I have had a week of anatomy and am just already so frustrated with it. The thing that is scarying the *ell out of me, is that I just don't get it. I am studying so much, i spend so much time reading and drawing and then I forget it like 2 hours later, when I am in anatomy lab. Especially veins, arteries, and nerves!!! For the first time in my life, I feel really incompetent and there are all these people in my group that just seem like they know it all (and they aren't really nice about it either). UGH. Have other people experienced this? Especially in the beginning? And everyone says we should spend time outside of class in the lab but if i don't understand it first, why does it make sense to go into lab? Please advise...
First of all, stop paying attention to what you perceive as what others are doing or "knowing". Keep your focus on yourself and your learning because it will be "your" exams that you will take.
Don't try to read and diagram everything in one sitting. Make a list of structures (for each lab) that you need to find and check them off as you go. Don't even try to diagram things until after lab and after you have studied your lecture notes. Your diagrams should be summaries and checks of your knowledge.
The lab is where you learn to recognize locations and landmarks. When you are identifying structures, you locate and confirm by landmark. You need to understand the 3-dimensional aspects of anatomy and that is best done in the anatomy lab. You can read about functions and make lists but these are meaningless memorization until you can put everything together in the lab.
If you are having a very difficult time getting your bearings in lab, make an appointment with one of the instructors and just ask him/her to go though localization and landmarks for one specific group of muscles or one specific organ. Pay close attention to the process and bring a small tape recorder (in your pocket) for this session. It should take about 15 or 20 minutes.
Our first anatomical unit was musculoskeletal. When learning say the muscles of the forearm, I memorized them by using a skeleton. First I evaluated and memorized the bones of the forearm. Then I evaluated and studied each muscle by origin, insertion, nerve supply and blood supply. If I knew the origin and insertion, I could picture the action (flexor, extensor, pronator, supinator, abductor, adductor) in my mind. Blood and nerve supply runs by group/compartment i.e. superficial, deep.
By doing a bit of skeleton work first saved loads of time in the lab and helped me keep things together.
Don't "beat yourself up" because you have been at this only one week. You likely need one or two small adjustments and you will be just fine. Really work on being able to "tune out" your classmates in terms of their "showing off", "acting like they are anatomy professors" etc. Your results in the end (and especially on the test) is what matters. It may take you longer to get things mastered but master them you will. As you get used to things, you will become more efficient.
I always felt like I was "light-years" behind my fellow students until the end of first year and I saw my class rank. Again, utilize your instructors and do what you need to get yourself grounded. Above all, relax a bit because everyone has an adjustment to make.
)...do you people think thats an innate quality to make mnemonics???....(so chidish 
