>>Dr. Ketchum: You want to be successful in this course, and I want you to be successful.
These tips are included to help you achieve success. Tip one: Organization and planning.
The first step towards success is getting organized. The more organized you are regarding
your studies, the more prepared you will be for class and the more successful you will
be in this course. Organization is not always easy, but you can start by purchasing a three-ring
binder or binders. And as the semester progresses, add course materials to your binder in an
organized fashion and by the end of the semester, you will have binders that look similar to
these. [holds up example binder] You may also use the “Week-at-a-glance” link on Janux.
The purpose of the Week-at-a-glance is to help you plan what you should be working on
and when, so that you don’t fall behind. A little goes a long way in this course. So
if you spread out your studies across the entire week, you will be more successful than
if you tried to conquer the world in one night. Since each Week-at-a-glance is based off the
lab section that you are enrolled in, you only want to use the Week-at-a-glance for
the lab section that you are enrolled in.
Tip two: Read the syllabus and refer to it frequently. Your first task in this course
is to read the syllabus, preferably before we have our first in-class meeting. The syllabus
contains a lot of useful information, such as the course schedule, which you will need
to refer to before every class and laboratory so that you complete all required materials
before class. The syllabus also includes information regarding office hours, Action Centers, and
required course materials. For instance, the textbook is free and available here. You do,
however, have to purchase an access code for Mastering A&P, an online-based program that
we will use to supplement our course, as well as an iClicker2. The syllabus also includes
what all students want to know—what are you being graded on, what are your assignments,
and when are they due? So be sure to keep the syllabus handy and refer to it often.
Tip three: Ask questions and seek help. If you have questions, no matter how insignificant
or dumb you think they are, please ask! Chances are if you have a question, there are other
students in this course with the exact same question. There’s large volume of material
in this course that cannot simply be memorized. You will need a big picture understanding
as well as knowledge of the intricate details. In other words, you will need to understand
how things really work, be able to apply your knowledge, and integrate content across modules.
For example, you cannot memorize all there is to know about the cardiovascular system
without understanding how it’s linked to the respiratory or urinary systems. Further
more, the content in this course is conceptual, which is difficult for students that simply
memorize. The benefit to understanding is that you will retain the knowledge for much
longer than if you had simply memorized it. With all of that being said, many students
find themselves having to change the way they study from memorization to understanding.
We have the resources to help you. There’s a significant amount of support for you in
this course. I cannot encourage you enough to take advantage of these resources. Here
are just a few ways for you to get help.
Attend office hours: Mine, or a graduate teaching assistant. You’re more than welcome to go
to any graduate teaching assistant’s office hours. You are not obligated to attend only
your teaching assistant’s office hours. If you cannot attend office hours due to time
conflicts, you may make an appointment. Attend Action Centers, Action Tutoring, and make
Action Appointments. Talk with the undergraduate teaching assistants. They have recently taken
this course and have been very successful, and would be more than happy to talk with
you about their study strategies. Post a question in the online help discussions and receive
feedback from your peers, TA’s, and myself. You can also help your peers by answering
questions that they post in these discussion boards.
You can utilize additional helpful resources such as images, animations, video lectures
and more by clicking on the LibGuide link. And review the following online how-to documents
on how to study, how to form study groups, and how to make a study group successful,
how to construct useful concept maps to organize and condense content, and how to prepare for
exams and test taking tips. Remember, we are here to help you learn. If you have a question,
please ask. As far as I’m concerned, learning goes beyond the content of this course. I
will answer questions regarding course content. However, I would also be more than happy to
answer questions that are not content driven, such as study skills and time management.
Tip four: Have fun! The material in this course will be challenging, but it is fascinating.
After all, we are studying how our bodies function. After you learn material in this
course, relate it in the real world. Watch TV shows, like House, Grey’s Anatomy, New
York Med, and so on. Listen carefully. Is what they are saying and perhaps doing accurate?
By the end of this course, you will be amazed at how many errors you find in TV shows such
as these. Furthermore, when you hear about health-related facts and new discoveries,
please share them with us.
Throughout your journey with us this semester, have fun, because learning is fun. If you
work hard, keep up with the material, have a positive attitude, and always ask for help,
you will be able to achieve your goals in this course. We are here to help you and we
want you to be successful in this course. Please let us know what we can do to help
you in your journey through the human body.