I am taking a online summer AP 1 class 8 week long, this is currently the 5th week and my grade keeps getting lower and lower with each test I currently have an 82%. (The nursing schools in my area require a B or above in all pre-requesites) There is still 2 quizzes left and 1 final which i doubt I will get full points on . I am not going to make any excuses for myself but the teacher sucks. She gives us no study guides for the tests, all the other students are also complaining in our online discussion of their grades and her teaching style.
I just feel like this is the end !!!!! I am not even in a program yet and I am nervous and have anxiety. I've read that these "AP" classes are made to filter out the weak. Man I have all A's in all my other pre-requesites. I only need my AP's and then I can start applying for nursing schools. But I am doubting my own intelligence and just feel so defeated.
Em I studying incorrectly? I do a lot of reading and homework and I have a white board where I draw.
I am 27 and I have 2 kids, I took this summer AP class to get closer to my goal.
I'd like to hear some on your stories. Or what do you think I can do different?
I found a professor on youtube who lectured from my exact textbook. He was much clearer than my professor. Search your textbook in youtube and see if you get lucky. Was very helpful to me. Got an A.
I took A&P I during a six week summer course. We were not provided a study guide for exams, but I did get an A in the class without going crazy or losing sleep.
1. How do you study now? I see you so a lot of reading and reading as well as use your whiteboard. Are you reading just to read without absorbing anything? Do you move into the next topic without reviewing what you just read? How well are you absorbing the info presented in class? I switch up what I do for every class I take, but I am very focused on the lecture and do my best to participate and make connections to other material. Do not be afraid to form effective study groups or use videos to supplement your learning.
2. When do you start studying? Are you the kind of person who reviews after each class, a couple days before the exam, or the day before? I review my notes for my classes within 24 hrs. The next day I review the info from before and the info covered that day. I am also the kind of person who will make time to review info from the previous test so I do not wait until just before finals. I can probably tell you what was on Chapter 1, Day 1, Slide 8. Also, make sure to learn so that you understand the info rather than trying to simply memorize it. It will stick in your brain far longer.
3. Have you met with your professor to discuss what you could do differently? Yes, there are some professors out there who do "suck" and I also find that sometimes they only "suck" before you go to them for help (I have had friends literally hate a professor before going to office hours and then come out saying how amazing the professor is not even ten minutes later). They may be able to give you some advice.
4. Do you have access to your old exams and quizzes? If you do, take a look at what you are missing. Are you missing points on essay questions, M/C, etc.? I would create mock exam questions and try to connect the info. Looking at old exams may help to give you an idea of how your professor makes the exams. Some of my classmates would joke around and call me "The Profiler" because I could guess most of the questions that would be asked. I tried to think like a professor and figure out what I would test on.
5. Can you take pictures during lab/lecture of models, slides, and whatever else is used? Taking images with my phone (I would also do a video of me going over specific parts as well) and printing them out later was incredibly useful. We were tested in using these and being able to print and label various parts helped a lot of people in my class.
6. Don't forget that this is a tough course, in a short amount of time, and that you're a mom of two. You have done extremely well thus far! Keep working hard and aim to be the best student that you can be.
I got an A in Anatomy I and an A- in Anatomy II. I did this by attending almost every office hour session that my professor offered, watching Crash Course YouTube videos, going on websites meant for homeschooling kids to use (these are excellent because they break everything down), using a coloring book (found on Amazon for like $5) and obsessively rewriting my notes.
I also drew my own diagrams for various things (ex: action potential, ovarian cycle, etc) even though other people just took pictures of what the professor put on the board. If I found that I couldn't draw a good diagram because I didn't understand the material properly, I tried to figure it out and then if I still didn't get it, I asked the professor in office hours. I was one of only two students (out of almost 30) who ever went to those, and we both did really well in the class. Hope some of this helps! You can do it, trust me. I did not get an A on every exam in those classes, but I learned a TON.
The CrashCourse A&P videos on youtube helped me. After watching the videos I had a mental framework to dive deeper into the course materials. Hope this helps.
Read repeat..write repeat.read some more repeat...repeat all the above and then once more repeat just for the heck of it. Take your test...and be glad when you see an A or B.
There is a great A&P lecture series on YouTube called AnatomyGMC. I used it to help with my online A&P and it saved my life. She is really great at explaining things.
Does the professor have online office hours? If so, have you reached out to her? If not, have you tried just sending an email to ask for advice or extra credit opportunities? At this point you should be living A&P at every free moment. Practice with apps, watch YouTube videos while washing dishes, use your kids as "patients", memorize mnemonics, use NCLEX resources, listen to lectures or podcasts on your phone while driving, make flashcards, Google other A&P classes and use their study material. You may feel that she's not a good teacher but there are so many resources that are available that you can basically teach yourself...you just have to do more work. There has been minimal change to the material throughout the years so use what's out there and earn your spot in nursing school!
I haven't reached out to her yet only because there 5 weeks flew by and I have been just going over the notes day and night lol! the class will end in 2 weeks, I am going to take all your advice and finish it strong with an 80 or above. Was there a "special" way that you memorized the bones in the body?or was it just re-writing them over and over?
I took A&P I during a six week summer course. We were not provided a study guide for exams, but I did get an A in the class without going crazy or losing sleep.
1. How do you study now? I see you so a lot of reading and reading as well as use your whiteboard. Are you reading just to read without absorbing anything? Do you move into the next topic without reviewing what you just read? How well are you absorbing the info presented in class? I switch up what I do for every class I take, but I am very focused on the lecture and do my best to participate and make connections to other material. Do not be afraid to form effective study groups or use videos to supplement your learning.
2. When do you start studying? Are you the kind of person who reviews after each class, a couple days before the exam, or the day before? I review my notes for my classes within 24 hrs. The next day I review the info from before and the info covered that day. I am also the kind of person who will make time to review info from the previous test so I do not wait until just before finals. I can probably tell you what was on Chapter 1, Day 1, Slide 8. Also, make sure to learn so that you understand the info rather than trying to simply memorize it. It will stick in your brain far longer.
3. Have you met with your professor to discuss what you could do differently? Yes, there are some professors out there who do "suck" and I also find that sometimes they only "suck" before you go to them for help (I have had friends literally hate a professor before going to office hours and then come out saying how amazing the professor is not even ten minutes later). They may be able to give you some advice.
4. Do you have access to your old exams and quizzes? If you do, take a look at what you are missing. Are you missing points on essay questions, M/C, etc.? I would create mock exam questions and try to connect the info. Looking at old exams may help to give you an idea of how your professor makes the exams. Some of my classmates would joke around and call me "The Profiler" because I could guess most of the questions that would be asked. I tried to think like a professor and figure out what I would test on.
5. Can you take pictures during lab/lecture of models, slides, and whatever else is used? Taking images with my phone (I would also do a video of me going over specific parts as well) and printing them out later was incredibly useful. We were tested in using these and being able to print and label various parts helped a lot of people in my class.
6. Don't forget that this is a tough course, in a short amount of time, and that you're a mom of two. You have done extremely well thus far! Keep working hard and aim to be the best student that you can be.
I am impresses with all your knowledge and advice! I should of made this post the first week and followed this exact list :) If i dont the course well now I know what to do. Thank you much
I am impresses with all your knowledge and advice! I should of made this post the first week and followed this exact list :) If i dont the course well now I know what to do. Thank you much
I am glad that you found the list to be useful! Once I figured out what worked for me I have done well in my classes.
For the bones, I actually only used the models in class and the lab book (It had the parts we needed). My partner and I would grab bones (the right and left) and go over a few parts at a time. The first time we would look at the book while going over the 4-5 parts and physically touching them. The second time would be done from memory. The partner would repeat the same process and then we would move onto the next section going back to the previous parts each time. My partner and I were able to learn the bones very quickly.
Keep working hard and I truly do hope this class turns out well for you!
Personally, I don't think you should be taken the class online and in such a short duration. From my time being in the class (I was cut short because of surgery) it was a lot of drill run. The main class itself wouldn't be too hard, but the labs were often the hardest.
Since you're in the class already, I'd recommend lumping each together. Take 2 or 3 hours each day to study the class and extra to study lab. For me, the hardest was the skeleton. The hardest part here is that you don't have a physical one to see, so I'd suggest buying one. Play with it, feel each notch. I broke it up into pieces that way. Muscles are easier by the fact you need just description. Memorize the location by reading it and matching it on the body, for example. I can't say more since I had to leave by the heart, but all I can say is that I applaud you for doing this online
I just got done taking a 6 week A&P II class in the summer and it was A LOT OF WORK! In the beginning, I was struggling around an 85%, but eventually I got my desired A-. I never read the textbook. I focused soley on the the powerpoints and everything that my prof said in class. If I was confused on a topic, I would go to the prof. office hours, go to supplemental instruction, and go to tutoring sessions. I also watched youtube videos, particularly crashcourse. I took advantage of all the help I could get for such a short amount of time. Time is extremely valuable when taking a biology class in the summer. I studied on average 15 hours during the weekdays and 12 hours on the weekends because every Monday we had an exam. It helps to set a timer to keep track of the amount of "real time" that you put into studying. Also, try re-drawing/re-writing any of the diagrams and notes that the prof. discusses. Hope this helps and happy studying.
I currently have an 82%. (The nursing schools in my area require a B or above in all pre-requesites) There is still 2 quizzes left and 1 final which i doubt I will get full points on 
Cindyel, ASN, RN
106 Posts
I found a professor on youtube who lectured from my exact textbook. He was much clearer than my professor. Search your textbook in youtube and see if you get lucky. Was very helpful to me. Got an A.