Pros and Cons of Taking Anatomy and Microbiology Together

TheNursingdoll, CNA

Taking anatomy and physiology and Microbiology was somewhat of a cardinal sin in my community college. Regardless of the warnings from professors and counselors, I enrolled in AP1 (which I retook) and Microbiology (entirely new to me at the time) during the fall! Here are the pros and cons of taking two science classes together and some advice on my experiences.

Pros - Why You Should Take Classes Together

This is a test. Taking Anatomy and Physiology with Microbiology helped when understanding certain chapters of each science class

When I took Microbiology, certain aspects of the course helped with anatomy, such as reviewing the anatomy of organs, the organs', Chemistry, and cytology! I finally understood desmosomes and gap junctions and got to check the functions of the renal medulla.

Multi-tasking skills

Although I took two science courses in total, I actually some classes over again to achieve better grades. I took AP1, Microbiology, Human Development, and English (In total, with the lab, I had six courses). During this semester, it was CHAOTIC, but I learned how to multitask more efficiently!

A newfound appreciation for science

While taking anatomy and Microbiology together, I had a newfound respect for science. I appreciated it more. As cheesy as it sounds, I enjoyed learning about the human body, viruses, and gram stains!

Increased Memorization skills

Both courses are deeply rooted in memorization, so spending time studying and memorizing the material has helped my memorization skills tremendously!

Cons - Why You Should Not Take Classes Together

The burnout

I had quite a rigorous schedule. Sitting in a lecture from 3-4pm, a twenty-minute lunch, and I'd be back at campus an hour early to study. Again, I sat sitting through another lecture from 6 to 7pm and then a lab the next day from 6 to 10, only to live an hour away and study for the next anatomy exam and my other courses! I was going to bed at 3am most days, and by the end of the lecture, 5am. There were days to where I was burnt out and just didn't want to do it anymore, questions why the hell did I do this and tempted dropping! But in the end, I knew what my objective goals were.

Midterms and Finals will kick your butt

I had more difficulty with the timing of big tests! Although Microbiology didn't have a midterm, my anatomy midterm's timing caused a lot of rushing and a lot of rescheduling, and so did the final.

The battle of studying

Although I was familiar with anatomy, I spent more time studying for this course than Microbiology. In Microbiology, I only studied for 1 to 2 hours which proved successful, but usually, anatomy requires a bit more studying. Even my Microbiology professor had stated this during the end of the semester.

There isn't enough time for free time

Sadly because both courses have a lot of material and require lots of studying there were no fun weekends for me! After studying, I usually just caught up on sleep

Advice For Taking Anatomy and Microbiology Course Together

If you're retaking Anatomy, prep in advance

Although I reviewed material, prepping a few weeks before the semester started helped me!

Low-Stress professors make a difference

When retaking this, I actually took the most laid-back teachers I could find for the semester. Extra credit was given freely in Microbiology. Hence, it wasn't super rigorous for me while in AP1; no extra credit was given, but the teacher was incredible at the lecture. We actually used the textbook's PowerPoints which were actually the real test, so it helped tremendously.

Weigh the pros and cons along with the lifestyle you live

If you are a rigorous student, this may seem like a walk in the park, and know that as much as you're gaining, you may lose some too. I'm not here to discourage you, but if you're working or have kids, you may want to take things into consideration.

Consider taking a class or two online

This can go for the science class or if you're taking an easier class. I took my one of my science classes online along with Human Development and then I took English and Microbiology on campus. This can help a lot with the running around!

AP2 and Microbiology

This combination can be done but at least 1/2 of the people I've known either dropped Micro or AP2. AP2 is more physiology based and requires learning in and out (because , you will see it again). There were people whom I've known that have passed as well but they literally lived at the library.

References

Is it a bad idea to take Microbiology and anatomy at the same time?

'How to get A'S in A&P and Microbiology' YouTube video...