Starting 2nd week of school...

And well, I am wondering if its going to go as badly as the first week did. I feel so behind. And I am studying. But nothing is sticking up there!. I can read and re read my material. Do my labs, and all that and I just cant seem to retain any of it. What am I doing wrong. Any tips on a better way to study? Sure could use the help!!

There are women of all ages in this class, oh and 1 guy. But I sit between two younger women , probably early 20's. And they know so much more than I do and type so much faster than I do. I feel like I've fallen behind when we are doing our lessons. Some of you know that I had carpal tunnel surgery a year and a half ago. My left hand is doing well. But my right hand isnt. Its very weak in the wrist and I have alot of swelling in the fatty area in my palm by my thumb and first finger. I am thinking some nerve damage . But not sure. But the position they want us to hold our hand ( hand straight with arm and wrist not resting on board ) is impossible with this weakness in there. I guess I just have to keep trying and hope that I get used to what they want me to do. I just dont want to fail for not being able to do it according to their instructions.

Thanks for listening ot my rambling....

What grade or year of university or college are you in, and what courses are you taking?

You don't want to simply sit and try to memorize word-for-word. Try to make metaphors or re-write it in your words, or make analogies, little stories, etc..., so you can encode is semantically and remember it better. For example, in microbiology (2nd year university course), if RNA polymerase was to go along the DNA strand and encounter whatever molecule, I wouldn't memorize the diagram. I think, and still do, that the DNA strand is a train track, and RNA pol is a big train with small wheels and it zoomes across the train track. The exhaust from it falls like little pebbles and so forth. Basically, cartoons. This doesn't work for everything but if you can learn it in a way of a metaphor or something where you know the meaning, then it tends to be stored better. The textbooks tend to be very wordy and make things rather complex, so simplify it for yourself. Don't change the meaning to something else, but make their definitions easier.

Also, when studying, take breaks. Don't try to sit there for 5 hours and study, it won't usually work for all of the content.

I'm not sure about the nerve damage, as it may be due to the surgery. There's a muscle, called the abductor pollicis brevis and flexor pollicis brevis, which originate from the flexor retinaculum. The abductor pollicis brevis is a "U" shaped muscle from the thumb to the pinky, and the flexor pollicis brevis is the same shape and goes to the same areas. Anyways, I'm babbling about this anatomy for a reason. During the surgery, it's possible the flexor retinaculum (band of ligaments or muscles that goes around the base of the joint of the wrist to forearm. It's possible, that this may have been affected and because many muscles in the hand and forearm go here, it could result in some abnormality if affected.

However, do you have any feeling in that weakened area? If you poke it, do you feel anything? If you cannot feel anything, then I'd say it's likely nerve damage but if you can feel just it's weakened, it could be nerve damage or damage to the muscles or flexor retinaculum.

GrayMess,
Thank you for your reply. I promise I will answer you by tomorrow afternoon. Just been extremely busy with class and housework and all.

And to add to the anxiety of all this, I got the flu. I really dont feel like going. But I already feel I am behind in everything let alone having to make up hours.