Please HELP! Need Study Strategies for ccconline A&P 1

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can you give me any tips for how to study a&p1 at ccconline. i do well in traditional classes, but am lost wandering around online. i don't feel there is much structure or direction in this class. little contact with other students means i don't have anyone to ask, "how does that work?" the end of the unit plays twenty questions on a huge mass of information that all seems to be equally important. i really need this class to fulfill my dream of nursing school this fall. i wonder if i printed out the lecture notes and filled them in during my reading would be a good strategy? i am spending hours just trying to sort through the links. anybody out there with experience on these technical online classes please help with successful study strategies. thanks.

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This is why many instructors of online classes warn prospective students that this format requires a good deal of self discipline and initiative. Start with the syllabus. What does the instructor say to do? If no specific advice was given in the syllabus or the instructor's introduction to the course, then contact him. If you find yourself hopelessly lost after discussing this with the instructor, perhaps you should consider dropping the course and taking it in a more structured format. Also, you might want to check out the distance learning forum and other student forums for study tips. Good luck.

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Specializes in Medical and general practice now LTC.

Moved to the general student discussion forum

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Specializes in Home Care.

I did microbiology online last semester and did well.

Here's what I do with online classes.

Print out the study guideline for each lesson. Then read the text and make sure you write notes on each topic in the guideline. I also write the page numbers down from the text book.

When links are provided to other websites, go there and read and take more notes.

If the test is open for the week of the lesson, print it and answer the questions while reading and writing your notes. If its a closed quiz, meaning that its only open once then be ready for it when you sit to write it. Have your notes handy and organized.

You need to devote at least 10 hours a week to an online lecture class in order to complete all the material assigned.

Remember that online classes take dedication and organization.

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Specializes in Emergency, Pre-Op, PACU, OR.

I agree with caliotter3, online classes are not for everyone, and if they do not fit the way you study and meet your needs, then you might be better off dropping the course and retaking it on campus, especially since AP I is not an easy class to begin with! Consider if it might not be better to apply to nursing school later rather than having to bring up your GPA if you happen to finish this course with a low grade?

If you decide to stick with it though, then I would suggest you start with the chapter readings. After that, take a look at the book-accompanying study website (if one is given). Usually you can register for a website that accompanies your textbook, and on that website you will find practice quizzes, reviews, flash animations to help you understand concepts, study cases, and helpful additional links. You need to figure out how you best understand concepts in an online class. You might understand them by reading, or maybe by watching an animation of them. You can also always google a topic and use class sources on the web (there are also often practice quizzes out there). Just make sure that they are reliable sources (e.g. class notes from other universities). If you still cannot find a system that works for you, you might want to contact your other classmates and see if one lives in your area, and see if you can get together. Another option would be to talk to the teacher of an API campus class of the home college you enrolled through. He/She might be able to set you up with a study group of an API class that is currently in process.

Good luck with your studies!

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I tried to get an class on campus. No way could I get in there. The other class members are out west and I live in Illinois. The instructor was not much help. I suspect she is new at this also and dealing with her own tech issues. I was downsized in October and had always wanted to be a nurse. The only program I could find that I could qualify for this fall means I would need this online class. Although I have continued my education off and on for a long time, this is a technical course with huge amounts of detail. The lack of 3-D visuals is the worse. I have also spent huge amounts of time trying to figure it out. I can handle the discipline, but was confused with the format. I have been comparing how my on campus Micro class differs and think the study guide and lecture notes are the way to go. Then when I read the book, I can distinguish between what the instructor emphasizes as important. The online textbook has broken links and images that do not display. I really need an online source for a cadaver or a 3-d image. I have a good gpa now, but want to keep it that way. I am fifty years old and this is probably the last chance I will ever have to reach this dream. Thanks for your all help. You gave me some great guidance.

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Specializes in Home Care.

If you are having technical difficulties it could be an issue with the browser you are using, my college uses Angel for online classes which is best viewed with Explorer.

If links are broken, notify your instructor. If the instructor says they work then go in and delete your browser history and cookies.

ohhh look what I found...this is pretty interesting for learning anatomy, you have to pay but it may very well be worthwhile for you.

http://www.visiblebody.com/start

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Firefox is the browser they recommended. I ran the browser test and passed before starting the class.

The text needs Explorer and shockwave. Even after downloading shockwave, many of the graphics wouldn't display. I was told it was because I had the most recent version of Explorer. The 24 help can't do anything because it is off site for them. The instructor said not to worry about it, but now I wonder what I'm missing. It is stilll listed as part of the homework.

I did contact the instructor about these problems, but only get one answer for every three questions and those are two days later.

I really have done the best I could and it does seem pretty hopeless.

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Hi, I did a lot of my science prereqs for nursing school online. I actually took both A&P I and A&P II thru ccconline. They are not easy and require a lot of discipline, but one thing that really helped was to hand copy lecture notes into my own notebook. After I read the assigned chapters, I would hand copy the lectures notes and really drill the material into my head. Also, I remember using the skeleton the sent for visualization while memorizing bones.

Another tip is to start the labs EARLY in the week. they are long and hard and best to finish before the weekend.

Hope this helps a bit! Don't worry, you will get through it!

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Specializes in Critical Care, Clinical Documentation Specialist.

I took AP 1 & 2 through ccconline. It took me a few chapters to find my stride and I ended up not even taking notes, but used my text as my notebook instead. I actively read everything. When I was done reading, I went to the publisher's site and did the exams they had there. Then I printed them out and then found all the answers in the text. I underlined them and if they weren't exactly clear, I wrote the question in the text verbatim then drew a line to the answer. My teachers used a couple of these questions on the tests!

You will learn most of it through the labs and journals - start them early! You will learn, if you haven't already, to put lots of clear detail into your answers. If you have AR as a teacher, be prepared to have your butt worked off - she expects a lot! I had her for AP1 and I worked hard, but producing at a high standard made AP2 with another, and slightly less demanding, teacher better.

If I got stuck on a process I always checked out youtube - they have great relevant videos, believe it or not! I also bought Anatomy & Physiology Revealed and referred to it often, it was a helpful resource. Also, as for your browser, try chrome if IE or FF don't work, you never know.

Its only hopeless if you give up - you can do it!!

Good luck!!

~SD

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I am catching on, but wish I could get a little ahead. I like the way you mapped things out. I keep trying new combinations, and get a little better each time. Tech problems are a bummer, but maybe that's just the way it goes. I do actually like some of the way online learning is handles and am beginning to see advantages. I haven't been to school for a while and these bio classes are challenging. I want to get into nursing school this fall, but think this might be a great way to keep up continuing ed credits of move forward with a masters after my BSN. Thanks for your advise.

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