Can't think when it comes to Physics?

[stupid9234]

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But I really want at least a B+ in the class. I'm setting everything aside from now until my exam, any tips for someone who can't think like that? Despite doing bad in Biology and Chemistry, I know if I put in the work, I could do well. In Physics, not so much.

Would it be a waste of time to memorize how to do lots of problems?

 

[mimelim]

I TAed intro Physics (90% of my students were pre-med) for 3 years. So take it from me...

If you are trying to memorizing things, you are approaching the class the wrong way. You will be fighting an uphill battle all semester long if you focus on remembering things and not on problem solving. Your focus needs to be on being able to take basic formulas and concepts and applying them to a bunch of problems. In my experience, not everyone can do upper level Physics, but everyone should be able to survive intro Physics and at least do reasonably well with a little bit of work. A few tips, none of which are exclusive to Physics.

1) Do problems. If they assign problems 3, 4 and 8 in the textbook for homework, setup questions 1-12. You don't have to solve them, just set them up and figure out how you would do it. Professors love to use other textbook questions as the foundation for exam questions. Once you run out of problems, use an old edition of another textbook (cheap) and solve the questions in the equivalent chapter.
2) If you struggle with problem solving, go to office hours. If you don't like the TA, go to a different session. If you don't like any of them, join one of the Physics online forums. Give an earnest attempt at homework problems before asking for help, but get help if it isn't making sense.
3) Learn dimentional analysis.

 

[musicalfeet]

I'm doing decently well in physics..and I agree with much of mimelim. Also, how are you approaching the problem solving? Do you understand the logic between each step? Usually while setting up a problem, my systematic method goes something like this:

1. Write out all the given values; write down what is the unknown you want to find.
2. Determine what is necessary to find the unknowns, because sometimes the given values won't be used directly to find the unknown.
3. Now, using the given values (usually they could be used to find the components necessary to find the answer), solve!

Of course, this is just the mathematical part of problem solving. Also, some problems use concepts taught from previous semester work (Energy conservation + electric fields actually do go together)
Also, I find that it helps to be confident when doing physics problems. Don't think "My brain just doesn't work like that", because it's not particularly useful to think in that manner. Rather, think that all you need to do is figure out a roadmap on how to do things, and very minimal amounts of studying would then be needed.

Another super important point that will make the class loads easier: Understand where the formulas come from and what they mean. If you know exactly what each variable in the formulas mean and what they symbolize, then sometimes even if you don't understand the problem conceptually, you should be able to power through with basic algebra anyway.

 

[NorthernMav]

But I really want at least a B+ in the class. I'm setting everything aside from now until my exam, any tips for someone who can't think like that? Despite doing bad in Biology and Chemistry, I know if I put in the work, I could do well. In Physics, not so much.

Would it be a waste of time to memorize how to do lots of problems?

Physics I or II? Physics II can be pretty counter-intuitive.

 

[rangoon1984]

I got a B in my first quarter of physics and pulled it up to an A- in the second.

Like others have said, I did more than the assigned homework - I literally did every math and conceptual problem at the end of the chapter. I made flashcards for all the concepts and laws. I have had to put a ridiculous amount of time into this class to do well....it's been the least intuitive class I've taken so far.

 

[13132]

Physics I or II? Physics II can be pretty counter-intuitive.

Everyone says this, but I got a B in Physics I and nearly aced Physics II. I got too tied up in just trying to think about "what makes sense" in Physics I, and found I didn't have a good sense for what would happen in the real world if I shot a clown out of a cannon. I felt much more comfortable in the abstract realm of Physics II.

 

[NorthernMav]

Everyone says this, but I got a B in Physics I and nearly aced Physics II. I got too tied up in just trying to think about "what makes sense" in Physics I, and found I didn't have a good sense for what would happen in the real world if I shot a clown out of a cannon. I felt much more comfortable in the abstract realm of Physics II.

Hahaha, yes but clowns do some funny things

 

[caffeinemia]

I TAed intro Physics (90% of my students were pre-med) for 3 years. So take it from me...

If you are trying to memorizing things, you are approaching the class the wrong way. You will be fighting an uphill battle all semester long if you focus on remembering things and not on problem solving. Your focus needs to be on being able to take basic formulas and concepts and applying them to a bunch of problems. In my experience, not everyone can do upper level Physics, but everyone should be able to survive intro Physics and at least do reasonably well with a little bit of work. A few tips, none of which are exclusive to Physics.

1) Do problems. If they assign problems 3, 4 and 8 in the textbook for homework, setup questions 1-12. You don't have to solve them, just set them up and figure out how you would do it. Professors love to use other textbook questions as the foundation for exam questions. Once you run out of problems, use an old edition of another textbook (cheap) and solve the questions in the equivalent chapter.
2) If you struggle with problem solving, go to office hours. If you don't like the TA, go to a different session. If you don't like any of them, join one of the Physics online forums. Give an earnest attempt at homework problems before asking for help, but get help if it isn't making sense.
3) Learn dimentional analysis.

I'd say that physics is probably the most important of all pre-med courses. Essentially if you can't problem solve based on a central set of rules/mechanisms/laws/equations, you're going to be up ****creek when it comes to understanding complex physiological systems/interventions and even hospital based medical logistics. Is this too surgical an approach?

 

[mrh125]

A lot of physics requires conceptual understanding as well as pattern recognition +repetition (meaning doing a ton of problems). You should do more problems and memorize formulsa but be sure to be able to apply them and what the concepts behind each problem. There are also plenty of tricks if you have difficulties with some things like ray-trace diagrams so know those. Also knowing how units work and the units that come with each formula will save you a lot of time. Do a lot of problems, but take note of the principles behind them and embed them in your mind. Physics was the worst subject for me as an undergrad, and I didn't really understand things until I studied for the mcat.

 

[stupid9234]

I TAed intro Physics (90% of my students were pre-med) for 3 years. So take it from me...

If you are trying to memorizing things, you are approaching the class the wrong way. You will be fighting an uphill battle all semester long if you focus on remembering things and not on problem solving. Your focus needs to be on being able to take basic formulas and concepts and applying them to a bunch of problems. In my experience, not everyone can do upper level Physics, but everyone should be able to survive intro Physics and at least do reasonably well with a little bit of work. A few tips, none of which are exclusive to Physics.

1) Do problems. If they assign problems 3, 4 and 8 in the textbook for homework, setup questions 1-12. You don't have to solve them, just set them up and figure out how you would do it. Professors love to use other textbook questions as the foundation for exam questions. Once you run out of problems, use an old edition of another textbook (cheap) and solve the questions in the equivalent chapter.
2) If you struggle with problem solving, go to office hours. If you don't like the TA, go to a different session. If you don't like any of them, join one of the Physics online forums. Give an earnest attempt at homework problems before asking for help, but get help if it isn't making sense.
3) Learn dimentional analysis.

Great tips, applying them now and hopefully I'll be solid for exam.

 

[stupid9234]

A lot of physics requires conceptual understanding as well as pattern recognition +repetition (meaning doing a ton of problems). You should do more problems and memorize formulsa but be sure to be able to apply them and what the concepts behind each problem. There are also plenty of tricks if you have difficulties with some things like ray-trace diagrams so know those. Also knowing how units work and the units that come with each formula will save you a lot of time. Do a lot of problems, but take note of the principles behind them and embed them in your mind. Physics was the worst subject for me as an undergrad, and I didn't really understand things until I studied for the mcat.

Thanks, I hate doing problems, but I'll try.

 

[bambam92]

Thanks, I hate doing problems, but I'll try.

I got an A in physics I, about to get an A in physics II--you need to be doing a ton of practice problems! The best way to prepare for the test is to struggle through a bunch of relevant practice problems after doing a quick content review. I have friends who try to read the physics text book like some british novel, and avoid doing practice problems. Come the exam they get slammed! Trust me even though it sucks to grind through the problems, this is what makes the exams doable. I would rather struggle thru the practice problems prior to the test, then get raped in the test. Do problems and you'll be good!

 

[mrh125]

Thanks, I hate doing problems, but I'll try.

yea, I hated doing physics problems too especially at first. They have a really tough learning curve, are usually vague, ambiguous, and require a bunch of weird assumptions.

 

[frosted_flake]

yea, I hated doing physics problems too especially at first. They have a really tough learning curve, are usually vague, ambiguous, and require a bunch of weird assumptions.

Couldn't have said it better.

 

[stupid9234]

I think I'm going to fail this final!