What is so hard about A&P 1?

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I'm planning on taking A&P 1 next semester and I am wondering what makes it so difficult to pass? I already knew it was going to be challenging, but I've been thinking it was more along the lines of heavy memorization. However, reading this forum and especially hearing about how many students drop out of this class after the first couple of tests, I am getting really, really nervous. If anyone could enlighten me as to what seems to make this class so difficult to pass I would really appreciate it.

:flmngmd: Flame me if you all will, but A&P is NOT hard. If you read before each lecture (even if you don't know what you just read), sit & take your notes in the front row like a good little student, don't chit chat with your friends during class, and never allow yourself to fall behind in anything, you will do well. A better word for the class is DEMANDING - it's a lot to learn but do-able! ....quote]

Bingo! These are my feelings too. We had a very challenging instructor...he was hard-core, don't interrupt me, stand at the front of the lecture hall type man. Brilliant, and that made it tougher because he cut no slack for anyone. Our class was tough because he would include little snippets of info from time to time that wasn't in the reading...if you didn't listen very closely, you would completely miss them and it would be included in the exams. That was fine, I simply took a recorder with me and taped every lecture, then wrote each one out by hand that evening. Word for word (that's how I know the extra test info wasn't in the book). Then I would take the outline on my computer and type all of the information from the lectures into the appropriate learning objectives. By the time I got around to studying it, I had been immersed it in the info enough that I knew it well. I earned an A. We had about a 50% drop rate after mid-term. It's pretty much all rote memorization, but there is so much to remember about how the body functions that it can get overwhelming for many people.

Like someone else said, it's not as rough as nursing classes, which don't center so much on memorization as much as critical thinking ability combined with a healthy dose of memorization added in for flavor. :)

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Specializes in Pediatric Pulmonology and Allergy.

I found A&P I to be easier than A&P II. The first half of the semester was a review of basic chemistry and cell biology--which were both prereqs to A&P, so I don't know why they were even covered. Then we did tissues, integument and musculoskeletal. Everything else was in A&P II. I thought it was a lopsided way of breaking it down because we had to cover so much in A&P II.

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Specializes in ICU / PCU / Telemetry / Oncology.

Ironically, I found A&P 2 easier than part 1. My school only required English as a prereq for A&P (lol) so the review of chemistry and cell biology was nice (not that I needed it because I had these courses already, but others I guess would need sufficient understanding to tackle the rest of A&P).

I don't know if it's because I am an older student than most in my classes, but there really is no need to sit with your friends in lecture to afford you an opportunity to pass notes, chit-chat and lose your focus on what the professor is saying. More often than not the class is what, an hour to an hour and 30 min twice a week. I make the sacrifice and sit where I am not disturbed during that time, and most of the time that is smack dab in the front row. That way I don't have students distracting me in my line of vision. My friends are always there when lecture ends, and that is what matters.

In lab, I have a different philosophy since it's more interactive in nature. Friends as lab partners are OK as long as you agree not to deviate too much from substance. Dissecting a cat together and sharing the occasional "ewww" or "look at that" is cool and everything, but don't spend the whole time talking about what you'll be doing this weekend. Spend the time wisely learning the parts that undoubtedly will be on your practical.

Also, I don't know if it's also just me, but I know I have been dedicated more to my courses when I have paid CASH for them as opposed to having financial aid flip the bill.

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I agree with most everyone on here. I read the chapters faithfully and found a great online bone tutor that helped. I took notes emphasizing points the professor might always highlight. I also went into the lab to look and touch those bones as much as possible. If you have open lab hours, use them! I used youtube ALOT. This helped in AP2 and Patho where students uploaded labs going over bones, arteries, etc. If there was some lecture I needed clarification on, I also went to youtube to look it up and see if listening to another lecture would help. I have done this in all science classes I have taken thus far and have gotten all A's thus far. I begin the nursing program next semester and am soo excited!!

~Chrissy

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Ironically, I found A&P 2 easier than part 1. My school only required English as a prereq for A&P (lol) so the review of chemistry and cell biology was nice (not that I needed it because I had these courses already, but others I guess would need sufficient understanding to tackle the rest of A&P).

Exactly how much do you need to know chem to be sucessful in this course? My school doesn't require chem as a pre-req either but it is "highly recommended". If A&P is already challenging, I'm nervous about enrolling without first taking a course that is "highly recommended".

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I agree with most everyone on here. I read the chapters faithfully and found a great online bone tutor that helped. I took notes emphasizing points the professor might always highlight. I also went into the lab to look and touch those bones as much as possible. If you have open lab hours, use them! I used youtube ALOT. This helped in AP2 and Patho where students uploaded labs going over bones, arteries, etc. If there was some lecture I needed clarification on, I also went to youtube to look it up and see if listening to another lecture would help. I have done this in all science classes I have taken thus far and have gotten all A's thus far. I begin the nursing program next semester and am soo excited!!

~Chrissy

Thanks for the youtube tip. I would never have thought of that.

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Specializes in School Nursing.
Exactly how much do you need to know chem to be sucessful in this course? My school doesn't require chem as a pre-req either but it is "highly recommended". If A&P is already challenging, I'm nervous about enrolling without first taking a course that is "highly recommended".

So far the chem we have covered is very, very basic. Organic molecules, isotopes, ions, electrons, neutrons, protons, valance shells or certain elements. I don't think having a chem class will hurt you that much. Just pay closer attention to the chem section in your class.

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So for all of you that have taken A&P 1 and 2, did you take it in a regular semester? How hard would it be in a split session, A&P 1 over 10 weeks, and then A&P 2 over the next 10 weeks. My school seems to do almost all of their A&P courses this way. It seems there is only 1 full session class each semester, and it fills up fast. I'm just hoping I can do it. I won't take any other classes, but I do have 5 children. I am dedicated to studying and if I can get through it I'll feel better about nursing school, but I sure don't want to sacrifice my GPA.

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Specializes in cardiac-telemetry, hospice, ICU.
So for all of you that have taken A&P 1 and 2, did you take it in a regular semester? How hard would it be in a split session, A&P 1 over 10 weeks, and then A&P 2 over the next 10 weeks. My school seems to do almost all of their A&P courses this way. It seems there is only 1 full session class each semester, and it fills up fast. I'm just hoping I can do it. I won't take any other classes, but I do have 5 children. I am dedicated to studying and if I can get through it I'll feel better about nursing school, but I sure don't want to sacrifice my GPA.

I took A&P ii in a 12 week summer session along with 2 other classes (Eng Comp & Human Dev). I am a dedicated student like you, and 'put my time in'. I did very well in my classes, so yes, if you have the time and dedication, you can do it.

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So for all of you that have taken A&P 1 and 2, did you take it in a regular semester? How hard would it be in a split session, A&P 1 over 10 weeks, and then A&P 2 over the next 10 weeks. My school seems to do almost all of their A&P courses this way. It seems there is only 1 full session class each semester, and it fills up fast. I'm just hoping I can do it. I won't take any other classes, but I do have 5 children. I am dedicated to studying and if I can get through it I'll feel better about nursing school, but I sure don't want to sacrifice my GPA.

I took A&P 1 in a regular semester and got A for lab and lecture, I took A&P II in a 6 week summer semester:uhoh3: and kinda regretted it. I still got an A for lecture and a B for lab, but I am sure I would have pulled off A for both lab and lecture if I had taken it in a regular semester. Its not impossible, but personally if given the choice again, I would choose the longer semester. But I got in my program so that B did not hurt me, but personally would never do a science class in a 6 week semester again. I was also preparing for my TEAS at the same time, and was preparing to move so I had a lot going on. 10 weeks is not as bad as 6 though.

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I took A&P 1 in a regular semester and got A for lab and lecture, I took A&P II in a 6 week summer semester:uhoh3: and kinda regretted it. I still got an A for lecture and a B for lab, but I am sure I would have pulled off A for both lab and lecture if I had taken it in a regular semester. Its not impossible, but personally if given the choice again, I would choose the longer semester. But I got in my program so that B did not hurt me, but personally would never do a science class in a 6 week semester again...quote]

I did my A&P II in a three week summer semester...it was hell. When you subtract the weekends, it came down to something like 14 or 15 days of class. Eight hours per day, five days per week. A lab quiz every day and an exam about every other day. I got a B but if I could do it again, I wouldn't. That's been the only B I've ever gotten and I've earned something like 69 credit hours now. I'm really annoyed that this one class keeps me from having a perfect GPA. :mad: I took the class at the same time as my hubby because he needed to get both A&P I and II finished by a certain date to be accepted to nursing school (he went through nursing school while I worked and now he's working while I'm in school.)

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I didn't find the A&P classes hard, just very challenging. What seemed to help me the most was 1) finding on-line practice tests to find out my weak spots before the real test 2) making my own flash cards out of index cards. With cell identification I might have a description with a drawing on one side, and the name on the other. And find mnemonics to help you remember lists. Such as "Bobs shaving Granny's love child" for the layers of the skin.

Good luck!

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