SOMEONE PLEASE HELP (physiology) (scary rant)

catdawg · Sep 23, 2012

It's a tough class with a lot of material to retain. Don't beat yourself up. You'll do worse if you become so anxious to where you can't focus properly. There were times in my class that I didn't get the exact scores on quizzes that I wanted but you have to keep at it. What's the best way for you to learn? Maybe you aren't studying in such a way that you are actually able to retain it. And do you have classmates you can study with or take quizzes with? That always helps. I hate that you're stressed just keep your head up and focus and you'll be alright

zoe92 · Sep 23, 2012

Take a deep breath and calm down. Does your school offer a tutoring center? Have you asked your professor where you are going wrong? How exactly do you study? You said you look over terms every other day, but you need to do a little chunk every day. I recommend using the textbook's online website/quizzes as well.

Dezy · Sep 24, 2012

I sent my teacher an email and she pretty much told me go get help from a TA if i have a specific question ask, otherwise its too bad if i dont know where i need help....

So far I have been using the power point slides she gives us access to online, my text book ( a little because the info is all over the place) and the practice handouts she gives us. I thuroughly go over the practice stuff and today i went over the online quiz (we have as many attempts as we want) and I was getting horrid marks even with me going online to look stuff up.

My other classmates either seem to be doing ok or lousy. I was hoping to work my butt off and do well and I'm having a panick attack i might have to drop and leave the program and everything i ever dreamed off all because of this ********!!

ADN2B · Sep 24, 2012

Maybe you could use the book more than "a little."

kaydensmom01 · Sep 24, 2012

I read my book nonstop in physiology. I read it page by page, over and over again until I understood it. I researched you tube videos that helped me visualize it. I wrote definitions, outlines, and the processes over and over again until I really understood it. If you are an auditory learner you could read outloud to yourself from the book, if you are visual then you can watch the videos or write outlines. I recieved a 100% in the class because I consumed myself with it.

Certifiable, BSN, RN · Sep 24, 2012

Here are my weird study tips that help me:

1. DRAW a process out. things become more clearer when it's not just about memorising a paragraph - also, by drawing you are reinterpreting the information into your own language, in a visual way which may be easier to remember.

2. SING it out. When I was studying pharmacology I used the backstreet boys' "tell me why" to go over material that I just read - it was scary how much that helped (and I'm not a big Bacstreet boy fan). The lyrics really help because when they sing "tell me why" I'd insert my explanation "tell me why- aint nothing but beta blocker, tell me why, ain't nothing but propanolol"--- you get the drift.

It worked well for me.

And it take the stress out of rereading the same old textbook over and over again.

Hope this helps.

edmia, BSN, RN · Sep 24, 2012

Maybe you could use the book more than "a little."

Agreed! The textbook is your main source. The power points and other stuff is the extra. If you don't consume that book page by page, you won't pass this or any other science intensive courses.

Sent from my iPhone using allnurses.com

brillohead, ADN, RN · Sep 24, 2012

Use OTHER books, too. There are all kinds of physiology books out there -- Physiology for Dummies, Physiology Made Incredibly Easy, etc.

I also like to buy other textbooks (you can get older editions for $5 online -- check out betterworldbooks.com). Sometimes the way someone else (a different author in a different book) describes something makes much more sense than the way my textbook describes it.

runforfun · Sep 24, 2012

You can take the online quizzes as many times as you want, until you get an A? Stop freaking out and go get your 100! Use your book to look up the answers. If for some reason your professor has not assigned specific chapters to read, then look up the information in the index. Use the internet or outside sources only the clarify if the book's explanation is not quite working for you. When you are doing the activities you have been assigned, do them after you have read and gone trough lecture powerpoints. If you can do the activities without having to look up every other answer, you probably have a good grasp of the content and just need to fill in the blanks (alternatively, I have some classmates who do any class activities first, then use them to guide their reading and studying).

It sounds like your professor is not receptive to requested help. First of all, you are paying quite a bit of money for him/her to TEACH you, not to shrug off requests for help. See if the TA is a bit more receptive to your requests, they might actually be a lot of help. If this still doesn't work, be insistent with your professor and try to get the help you need.

nurseprnRN, BSN, RN · Sep 24, 2012

If you are a visual learner, or if you just want a different way to look at things to help you retain them, I strongly, STRONGLY recommend you get the Physiology Coloring Book and its companion the Anatomy Coloring Book. (see them both at The Anatomy Coloring Book: Wynn Kapit,Lawrence M. Elson: 0076092013693: Amazon.com: Books) These are not jokes, they are real texts who have helped innumerable students "get" physiology. And of course, since the reason you take physiology is because you will have to apply what you learn in it every single day of your working life (not to mention the rest of your nursing classes), it would be a good idea to have a good functional grasp of it. (no personal financial interest-- I just really, really like students to learn physiology)

Dezy · Oct 16, 2012

hey everyone.... I dont know what else to do. I have read texts books back and forth, used the power point... mad cue crds and studied ridiculousy hours several days straight (yes I take decent breaks)....

AND I STILL CANT GET PAST 60% ON MY PRACTICE QUIZES!! I'M BARELY GETTING TO 50!!

IVE DONE THE PRACTICE QUIZ 13 TIMES!!!

WHAT AM I DOING WRONG????