HELP! Anatomy and Physiology I

Medic6758 · Nov 14, 2014

In both my A & P classes I accomplished A's with the use of flashcards and recording the lectures. However, my professor was somewhat easy, the exams were based on what was on the PowerPoint only and although they were lengthy anything on it fair game. I would study those flashcards to the point where you can give me the only the answer and I could tell you the question verbatim.

dorkypanda · Nov 14, 2014

I second the recording lecture as well. you can take notes while in class on your printed ppt but you won't catch all the details that was said. you must do daily reading and studying, don't fall behind your reading. sometimes you will re read a paragraph a few times. This course is big on understanding concepts and using those concepts in scenarios. you may be asked to apply the info you learned in a different way. pay attention to classroom models Especially the landmarks that your professor talks about since they could be tested.

windsurfer8, BSN, RN · Nov 14, 2014

That is good attitude. Get excited and pumped for the challenge! All I can say is what worked for me..years ago. I used a combination of just classic reading and highlighting and flashcards. Also do practice tests etc. Also just immerse yourself in it. Attention to detail is huge. Skip a Friday night party and study. Do the extra to show THIS is what you want and nothing will stop you. Good luck!

ThatOneDude822 · Nov 14, 2014

I'm currently in Human Anatomy (not A&P) but I may be able to offer some advice.

If flashcards work for you, then that's great! Definitely use them! They, however, didn't work for me. I found that a lot of the terms on the flashcards were terms I didn't need to know for my course, and it was difficult to shuffle through hundreds of flashcards pulling out only the ones I needed. I just wasn't fond of them. So, I drove down to the bookstore to check out some alternative study guides and I really liked the Pocket A&P study guide and the Anatomy Coloring book (I used "Pocket Anatomy & Physiology 1st edition by Shirley A. Jones and "The Anatomy Student's Self-test Coloring Book by Kurt H. Albertine. I got them on Amazon for

One more tip (which is just a general studying tip, not a specific A&P tip) is actually something my anatomy professor taught me. We learn by how many times we visit something, not by how long we do it. So, if you sit down for an hour and go over all the blood vessels 10 times, that's not as beneficial as sitting down for 10 minutes a day for six days. By studying in a lot of short sessions, you're training your brain to store the info in long term memory, where if you study in a few long sessions (cram) you're storing the info as short term memory and you risk forgetting the information by the time of the exam.

windsurfer8, BSN, RN · Nov 14, 2014

Good points...and that IS the point.. We all have to experiment and see what works best for the individual. The key is if you have a test that doesn't go well...don't quit! When I didn't get the test score I wanted I would analyze my study methods and also discuss with the instructor. It is a learning and growing process. It serves you well if you learn from mistakes and not just quit. You will do great.

AspiringNurseMW · Nov 14, 2014

Find which way you study best.... Google VARK. I actually for the most part, hate flashcards. Not for me. I'm slated to get an A in A&P and I have a 17 credit course load.

I make sure to read the chapter BEFORE class and I took my own notes despite the professor providing his own which he calls the Bible because everything on it is fair game. But I always remembered things best when I understood HOW it worked not just straight memorization. So if by next class I had to read 20 pages I would divvy it up by the amount of days, say 3, so I would make sure to read and outline 7 pages a day. I would also draw concept maps when applicable to try an summarize 3 or 4 pages of notes into one page. The A&P textbook is the only one I paid full price for and bought the entire package with online access. As I was reading and taking notes I would watch videos, play games, complete quizzes and diagrams of the material that I had read.

One of the reasons I don't use flashcards is because my professor style of test. He does not do fill in the blank or short answers. He does alot of matching and labeling diagrams. So if I did use flashcards it was only on my Quizlet app where I would play the matching game. I also would print out blank diagrams Insert then into a sheet protector and practice labeling over and over with a dry erase marker. It sometimes bothers me when people refer to A&P as memorization when they compare it to nursing classes. I find it so so much more function follows form. How it works depends on its structure. And understanding HOW and WHY is more important than memorizing facts. And I think that approaching it that way probably sets one up for better success with nursing classes.

Study groups are useful if kept small. If you understand the material well enough to teach it to others, you probably have it in the bag.

I also bought a recorder for lecture but never ended up using them.

I love A&P. I feel like every class I'm all like oooooo so that's how that works or that is why that happens and I find the human body amazing and intricate. I try to think of how the material I'm learning might apply to my career as a nurse or nursing school. Attitude matters! Good luck!

AspiringNurseMW · Nov 15, 2014

Also mnemonics saved my life for things that did require straight memorization, like the 5 layers of the epidermis or the 9 essential amino acids. I made up my own for the most part. Now I'm working on the Skeleton lab and I'm turning to YouTube since that lab is strictly 100 ‰ memorization.

Also get familiar with prefixes, suffixes, and root words. It will help you understand alot of the terminology, I have never in my life felt so blessed to speak Spanish because most are Latin based which helped with recognition of why things are called what they are which help to more easily identify or explain them

RunBabyRN · Nov 15, 2014

I really liked Netter's- the book and the cards. They really helped me to visualize stuff. I also drew out stuff on my own on note cards, because it helped solidify stuff in my head.

There are coloring books that are good, too, but I preferred drawing things myself. I'm no artist, but it really made me pay attention to the details.

Recording the lecture can be very helpful. Also, one thing that I started doing in nursing school that likely would have helped in A&P was writing out the stuff I needed to study, then recording myself reading it aloud, and then listening to it in the car. All of those modes together helped me to get it down. When it came to the test, I'd recall some stuff from one method and some stuff from another.

dc1994 · Nov 15, 2014

I'm about to finish A&P 1 in a few weeks. I take A&P II next semester.

I have a high B in the class.

It's a difficult class but it's not at all impossible. You have a great attitude.

I would recommend quite a few things.

Form a study group with others in the class who are serious about doing well.

Take advantage of tutoring sessions that are available from your school. My school offers free tutoring, and I use it for difficult concepts.

Study/read a little bit every day. Space out your study sessions. You can't cram well for A&P. I typically start hardcore studying 2 weeks before any exams. Before that I introduce myself to the concepts.

Take advantage of any online resources that come with your textbook. My A&P I course has covered tissues, integument, organic and inorganic chemistry, skeletal system, muscular system, and nervous system. The online resources (labs and such) that came with it were very helpful. Khan Academy videos are also fantastic, and there are a ton of them on chemistry and the neuromuscular junction and such.

Create/join a Facebook group for your class. Swap info and share links. I'm in one and it's awesome.

Make up funny phrases to help you remember things. I had to do this for the layers of the epidermis, to memorize what a tendon does, and to remember the cranial nerves.

That's all I got. Buckle down and you'll be fine! :)

EKTheRN · Nov 16, 2014

Thank you all for the awesome advice and resources that you've provided me with! I know it's going to be a challenge, but it's nothing I can't handle. It's great to be able to come to a forum like this and have my important questions answered :)

LittleCajunRN · Nov 18, 2014

Khan academy has an anatomy section. It is in the RN area and Anatomy for dummies was a life savior for me. I got A's in both A&P 1 & 2 using those.