I'm not up on the latest video game lingo. I never got past Pong, which became popular when there weren't enough video games around to generate a whole new language. But by listening carefully and asking a few questions, I've figured out these terms:
- Easter egg - An extra little undocumentsed feature hidden away unobstrusively in a game
- Cheat - This is a trick used to gain extra points or unlock extra powers or otherwise gain an advantage beyond just playing a game "straight"
- ESRB - This is an organization that rates games for content (age-appropriateness, violence, etc.)
Two of my children are really into video games and when they talk to each other, I don't understand half of what they are saying because they're using all of this video-game lingo that I never picked up.
What does this have to do with your A&P course? Terminology. The language of A&P.
You are feeling overwhelmed with all the new terminology you have to learn, right? And yet you've already mastered the specialized terminology of sports or video games or hobbies or SOMETHING in your life without too much pain—and without your head exploding.
So do the same things you always do to pick up the terminology of A&P:
- Actively listen for new terms
- Look at (and learn) new terms before you need them
- If you run across a term that's unfamiliar, look it up—or Google it
- Ask for help (your teacher, your classmates, your librarian)
- Realize that it's going to take a few tries to pick up each new term
- Don't ignore new terms—you might need it again, and soon
For specific tips on learning the terminology of A&P, check out
If you want some more specifics on the terminology of human science and medicine, check out my other blog o-log-y.
