Strategies to Study Physics: Provided by Lanre Obadina, Instructional Support Technician in the Physics Department.
Before Class
- Read the assigned reading. The goal here is to gain familiarity with the terms and have a surface understanding of the concepts that will be discussed in the lecture. As such, a quick reading is enough.
- Right before class, review notes from the last class. Doing this makes it easier to make connections between old and new concepts.
During Lecture
- Be present and engaged! Being engaged allows you to deepen your understanding of the material and know what aspects are most important.
- Take good notes. An essential but difficult skill in physics is the ability to set up and model problems with diagrams. So, carefully reproduce the instructor’s diagrams in your notes and add any crucial comments.
- Attempt all the problems given in class. This helps you gauge how well you understand the material.
After Lecture
- Review your notes before the end of the day. In your own words, summarize the main ideas and identify any unclear aspects or questions you have from the lecture. Get clarity from your instructor, tutor, or other students.
- Do all the homework problems and begin working on them early. Seek help from your instructor or tutors as soon as possible.
- While solving problems, it is possible to stumble onto the correct answer with incorrect logic. So, discuss any problem that took multiple attempts to solve with your instructor or tutor to ensure proper logic.
- Practice many problems! In addition to solving homework problems, attempt extra problems from the textbook or practice problems from the instructor. The true test of your understanding of physics is your ability to apply them in solving different problems.
General Problem Solving Guideline
- Read the problem carefully.
- Draw a diagram.
- Sketch of the situation described in the problem.
- Include an arrow to show positive direction (if vectors are involved).
- List the unknown quantity(ies) (What you are trying to find).
- List the known quantities. These should be provided in the problem or assumed from the problem.
- If applicable, indicate their directions in the diagram (vectors).
- Choose the appropriate equation.
- Solve for the unknown.