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
I think someone has mentioned this but you have plenty of time to bring it up. How many tests do you have? I think our class has 3 or 4 and quizes every week that equals a test. Depending on how many tests you have you need to make a B on the rest of the test to average a b/c grade. I know you probably don't want that grade but it's a lot better than failling and retaking the class.
Keep a positive attitude. I get my first test grade back tonight.
The first test is always the hardest because you don't know how your instructor teaches.
Study all the time. It's consuming but it helps. I had a group that studied until we were sick of seeing the material.
Rewrite your notes. I find this very helpful. Someone one told me to try and get them on one page. That's not possible with my instructor but it helps you learn rewriting it so many times.
I tutor students in A&P. Send me a PM with your weak areas and what you're studying now and I can give you some study tips. youtube is a GREAT resource for any section.
Last semester, the third test I believe was the easiest BY FAR! And this semester, the first test was pretty hard. Once you figure out the style of the professor and how they make their tests, it becomes easier. Therefore, the first test is probably the hardest. Maybe not material-wise, but in what you need to do to prepare and be ready to do well...it's much harder to figure out.
My second test this semester is after break (which I'm on right now), and I'm not nearly as worried about it as I was about the first because I know what to expect.
Last semester, the third test I believe was the easiest BY FAR! And this semester, the first test was pretty hard. Once you figure out the style of the professor and how they make their tests, it becomes easier. Therefore, the first test is probably the hardest. Maybe not material-wise, but in what you need to do to prepare and be ready to do well...it's much harder to figure out.
My second test this semester is after break (which I'm on right now), and I'm not nearly as worried about it as I was about the first because I know what to expect.
I disagree. The material on the first test is always either review material or very broad. In most cases, the first test covers the least amount of material. Subsequent tests may feel "easier" because you have figured out the class by then, but the material is usually harder on later tests.
I disagree. The material on the first test is always either review material or very broad. In most cases, the first test covers the least amount of material. Subsequent tests may feel "easier" because you have figured out the class by then, but the material is usually harder on later tests.
I said maybe not material-wise...please read before disagreeing.
Okay these are my tips. Granted, I am new to anatomy and physiology one myself. I got a 96 on the first lecture test, 87 on the first lab test, and 97 on the second lecture test.
What to do immediately:
1. Look at your syllabus and see if you perhaps want to drop the class. CHECK WITH SPECIFIC NURSING PROGRAMS YOU ARE CONSIDERING to see what their policy is on repeats...if there is a limit on the number of repeats or if they average the grades or something you may want to consider dropping and restarting at a different semester.
2. Consider how many exams you have. In my class, we have 9 exams. A failing grade on one exam would not be the end all be all. If, however you have only a few tests it may be a bigger deal, and again may want to consider dropping the class.
If you DO decide to stay in the class than here is what you should do, IMHO:
1. Talk to the professor. Let them know your concerns and ask them for tips on the next exam. Ask them where they get their exam questions from.....as in does the professor write the test or get the questions from a test bank. This can help you process where to spend most of your time. Also, ask the teacher if topics that aren't covered in lecture can still be on the test. If the teacher states that only topics covered in lecture will be on the test, focus on those topics.
2. Keep attending lecture. Take detailed notes. Ask the professor if you can record lectures and then go home and relisten to them and take better notes. If you cannot record the lectures, don't fret
3. Use the course textbook to supplement your lecture notes. Study "topic-by-topic." This is important, and probably the best advice anyone ever gave me. Before this class, I used to study my lecture notes and THEN read the book. Not anymore. I have them both open. For example, if in lecture the professor talked about epithelial tissue and its function. First, I read the lecture notes I had on that topic to figure out what topic I was studying. Then I read the book for THAT TOPIC to UNDERSTAND what the heck the lines in my notes/teachers power point slides said. I tried to understand relevant diagrams to that topic in the book. I supplemented my lecture notes with notes from the book. Then I reread my notes and made notecards out of the notes for THAT TOPIC. I did that for every line of my notes. It takes a long time, but is what worked for me. It is an active studying method......there is a big difference between studying and reading.
4. The notecards: this is important. I wrote out my notecards as writing them out helped me memorize 85-90% of the material before even reviewing them. I wrote each side out as "question format." What does this mean?
notecard side one: The basic function of ribosomes is what? - word ribosomes would be highlighted.
notecard side two: Protein synthesis best describes the function of what organelle? - words protein synthesis would be highlighted
The notecards themselves were multicolored. Our teacher gave us basic lecture outlines. Anything that would go on that outline would go on a particular colored notecard, because those were main ideas. Any supplemental information/examples/details went on a different colored notecard. That way, I could easily seperate out main ideas from details.....a problem I noticed after the first lecture exam. If your teacher doesn't provide an outline, the same concept can be done from the chapter review/summary in the book.
I had 5 "piles." Pile one, pile two, pile 3, pile 4 and pile "memorized." All the notecards started off in pile one. Main idea notecards had to go through every single pile. Detail notecards skipped pile 2. This way, I was studying main idea notecards 2X as much as detail notecards. Basically, any time I got a flashcard wrong, it went back into pile one and had to start over." I would take a flashcard from pile one. If I got it right and it was a main idea card, it goes into pile two. If I got it right and it was a detail card, it goes into pile three. I do this until pile one is exhausted. Then, I go to pile two. If i get it right, it moves up, wrong, moves back down to pile one. Basically, I keep doing this until all the cards are in the memorized pile. It takes a long time, but I knew it all. I do this for EACH SIDE of every notecard (cuz remember, each side is a question!). So basically, if I got a notecard right every single time, I have reviewed it 4 times. If I ever got it wrong, it was many more times than that. I had to get a notecard correct 4 times in a row before I could move on (if it was a main idea card, for detail cards it is 3 times).
I keep emphasizing the importance of detail vs main idea because there are SO MANY DETAILS in anatomy and physiology that it is easy to forget what the point is in the first place....and you don't want that.
5. As you are studying in the first place (before you make notecards) make a list of anything you don't understand that you want to ask your teacher. You need to have this list made atleast one class period BEFORE your test. This does two things: gives you enough time to clarify things with the teacher AND ensures that you have the bulk of your studying done one class period before the test. This works out great for me, as I have class two days a week.
6. Study groups: these are hit or miss. I would usually attend a study group close to when the exam was as this was "crunch time" and everyone was generally in a mood to be more productive. Really though, by the time my notecards are done the study group just helps me reinforce material in a different method. Sometimes our group also looks at this website acommpanying our textbook and will go through the activities on those sites. They are interactive and helpful for looking at the material in a different way.
7. I look at pertinent diagrams again. After i've memorized everything and studied my flashcards, I go through the diagrams one last time. Looking at diagrams AFTER you have learned all the names and memorized things really makes them more clear and helps reinforce the point.
8. I also look at the chapter review questions of the book. I don't write them out...that takes too long. I look at the multiple choice questions at the end of the chapter and do them in my head and look up the answers in the back of the book. It really doesn't take that long but gets me thinking in a "multiple choice method".
Different people use different ways of studying. Some of my classmates swear by using microsoft one note. Others simply rewrite their notes a kajillion times. I am telling you what has worked for me.
The biggest things:
- Go to lecture, take detailed notes
- Supplement lecture notes with textbook notes TOPIC BY TOPIC
- Make flashcards, seperating main ideas from details. Review several times
- Study relevant diagrams in the book
Also, I don't study at home much (I emphasize much, I did shorter study sessions at home but I tried to get in my longer ones somewhere else). My brain tends to associate home with other activities, so I get too distracted talking with my family, doing my laundry, answering the phone, tv, etc.
I try to do the bulk of my studying at a local coffee shop (slight background noise is goo
Melanie19877
28 Posts
I think someone has mentioned this but you have plenty of time to bring it up. How many tests do you have? I think our class has 3 or 4 and quizes every week that equals a test. Depending on how many tests you have you need to make a B on the rest of the test to average a b/c grade. I know you probably don't want that grade but it's a lot better than failling and retaking the class.
Keep a positive attitude. I get my first test grade back tonight.
The first test is always the hardest because you don't know how your instructor teaches.
Study all the time. It's consuming but it helps. I had a group that studied until we were sick of seeing the material.
Rewrite your notes. I find this very helpful. Someone one told me to try and get them on one page. That's not possible with my instructor but it helps you learn rewriting it so many times.
Good luck. Don't stress yet.