How do you study A&P? suggestions/comments?

Erin RN · Nov 26, 2003

That is what I did when I was in school..seemed to work pretty well (I got A's)..I also taped the lectures and listened to them when I was cleaning house!! I think the key is to "think" about what you are reading..read a passage then picture a system in your minds eye..visualize how things are happening then you will truly understand the concept of how the body works. This will be extremely beneficial when you hit patho and also pharmacology..and when you get out into the workforce it will make you a good nurse, educator, communicator with other professionals including MDs...Good luck. A and P is not easy but it truly is something you will use for the rest of your career!! You will know WHY you are giving that med..you will know WHAT is going on inside your pts body....:)

chris_at_lucas_RN, RN · Nov 26, 2003

The best thing I did studying A&P was to get a set of those study cards and review those while I was on the train or in any kind of waiting situation.

In lieu of that, I would suggest that you make up 3x5 cards with anatomical parts (one per card) and write notes on that, then review them.

Good luck!

Havin' A Party!, ASN, RN · Nov 26, 2003

DMR -- You're doing what I do (and it's been working great for me).

I also test myself on the chapters and then spend more time on the stuff I missed.

This isn't an easy course though -- tons of material, details, terminology, etc.

TLC RN · Nov 26, 2003

Did you get to keep copies of the tests you had this semester? If so review them too. Many times my teachers used the same exact questions for the final. Also, make sure you know all the answers to the ones you got wrong or a lot of people got wrong in the class before...they love to throw them back on the final to see if we really got it...

Have a Happy Thanksgiving :)

Bunky1960 · Nov 26, 2003

Yes, A&P can be a challenge at times - especially if your prof is playing "stump the stars" by testing on obscure parts of the lecture or reading material.

What can be helpful with A&P (and a few other difficult courses like Chemistry) is to be sure to do something every day. Even if it is 10 minutes of study, you will be surprised at the amount of material you can learn in a set regular amount of daily study! In addition, using information you already know to connect it to information you are learning is a really helpful technique. For example, using mnemonics that spell out a sentence or word can be extremely helpful in remembering long lists. My favorite is the one for the cranial nerves...On Occasion Our Trusty Truck Acts Funny, Very Good Vehicle Anyhow.

purplemania, BSN, RN · Nov 26, 2003

are you in a study group? I found it helpful to talk it out. If you can explain it to someone else, then you know it! Rules were, no talking about ANYTHING ELSE except task at hand and you had to be prepared as we would not spoon-feed anyone.

B.T.H · Nov 26, 2003

That's how I study also. The only difference is that I don't study from the book. For A&P, I studied exclusively from my weekly quizzes (learn how a question could be changed to make it true or false, and vice versa), my lecture notes, and my homeworks. I would only use the book for looking at diagrahms of a particular concept to get a better understanding of its workings, or to fill in gaps in areas I felt were weak. Depends on how your instructor structors the class and tests though.

As for the actual studying itself, I just go through and memorize one section at a time. After each unit, I would go back and review the previous unit I studied to strengthen my memory of it. I used this system to limit my study time for A&P 1 & 2 midterms and finals to 3 days. Again, it depends on how the instrutor structors the class.

One thing to keep in mind is not to stress yourself out to much, and try to get a good nights sleep the night before. A&P has a lot of info, and if you can focus in on specific areas of importance, then it will be easier to sort out, and recall the info from memory during the test. Good luck, B.T. H