Five Things You Should Do Between A&P 1 and A&P 2

Ah, there's a break between semesters!  You've survived A&P 1 and have temporarily put it—along with everything else related to school—out of your mind.  You even wonder to yourself, "why am I reading THIS?  School is out!"

The answer to that question is, "because somewhere deep inside, I realize that A&P 2 is looming in the near future for me."


Here are five tips for being ready for A&P 2:

1. Relax and refresh.  It's a break, after all!  Academic calendars purposely have breaks in them to allow you to "take a breather" and get your head out of  your books for a while.  Sort of like dreaming, it gives your brain time to assimilate what you've learned and get ready for the next round.  If you don't take some time for yourself to relax and refresh yourself, A&P 2 won't be so easy for you.


2. Attend to "real" life.  A&P 1 was more rigorous and time-consuming than you thought it was going to be.  You found yourself putting friends and family "on hold" while you focused on keeping your head above water.  Now's a good time to reconnect.  And explain why you've had to be so focused.  It might also be a good time to make sure they're all on board for another semester or two of not seeing you so much—making them true partners in this "training phase" of your life.


3. Review what you've accomplished. Take a small amount of time to review what you learned in A&P 1—which was an awful lot!  As I mentioned in #1, this is the time your brain is consolidating all those concepts into something useful.  Something you can take forward with you into later courses—and into your career.  So help your brain along a bit by taking a few minutes each day to skim over a chapter's worth of notes, the illustrations from the book, the chapter summary.  This simple trick can have a huge impact on how much gets into—and stays in—your long-term memory.


4. Plan your strategy.  Besides the concepts you learned last term, you also learned—perhaps the hard way—that you can't succeed in A&P without a plan.  Now, when the pressure's off, is a great time to figure out how you are going to schedule your life next term.  Actually put it into your Google calendar (or on your whiteboard) now. Then, when your new course starts, you'll have it all mapped out.  This trick gets you in the right frame of mind to start a new semester in a low-stress way!


5. Preview your next course.  You already have the textbook right?  You know what's coming in A&P 2.  Take just a few minutes each day to skim through the summary material of a chapter in the second half of your book.  I suggest that you start with the new words.  Read them out loud, so your brain is prepared for them next term (this is the best way to learn any new language).  Say the trickier ones—like carbaminohemoglobin—several times, to get the rhythm of the word in your head.  Then skim over a brief or detailed chapter outline.  Then, if you have time and haven't zoned out yet, look over the chapter illustrations.  This trick will give you the "lay of the land" of A&P 2—further reducing stress going forward.

Photo: Ryan Mahle

Getting a Good Start in your Anatomy & Physiology Course

For those entering the health professions, the human anatomy and physiology course is the arguably the most important—and most difficult—step in their schooling.

To get a good, solid start in A&P, I've pulled together some advice to share with you—things you need to know as you start, so you won't get into trouble you can't get yourself out of.

Learn how to read and raid your textbook

• You can't just sit down and read an A&P textbook. It's not meant to be read like a novel or magazine. There are steps you need to take to really comprehend the contents, and if you don't take those steps, then you'll be wasting your time.
• You also need to learn how to raid your A&P textbook.  That means knowing how and where to find information in your book when you need it to solve a problem or clarify something from your class discussion or lab activity.
• You need to actually use your book.  Many students just set it aside (it looks so big and scary, after all) and never use it to supplement and complement what's going on in other parts of the course.  They often exclaim, "why did I have to buy that thing, when I didn't even use it!"  Yet, by not using it on their own, they are making it much more difficult—and time-consuming—to succeed in their A&P course.  
• To learn more about how to read and raid your textbook, check out Read and Raid Your Textbook.

Brush up on your study skills

• Prior to their A&P course, I've found that many students have been successful (or not so successful) in their high-school and college courses by just "winging it." Or by simply taking a few notes in class and reviewing them before a test or exam.  That won't cut it in A&P—no matter how brilliant you are.
• You need to employ a set of study strategies to be successful.  I've listed just a few of them here, so you have an idea of what I'm saying.  Click on any of the links to find out more.
• You'll be learning a new language, the language of science and medicine, so learn some basic principles of how that language works.
• Use flash cards to help you learn new terms right away.  This is a first step before you can master the deep meaning of science concepts.
• Use concept maps to sketch out the new sets of facts, theories, and principles that you are learning.  By drawing it out, you learn what aspects you've already mastered—and you reveal your weak spots and get them corrected.
• Use concept lists to help you see connections between concepts you've learned and build a framework for seeing the "big picture" of human structure and function.
• Manage your time by scheduling several short study sessions every single day. Cramming at the end does not work—and certainly won't prepare you for your later courses, nor your career, both of which rely on a deep understanding of A&P.
• Study in a group.  Regularly.  Research shows that this is one of the most efficient (time-saving) and effective ways to study pretty much any subject.
• Take good notes.  If your course involves lectures or online presentations, then take notes.  In lab, take notes.  Reading or raiding your textbook?  Take notes.  Take notes. Take notes.
• Practice. Practice. Practice.
• Spend a little time and effort learning effective study strategies. Here are some ways to get started:
• Ask past A&P students what worked for them.
• Explore the study tips I've mapped out over time in this blog. 
• Sign up for the newsletter to keep new tips coming directly to you!
• Check out the Lion Den Study Tips & Tools resources.
• Check out the Survival Guide for A&P and the Handbook of A&P.
• Subscribe to my YouTube channel, which features study tips for A&P
• Talk to your A&P teacher during their office hours to get their advice.

Take A&P seriously

An awful lot of students look at the A&P course simply as a hoop that needs to be jumped through—a credential to get down on paper—before getting a degree or certificate needed to start a career.  A more realistic view sees the A&P course as a "first year on the job" experience.  Where you learn most of what you'll need to survive the first day, the next day, and the last day working in your health career.

So, how does one get serious about A&P?  Here are a few tips, with links to more information.

• Develop habits of professional ethics by acting with academic integrity.
• Realize that you've really got to learn it all, and learn it correctly.  And yes, spelling is important.
• Exhibit professional responsibility by working regularly, attending class activities, and  honoring deadlines. 
• Get others in your life on board with your plan.  A&P—then your later courses and clinical experiences—are going to temporarily take you away from some of the other responsibilities in your life.  If your friends and family don't realize what you need from them, it'll cause a lot of problems.  So have that discussion now and clarify things.  Need help?  Check out Help Significant Others Help You.

READ and RAID your textbook

Most students don't know how to read their A&P textbook.

Oh yeah, they give it a try.  They sit down with the book and try to make it through a couple of chapters.  Maybe three or four chapters . . . because, well, er, they've put off reading the book as long as they can.  Look at that thing!  It's huge!  And all the complex terminology!

It's not that they can't read . . . the problem is that they don't have the needed skills to use an A&P textbook effectively.

So how can you get more out of that huge, expensive book?  Following are some tips:

1. Look over the organization of the chapter first. 

If there's a brief outline in the chapter opener, don't skip it. If there isn't one, then quickly skip the chapter and read each heading and subheading.  This gives you the gist of the story and provides a framework in your head upon which you can build your understanding as you read.

2. Read all the key terms out loud before reading. 

It sounds crazy, I know.  But it works.  By saying each word before you read, your brain becomes familiar with the term more quickly.  Then, as you read, you won't stumble over the word or simply skip over it—either of which won't help you learn what you need to learn.  If there isn't a word list in the chapter, then simply skim the chapter saying each boldface term out loud.

3. Chunk the chapter.

Some textbook chapters go on and on . . . and on.  Well, don't let them!  Just read one or two sections at a time.  By breaking it up, you can comprehend more of what you read.  And it spreads the work of reading out over several days, making it less likely that you'll avoid a painfully long reading session.

4. Actively review what you read. 

Most textbooks have review questions built into chapter sections and at the end of the chapter.  Don't ignore them.  Better yet, write out the answers.  By using multiple senses, your understanding (and memory) will be strengthened.  Always double check that your answers are correct, perhaps asking your study partners or professor for help.

5. Raid your book later.

After you've read a chapter in your textbook, you're not done with the book.  As you study the material, or build on it in later parts of the course, you'll want to come back to particular topics and "raid" it for specific bits of information to review again.  As you pay attention to the organization of each chapter (see item #1 above), you'll be able to easily find the treasures you need within each chapter.

For more on these tips--plus some additional tips to make your reading easier and more effective—check out the video.

For even more ideas to help you with your textbook, try these:

• Reading the Textbook (brief articles)

• Reading Strategies (tips, video, and links)

Not just for A&P!

If you've wrapped up your A&P course, you may think you no longer need advice, tips, and shortcuts from this blog.

But you'd be wrong!

As I mentioned in a previous article (my-ap.us/is1Wa6), this is just the beginning of a lifetime of using A&P!  I suggest staying tuned in to this blog because you can continue to benefit from most, if not all, future articles as you struggle through your professional training and the continuing education that is required of working health professionals.

An easy way to keep up with this blog is by signing up for the FREE email updates using the form at the right of the blog page or at theapstudent.feedblitz.com

And while I have your attention, I'd like to make my usual end-of-semester plea:

Do NOT sell, give away, recycle, or burn your A&P textbook!

Really, I mean it!  You will regret it if you do. You're going to need it as you progress through future studies and into your practice as a health professional.  See my advice at my-ap.us/mhYggB

Selling your textbook?

I hope I didn't catch you too late!  It's time for my annual warning to NOT sell your textbook.

This is the time of year when many A&P students think about selling their textbook back to the bookstore or textbook co-op.  Some sell them directly to other students on campus or through an online platform.  DON'T DO IT!

Why not?  Because you still need it!

Just because your A&P course is over, your use of your A&P textbook is far from over.  Here are just a few of the many reasons you should keep your A&P materials, including the textbook:

• You'll need to review your A&P at the start of nearly every topic in your professional / clinical courses.  Many nursing, medical, and allied health textbooks include a brief review of A&P . . . but you'll do better with a quick skim of your fully illustrated A&P textbook.
  
  
• Your A&P textbook will get you out of a jam.  There will be occasional moments when you "blank out" on some essential bit of A&P . . . something you need to "get it" in a later course.  Your trusty A&P textbook will come to your rescue by providing refreshing your understanding of that tricky concept . . . in a way that is already familiar and comfortable for you.
  
  
• You need to start a professional library.  So many health professionals begin their careers regretting that they sold off many of the essential reference tools they need to get started in a successful professional career.  Your A&P textbook is the core around which you should begin building your professional library of resources. 
  
  
• When you're out there in the "real world" you'll need some tools to help you cope with new situations.  It's a great comfort to have your A&P book there to help you review basic concepts that you haven't run across in a while.  When you're pulled to a different department, start a job in a new specialty, or struggle through a professional continuing education course, you'll find your old A&P book is a great place to dig out all those things you know you know . . . but with which you need some brushing up.
  

I can't tell you how many times I've bumped into former students of mine who ask me, "hey, you don't happen to have an old A&P book laying around your office I could have?" 

I just smile and reply, "you sold off yours after our course ended, didn't you?" 

The sheepish reply then comes, "yeah, I know you told us to hold on to it but I didn't think I'd really need it.  Now I REALLY need it to help me in my nursing course!"

[FYI, we A&P professors really do NOT have a pile of old A&P books laying around to give away.]

Considering that you rarely get much of a return on selling a used textbook, it really isn't much of a hardship to keep your A&P textbook.  You'll be really glad that you did!

Also see my Study Tip Your Professional Library in the Lion Den.

Reading scientific terms

I've said before that the first step to learning the concepts of A&P is learning the language of A&P. Some new research shows us why learning and recognizing the terms used in an A&P course are important for understanding the story being told in the course.

A recent article in Science News summarizes new research that demonstrates that when you read a passage, such as in your A&P textbook, your brain is recognizing whole words rather then reading each term letter by letter. At least that's what appears to be happening with "good readers" of the material. Folks that have difficulty reading a passage probably have to stop more often at unfamiliar terms and read them letter by letter (or word part by word part).

Reading experts have understood for a long time that familiarity with the words . . . the vocabulary of the material you are reading . . . improves reading speed and retention. Now, we have some insights as to how the brain works in producing this effect . . . and proof to back up what was once conjecture about brain mechanisms.

So how can we apply this concept to improving your learning of A&P?

• Always familiarize yourself with the new terms of each new chapter of your A&P textbook before you read the chapter
• Read through the word list out loud to give your brain the familiarity with term it needs to recognize the terms as you encounter then when reading. The word list begins at the start of each chapter. This sounds silly, and it seems like it might be a waste of time, but it really works . . . and in the long run, saves you time by allowing you to read faster.
• Even if you don't read the textbook (a really bad idea), you'll need these terms to understand your teacher, handouts, and your own notes
• Use the in-text pronunciation guides and online audio pronunciation guide that comes with your textbook to make sure that you use the correct pronunciation for each term. This allows your brain to really "own" the term so that it doesn't trip you up and slow you down as you read.
• By putting a little time and effort into getting familiar with new words at the beginning of a new topic, you'll end up saving time later on. And most importantly, you'll be much more likely to understand what you are reading.

Studying A&P can be frustrating because of all the new terms involved. But you've just learned a great way . . . a scientifically supported way . . . of reducing that frustration!

For more tips on learning terminology, including some brief videos, see these previous articles.

[photo by (nz)dave at flickr]

Do NOT sell your textbook!

After your A&P class is over, you may be tempted to sell your A&P textbook back to your college bookstore, to a bookbuyer visiting your campus, or to a friend who'll be taking A&P next semester.

DO NOT do that!

Yeah, I know, you can use the cash. But unless you absolutely need that cash now in order to keep from starving . . . it's not worth it.

Why not?

Because you are going to need it later. And you are going to need it often.

Most students who take an A&P course are headed into some health or athletic program or professional course later. Most (if not all) your core and clinical/practicum courses are going to be based on the principles you learned in your A&P class!

If you save your book, your notes, your flashcards, lab manual, and everything else, then you'll have it handy and ready when you need it in later courses. Many later courses assume that you remember all your A&P. Of course, that can't be true because no matter how good your A&P course is, you have to use it a few times before you become thoroughly familiar with it. So no matter how well you did in your A&P course, you are going to have to review your A&P frequently throughout each of your later professional courses.

Besides that, your A&P book can be the start of your own professional library.

Successful professionals build a library of resources during their early training . . . and continue to add to their library throughout their professional careers.

A good professional library will come in handy to review concepts you haven't used in a while, when you're suddenly pulled to work on a different floor or in a different department, when you change jobs, when take a continuing education course, or when you encounter some new case.

Not going to be majoring in any of the human sciences?

Well, OK, you are still a human being, right? Wouldn't it be a good idea to keep the "owner's manual" handy? Just in case there's a health issue that you, your family, or a friend wants to explore a little more thoroughly. Or to help teach your kids about the human body and it's function? Or to figure out what they're talking about on your favorite medical show?

I can't tell you how many of my past students tell me how they regret having sold their A&P books! All I can do is empathize . . . and give them my famous, "I told you so" look.

I'm telling you now . . . DO NOT SELL BACK YOUR BOOK!

You WILL regret it later.

Myths about textbooks debunked

As an occasional student myself and the father of some college (and college-bound) students, I feel the pain of textbook prices.
We hear a lot about why college textbooks are so expensive and what might be done to slow or even reverse the expense of college textbooks. In a recent post, I suggested that professors start comparing the prices of the textbooks available for their courses when making adoption decisions. See The Cost of Textbooks, in which I pointed out that some A&P textbooks cost as much as $45 less than comparable A&P textbooks.
Even state legislators have taken this up as a cause and have enacted regulations aimed and making textbooks more affordable. Unfortunately, none of these efforts seem to work . . . or at least not very well. Some of these efforts actually make the situation worse!

Most of the news stories I've seen or heard—and comments from students and politicians—makes it clear that we are not getting all perspectives on the issues involved. How do I know that? Because as a life-long student, as a professor, and as a textbook author, I know some important facts that are not commonly reported or debated. Facts that could and should expand the debate to help us find solutions that actually work.
So that you can find out "the rest of the story" I suggest checking out this brief article from the Text and Academic Authors Association (TAA), of which I'm a member:

TAA debunks the top 7 myths
regarding textbook costs

(Feel free to pass the article around to others who might be interested.
Click here for the PDF version.)

You may also want to explore this website

TextBookFACTS.ORG

Reading the textbook

The key to reading an A&P textbook effectively is to use a reading strategy!

The Academic Skills Center at Dartmouth has a nice web page that summarizes some of the best strategies to make textbook reading less time-consuming and more effective:

Reading Your Textbooks Effectively and Efficiently

What should strike you about the information there is that you must abandon what you think you already know about how to read a textbook! Reading a textbook is WAY different than how one reads a novel or magazine article. For example:

• Once is not enough. You have to read the material several times, using different methods each time, to really "get" what you are reading.
• You must have the courage to skip parts that don't apply to your goals
• You can read faster, with better comprehension, by simply forcing yourself to read faster
• You do not have to read every word
• It really does matter where you do your reading

If you find that the assigned textbook for your 2-semester A&P course is too difficult to read, try this one that is specifically designed for reading efficiency:

Anatomy & Physiology

. . . and encourage your instructor to consider efficiency of reading when selecting assigned textbooks and other readings in the future!

Stay tuned to this blog for more tips on how to get more out of reading your textbook with less effort.