Studying Anatomy and Physiology

Nurseworks, ASN, RN · Mar 17, 2015

First and foremost, identify what type of learner you are. That will go a long way in helping you study and retain information. I'm a tactile learner, so taking prodigious notes and making study guides helps me more than listening to a lecturer recite information on slides.

Another key thing about A&P is too often people get caught up in the anatomy. Once you understand the why and how of what something does, it makes it a lot easier to understand what it is, why it is located where it is, and what problems can arise from damage/illness. HouTx described this in better detail than I, but you get the drift.

As someone else suggested, no matter what type of learner you are, the Khan Academy videos rock. Good luck!

PaulBaxter · Mar 17, 2015

Some good suggestions so far. I know I benefited from using anatomy coloring books. One other great resource is Marian Diamond's lectures on youtube. Ms. Diamond has been teaching anatomy at Stanford for a very long time and she's just a terrific lecturer. If you have time you could try to watch them all, or just try to find the ones that match your current topics.

Probably one of the most important resources, though, would be someone who took the same class with the same professor, especially if they did well. I had two semesters of A&P with two different professors and they required VERY different study strategies. You'll have to learn what specifically you'll need to know for your tests, and someone from your school might be the best resource for that.

Good luck!

VictoriaLee128 · Mar 17, 2015

You will be fine as long as you go over your chapters over and over and over again. When you think you have it set, go over it again!

I found it helpful to sit alone and talk out loud as if I were teaching myself the information. I drew pictures, and used a lot of the online models and benefits the school supplied - hopefully yours does too!

Good luck! If you put the time and effort in, your grade will show for it :)

RNKPCE · Mar 17, 2015

You will be fine as long as you go over your chapters over and over and over again. When you think you have it set, go over it again!
I found it helpful to sit alone and talk out loud as if I were teaching myself the information. I drew pictures, and used a lot of the online models and benefits the school supplied - hopefully yours does too!
Good luck! If you put the time and effort in, your grade will show for it :)

I kind of did the talk out loud thing too. I took A&P as separate classes with anatomy as a prerequisite for physio. I'd get picture of the human skeleton and write in all the bones, same thing for the muscles and body systems. I made a lot of copies and just kept doing it until I got it right

bluegeegoo2, LPN · Mar 17, 2015

My class was given a "study guide" by the instructor for each test. I wrote out the whole thing with the answers/material I was instructed to need to know in a notebook. I would then read it through 3x/day every day until test day. Like stated above, it's all about repetition. (I am a kinesthetic learner, for the record.)

northmississippi · Mar 17, 2015

I recorded the lectures and listen to them at home while laying in bed, or driving to/from school. you may can buy a basic book on anatom that isnt so detailed and read it before hitting your school material. there are tons of free flashcards online. Be sure to learn the heart and endocrine system and how a kidney works, that will be a big thing in nursing school.

JulzMendoza · Mar 17, 2015

Go to this website and you can download the A&P songs or just download the lyrics, they are pretty awesome for memorization! Anatomy and Physiology Study Guide

calivianya, BSN, RN · Mar 17, 2015

I type a lot faster than I could ever hope to write, so I use flashcardmachine.com whenever I need to make flashcards. If I actually had to make paper flashcards they would never get done. I ended up using flashcard machine very heavily in nursing school. I'd go right after I got out of class, sit down, and retype my notes into flashcards. I probably have several thousand flashcards on that site.

mamagui · Mar 18, 2015

I passed A&P I and II with an A in each without reading at all. I used our professors power points, took notes during class, made flashcards where appropriate.

Pumpkinn · Mar 20, 2015

I passed A&P I and II with an A in each without reading at all. I used our professors power points, took notes during class, made flashcards where appropriate.

I found reading the textbook to be a waste of time, unless I was really confused on something. Teachers powerpoints and notes are all I used too. However, for myself, flash cards are mandatory lol. I don't know what I would do without them. â˜ºï¸

estivo275 · Mar 20, 2015

I highly recommend PAL 3.0 because it is an interactive program that goes over EVERYTHING including slides! It also quizzes you and has practical tests you can take.

HarleyGrandma, RN, EMT-B · Mar 22, 2015

I'm halfway through A&P part1, I'm having the best success with combining all kinds of traditional and crazy study ideas. My instructor is not very interesting or helpful, just doesn't 'do it' for me - so I've sought out lectures on youtube. Everybody presents things differently, by watching several lectures of the same subject by different teachers, I feel as if I have a more rounded grasp of the topic. Start each chapter by looking at the summary, questions, learning outcomes, etc. at the end. This helps you identify and focus on the key elements of each unit.

I make flashcards with those key ideas and carry them with me everywhere. Standing in line at the bank, Walmart, grocery store? Review a few cards, vocabulary lists (especially the spelling!) - makes waiting less annoying and gets in a bit more study :-)

This is my very first class back after 30 years (I don't know what I was thinking by starting with this doozy!) -- We can do this!!

~Sheila