What is so hard about A&P 1?

[Miwila]

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.

[PacoUSA, BSN, RN]

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".

Well, if it makes you feel any better, I took chemistry 5 years before I took A&P and it's not like I could remember everything from chemistry to make it relevant for A&P. The chemistry basics chapter that is found in most A&P texts covers more than enough information for you to understand the related material for A&P (sodium-potassium pump, osmosis, diffusion, cellular respiration, etc.) ... I highly recommend reading that chem chapter before even starting your A&P class - read it just for familiarity, even if you don't understand anything during the first read. Just don't go into class blindly and hear things for the first time. Read before class and you will be just fine. Hopefully, your prof will go over the chapter in class and not arbitrarily decide for you to review it on your own.

By the way, there are TONS of videos on YouTube that cover chem basics, USE THEM!

[tyty123]

I'll tell you what make this class so difficult to pass NO WARNING OF WHAT'S TO COME. First and foremost the beginning of the course is based on chem so if you didn't take a chem class you will already be working from a disadvantage then next the rate at which they want you to remember the material is very intense and complex and with steadily increasing difficultly .then the professor want to play head games with you because from the moment you hit the door they've already placed bets as to who will be there at the end. And last but not least if you don't already fill like stuck on stupid then wait until you look around to see if anyone else looks and feels the same way and only to your dismay you'll come to find out that the ones that are doing really good guest what that's because they have already ran through the course several times

[maddieebobaddiee, ADN, RN]

If your school has this, TAKE A BASIC A&P CLASS BEFORE TAKING THE REAL THING. I cannot express how much it helped me. I knew a TON of that information already so it made both A&P's a slightly easier A. A&P II was a harder A to earn because my professor would put stuff on the exam that we didn't even learn, so yeah. She made up for it though because on one of my exams I got 19 wrong and still got a 91%. Whatever.