Hints/Help with Microbiology.......PLEASE

Nursing Students General Students

Published

I have managed to do all my science prereqs with out too much trouble - but have hit a wall with Micro- so bad that I have had to drop it or risk a bad grade (and then a severe drop in GPA) I don't need Micro to actually get in the ADN program I am applying for, but I will then have to take it once in the RN program. I would like to get it out of the way before the Nursing classes. Anyone have any hints, study sites, etc that might help me understand this stuff? I have a hard time working up enthusiam to learn how algae reproduce...:rolleyes:

THANKS!

Kjhb Nurse t b - Welcome!! This is such a great board to ask questions and vent! Please don't get discouraged with negative responses. The majority of us understand completely what you're going through. I was lucky enough to get a teacher that was very helpful and interesting in my micro class. Don't give up! You have alot of support at the site!

Take care - Amy

TAPE RECORDERS!........saved my behind....l tutored micro...loved it...l listened to the taped lecture, compered it to book, re-wrote notes.......good luck..............LR

Originally posted by emily_mom

I was wondering where my lung was! I barfed it up last week and couldn't find it. Thanks sleepyeyes for finding it!

heh heh ;)

remember the old folk song, "My bonnie" == you know,

My bonnie lies over the ocean

My bonnie lies over the sea,

My bonnie lies over the ocean,

Oh bring back my bonnie to me....

???

There actually was a verse that referred to TB, and it went like this:

"My bonnie can cough up raw oysters...."

Nothing like a lil reality to splash some cold water on a romance, eh? ;)

yeah, yeah, i know...

eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeewwwwwwww

Hi Kjhb,

I am taking Micro right now. I allready have a science degree and I have to say that Micro is very tough. Don't feel bad if you are not doing so well in it.

The teacher makes all the difference in the world. My teacher is very laid back and so far we haven't had any real exams. Everything has been take home or do a brief paper, etc. So, so far I haven't really learned anything. There are a couple RN's in my class and they have told me that you shouldn't worry too much about what you learn in Micro. It's nothing that you won't pick up later in your nursing classes.

Micro is a lot of memorization and understanding of rather involved concepts. Especially if you are studying things like how a bacteria or virus replicates itself, or something like the Kreb's Cycle. What helps me is writing everything out and saying the processes out loud to myself.

Also, a good book will help too. Our book seems very involved for just an Intro Level course and there are a lot of things that we don't need to know but that the book goes into great detail about. If you have trouble with your book maybe check out some Micro web pages or do searches for sites that give a bare bones description of what you are studying. Sometimes it's easier to learn something if you first learn the very basic principles first, and then get into more detail.

I really think that I could/would be interested in Micro if the class was more centered on Diseases and how it affects humans. But our class is more concerned with basic prinicples of Micro and Chem.

Good Luck and feel free to Private Message me if you are looking for some one to lament with!

Just think, the semester is almost over!

Col

Welcome!! Your story sounds alot like my own. I had done well with all my science pre-reque's and then there was Micro!!!! I too had to drop it to take over rather than risk a low grade. Guess what happened to me though....I got the same lousy proffessor again!!!!! It is def an awsome class and one of the more important ones you will take. Look on the bright side...you will know that much more the next go round. I found that reading the text and re-writing my notes helped me to understand alot better. I wish you the best of luck and keep your head up you can do it. We all struggle with something.That is why ist is so great to have your own personal cheerleaders when you don't know where else to turn.

Specializes in ICU, nutrition.

I took micro in the summer by itself. We also had to take lab as well. I think it helped me to deal with it every day, and that each day's lab had to do with what we'd learned in lecture. It made it all make more sense to me.

Good luck. Maybe you could take it next summer?

Specializes in ICU, nutrition.

Oh, and okihusker, I struggled with science and I am an excellent (albeit relatively new) nurse! You have to understand science, I believe, but you don't have to be a whiz. And teachers do make all the difference. Some of the worst teachers I had in college were in the sciences.

I plan to retake some of my sciences before I go to anesthesia school, and my husband has agreed to take them with me (toward his degree) so he can help me!

Welcome, to the BB

here's a site for further reference in other science classes

http://www.perfectdoctors.com/mnemonics.htm

hope it becomes of some help for you.

Here is another one:)

Specializes in Gynecology/Oncology.
Welcome, to the BB

here's a site for further reference in other science classes

http://www.perfectdoctors.com/mnemonics.htm

hope it becomes of some help for you.

Thanks- I guess! That's a helpful site, only now I've bookmarked YET ANOTHER site, to add to my LONG list.... :rolleyes: :chuckle

TAPE RECORDERS!........saved my behind....

Absolutely. It made all the difference for me in Micro. I spent many boring hours transcribing tapes, but it was well worth it ....

But I HATED the dreaded "unknown." Sweated it all semester, mostly because my tests were screwy and didn't make much sense. I kept doing the tests over and over, but I ended up basically guessing the answer.

Then, as it turns out, everybody who had the same bacteria that I did ended up with the same wrong answer. The teacher checked the sample and it was contaminated.

Realizing that was the best answer we could come up with ... the teacher gave us all full points. Whew!

Just FYI, in case you run into that kind of trouble. ;)

:uhoh3:

+ Add a Comment