I am having such a hard time learning all the muscles and joints and bones. Im taking anatomy right now in college and i am doing awful cause i just cant remember any of it. Whats the best way to study and learn this stuff i have a exam next week
Study, study, study.
I am also taking anatomy. I study for about an hour 3 or 4 times a week, and 3 hours on Saturday. I think the only class that I studied more for was O.Chem!!!! Study all along, then you are not trying to cram it all in before the exam. Sorry to say, the time to start studying this stuff should have been at the start of the term.
Knowing the Latin roots also helps. My book has a list of Latin roots in the back, and I reference the list frequently to learn WHY things are called what they are called. Sometimes it makes sense, and it helps me remember.
The anatomy book that my school uses has an on-line component where there are figures that you can label. It is good repetition. I start looking at the figures before the lecture or reading the chapter. They don't make much sense, but I start to get the names and how they are related (big picture). Then skim the chapter to pick up main ideas. Then lecture the prof tells what is most important and what can be ignored. Then read the chapter and try to fit all the pieces into the big picture. Throughout I keep going back to the art-labeling activities on-line and get to the point where I can label structures 100% of the time. This really helps with lab activities.
Also remember that all the parts are tied together. When we were learning the bones, learning all the tuberosities and ridges only made sense if you know the muscles that attach at those places. Also, I am such a tactile learner that I needed to touch the bones and name the parts that I was touching.
mnemonics really help me remember lists. For example the longitudinal growth of long bones has Resting, Proliferation, Hypertrophic, Calcification, and Remodeling zones. So I used the phrase Rex Putnam Has Crappy Runners (Rex Putnam is a rival high school where I live). My professor has a lot of mnemonics that he shares with us, but the ones that you make up yourself are usually more meaningful.
The only bad part is that I know that Anatomy now will be to anatomy in med school like a McDonnald's cheeseburger is to prime rib. I try and learn MORE than the professor wants me to know so that later it is not as big of a shock.
Good luck with your studying
dsoz