Course Tips
If you need some encouragement going back to school in pursuit of a healthcare profession, continue reading.
Below are the classes I took during my freshman year of college & some my tips for success:
In my opinion, the anatomy and physiology series was one of my favorite subjects to study . . . It is predominantly memorization. The first term was the hardest because after being out of school for so long, (12 years) I had to learn how to study and organize my notes. Here are my tips: figure out how to break your study material down into segments and groups. Study frequently. I found myself using Khan Academy (also available in an app), Crash Course , and Armondo Hasugdungan to get a better understanding on difficult processes. There are many mnemonics to make things easier. Also seek advice from fellow classmates, join a study group, and don’t be afraid to ask your professor for further clarity. Remember, there are many different learning styles, find which one works best for you.
If you think you’re “bad at math” like I did, start from the beginning. Math is essentially about following instructions, remembering formulas, and practicing. It really helped me to start from the beginning and work my way up. I had a study group with 4 other students. This really helped because often other students are able to make things easier to understand. Basically I study until I am able to teach someone else the process confidently and easily.
Chemistry was by far my favorite subject. However, there is a learning curve. Math is a bit different in chemistry. Pay attention to the rules of significant figures, and get this concept down. If you memorize the rules you will survive. However, practice makes perfect. I have yet to take organic/inorganic chemistry. . .so no advice there yet. But I promise to post an update when I complete them.
Please take microbiology. Especially if you have questions on the importance of vaccinations. The only way to truly understand antibiotics and vaccines, is through understanding the fundamentals of how bacteria and viruses work in the first place. Don’t take this the wrong way, but if you do not grasp this concept, you are not qualified to argue against vaccines. At the end of the day, the most challenging part of microbiology was memorizing, you will need to study frequently to remember all of the species. So my tip: make flashcards and a table to isolate their functions and what they potentially cause. I will have to take another micro class in a year, so I will update on this as well.
Nutrition and Developmental Psychology were the most difficult classes for me. Everyone else seemed to think they were easy, but remember each professor has different expectations. Nutrition was difficult because it was dense. I think my professor wanted us to remember every single thing we learned. Although I received an A-, if I could retake this class, I would have done it during A& P 3. It covers a lot of the digestive system so, it would have been beneficial to learn the same things during the same semester. In my opinion, Developmental Psychology was difficult because it’s not about memorizing. It is about applying what you already know. I had a difficult time figuring out how to study for this class, but I did enjoy everything I learned.
Writing classes are tedious, not difficult. It takes hours for me to construct a clear, cohesive paragraph ( sometimes a sentence). My tip is: read your work out loud to someone. Sometimes you may think your making perfect sense, but in all actuality you’re just going off on a tangent. Often, people make the mistake of writing like they are speaking. It typically ends up sounding like you’re incompetent because in writing you need to be detailed. Work on your transitions and imagine yourself as the reader.
Speech class was a bit intimidating for me, because I hate speaking in public. My tip is to not write your entire speech on a notecard because as nerves take over, it is easy to resort to reading the entire card. Dress to impress, and stand behind a podium if available.
Initially the hardest part of school was prioritizing life. Family or relationship conflicts can add unnecessary stress and it can be easy to get overwhelmed with work conflicts, unexpected bills and balancing your social life. I have to remind myself daily that those stresses are temporary. If your GPA is important to you, you’ll need to accept the fact that studying must be your first priority.
Most importantly, don’t learn and burn. In my opinion, anyone can get straight A’s but not everyone can remember the things they learned at the beginning of the term. Learn to retain the information. Test yourself periodically, write things in a way that you understand them, and find people who can explain it to you in simplistic way. Throughout my first year I made many flashcards and continue to test myself to ensure I won’t forget. You never know when you will need the information for another class.
Hope this helps!
