Nervous about A&P I

life_aknew · Jan 18, 2011

Hm, the best way to get rid of the fear-I'm not sure. I always have a little bit of fear of not doing well with any class I take. BUT, the thing that used to help relieve some of my anxiety was to go home, read my chapters, read my notes, make more notes and then write the whole thing out again. Making myself familiar with the material to where I felt comfortable about the subject helped me alot.

If I can do it, you can do it lol. I got a B+ in AnP 1 & 2. It's not an A, but I worked my buns off for that grade and am proud of myself, because I had 3 other classes with them both. Work to make yourself proud and you'll be fine. Can't wait to the end of this semester to hear how well you did :)

Good Luck!

Ike Arumba · Jan 18, 2011

Most of the A & P Lab is strictly memorization. Spend as much time as you can with the models because that is what your practicals will be over. Find out if you can take pictures of the models, if you can, carry a camera to class with you every time. Then go home and put the photos on your computer and use a program like Microsoft OneNote and label the different parts. Print them out, one with the labels already there and one that is just the picture. put them back to back in sheet protectors and practice labeling them with a dry erase marker. That's what I did and it seemed to work for me.

As for the lecture part, flashcards were awesome! I also read the chapters before lectures so I at least had a clue what the instructor would be going over. Lots of highlighting and post-it sticky tabbing! lol Then I would type up my notes and make the flashcards. I also recorded lectures because I write slow sometimes and that way I could go back and make sure I didn't miss anything important.

When it comes to the nervousness, I really think that is normal until the first test simply because you don't know what to expect. I think once the first test is over and the semester really gets rolling the nervousness should ease up.

chuckles1114 · Jan 19, 2011

I love your idea about onenote and the dry erase! I wasted SO MUCH paper last year in AP1 copying the diagrams in my lab book multiple times!! I am going to do that for ap 2!

I too, wrote and rewrote my notes and did review questions in the book. Flashcards of pics of bones, the brain and tissues were my saviour. I even got my 10 year old to help me and she still remembers some of the parts!!

If you accept going in that it will be tough and you have to devote a good amount of time to it, you will be ok. I studied it a little every night- and I went to class a little earlier to 'preview' what we were talking about that day so I at least had a basic clue!!

Good luck!

RebeccaV · Jan 19, 2011

I was terrified going into A&P and it only got worse when I learned I had the hardest prof at my school. I got an A - but I worked my butt off. He didnt use the book, but I re-wrote lecture notes daily, multiple times to get the material into my skull. I had flashcards, but honestly they didn't help me. What helped me was re-writing material over and over and reading it aloud to myself.

DarkBluePhoenix · Jan 19, 2011

I know how you feel. I am taking 6 week anatomy with the hardest professor in the area! I just got my first practical and exam back. A in the practical and a B in the exam. Well offer extra credit and he says the first exam everyone fails. And I need an A bcuz where i live no nursing schools take anything less than an A unless its a lottery school. Good luck, we will both need it.

Nguyenchester · Jan 19, 2011

When I took A&P I, I aced all the lecture tests but bombed all of the lab portions. This was due to study habits and how the tests were formed. A&P I was almost pure memorization and it threw me off on the skeletal and muscle sections of the labs, until we got to the nervous system. That's when I was finally able to decipher each part since they were all different. It's just a test of your memorization skills for at least the first portion. I just started A&P II and so far I love because it's similar to my Biology/Microbiology/Chemistry class. What I mean by that is that there's a structure as to how things work and why they work instead of pure memorization on their locations. That is what's helping me understand and remember all the material without having to cram.

dminto · Jan 20, 2011

thanks for all your advice.. I went to the first lecture class today and the teacher just assigns readings and whatever he doesn't assign he goes over... there is a lot of Ppts and that's basically it. I am not as terrified today seeing that I witnessed how this guy presents the information, I have told myself that I am going to have to teach myself and ask questions later when i get to class. I just want to get past the Chemistry of things and dive into the body. As stated earlier, thanks for the advice and i will you posted .

:)

moma8gma1 · Jan 20, 2011

One thing that really helped me was recording the lectures with a small voice recorder (the size of a candy bar.) I listened to those lectures over and over again, making good use of the time I spent driving my kids to/from their schools. I also listened to them when I was walking, exercising, etc... Just another way to get that info into your brain.

I've heard it said that the best way to combat nerves is to study, study, study so you REALLY know the material.

Good luck! :)

StudentNrseMcFarland · Jan 20, 2011

I finished A&P nearly three years ago and begin school soon, so I'm brushing up on my own and I know how you feel. Depending on your professor, A&P can be just memorization, memorization, memorization. But, take some time to learn how things work in tandem together and it will all click.

My advice is to take whatever works for you- your book, your study guide, flashcards, those laminated cheat sheets you can get at Barnes & Noble, whatever it is- everywhere you go. When you're in line at the bank/DMV/on hold/on the treadmill, you can brush up. This really worked for me for the anatomy identification portions of the exams.

Best of luck!

dminto · Jan 25, 2011

I have my first A&P exam tomorrow and I am feeling a little bit confident about it. I am not as nervous anymore for I have taken a lot of your advice and applied them to my studying....I have re-written notes over and over until it is condensed to one page....used a recording device to tape lectures and even in labs, i have taken pics of every slide we look at ( you should see my study space...all kinds of pic on the wall of different types of tissues, their function and location etc). I don't want to be over confident though because I know from personal experience that tests can have your mind wondering if you've studied the right material...Thanks again for all who gave comments and words of wisdom

Will keep u posted...

Minto, RN (lol not yet but I like the way that looks)

northmississippi · Jan 27, 2011

you HAVE to do well in a/p to get into med school or be an RN....study study study... also,, read your notes onto a tape recorder and listen to them in your car it works great!!! you can relax to it,, you can zip thru your notes as you read and listen (you wont daydream as much). your act score, your ap score and your algebra score is the key to med/rn school.