Anatomy help!

[neuromaria9]

Okay this might be a tad ridiculous since UG anatomy is not too difficult (as I've heard) but it is honestly kicking my butt a lot more than I thought it was (or maybe its not?). I'm on my first month of second semester of UG and I have studied my butt off (it makes me feel better to not procrastinate) for the cardiovascular system and I went into my first lecture exam this semester pretty confident. I thought I had the cardiovascular system memorized by heart (no pun intended.) I passed all the quizzes with the highest grade in the class. I got stuck on 7 questions out of the 60 and that was my fault because I didn't study the cardiovascular diseases enough. I got my grade tonight and it was a 78%. I was really upset and I don't know what to change from my studying habits. I usually read the textbook, highlight, takes notes on OneNote, add notes on there from the lecture and powerpoints. I reread my notes every day or every other day and handwrite the concepts I need to remember better. I experience kidney & mental health problems but I don't think they should affect my school work as much since I've been studying the amount I think the class requires. Any tips?

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[pnwhmt]

Okay this might be a tad ridiculous since UG anatomy is not too difficult (as I've heard) but it is honestly kicking my butt a lot more than I thought it was (or maybe its not?). I'm on my first month of second semester of UG and I have studied my butt off (it makes me feel better to not procrastinate) for the cardiovascular system and I went into my first lecture exam this semester pretty confident. I thought I had the cardiovascular system memorized by heart (no pun intended.) I passed all the quizzes with the highest grade in the class. I got stuck on 7 questions out of the 60 and that was my fault because I didn't study the cardiovascular diseases enough. I got my grade tonight and it was a 78%. I was really upset and I don't know what to change from my studying habits. I usually read the textbook, highlight, takes notes on OneNote, add notes on there from the lecture and powerpoints. I reread my notes every day or every other day and handwrite the concepts I need to remember better. I experience kidney & mental health problems but I don't think they should affect my school work as much since I've been studying the amount I think the class requires. Any tips?

"I usually read the textbook, highlight, takes notes on OneNote, add notes on there from the lecture and powerpoints. I reread my notes every day or every other day and handwrite the concepts."

This is your problem. And this is a great lesson to learn so early on. You have time to fix it. None of these are effective study methods. Reading through material the first time gives you a foundation but rereading like that is useless. Highlighting and underling as well. Look into effective study techniques. There is a ton of research on what works and what doesn't.

The way to learn and memorize concepts is simply to use flashcards and quiz yourself. Look into a flashcard app like Anki. Read once and take notes, then make flashcards from your notes and lecture PowerPoints. Use those to study. That's really all you need to do. You can also use the end of chapter questions in your book to test your knowledge if you want more practice. You will do significantly better on your next exam and probably have to put in about half the hours of studying. Quality of studying is more important than quantity.

Another note, this is for lecture. Obviously for lab the same idea applies, it's still about repetition and quizzing yourself. Main difference is you need to put hours in the lab while doing so and be very comfortable with models, bones, whatever you're being tested on.

 

[neuromaria9]

Thank you! Do you think detailed notes matter? Mine look like this and it's EXHAUSTING. It's taking a really bad toll on my mental health.

"I usually read the textbook, highlight, takes notes on OneNote, add notes on there from the lecture and powerpoints. I reread my notes every day or every other day and handwrite the concepts."

This is your problem. And this is a great lesson to learn so early on. You have time to fix it. None of these are effective study methods. Reading through material the first time gives you a foundation but rereading like that is useless. Highlighting and underling as well. Look into effective study techniques. There is a ton of research on what works and what doesn't.

The way to learn and memorize concepts is simply to use flashcards and quiz yourself. Look into a flashcard app like Anki. Read once and take notes, then make flashcards from your notes and lecture PowerPoints. Use those to study. That's really all you need to do. You can also use the end of chapter questions in your book to test your knowledge if you want more practice. You will do significantly better on your next exam and probably have to put in about half the hours of studying. Quality of studying is more important than quantity.

Another note, this is for lecture. Obviously for lab the same idea applies, it's still about repetition and quizzing yourself. Main difference is you need to put hours in the lab while doing so and be very comfortable with models, bones, whatever you're being tested on.

 

[hall1ms1b]

It depends on your learning style. I got rid of ALL my highlighters. I put a star next to topics that I REALLY need to know. Get old tests. Get study guides of the book if professor teaches only from the book. Get to know other kids who have taken this class with this professor and ask for tips. Go to every office hours and get a feel for what will be on the tests. And you said it yourself : you didn't study the right material enough.

Although some kids require more studying time than others, this note taking style is exhausting for you and therefore, not a good fit. flash cards are useful for memorization but I like hand drawing notes more with color pencils and crayons more. Talk to kids who got higher scores than you on the test. Find out what they are using/ doing.

Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile
Edited to respond to your notes' screen shot:
While that note taking method is good for the FIRST time, dont rewrite notes all over again. Also are you typing this out in lecture? Handwriting notes during lecture is a better method for me.
For me, I need to quiz myself and draw it out. Looking at a bunch of definitions on a page, like the one you typed out, is just like rereading a chapter again. If you have time , google or Amazon books on improving study techniques.

 

[pnwhmt]

Thank you! Do you think detailed notes matter? Mine look like this and it's EXHAUSTING. It's taking a really bad toll on my mental health.

I think everyone is different when it comes to note taking. For example, I never take notes on the computer. I know a lot of people that do and it works for them. There's a decent amount of science to support taking notes by hand, at least during lecture. When you take notes by hand you have to make a decision about what to write down and why what you are writing is important, mostly because lecture is fast paced and you can only write so much. When you make these "decisions" about what is important, in those moments memories form. When you type it's quite different and you're simply just taking dictation. Your brain processes it differently. I think following that up by translating notes to your computer and expanding to form a study guide is fine. I also think doing anything that is super mentally exhausting will fatigue you and it's too early in the semester to burn out. I don't think it's necessary but again everyone learns and studies differently.

This is how I study: Read the chapter before lecture, and read it nice and slow. Actually digest what you are reading. While doing this I have Anki open on my MacBook and I make flash cards of everything I think is important while working through the book. Then later in the week during lecture I take notes even if I know I have flashcards that say the same exact thing, just because it helps me stay focused and it solidifies the idea even more. I then use the lecture notes to supplement my flashcards - these are most important because your prof is likely to emphasize certain topics while ignoring others. Then I use my flashcards daily to learn everything. Just go through the whole deck if you can. I do it while at work or inbetween classes. It doesn't have to be super stressful. High yield studying is my thing 😛

One other tip I can offer you is form a study group with someone who knows more than you but even more importantly someone who knows less. Learning from someone else is awesome and it's great to have someone you can text at 10 PM with a question. With that being said, teaching someone else a concept is, in my opinion, THE BEST way to understand something completely. This concept allowed me to totally destroy Ochem and physics. It's also just awesome to have a support system. I don't recommend large study groups because they get too social, but again everyone is different.

 

[neuromaria9]

THANK YOU! I'm going to try this technique on the Endocrine system (we start it this week.) My professor came into class the first day with an extremely thick accent and said he will teach us the way he teaches his PhD students and we're undergrad...it's very hard for me to focus in class. I have some people I can make groups with so that should work. Thank you!

I think everyone is different when it comes to note taking. For example, I never take notes on the computer. I know a lot of people that do and it works for them. There's a decent amount of science to support taking notes by hand, at least during lecture. When you take notes by hand you have to make a decision about what to write down and why what you are writing is important, mostly because lecture is fast paced and you can only write so much. When you make these "decisions" about what is important, in those moments memories form. When you type it's quite different and you're simply just taking dictation. Your brain processes it differently. I think following that up by translating notes to your computer and expanding to form a study guide is fine. I also think doing anything that is super mentally exhausting will fatigue you and it's too early in the semester to burn out. I don't think it's necessary but again everyone learns and studies differently.

This is how I study: Read the chapter before lecture, and read it nice and slow. Actually digest what you are reading. While doing this I have Anki open on my MacBook and I make flash cards of everything I think is important while working through the book. Then later in the week during lecture I take notes even if I know I have flashcards that say the same exact thing, just because it helps me stay focused and it solidifies the idea even more. I then use the lecture notes to supplement my flashcards - these are most important because your prof is likely to emphasize certain topics while ignoring others. Then I use my flashcards daily to learn everything. Just go through the whole deck if you can. I do it while at work or inbetween classes. It doesn't have to be super stressful. High yield studying is my thing 😛

One other tip I can offer you is form a study group with someone who knows more than you but even more importantly someone who knows less. Learning from someone else is awesome and it's great to have someone you can text at 10 PM with a question. With that being said, teaching someone else a concept is, in my opinion, THE BEST way to understand something completely. This concept allowed me to totally destroy Ochem and physics. It's also just awesome to have a support system. I don't recommend large study groups because they get too social, but again everyone is different.

 

[neuromaria9]

It depends on your learning style. I got rid of ALL my highlighters. I put a star next to topics that I REALLY need to know. Get old tests. Get study guides of the book if professor teaches only from the book. Get to know other kids who have taken this class with this professor and ask for tips. Go to every office hours and get a feel for what will be on the tests. And you said it yourself : you didn't study the right material enough.

Although some kids require more studying time than others, this note taking style is exhausting for you and therefore, not a good fit. flash cards are useful for memorization but I like hand drawing notes more with color pencils and crayons more. Talk to kids who got higher scores than you on the test. Find out what they are using/ doing.

Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile
Edited to respond to your notes' screen shot:
While that note taking method is good for the FIRST time, dont rewrite notes all over again. Also are you typing this out in lecture? Handwriting notes during lecture is a better method for me.
For me, I need to quiz myself and draw it out. Looking at a bunch of definitions on a page, like the one you typed out, is just like rereading a chapter again. If you have time , google or Amazon books on improving study techniques.

Thank you very much! Drawings do help a lot. They helped me memorized the bones and vessels very quickly.

 

[pnwhmt]

THANK YOU! I'm going to try this technique on the Endocrine system (we start it this week.) My professor came into class the first day with an extremely thick accent and said he will teach us the way he teaches his PhD students and we're undergrad...it's very hard for me to focus in class. I have some people I can make groups with so that should work. Thank you!

Of course! Haha I wish I had someone to tell me this stuff so I'm glad to help. Anki changed my life. I think people have whole posts on here devoted to it. I would check other threads out for more advice on it!

One thing I will say about profs with accents is if you are already familiar with the vocab and have read before lecture you will be fine. This way a word might sound a little off, but you can figure it out and move along. If you've never heard or seen a word before and you hear it from someone with an accent for the first time it can be really hard to make the connection. My Ochem prof had a thick accent but once I started coming to lecture more prepared it was a non-issue.

 

[pnwhmt]

http://www.npr.org/2016/04/17/474525392/attention-students-put-your-laptops-away

Also, here is a NPR article that discusses a study done on typing vs handwriting notes.

 

[Palibabiix13]

I am currently taking Advanced A&P. The best study technique that I learned is talking out loud. I have my Endocrine system exam next week, and what I have been doing is writing on a white board all the mechanisms of the hormones and speaking out loud. If you are able to say it or teach it, you know.
Don't worry about getting a 78% on one exam, I got a 60% on one Calculus exam, but managed to get an A because I good on the remaining 4. Work hard and modify your study habits, you got this!

 

[neuromaria9]

I am currently taking Advanced A&P. The best study technique that I learned is talking out loud. I have my Endocrine system exam next week, and what I have been doing is writing on a white board all the mechanisms of the hormones and speaking out loud. If you are able to say it or teach it, you know.
Don't worry about getting a 78% on one exam, I got a 60% on one Calculus exam, but managed to get an A because I good on the remaining 4. Work hard and modify your study habits, you got this!

Good luck on your exam! I start the endocrine on Tuesday, I'm a little nervous!

 

[neuromaria9]

Of course! Haha I wish I had someone to tell me this stuff so I'm glad to help. Anki changed my life. I think people have whole posts on here devoted to it. I would check other threads out for more advice on it!

One thing I will say about profs with accents is if you are already familiar with the vocab and have read before lecture you will be fine. This way a word might sound a little off, but you can figure it out and move along. If you've never heard or seen a word before and you hear it from someone with an accent for the first time it can be really hard to make the connection. My Ochem prof had a thick accent but once I started coming to lecture more prepared it was a non-issue.

I just downloaded Anki on my mac and phone! I just got my results for my microbiology test (I used the same techniques I did for anatomy) and I got an A+. I think I need to change everything for anatomy and stick with the others for micro. Thank you again! I can't wait to get started.

 

[Nikj]

I just downloaded Anki on my mac and phone! I just got my results for my microbiology test (I used the same techniques I did for anatomy) and I got an A+. I think I need to change everything for anatomy and stick with the others for micro. Thank you again! I can't wait to get started.

Everyones method is different, and what works one person is usually different for another.

For anatomy specifically I would recommend not taking notes at all, as long as you get the powerpoints from class. Just read those once through, and make a series of question on every topic, and quiz yourself with them.

Honestly that is the best way to do well in every class. You can take "notes" on big concepts or overarching themes to have a basis to build off of, but taking notes is useless.

Keep in mind that writing to memorize is different than writing to take notes.

When you get to higher and higher levels of classes (this is true for medical school too) the best way to memorize and succeed in anything is to do problems.

Good luck, and hope this advice helps.

 

[hall1ms1b]

I just downloaded Anki on my mac and phone! I just got my results for my microbiology test (I used the same techniques I did for anatomy) and I got an A+. I think I need to change everything for anatomy and stick with the others for micro. Thank you again! I can't wait to get started.

Anki is soooo awesome. You can upload pics (even your hand drawn ones )on your phone or mac and it syncs instantly. You can even d/l other people's anki decks. I have thousands of flash cards and you MUST quiz yourself everyday: 10 minutes on the bus , 5 minutes while waiting for your food to heat up, or my favorite...20 minutes before bed and falling asleep with anki hehe. Get through all the decks....slowly but surely!!!! I used to YouTube concepts or definitions and actually record 5-10 seconds of video onto my anki ( mobile) and tag it to one flash card. It's a lot of work for a flash card but it works for me.


Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile

 

[studpremed]

Okay this might be a tad ridiculous since UG anatomy is not too difficult (as I've heard) but it is honestly kicking my butt a lot more than I thought it was (or maybe its not?). I'm on my first month of second semester of UG and I have studied my butt off (it makes me feel better to not procrastinate) for the cardiovascular system and I went into my first lecture exam this semester pretty confident. I thought I had the cardiovascular system memorized by heart (no pun intended.) I passed all the quizzes with the highest grade in the class. I got stuck on 7 questions out of the 60 and that was my fault because I didn't study the cardiovascular diseases enough. I got my grade tonight and it was a 78%. I was really upset and I don't know what to change from my studying habits. I usually read the textbook, highlight, takes notes on OneNote, add notes on there from the lecture and powerpoints. I reread my notes every day or every other day and handwrite the concepts I need to remember better. I experience kidney & mental health problems but I don't think they should affect my school work as much since I've been studying the amount I think the class requires. Any tips?

Congratulations for having the guts to take anatomy. I usually encourage others not to take anatomy because it is difficult and has minimal return. When I took anatomy I outlined the chapters after reading them and highlighting all the major concepts and whatever pathway the professor mentioned in lecture. Then I focused on studying the professors notes and outlines and synthesize the textbook notes with it. The key for me is to emphasize whatever the professor emphasizes and his outlines. 75% of my study time went to studying whatever the professor emphasized.

 

[Nikj]

Congratulations for having the guts to take anatomy. I usually encourage others not to take anatomy because it is difficult and has minimal return. When I took anatomy I outlined the chapters after reading them and highlighting all the major concepts and whatever pathway the professor mentioned in lecture. Then I focused on studying the professors notes and outlines and synthesize the textbook notes with it. The key for me is to emphasize whatever the professor emphasizes and his outlines. 75% of my study time went to studying whatever the professor emphasized.

I kinda disagree with this, especially with the new MCAT. There quite a few problems that come up where a very solid understanding of anatomy makes life a lot easier.

@neuromaria9 I really don't agree with teaching Anatomy and Physiology together. Both are disciplines that deserve their own time, which is why they aren't taught concurrently in medical school. To develop a good understanding of physiology also means doing a lot of math, and if you aren't doing that then you aren't being taught properly. Anatomy is a lot easier to understand when it is taught regionally( thorax, abdomen, pelvis, etc). Wait till you take a real anatomy class and a real physiology class, you'll have a lot easier time and a lot more interest.

 

[neuromaria9]

Anki is soooo awesome. You can upload pics (even your hand drawn ones )on your phone or mac and it syncs instantly. You can even d/l other people's anki decks. I have thousands of flash cards and you MUST quiz yourself everyday: 10 minutes on the bus , 5 minutes while waiting for your food to heat up, or my favorite...20 minutes before bed and falling asleep with anki hehe. Get through all the decks....slowly but surely!!!! I used to YouTube concepts or definitions and actually record 5-10 seconds of video onto my anki ( mobile) and tag it to one flash card. It's a lot of work for a flash card but it works for me.


Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile

I'm trying to figure out how to work the app. I heard of image occlusion but don't know how to get that?

 

[danimal22]

I definitely think it depends on your learning style. I hate flashcards. They take too long for me to make and I don't like that they are easily unorganized or messy. With anatomy specifically, I felt confident when I could draw structures and pathways on my own without notes multiple times. I consistently drew out pictures and diagrams while studying and then tested myself and tried to draw them again without any help. I drew stuff out on a white board often and I also drew on normal computer paper and color coded things with all sorts of colors of pencils. (I have an entire 3-inch binder full of pictures and diagrams that I drew and color-coded while I was studying for the MCAT). I also found it useful to consistently tie different powerpoint slides together. For example, when reading the fifth slide in a powerpoint, try to tie the info back to each previous slide that came before it. I found that this helped me get small details down (because you are consistently reviewing previous slides) and it helped me get the "big picture" as well because you can make connections on how everything fits together. When test time comes, I can picture myself drawing something or I can remember a certain fact because I tied to something else that I know well. I hope this is helpful!!!

 

[neuromaria9]

I definitely think it depends on your learning style. I hate flashcards. They take too long for me to make and I don't like that they are easily unorganized or messy. With anatomy specifically, I felt confident when I could draw structures and pathways on my own without notes multiple times. I consistently drew out pictures and diagrams while studying and then tested myself and tried to draw them again without any help. I drew stuff out on a white board often and I also drew on normal computer paper and color coded things with all sorts of colors of pencils. (I have an entire 3-inch binder full of pictures and diagrams that I drew and color-coded while I was studying for the MCAT). I also found it useful to consistently tie different powerpoint slides together. For example, when reading the fifth slide in a powerpoint, try to tie the info back to each previous slide that came before it. I found that this helped me get small details down (because you are consistently reviewing previous slides) and it helped me get the "big picture" as well because you can make connections on how everything fits together. When test time comes, I can picture myself drawing something or I can remember a certain fact because I tied to something else that I know well. I hope this is helpful!!!

The connecting thing helps so much! I'm doing the Endocrine right now, and it was easy for me to memorize that the primary plexus was within the hypothalamus because the hypothalamus was developed first (primary) and the secondary plexus is in the anterior pituitary because it was developed second (secondary.) I'm gonna try the drawing and color stuff too! Thank you!

 

[danimal22]

The connecting thing helps so much! I'm doing the Endocrine right now, and it was easy for me to memorize that the primary plexus was within the hypothalamus because the hypothalamus was developed first (primary) and the secondary plexus is in the anterior pituitary because it was developed second (secondary.) I'm gonna try the drawing and color stuff too! Thank you!

Hope it helps! I also found that I got a lot better at drawing overall which was a nice bonus hehe

 

[Danny L]

Try asking upperclassmen who took the class and find out what worked for them. Each school is different and classes will emphasize different points. For example, if one professor says that only the stuff in the lectures will be on the exam (the best type of professor) then people telling you how to read/take notes might not be as useful

 

[danimal22]

Oh I also recommend printing powerpoint notes before class and skimming over them once before class. I printed my powerpoints to have two slides per page, that way I can see pictures easily and I have a lot of room to write. Takes notes during class and then when you go through the textbook, add in any little extra facts or mnemonics that might help you.

 

[neuromaria9]

Oh I also recommend printing powerpoint notes before class and skimming over them once before class. I printed my powerpoints to have two slides per page, that way I can see pictures easily and I have a lot of room to write. Takes notes during class and then when you go through the textbook, add in any little extra facts or mnemonics that might help you.

Being prepared before class saves my life. I didn't do it once because I was sick and boy did I want to cry during lecture.

 

[JB50]

Make charts of fill in the blanks by whiting out the names of everything. Keep 2 copies, one of the blanks and one of the names. Study until you hit 100%. Reap cash.

 

[neuromaria9]

Try asking upperclassmen who took the class and find out what worked for them. Each school is different and classes will emphasize different points. For example, if one professor says that only the stuff in the lectures will be on the exam (the best type of professor) then people telling you how to read/take notes might not be as useful

My professor says all the stuff from the online homework, the textbook, and the powerpoints will be on the tests. I realized that he got a lot of the questions from the online homework so I take pictures of all my answers (we're able to check them-thanks McGraw Hill) and I make flashcards/study guides out of those. The professor is COMPLETELY against study guides.

 

[neuromaria9]

My professor let us check what we got wrong and it was a HUGE smack in the face for me. The average in my class was a 50% and I got a 78% because I made VERY stupid mistakes. I read the questions on Tuesday when he handed back our scantrons and realized that the reason I got the questions wrong weren't because I didn't know the concepts (I do, I answered them correctly on Tuesday and realized why my answers were wrong) but because I read the question wrong. I laughed so hard at myself because one question was "Which leukocytes are derived from the myeloid line?" and I put lymphocytes and monocytes when it's just monocytes...I have ZERO idea how I arrived at that answer (maybe I was thinking of agranulocytes?) but I really was so fed up with myself though I'm laughing at my stupidity at the moment

 

[JB50]

My professor let us check what we got wrong and it was a HUGE smack in the face for me. The average in my class was a 50% and I got a 78% because I made VERY stupid mistakes. I read the questions on Tuesday when he handed back our scantrons and realized that the reason I got the questions wrong weren't because I didn't know the concepts (I do, I answered them correctly on Tuesday and realized why my answers were wrong) but because I read the question wrong. I laughed so hard at myself because one question was "Which leukocytes are derived from the myeloid line?" and I put lymphocytes and monocytes when it's just monocytes...I have ZERO idea how I arrived at that answer (maybe I was thinking of agranulocytes?) but I really was so fed up with myself though I'm laughing at my stupidity at the moment

Not too many "concepts" so to speak in anatomy 🙂 use acronyms or neumomics when you can.

 

[neuromaria9]

Not too many "concepts" so to speak in anatomy 🙂 use acronyms or neumomics when you can.

I think it was my test anxiety. I completely freak out

 

[neuromaria9]

I got my lab practical grade back and got a B+!

 

[Lannister]

Okay this might be a tad ridiculous since UG anatomy is not too difficult (as I've heard)

You've gotten a lot of good advice already but I just wanna add that this definitely isn't true. I found UG anatomy waaaaay harder then med school anatomy, especially since you don't have a cadaver (or, at least I didn't) to see the real structures on. So don't feel bad that you're struggling.

 

[Lannister]

Not too many "concepts" so to speak in anatomy 🙂 use acronyms or neumomics when you can.

Anatomy is a little more conceptual once you start throwing in clinical stuff, I guess ("pt is experiencing back pain that radiates down his posterior thigh, lateral leg, and dorsum of his foot, what specific injury is causing his symptoms"). Definitely still a lot of memorization but occasionally there's a little logic involved.

 

[JB50]

Anatomy is a little more conceptual once you start throwing in clinical stuff, I guess ("pt is experiencing back pain that radiates down his posterior thigh, lateral leg, and dorsum of his foot, what specific injury is causing his symptoms"). Definitely still a lot of memorization but occasionally there's a little logic involved.

Right that's an innervation question, which you still don't need to be a rocket scientist to figure out what's going on if you memorize the nerves and their innervation.

Physiology is conceptually heavy, anatomy is not. But I definitely see what you're saying.

 

[neuromaria9]

Just took my second exam and got an A!


Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile