Feedback needed asap

[kimt2234]

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Ok, so far I am managing fine in gen chem, but I dropped physics because I was so utterly and completely confused. I know I have to take it obviously, but 2 weeks into it and I couldn't even begin to tell you how lost and frustrated I was. I got a private tutor who basically just did my one homework assignment for me and kept asking if I understood. When I would say no repeatedly, she would get annoyed so I then just said yes afterawhile.

I really want to do well in my prereq's, but can already tell physics is going to be tough. It isn't so much the math (although I am rusty) as it was that I could not get a clear picture in my head of what concepts were (eg velocity, acceleration, instantaneous acceleration) and so on. I would read the chapters and spend most of the time looking up what the words were that described the various concepts of phsyics. Therefore, because I couldn't even understand what the hell anything was, it was virtually impossible to put the concepts into an algebraic equation.

I am wondering if anyone has suggestions about how I can do well in physics?

One thing I considered was taking physics at the smaller, private college I got my BS and MS at. However, I am attending UW Madison for my post-bac and am eventually going to be applying there and thought it would look bad that I took all my prereq's there accept for physics. The private school is a godd school and is accredited, but obviously the UW is must prestigious. Wouldn't the admissions committee think that was strange and possibly could hold it against me. But, I NEED to learn this and understand it to get an A in the class and do well on the physics portion of the MCAT.

Any feedback?

 

[medhacker]

You could always find a better tutor


I could not afford a tutor so I spent long hours hitting physics until I understood it. Using solution manuals, not to go directly to the answers but to see where your errors are, was a great idea for me. Best Wishes.

 

[MollyMalone]

Hey there,

I'm not sure that taking the class elsewhere is going to help your situation. For your tutoring, did you go through GUTS or did you find a real private tutor? (Whoever you got, it sounds like she sucked.) Did you go to the office hours of your TA and the professor? My suggestion would be to spend any extra time you have this semester (don't know what your situation is like) working on understanding the concepts so that you will be prepared to try again come next semester.

I certainly wouldn't be my first choice for a physics tutor but I'm in Madison (well, Fitchburg, actually) and would be happy to get together with you for a cup of coffee and see if I can help at all. Shoot me a PM if you're interested.

Good luck!

 

[blee]

You won't solve your physics problems by taking the course somewhere else. The class might be slightly easier, or it might not. Either way, the concepts (if it's a course good enough to prepare you for the MCAT) are not going to be any different, no matter where you take it.

You now have some time before you will take physics for credit, so I suggest you seek help and do a little prep work before enrolling in the class again. Tutoring is a possibility, as are going to office hours. You might even just try to run through the book yourself at whatever pace suits you. I'm sure you'll get the hang of it; physics is probably my least favorite subject, but I had a begrudging respect for it by year's end.