As May draws to a close, most universities here in the U.S. are finishing their spring semesters if they haven’t finished already. It’s getting warmer, and for many this means thoughts are turning to summer vacations with visions of beaches or high mountain areas which are finally becoming accessible as the winter snow finishes melting.
It may not seem like a worthwhile time to meet with an anatomy and physiology tutor, but
for pre-health professional students or biology majors, there actually might not be a better time. But why would someone meet with a private tutor in a subject that they’re not currently studying?
THE BEST REASONS TO MEET WITH A TUTOR WHEN YOU’RE NOT TAKING A CLASS
I can think of two important reasons (and a third reason which might not be as immediately relevant) why you should consider hiring the services of an anatomy and physiology tutor when you’re not currently enrolled in a class for these subjects:
1) Getting ahead
In this post I wrote about how difficult it is for an anatomy and physiology student to catch up if they fall behind in a class and how absolutely critical it is to master the fundamental concepts. I’ll repeat: a class can only move forward at one rate even though students naturally learn challenging material at different rates. There’s no better way to get ahead than to start working through the material before the class even starts!
Why leave it to chance? You’ll be making things much easier on yourself if you go into your anatomy and physiology class confident that you know the material. This takes away any uncertainty or the intimidation factor that can lead to a self-fulfilling cycle of students being overwhelmed and falling behind in these subjects.
A well-organized study plan can ensure that a student has a thorough understanding of the core foundational concepts well before the first day of class. This will make it infinitely easier to tackle the more challenging concepts that will be introduced later on. This will also allow students to read the material multiple times which is a necessity for understanding complex subjects like anatomy and physiology. There will also be ample time for the tutor to design assessments that will help to track a student’s progress and identify any topics that require further explanation and clarification.
Depending on the student’s needs and availability, a tutor can also begin going over some of the body systems that are likely to be discussed in the beginning units of an anatomy and physiology course. Success in many areas requires a proactive and forward-thinking approach. A student who has the foresight to contract the services of an anatomy and physiology tutor before the semester starts is demonstrating qualities that correlate with success in academics and other facets of life.
2) Taking anatomy and physiology again
An unfortunate and inevitable reality of post-secondary anatomy and physiology instruction is that some students don’t pass the course. There’s no shame in this. These are difficult subjects and students are busy with other classes and work along with social and family obligations . With that said, they need to pass the course, whether it’s to gain acceptance to a professional school or to fulfill a requirement in their school’s curriculum.
But if you didn’t pass the first time, do you think you’ll succeed by doing things the same way a second time? While it’s certainly possible, realistically speaking you’re probably going to need to do things differently the second time around. At this point it’s critical to know when it’s necessary to ask for help, and you can’t really afford not to pass again.
For students taking anatomy or physiology a second time, the need to get ahead and not fall behind that I mentioned earlier is even more pressing. In these cases, hiring a private tutor is strongly recommended.
3) Because anatomy and physiology are cool!
This is the less important reason I referred to earlier, but I think it’s also worthy of consideration. On the first day of class, I always tell my students that anatomy and physiology are subjects that apply to all of us. What could be more useful information than how the body is structured and how it works?
A marvel of structural and functional engineering, your body is with you your whole life, and it’s constantly doing an incredible number of things behind the scenes at any given time. Mastery of anatomy and physiology is required for any health or medical practice, and anyone with an interest in athletics, dance, or visual art would benefit from a deeper knowledge of anatomy and physiology. Anatomy and physiology also bring together a variety of major scientific disciplines such as biology, chemistry, and physics.
So as the thermometer continues to rise, consider what you have to gain by working with an anatomy and physiology tutor. Another point I’d like you to consider is that even if you are currently enrolled in other courses, summer semesters tend to be more laid back. Fewer credit hours are usually required and you can work some private tutoring sessions in with a lighter course load.
It’s just as important to learn about the body in the summer as it is any other time, and Anatomy and You is open year round to help you with your tutoring needs. If you think that now’s the right time to work with a tutor, whether for the reasons I listed or for any other reason, check out our services and let’s find a time to talk about the human body.