get together with to go over things? That's always been a big help to me when I could squeeze it in....we'd figure out acronyms and memorization techniques (fibia = little "white lie" to remember it was the smaller of the bones).....and the notes and note cards....it'll be over soon -- PROMISE!!