Is Micro harder than A&P?

stpauligirl · Mar 10, 2006

I am currently taking A&P I, I am doing well (low A or high B).
I am taking Mico in the summer online. I know I can do this because it will be my only class (right now I am taking 3 classes) and I can just focus on it for hours a day.
My main question is.....was Micro harder for you or A&P? If one was harder in what ways? What are the kinds of things you are required to learn in Micro? Is it all Histology stuff and slides? Thank for your help!!

No, I found A&P harder than micro (I am currently in micro and had A&P 1 last semester) A&P was much more memorizaton. Our lab is not easy in micro and it requires skill, and lots of studying. Good knowledge of chemistry is helpful to make a good grade. Your knowledge from A&P will help you do well in micro. I can't imagine how the lab portion will work out for you online though, there is lots to it in our class. Good luck and if you ever have any trouble in micro, contact me, I am making an A and love the class.

capribry · Mar 10, 2006

Heck no, A&P is way harder than micro. I took bacteriology which is the same as micro at my school. It is basically learning about different diseases and what causes it. For instance like chicken pox, shingles, bird flu, and STDs. You will also learn a bit of history about the founding fathers. In my lab we had to look a diff. bacteria, learn how to make cultures, grow bacteria, and stain them.

A&P is harder b/c you have to learn diff. systems and how to connect them b/c if something is wrong with one thing, then it's gonna affect something else. For instance, if something is wrong with heart. I hope this helps.

HeartsOpenWide, RN · Mar 10, 2006

I found micro to be the easiest, and funnest of all pre-requs, but thats me

nursecher · Mar 10, 2006

That is great news! I am taking it online but we have to go in for the lab portion. I think it sounds like it might be fun!

ChristineN, BSN, RN · Mar 10, 2006

Wow, this thread is giving me encouragement as well. I'm starting micro in two weeks after finishing A&P II, which has been quite a struggle.

stpauligirl · Mar 10, 2006

That is great news! I am taking it online but we have to go in for the lab portion. I think it sounds like it might be fun!

once i got into the swing of things I started to have FUN, I guess I should have mentioned it earlier....this class lets me breathe a little compare to A&P

Staric · Mar 10, 2006

I also thought AP 1&2 were both harder than Micro. I am also taking it on-lne right now. I work full time and have two small children. It is so doable.. Lots of reading, but like the others said- Its not all that memorizing, and its really interesting stuff (microbes and what not)... You should do well with just the one class, it will be a nice break from A&P...

jenn_rn_nj · Mar 10, 2006

I guess I am the oddball...I find micro to be more challenging, but I like it more. With A&P I can wrap my head around the processes and it all makes sense. I didn't feel A&P was so much memorization as it was understanding the underlying physiology and then drawing conclusions / applying the information. I used the anatomy terms while studying the understanding physiology so it didn't feel like I was memorizing as much (definitely more physio in A&P II than A&P I - A&P I is more memorization imho).

With micro, it is all memorization and because we are learning about microorganisms (sooo small not something like a heart that I can visualize and understand) I can't picture it or put it together in a process all the time...I think it is harder because it is straight memorization and sooooo much memorization (my next test is on bacteria, viruses and bacterial groups...must be 100 or more organisms for which I need to know genus/species, pathology, symptoms and treatment also - gram characteristics, shape/arrangement, for virus RNA or DNA, double or single strand ahhhhh).

I work in a hospital so it's not like all the terms are foreign, but about half are so it's almost like learning a foreign language (and yes, I learn parts of the names in some cases instead of 2 really long words).

I am currently taking A&P II and micro simultaneously - I have an A in both at this moment but I feel more overwhelmed in micro (I love, love, love my lab, though...I guess micro lab appeals to the anal detail oriented type). Anyway, sorry to be the one to disagree. :)

stpauligirl · Mar 10, 2006

I guess I am the oddball...I find micro to be more challenging, but I like it more. With A&P I can wrap my head around the processes and it all makes sense. I didn't feel A&P was so much memorization as it was understanding the underlying physiology and then drawing conclusions / applying the information. I used the anatomy terms while studying the understanding physiology so it didn't feel like I was memorizing as much (definitely more physio in A&P II than A&P I - A&P I is more memorization imho).
With micro, it is all memorization and because we are learning about microorganisms (sooo small not something like a heart that I can visualize and understand) I can't picture it or put it together in a process all the time...I think it is harder because it is straight memorization and sooooo much memorization (my next test is on bacteria, viruses and bacterial groups...must be 100 or more organisms for which I need to know genus/species, pathology, symptoms and treatment also - gram characteristics, shape/arrangement, for virus RNA or DNA, double or single strand ahhhhh).
I work in a hospital so it's not like all the terms are foreign, but about half are so it's almost like learning a foreign language (and yes, I learn parts of the names in some cases instead of 2 really long words).
I am currently taking A&P II and micro simultaneously - I have an A in both at this moment but I feel more overwhelmed in micro (I love, love, love my lab, though...I guess micro lab appeals to the anal detail oriented type). Anyway, sorry to be the one to disagree. :)

Your class sounds so much harder than mine. I am glad that you are doing well with it. The thing with the lab is that we have too many chaotic, unorganized and terrible behaving students ( I don't want to use the word that starts with "I" and ends with "t" or some people here might get all offended and complain about name calling)....they cause stress. Makes you scratch your head and wonder where they come from and how they got there in the first place?!?! They are much harder to deal with than the microbes and I can't wait for lab to be over with!!!!! :mad:

Sunshine0425 · Mar 10, 2006

I am the second oddball;) I LOVED A&P!!!! It just clicked with me, even though there was a ton of memorization. The human body is so fascinating to me, and it just makes sense. Things like Euglena, Protozoa, and Obligate and facultative aerobes/anaerobes....just don't make sense to me...THE LAB IS FUN THOUGH...(and helps apply what I learn in lecture) I think it depends on the person....AND the prof. I think maybe one person in my class of 30 made an A on our last test. I am getting a high B right now...But pushing for that A!!!!!!!!!!!!! Now after that rant...I must go work on my flashcards to memorize bacteria, viruses, and helminths!!!! :uhoh3:

WDWpixieRN, RN · Mar 10, 2006

As someone who avoided the sciences for the majority of my 50 years and no knack with identifying ANYTHING in a microscope, I enjoyed micro quite a bit...it's interesting material that expands your horizons about the little bugs and the labs were interesting -- and GROSS!! I don't touch a public surface that I don't think about the things we GREW from them!! Euuuuuuwwww!

I hope you enjoy it! I managed an "A"; if you're doing well in A & P, you should be fine, too!