I am currently a sophmore and a pre-nursing major. My Anatomy Lecture is accompanied by Lab. Lecture is three units and lab is 1, but in all honesty, I love Lab more than the lecture. My lecture teacher is very tangent-- 1/ 10th of the class attends because most of her slides are available online. I attended class EVERY SINGLE DAY, and she OVERSIMPLIFIED EVERYTHING and in the end of the lecture I didn't understand anything! So I try to do things by myself and study. I studied a lot and yet I was surprised to recieve such a low score. However, when I'm on lab, I learn so much more and I do a lot better!
I really want to be a nurse...my grades are decent but this score on my exam scares me that I might not be able to finish nursing. I don't want to retake the class... is there any advice anyone can help me regarding about studying? Her questions are so specific I just don't undersatnd how someone could have gotten a 98 percent...I didn't even hit the average score. Someone help me please... I'm desperate. I never wanted the teacher to begin with becuase I heard many horrible things about her, but due to school budget cuts, I was limited to my choices. I'm sure I won't be recieving this harsh grade if I had another teacher.... but since I can't do anything about it.... What can I do improve? Please help
Some good info here! First, let me say that this is your first test so don't throw in the towel yet. Second, I totally agree with finding out if your school offers free tutoring and taking advantage of that. Next, you really need to take advantage of your leraning style, but let me add use as many methods as possible to reinforce what you have learned. I ask each professor if I may record the lecture with one of those little recording devices, and I have yet to have a professor tell me no. I read the chapters ahead before the lecture if I can, and even if I don't understand something that I am reading at the very least I have seen it before she explains it. Online powerpoints are great, but I take my own notes as well. I will then go home and study with my notes and listen to the lecture to make sure that I didn't miss anything. I know it sounds lilke wasted time, but an extra 2 hours of going over the notes and listening to the lecture is better than 1 hour spent misdirected. I finally finish with creating my own set of notes and quizing myself. Sometimes I use flash cards.
We just got our first A&P exam back. I got a 102. The girl that sits next to me asked me "do you even study?" I responded "of course I do why do you ask?" she said "because you seem to just know it naturally?" My response " That is because I study. : ) " A friend of mine is a professor. He is working on his second masters. He said to me one time " You know what makes me smart? It isn't that I am anymore intelligent than the next, but it is that I put the preparation in and I study a lot". I hope that helps! : ) Again, don't give up!!! :):):)
I disagree about reading before lecture...I find it more helpful to read after.
But really, when you read isn't as important is that you do in fact read.
Actually, I think best is to do both. : ) You have a much better chance of picking up on things during the lecture if you have already looked over the material. However, reading the material after the lecture will help in reinforcement. So, I would say both would be mutually beneficial but for different reasons.
What I DEFINITELY DON'T DO is record a lecture and listen to it later, again!! I mean really, it's like ripping open a wound I've just stitched up
Seriously, I respect people who do this and it works for them because whatever works for you is what you should do - everyone is different. I pay attention the first time and take great notes, so that works for me.
Find out which of these YOU are and DO IT ... I agree with someone above, don't throw in the towel yet!
Great advice from so many who've gone before you! The first test is sometimes a throwaway, because you are getting used to your teacher's style. Now that you know, it's all on you -- you now have a better idea of how your teacher operates, how her tests are structured, and what she is looking for. If you are fuzzy on any of this, DO ASK HER before the next exam. How deep into detail, function and structure is she going to go? Ours tells us, often deviating from the text, and explains "You'll do that in A&P2, but for 1 this is all you need to focus on." He also tells us to rely more on the lab manual than the text for what we'll be tested on.
I always do my best on the first test because I study everything I can to prep for it since I have no idea what the questions are going to be like.
One thing I realized is that some teachers do not go over all of the information in class you need to know. Some give a broad spectrum outline so you understand the concept. If that's the case in your class, you do need to read, take notes, and learn before the lecture. Then, you can ask questions in class and almost have the lecture as a review. I've been told to not worry about certain things in my textbook I studied, but only because I asked about it. Also, look for extra material that can help. Did your book come with a cd or a study guide? Do you have access to a tutor? Those are all great tools to utilize so there's no question if you get an A on your next test.
Don't beat yourself up. A&P is an intro into a complete new way of learning. Once you get this foundation down, things will start to fall into place as you go on.
Our prof kinda warned us the same after we were smarting from the first exam, but encouraged us with this memory from his past: he had an older woman in the class who absolutely tanked on the first exam, but by the end of the course, she was earning an A! :) He explained that she figured it out: both how much studying was required and how she needed to do it. (Our class is encouraged to study 20+ hrs each week.) There are lots of different ways to get that A&P info to stick -- repetition, on-line quizes, flashcards, study groups, study guides, etc.... Also: another teacher told my class he expected us to have read the chapter ahead of time so he could answer any questions we had.
Just wanted to let you know that someone in my phys class failed the first exam but got A's from then on out and an A in the class, so it is possible to pick up and learn from the first experience. Good luck.
I had the worst teacher ever for A&P1 but he was the only teacher left so I had no choice but to enroll in his classes. I didn't know until the end of the semester but he scaled the scores. At least I think he did! If she sucks as a teacher then you have to pull in all your effort to study it yourself. Find online info about your chapters and don't count on her for anything! Read your textbook and take notes.. A&P1 is hard and it covers a lot of material! Don't give up because of one exam. Try a lot harder for the next one.
Don't be discouraged! You've got plenty of time to pull it up. I'm also taking A&P 1 this semester and I made a 63% on my first exam. I thought I could make it through A&P like I do w/ my other classes but I was sadly mistaken. I got my butt in gear and on the next exam made an 87% and just made a 97% on my appendicular skeleton quiz in lab. Here are my tips:
1) It's cliche but so true: Devote 1-2 hours of study time for every hour you have in class. I take my anatomy book/lab manual/flashcards/coloring books, etc to work and study even during down time
2) I skim the chapter before lecture, so it's not all foreign. Then I got back and reread making my OWN lecture notes in addition to the professor's notes
3) I get pumped about A&P! I try to make myself excited about what I'm learning and it works
4) When I'm all studied out, I still study but color using the anatomy books, or go to the website www.getbodysmart.com to quiz myself, or work on my terminology and pronunciation by visiting www.howjsay.com
3) I get pumped about A&P! I try to make myself excited about what I'm learning and it works
I agree with everything you have listed but this in particular I think is the foundation of it all. You just HAVE to be excited about subjects like this if nursing is your passion. I personally feel that if you're finding yourself dreading all of your coursework, you just might be entering the wrong field. NOTE that I am NOT saying it's the wrong field for you if you're just dreading isolated instances or not doing well in one class. What I am saying is that if it's a trend, you need to rethink it. I at one point was dreading micro because people were saying it's hard. Well, I'm in it now and I'm really enjoying what I am learning, and doing well.
I went to law school and in hindsight I would have preferred root canal .. but at the same time, I am happy I went through this because I completed a program that completely goes against the grain of my natural abilities. I am clearly math/science oriented and perhaps I was misguided into following that profession but I would not give back that degree for anything, it made me a more well-rounded person. Working in the industry was proof to me that this was not for me. So this is why I turn to nursing (it's a full circle considering all I ever wanted to do since childhood was work in a hospital). Eventually, I would like to mix my nursing and legal experience into one career. Preparing for nursing I noticed has made me more happier than I ever imagined.
Sorry for the tangent ... ... my point: if you can't get excited about these basic science prereqs, you're going to have a tougher time with the actual nursing program and working as one. Life is too short to really waste your time on something you don't love!
... my point: if you can't get excited about these basic science prereqs, you're going to have a tougher time with the actual nursing program and working as one. Life is too short to really waste your time on something you don't love!
RB2000
224 Posts
Some good info here! First, let me say that this is your first test so don't throw in the towel yet. Second, I totally agree with finding out if your school offers free tutoring and taking advantage of that. Next, you really need to take advantage of your leraning style, but let me add use as many methods as possible to reinforce what you have learned. I ask each professor if I may record the lecture with one of those little recording devices, and I have yet to have a professor tell me no. I read the chapters ahead before the lecture if I can, and even if I don't understand something that I am reading at the very least I have seen it before she explains it. Online powerpoints are great, but I take my own notes as well. I will then go home and study with my notes and listen to the lecture to make sure that I didn't miss anything. I know it sounds lilke wasted time, but an extra 2 hours of going over the notes and listening to the lecture is better than 1 hour spent misdirected. I finally finish with creating my own set of notes and quizing myself. Sometimes I use flash cards.
We just got our first A&P exam back. I got a 102. The girl that sits next to me asked me "do you even study?" I responded "of course I do why do you ask?" she said "because you seem to just know it naturally?" My response " That is because I study. : ) " A friend of mine is a professor. He is working on his second masters. He said to me one time " You know what makes me smart? It isn't that I am anymore intelligent than the next, but it is that I put the preparation in and I study a lot". I hope that helps! : ) Again, don't give up!!! :):):)