Trouble with A&P I

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So the fourth week of class is starting tomorrow and I'm feeling discouraged. I got a D on my first exam and a B on my first practical. There's lab and a class, and they're both completely separate from each other which I feel ridiculous. I think I may have just found a more productive way to study which is through quiz-let and many online diagrams because I tried to write out all of my notes and it was just too much to keep rewriting. Literally takes me a whole day to do notes on 1 or 2 chapters and I only have so much time because I work full time. Any study suggestions that actually work? I don't care to get an A at this point, I just want to pass the course. Anyone who found the class easy and passed with flying colors, I'm not interested in hearing so don't comment. People who struggled through the course and found it difficult but DID pass, I am interested in hearing from.

Thanks!

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A&P was the only class I had difficulty with. Back in my day, we did not have online study aids. I made study cards, carried them everywhere to grab one whenever I had a minute ,even at a red light.

It's rote memorization, and it's brutal.

Consider a tutor.

Good luck.

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When I took A & P I found that almost half the class was retaking it because they didn't do well the first time around.

I quickly realized I had to spend way more time studying than I ever thought I would have to, and way more time than I had originally budgeted.

It was lots of hard work and I had my notes with me everywhere! In my purse, standing in line at the store, at work for every break, you get the picture.

Hope you find something that works for you

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I did a lot of visual flashcards (pictures instead of words). I "taught" my dog concepts that I was having trouble understanding. I went to tutoring at least once a week (twice on test weeks).

For note taking, I made sure to write everything in my own words, rather than verbatim from lecture. This made the connections easier for me. I usually didn't rewrite them, but for especially difficult concepts, I did.

You can always talk to your teacher, too - ask for study tips or things you can do to make sure you're learning the stuff you need to.

Good luck.

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I don't care to get an A at this point, I just want to pass the course.

Keep in mind that "just passing" may not be enough to gain acceptance into a nursing program. You're likely to be competing against people who got As in everything. Don't shoot the messenger!! ...just something to think about.

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Keep in mind that "just passing" may not be enough to gain acceptance into a nursing program. You're likely to be competing against people who got As in everything. Don't shoot the messenger!! ...just something to think about.

I've already been accepted. Our program here isn't that competitive. Aside from Biochem, you complete the remaining science courses during the program. And I usually am a high achiever but I've never had course this difficult which is why I just want to pass and have a good understanding of the body.

Thanks for your input tho!

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Some people may snort at this but perhaps you are more of a "hands-on" learner. There are a number of educational anatomy coloring books available. These are not kids books. When I was in school a million years ago many of my classmates swore by them. I did not use one so I can't speak personally about their efficacy.

978

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I was definitely going to suggest coloring books.

For complicated processes, there are also lots of videos online. I found cartoon-y ones helpful, in particular, when I got to the immune system. That helped me get a basic grasp, and then it was much easier to fill in the details.

Also just writing some things down (like the ... cascade when you get a cut that clearly I remember VERY well two years later without starting nursing school yet cos I'm waiting on acceptance... or the way blood pumps through the body etc) in order over and over and over and over and over. And over. And over. (this really helped for chemistry equations too. We weren't ALLOWED cheat sheets, but I would make one with tons of shortcuts for writing, and then I'd write it until I could reproduce it from scratch, so that I didn't have to keep electronaegativity patterns etc just in my head to get garbled.)

BUT. BY FAR. The best 2 things for anatomy, especially anatomy 1:

1) The app essential Anatomy 5 (which... maybe there are further updates now, but thats still the one on my phone.)

It allows you to layer all the different systems onto a skeleton. On your computer it will actually move the muscles so you can visualize each movement. You can isolate a bone or muscle or organ and view it from all angles alone or on the skeleton. It has insertion points etc... LIFESAVER. I think it was like $10 for iphone and $30 for the computer at the time, but it was better and more helpful than all other supplements for me and my classmates, except maybe the atlas we needed.

2) Also, Kenhub.com has a subscription service that will help you quiz yourself instead of creating quizlets. I found it way more helpful and less time consuming.

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Thanks! Apps will be really helpful for me , I'm always on my phone

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I'm actually currently taking Anatomy and Physiology 1 too and I'm doing okay so far (A-99% on practical, C-79% on lecture exam) so I wanted to comment just in case I can help.

First, I think it's really great you are using quizlet!!!!! I abuse that website so much, it is one of the main reasons why I did well on my practical and managed to pass my lecture. For practical I would totally recommend finding your school's science study room! Hardly anyone goes to the one at my school so I never knew it existed until I talked to a teacher. But our study room literally has everything I needed for my practical exam. I would come in every day for a couple of hours or whenever I'm free and learn from the models because very very similar ones are what I'll see on my exam.

For lecture, I can't really give advice on, since I got a C lol, other than quizlet and going through study guides if your teacher provides them. I was dumb enough to wait until the practical exam was over and then to procrastinate studying for the lecture (it was 1 week after the practical too) so I only managed to study only one chapter and went through the study guides quickly. I don't want to sound annoying because you already know this, but just to stress it, always communicate with the teacher!!!! Other than quizlet I feel like I passed the lecture because I emailed my professor a question and she literally shot back a whole list of specifics I should know for the test! It really saved me. So yeah that's all I can offer for now, wish I could help more. Buuuuut Good luck!! I hope you do well!!! :-)

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Thanks!!

Actually in my opinion, the lab seems much more easier than the lecture part of the course. I found a lot of online practice models to use that really help me remember. I'm having a lot more trouble with the lecture, I just can't sit and listen to her lecture for 2 hours straight, I loose interest and before you know majority of the class falls asleep. She did give out study guides but clearly she's one of the professors where the guide has absolutely nothing to do with the test so I have to find a better method for absorbing all of the information in each chapter, rather its on the guide or not. I'm trying to find the best way to simplify it all but quizlet has helped somewhat with that

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First thing, just trying to pass is not going to benefit you later on in nursing school because you need to know anatomy and physiology for your nursing classes. So focus on actually learning the material, not memorizing to pass. But as far as study tips, drawing things out and coloring books are both really helpful for learning and really understanding the material.

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