Microbiology-Spring 2008

Published

I was hoping to start a "sticky" for those of us facing micro this spring. I've done (and kind of enjoyed) A&P I and II but am nervous about this course. If anyone finds any good links, has Q&As or hints to share, etc., could we add them here? I have seen other posts about micro, but only by doing a search and couldn't find a dedicated thread. If there is one, point me in the right direction and I'll shut up. LOL!

Happy New Year everyone!

Today ended my first week of the semester. Micro and Advanced Physiology. This semester is gonna kick my tail! I feel like I'm already behind. I feel for those of you that are full time and trying to take these classes.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I am taking Microbiology, Developmental Psy, and Biomedical ethics.

I am also taking 2 sociology courses since I am finishing up my bachelor's in Sociology.

It's alot but I am only working part-time so I figured I might as well take advantage of my free time!

Good luck to everyone.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Ok gang, just finished, yesterday, my first week of my 4 week Micro class. DANG is all I can say about that. We have our first test on Monday and the theory portion is over the first 8 CHAPTERS! UGH! The practical is we have to do a Gram stain start to finish! Not as easy as it sounds at first, but you get the hang of it. This is a TOUGH class for 4 weeks. We covers 10 chapters next week, 8 the week after that and 4 the last week, of which we take our final chapter test the last Monday of class and the FINAL, which is cumulative (UGH) on Friday, the last day of class! If I can eek out a B I will be INCREDIBLY happy. I have a 4.0 but man oh man is this one tough.

GOOD LUCK and I will keep ya posted.

Four weeks? How is that even possible? Why would they allow such a thing?? We have 8 week courses but not for Micro. I just started my 16 week course. It's not so bad. CHEMISTRY IS WHAT'S TERRIBLE! Micro is kind of interesting but sitting there for 4 hours isn't fun.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Four weeks? How is that even possible? Why would they allow such a thing?? We have 8 week courses but not for Micro. I just started my 16 week course. It's not so bad. CHEMISTRY IS WHAT'S TERRIBLE! Micro is kind of interesting but sitting there for 4 hours isn't fun.

Well I just finished week 2 of my 4 week program. It isn't easy. We have covered 14 chapters so far. Our next, 2nd, test is on Tuesday next week and basically have to know ALL about Viruses and their replication processes. I am glad to get it over with though. I am ready for the REAL nursing which starts on Feb 4! I am SOO excited about that.

As far as Micro goes, it is a devil of a class, especially at this accelerated rate. We started with 24 in our class and our now down to 17 because it was just too much for some of those people. You REALLY have to study A LOT, focus, and really understand the basic concepts of cells.

Anyways, good luck to all of you. HOPEFULLY (Cross fingers and toes) in 2 weeks I will have completed Micro. (So far I have an A)!

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I assume the 4 week class has no lab? that would be nice. We have two intro labs to orient ourselves, view, and learn staining etc. Then it's off and running with identifying unknowns. I'm a little nervous about that. After that we do blood tests, culture, urine, poopy!!! yes poopy. This is "micro of infectious disease" so we actually have to bring a sample from home and run various tests ie: ova, parasite, occult blood etc. How FUN:bugeyes:. They will fail you if your try to bring your baby's or the dog's. hahahaha

anyone else in the same boat?

Up Vote Up Vote ×
I assume the 4 week class has no lab? that would be nice. We have two intro labs to orient ourselves, view, and learn staining etc. Then it's off and running with identifying unknowns. I'm a little nervous about that. After that we do blood tests, culture, urine, poopy!!! yes poopy. This is "micro of infectious disease" so we actually have to bring a sample from home and run various tests ie: ova, parasite, occult blood etc. How FUN:bugeyes:. They will fail you if your try to bring your baby's or the dog's. hahahaha

anyone else in the same boat?

Actually we have lab 2 days a week. We learned to Gram stain our second day of class, which was our first day in lab. Tuesday of this week we did endospore staining and Acid-fast staining. It is part of our final. We went to a local lake and gathered samples, we field tested different areas in our school and have found interesting microscopic yummies. We have cultured E. coli, Strep, Staph, and several other slants and blood and nutrient agar plates. I don't think Micro is doable WITHOUT a lab.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

wow! that is one jam-packed 4 weeks!

Well, I assumed there had to be a lab, but some people have taken the class online-so I guess they learn to ID by pics but don't do techniques, tests, etc. I'm not sure. Anyone in an online class please let me know.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

The countdown is on....I started week 3 of the 4 week Micro class. We got our averages today and as of now I have a 92%!!!!!!!!!!!! I can only attest to studying EVERY available minute. Our study group spends 6 hours on Sat and 4 on Sunday, not to mention we stay 3 hours extra everyday, M-F, after class studying. I am ALMOST studied out. Our actual nursing program is also accelerated and were told that we would need to spend about this same amount of time studying outside class! WA!

I don't know if I can keep that pace up for the next 16 months.....sigh.....

GOOD LUCK to you all. Will keep ya posted next week is finals and we found out for sure that it is cumulative :barf02:....

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in acute care.

Wow, week three...I just started my first day today....

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in CVICU, CCU, SICU, MICU.

wow, that 4 week class is crazy!!! I found a wierdly scheduled Micro and am about to finish my 16-week class at the end of this month. I've really enjoyed it, though the tests have been pretty difficult, even though I usually test well. I'm barely hanging on to an A, but I'm determined!

When I started the class I was really skeptical about what microbiology had to do with nursing and health care, but I've learned so much, and am now a bona fide germophobe. =)

Personally, I think the class is just so much memorization, especially of little details. Good luck to everyone!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in ICU.

I'm heading to my first class tonight--it meets once a week from 5-10pm (2.5 hrs class, 2.5 hrs lab). Looked through the text a bit, and am a little intimidated. I have a 4.0 on my pre-reqs going into this class--hope I can hold onto it! Thankfully, this is a 16 week class--all my others have been 6-8 week intensive ones. Hoping the slower pace will make it a bit easier to study for.

Good luck to all of us!! :)

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in ICU.
I found a weirdly scheduled Micro and am about to finish my 16-week class at the end of this month. I've really enjoyed it, though the tests have been pretty difficult, even though I usually test well. I'm barely hanging on to an A, but I'm determined!

Personally, I think the class is just so much memorization, especially of little details. Good luck to everyone!

hi Jelly!

Any specific study tips for Micro that you can give to those of us just starting? Pretty pleeeease? ;)

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Join the Discussion