Learning not memorizing

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Hey everyone!

So I'm currently taking A&P 2, and I'm on the waiting list for the nursing program at my school. I'm feeling a little frustrated...

I took A&P 1 in a six week semester over the summer. I finished with a B+ which I was really happy with. However, when I started A&P 2, my teacher was recalling things we learned in 1 that I completely couldn't remember. That's when I realized I've just been memorizing, not actually learning.

I believe I will be able to pass A&P 2, however I'm more concerned with the fact that I will just forget everything once I get into the nursing program... Or worse.... When I'm actually working as an RN:dead:

Does anyone have tips on how to retain information? I know I'm a "hands-on" learner so I always study in the lab with the models. Please tell me I'm not the only one who has this problem :unsure:

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Specializes in ICU / Urgent Care.

You aren't expected to know everything and how it works right away in a few short classes. Usually the take home points keep getting reiterated every future nursing class you take, those will be the ones you want to focus on. Fill in the small details once you've graduated and not satisfied with your level of knowledge.

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I have only 1 semester under my belt Sydney, memory and retaining it is important. I went to GNC to check on some herbs or vitamins that could help with memory, DHA 600 & FOCUS FORMULA with attention factors is what I have. 850 mg of total OMEGA-3, helps eye and brain function and development. I'm 51 and also need help in this area.

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Okay good! I wasn't sure if you were expected to know this stuff once the nursing classes start, or if they would kinda go into it too. Thank you!

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I will definitely look into those. It's a struggle for me to retain information. I always remember small, weird things but not what I should lol! Thank you !

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The science professors at my college really love to use application-based questions more than anything; that's what has been really helping me retain most of the information I'm learning from their lectures. I've had a few friends break into their respective nursing programs, and from what I hear, the professors do give little "crash courses" into topics that were originally covered while taking prerequisites. So yeah, I wouldn't stress too hard about not retaining most of the information that you're learning right now. As long as you can maintain a good foundation and a general understanding, I'm sure you'll do just fine.

I also wouldn't worry at all about forgetting much of anything once you start working as an actual nurse. I'm sure the nursing school you'll attend will drill all the information into your head, so to say, that it'll all be second nature to you by the time you graduate and enter the workforce.

Best of luck to you!

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That was comforting and definitely what I was hoping to hear. Thank you!

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As with anything, that which you use you will retain, that which you don't, you will lose.

The key to retention is review. The review can either be in a new topic which uses the original as a foundation or it can simply be direct review.

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Committing things to memory is learning. No, you won't be able to recall every minor little detail but once topics are being discussed it should jog your memory a bit! I'm in a&p2 this semester and took part 1 in the spring...I have the same teacher and so he would ask things that we had gone over and some things I just couldn't recall but once discussion got into it I was like "ok, yes, I remember!"

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I'll also add that I'm great at memorizing and this is the first class that's more about application of concepts instead of just memorizing and I was worried I wouldn't do as well but so far, everything has just made complete sense to me! We had our first test yesterday and I'm pretty sure I got 100% on it! I breezed through the test because everything just clicked with my brain! I love when that happens :) I've come to realize that memorizing a concept allows me to be able to make sense out of applying the concept to real life situations. So when people tell you memorizing isn't retaining info or learning, they are wrong!

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In nursing school, they will repeat any of the A and P stuff as it applies to nursing and it will click and probably make more sense and be easier to remember, because you will see the "why" of things such as , "why are we learning about the loop of henle in the kidneys?... because diuretics act on different parts of it and have different levels of efficacy based on that. What helps me retain information is taking notes as I am reading the text. A lot of students brought voice recorders to class and I started to do that in my last semester of school and I wish I had done it from the beginning because listening to the lecture over again as you are looking at the slides also helps a lot.

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Foundations are hard to remember, until you use them often and in relation to life. When you studied A&P1, you where learning body parts. A&P2 will be different. You can't just memorize, you have to understand how it works.

I was lucky to be taught by an actual Dr. He was a hoot. He would ask questions as part of learning and memory work. When you answered it was always "Excellent, excellent!) Making you feel so good, then he would follow with "good answer, but you just killed your patient." He told lots of stories and antidotes to get his message across.

What we did was watch the Khan Academy videos about the subject we were on, before he lectured . It gave us a base kowledge and it helped us learn more in class. Then we would review it, until we understood it. Memorize the names, but you have to understand what those names mean, and how they work with each other.

I start Nursing school in the Spring. I will be using the videos for a review.

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