Struggling with understanding A&P 1

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I'm doing fairly well in my A&P 1 class (I have a B). But I don't feel like I'm retaining any information. I study for my quizzes and exams and when we move on to new material I forget almost everything I have learned previously. I am pretty confident with identifying bones and muscles, but not so much with the other topics. I try to look back at my notes, but the course that I am in is accelerated so I honestly don't have a lot of time to go over previous material. I've never been so stressed out before in my life, between working full time and my summer classes I have no time to relax and my classes aren't over until the end of July. I understand that nursing school is hard and challenging, but I never thought my anxiety would be this bad. I'm so worried about A&P 2 and Microbio next year because I don't feel as if I am truly grasping the information in A&P 1 now. Any advice on what I should do?

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Specializes in critical care.

I felt the same way. I promise you are retaining more than you think, and much of a&p will be revisited in other classes. Hang in there!

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Specializes in Hospice.

I can totally relate, A & P I kicked my butt. I took the accelerated program in the summer session last year too. I passed with a C. I felt like it was all I did at home, the tutorials, the reading. No time for a life during that five week period. Then, I took AP II and got an A, in the regular semester. What the above post said is true, you retain much more than you think you do. It just seems overwhelming because it's condensed. My C didn't affect my chances of getting into the nursing program. You can do it.

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I always recommend the Anatomy Coloring Book and the Physiology Coloring Book, available online from your favorite bookseller, free 2-day shipping from Amazon for students. This is not a joke and not a comic book, but a real, good resource that my students said saved their behinds in this class.

Get the hard copy, not the online download or the iPad version, because part of the reason it's so good is because it engages different parts of your brain when you use your colored pencils to help you retain the material.

There are no shortcuts for A&P because they’re a big part of being a nurse. This is definitely NOT a course you will pass and put out of your head, because after you take it and get into the nursing coursework it will be an integral part of the critical thinking process; your faculty will expect that you remember it. These books will be excellent reference for you when you start seeing real patients. This is unlike any other education you have ever had, trust me. Get the books.

The Physiology Coloring Book (2nd Edition) by Wynn Kapit, Robert I. Macey and Esmail Meisami(Oct 3, 1999)

The Anatomy Coloring Book by Wynn Kapit and Lawrence M. Elson (Jul 5, 2001)

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I always recommend the Anatomy Coloring Book and the Physiology Coloring Book, available online from your favorite bookseller, free 2-day shipping from Amazon for students. This is not a joke and not a comic book, but a real, good resource that my students said saved their behinds in this class.

Get the hard copy, not the online download or the iPad version, because part of the reason it's so good is because it engages different parts of your brain when you use your colored pencils to help you retain the material.

There are no shortcuts for A&P because they’re a big part of being a nurse. This is definitely NOT a course you will pass and put out of your head, because after you take it and get into the nursing coursework it will be an integral part of the critical thinking process; your faculty will expect that you remember it. These books will be excellent reference for you when you start seeing real patients. This is unlike any other education you have ever had, trust me. Get the books.

The Physiology Coloring Book (2nd Edition) by Wynn Kapit, Robert I. Macey and Esmail Meisami(Oct 3, 1999)

The Anatomy Coloring Book by Wynn Kapit and Lawrence M. Elson (Jul 5, 2001)

I agree with GrnTea! The coloring books help a lot!! You are retaining more than you think too! When you start talking about other things that will relate to what you have learned you will have one of those ahh ha moments and remember the material! A&P requires a lot of repetition! Good luck!

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Thanks for the info tho

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