Study tips for A and P classes and micro.

Sizzline · Nov 22, 2014

I tried to read the chapter before the lecture, then took notes during the lecture, and then made flashcards the very next day so I could start studying them immediately. I also liked using Quizlet; typing the info in there and then doing the different kinds of quizzes really helped the material stick better. For A&P lab, I found it most helpful to label the models, then take a picture with my phone. Then I would print it out big (8x10), 2 copies. On one copy, I left the labels; on the other, I white them out and numbered them. Then I quizzed myself over and over. For Micro, check out videos on YouTube by Mandi Parker. I found them incredibly helpful.

dorkypanda · Nov 22, 2014

Having a voice recorder if you don't already have one, it will be a big helper in the itty bitty details. Print out your power points before class and write on them. Go over your notes after class and really read them and also read your textbook too. Study daily and read often. your lab time in lab will be helpful if you use it wisely, don't leave early just cause you actually gain from staying. even though yes these courses are brute memorization I think applying the knowledge is also very important. on exams you may see material presented in a scenario or situation making you to think about what you learned and apply it.

cmbsn19 · Dec 30, 2014

I'm about to start my core this upcoming winter sem and what I'm doing is that I asked a friend who took the same class during fall '14 for her notes, pictures, and recordings. I also ordered the book beforehand and I'm about to review everything before the semester starts next week. Good luck to us!

dorkypanda · Dec 30, 2014

Chmarlee

Buying your textbook well ahead before your class starts is a great idea. I did that during my prereqs too =]

RN_Incredible · Dec 30, 2014

I would say using Quizlet, using a recorder (there are apps that you can download on yor ipad or phone to record a class), going over notes after class, flashcards and be sure you are on top of your syllabus day to day. Adding a tutor will definitely help as well. Good luck!

Exhuasted · Dec 31, 2014

For lecture, the best thing you can do is take really detailed notes. If you have a powerpoint to print out for each class like I did, do lots of highlighting, and in two or three colors to help them make an impression in your memory. You can also do a combination of highlighting and underlining. I know it may not seem like it but it really did help me a lot. Also, we used MyLabsPlus for homework and for each chapter I would make a brief chapter review with the main points from MyLabsPlus and study over those. A lot of our test questions were straight from MyLabsPlus, so the reviews helped a lot. If your instructor does chapter reviews, make flashcards from it. In A&P II we had chapter reviews and he would let us take pictures on our phones of the questions and answers so that we could use them as flashcards. If there is anything you're particularly stuck on, read the chapter in the book.

For lab, take pictures of all the models and study them daily if possible. There aren't really many tricks for lab. Oh and know WHAT you're looking at haha that does help.

This is what I did (except for reading the book, never had time to, but that was a suggestion from the instructor when I was stuck on cardiac), and I ended up with a high B in A&P I and a low A in A&P II. So, not too bad. And just a heads up, in lecture, cardiac and endocrine are the hardest parts, so don't get too discouraged when you get to those parts. (and immunity is pretty fun really!)

Carriecath · Dec 31, 2014

This is all good advice. A&P is a tough class, and so much of what you learn comes up over and over again. I found that absorbing the information in many ways was the most helpful for me. For example, taking notes in class really worked for me, though I tried to keep it to the key points that weren't covered by the power points. I always read through the chapter before class, and tried to take a closer look at anything that I wasn't familiar with. I feel like reading ahead of time really helped me to highlight the important parts of the lecture, since anything that was a repeat tended to be important.

I loved making my own cards on Quizlet, as I feel like typing the info from the book, powerpoint, and notes helped me look at it in a new way and synthesize it down to key points. I also looked at other people's card sets on Quizlet- sometimes reading the same info in someone else's voice helped me. I also talked out things that I was having trouble understanding. Hearing my own voice say it, and trying to explain it to my bored, befuddled husband, usually helped me retain more.

Good Luck!

bsnprg · Dec 31, 2014

Email your prof. And get a copy of the syllabi... It always helped me !

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AspiringNurseMW · Jan 1, 2015

First and foremost figure out what kind of studying suits you best. Take what is called a VARK quiz/test online. Then form study habits from there. For me I am mostly a Read/write and Visual learner. For certain parts of A&P I used concept maps to boil down many times up to 30 pages of information into one chart /map. I am not really an auditory learner AND my professor pretty much followed his notes exactly so although I bought a recorder I never actually used it, I simply wrote any extra information directly on his notes.