What grade did you achieve in Chemistry and/or Anatomy?

Cranmans · Feb 10, 2009

[color=#1822cd]chem 'a', a and p 1 and 2 'a'.

hints

sure you have to memorize some facts, but you also have to understand how things work (that is after all the definition of physiology). this involves going beyond memorization, therefore it involves different study techniques. [color=#1822cd] merely reading your notes repeatedly may help you memorize (although i contend that rewriting your notes accomplishes this goal faster and better), that, however, is only half the battle.

[color=#1822cd] here are some techniques that will help your studying for comprehension:

[color=#1822cd] *study pictures and/or drawings and figure out what the picture is trying to show you.

[color=#1822cd] *study with someone else, thereby forcing yourself to talk about the info. you will find that your own ego will make you get the information down correct when you talk about it.

[color=#1822cd] or the questions at the end of each chapter, or the exercises in the last 1/2 of your lab book. use these resources to test yourself and find areas where you need to concentrate. i did not say study these questions------ study your notes!-----then use the questions to check your understanding.

[color=#1822cd] *recopy your notes (preferably prior to the next class)...recopying them gets them into your brain better than simply reading them.

[color=#1822cd] *rearrange your notes. for example: flash cards, or create sheets with columns labeled what-where-how-why- etc. the act of creating these study resources will help almost as much as ever using them.

[color=#1822cd] *read the summaries at each chapter's end, or the related chapter in your lab book, or heck try reading the textbook. there is a study guide you can buy or there are two on reserve in the library....working these exercises helps.

[color=#1822cd] *try reading your notes into a tape recorder and then listening while you drive, or do laundry or jog.

[color=#1822cd] *sit in the profs office and demand help, get the material straight

[color=#1822cd] *play--surf--study the google pics

[color=#1822cd] *do not try to cram it all in during the last days before a test, the volume will overwhelm you. (a good method is to rewrite your notes each day prior to coming to the next lecture--this takes discipline--but you can bet that it will help).

[color=#1822cd] *most of all --- just do it, there are no short cuts, there is no silver platter.

emily_ganshert · Feb 10, 2009

Thank you so much!!

HonestRN · Feb 10, 2009

[color=#1822cd]chem 'a', a and p 1 and 2 'a'.
hints
sure you have to memorize some facts, but you also have to understand how things work (that is after all the definition of physiology). this involves going beyond memorization.

[color=#1822cd]just do it, there are no short cuts, there is no silver platter.

well put

catshowlady · Feb 10, 2009

Straight A's in all my science classes - I will say it does come naturally for me.

Some hints for you, though.... Repetition. I find it more helpful to study in shorter sessions with breaks in between. It's not so much the actual break that helps me, as coming back to the material after not thinking about it for a while, over and over. You can study when you are not "studying." When you stop at a red light, or wait in line in the cafeteria, or any pause you have in your day, see what you can free-recall, without your notes or anything. Or put tables, pictures, or flashcards on your mirror, or the visor in your car, or the fridge - where you can see them over & over.

Active learning - don't just stare at your notes/book and read them over and over. I also recommend the anatomy coloring books. Make flashcards - for me, it's not reviewing the flashcards after the fact, so much as the making of them. It forces you to organize the material in your brain yourself, plus you get the repetition of re-writing the material onto the card.

I also agree with above posters who say that you have to understand the concepts. While some anatomy is straight memorization, physiology requires you to understand how things work. Same for chemistry. If you don't understand a concept, trying breaking it into smaller pieces, or go back to previous classes & study the more basic material that the new concept is building on.

Don't be afraid to ask for help, and don't be afraid to ask someone other than your instructor. Everyone has their own learning style, and your instructor may not be able to explain it in a way that is easy for you to get. Someone else might be able to explain it differently, in a way that you can easily understand.

Ask one of us nerds. Most of us love learning, and will happily share our enthusiasm with you.

eriksoln, BSN, RN · Feb 10, 2009

OK then. All you st8 A nerds lol..................help me with something.

I do better in classes that focus on understanding things. You know, psych. or the patho. part of A+P. What I am not good at is the memorization part. I cant read something over and over and recall it the next day.

Does my memory just suck, or what? Why do I still look up meds that I was looking up when I was a new nurse. Then, I slap my forehead and think........"oh my, thats right. Why cant I remember that?".

bestbabynurse · Feb 10, 2009

I took those several years ago, and they were tough then too. I got A's, but I was unbelievably motivated. I had a family and no time to waste. A study partner; videos with the professor explaining the principals; letting the artistic side of my brain play a role in memorization. For example: visualizing a house, mouse, or some other picture to remember the shape of the carbon chain. Hope this helps.

netglow, ASN, RN · Feb 10, 2009

Eriksoln,

They say 90% of the game is half mental.

eriksoln, BSN, RN · Feb 10, 2009

Eriksoln,
They say 90% of the game is half mental.

:icon_roll

Well, this doesnt happen often.

I have no smart aleck comeback.

Cranmans · Feb 10, 2009

All the hints are great, its YOU that have to fiqure out what works and what does not. Soemtimes it takes a test, to figure out. If you did not do well on a quiz/test, then you may have to rethink and do something different. Reading your words in a tape recorder, typing/writing them over and over and posting them in every room of the house etc... can help too. Last, You can do it!

eriksoln, BSN, RN · Feb 10, 2009

Yeah, I used the tape recorder in nursing school. Listened to my own voice doing the baby assessment and all. LOL. Sometimes I miss those days.

rn2bnwi, BSN, RN · Feb 10, 2009

I received A's in all of the sciences, 2 chemistrys, a&p 1 &2 , and micro.

Science does not come naturally to me but i studied and made it a priority. Utilize the websites in your books, their test / quiz questions on those websites will help you prepare. For micro my teacher made it very easy so i didn't even have to study. but for the rest i reall had to earn my grades . Each day i set a 'goal' of what i wanted to accomplish study wise that day and i then i met that goal ...almost always. Good luck to you!

Steph

rlyne59 · Feb 10, 2009

A&P was my favorite class and I A's them. Chemistry was ok, but I struggled with calculation. Math is my one of my weak subject. I went to tutoring class for chem and it help me alot. I did'nt an A but I'm happy with B. =)