Just curious- I remember reading the stories on here months before I even applied to college, then expressing my trepidation after I applied during the last week before school began.
I'm doing great so far, but gosh dangit if it isn't a lot of work. I'm taking 14 hours, this is my first time in college (first semester).
We have 1 quiz a week on the previous lecture, lab practicals are spaced out at roughly 2 weeks apart, with lecture exams about 3 weeks apart. We've already had our first lab exam/practical. 104% (bonus points).
Anyone using the Marieb lab manual (4th edition)+ Lecture textbook (8th edition)? Both 2010 prints. Notice the errors in the first 3 chapters? Discrepancies between the lab manual and the text and the online study offered by Pearson? Hahaha. It's my new side-hobby to compile a list of errors. Pearson has already corrected one of the pages and sent it to me as a PDF for the next edition, and there's more to come.
We've started the lecture on cells, and have finished with basic anatomy, chemistry, and are in tissues (having finished basic anatomy, and cells) in lab. I'm hoping at some point they sync up.
Is your lecture filled to capacity? Mine started with this insane number of people, and then a waiting list (no lie) to get into the class should anyone leave.
So tell us how you're doing, what problems you're having, what you're studying currently in A&P- I'm curious!
right on! i'm not sure why we had our first lab practical/exam before our lecture. in fact- our lecture isn't in sync with our lab. hehe
well this is the second time i've taken this class. the first time i took it i had a different instructor for lab and our labs never matched up to our lectures and it really made things difficult for me. this time i have the same instructor for both and our labs are about a day behind the lectures (if that makes sense) and it's working really well for me.
Way too easy for now. I was the only person in lab to get 100% on lab exam. Lecture exam I is on Tuesday and I am worried because it seems way too easy. It's like I am missing something lol :/
Just had our first exam today on chapters 1&2. I got a 93, which I was happy with but a little bummed because I thought I aced it! Oh well. Maybe next time. Now we're on to chapters 3&4. My teacher is awesome... I feel pretty lucky because I've heard horror stories of other A&P instructors.
We're using Martini & Nath's "Fundamentals of A & P."
First test covers:
Chapter One- Introduction/Anatomical terms/Most of this material is to be covered in Lab quizzes, but we are responsible for the material for lecture exam as well.
Chapter Two- Chemistry review. The test will largely focus on transcription, translation, protein synthesis, macromolecules' functions for this part; but there is some very basic chemistry too.
Chapter Three- Cell theory. Must know organelles, their functions, understand communication cascades, gene expression. It sounds difficult, but we're mostly responsible for the concepts and terminology for lecture. Although we are responsible for some snippets of cascades (CdCs / CdKs / P53). We also need to understand how how cancer works, and quite a few "triggering" factors.
Chapter Four- Histology. Tissue types are important. If you understand Chapter 3 well, then its been said that this part should come easily. However, we need to understand intercellular communication, and tissue interactions. The difficult parts of histology are covered in lab.
And that's it for the first exam. The prof said about 80 % of the test will come from the textbook, and 20 % will come from additional material she's added in the lecture. Her specialty involves intracellular communication, so she stresses that quite a bit (and it's useful). She also ties the theory to pathophysiology to help prepare us for the nursing program, and goes into some specifics about certain proteins for her biology majors.
There's no curve, and no study guide; however, she offered us a bonus point for writing up a paper about cystic fibrosis (one student got 3 + for doing extra work). These points are added to the first exam, so like .25% of your final grade. If you do all the extra credit assignments, I think the most you can get is +1% on your cumulative average.
Some students have dropped, but there's no telling how many are just skipping the lectures, and how many have officially quit. My first test is next Friday, and I'm petrified. I'm guessing that after we get our first official grade, that's when people will really start to panic and leave.
We're using a diffrent book but it sounds very similar. Our first test lecture test is Monday. It will cover Chapters 1-4 intro, cells/basic biology, basic chemistry, histology. We've had a lab quiz (not weighted very heavily), we'll have about 10 of those, our second one is on Monday as well. We only have two lab exams, the lab midterm and the lab final. They are worth a lot points. Our teacher told us that only 7% passed the midterm lab exam last year.
Ike Arumba
168 Posts
well this is the second time i've taken this class. the first time i took it i had a different instructor for lab and our labs never matched up to our lectures and it really made things difficult for me. this time i have the same instructor for both and our labs are about a day behind the lectures (if that makes sense) and it's working really well for me.