Physics horrors...

[Konfetkette]

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Hey everyone!
I really need some advice =(. I am a senior in college. I haven't taken the MCAT yet (decided on med school later than normally and stuff). Anyway, I am taking physics I and I just cannot do good in this class no matter how much I study, and I study more than I ever did for any other class, even Orgo (which I Aced). I am pretty sure I am getting no more than a C+. My first C in college. I am a Biology major and have not had a class as hard as this. My grades are about half As half B+s. Will C in a prereq class prevent me from getting in?

Funny thing is, I can do nearly all physics problems from MCAT book for the stuff I've studied in school so far.....

Also if I decide to retake... probably next fall because I have an internship for the summer, and get an A, will they look down upon having a C at first?

 

[ApoK]

Hey everyone!
I really need some advice =(. I am a senior in college. I haven't taken the MCAT yet (decided on med school later than normally and stuff). Anyway, I am taking physics I and I just cannot do good in this class no matter how much I study, and I study more than I ever did for any other class, even Orgo (which I Aced). I am pretty sure I am getting no more than a C+. My first C in college. I am a Biology major and have not had a class as hard as this. My grades are about half As half B+s. Will C in a prereq class prevent me from getting in?

Funny thing is, I can do nearly all physics problems from MCAT book for the stuff I've studied in school so far.....

Also if I decide to retake... probably next fall because I have an internship for the summer, and get an A, will they look down upon having a C at first?

Are you sure your class isn't on a generous curve? I usually got 80s and 90s on most of my physics exams and managed A's. Although I think I had at least one or two exams that were in 50s or 60s. Just try and master concepts for the final and dominate that.

 

[rockymhs]

Get a tutor or visit your professor during office hours.

Ask for help, and in most cases, your professor would be more than happy to offer his help.

 

[Konfetkette]

rockymhs, it's too late for a tutor, and I am broke =( Finals are next week. We had our last exam today, which I was 100% sure I would ace because I studied so much during thanksgiving break.
I went to his office all the time. I feel like I know the information inside and out. I just can't do well on his tests.

ApoK, there is a curve.... it just isn't big. I understand the material so well. He just throws something unexpected on his exams and all you can do is freak out. I am getting the lowest grades here of my whole college career =(

 

[J ROD]

Do better in Physics II and you will be fine....I would also fight really hard to get a B...it looks much better than a C....😎

 

[icalz]

Hey everyone!
I really need some advice =(. I am a senior in college. I haven't taken the MCAT yet (decided on med school later than normally and stuff). Anyway, I am taking physics I and I just cannot do good in this class no matter how much I study, and I study more than I ever did for any other class, even Orgo (which I Aced). I am pretty sure I am getting no more than a C+. My first C in college. I am a Biology major and have not had a class as hard as this. My grades are about half As half B+s. Will C in a prereq class prevent me from getting in?

Funny thing is, I can do nearly all physics problems from MCAT book for the stuff I've studied in school so far.....

Also if I decide to retake... probably next fall because I have an internship for the summer, and get an A, will they look down upon having a C at first?

One C won't hurt you one bit, even if you don't retake it....it won't even be mentioned during your interviews. If you overall gpa remains healthy and you score well on your mcat (+30) then you can even get away with a couple of C's....don't sweat the small stuff (this is small stuff).

 

[boaz]

Rather than practicing on garden-variety problems at the end of the chapter, seek out the toughest ones. If there aren't many of those in your textbook, go to the library and you'll find a plethora of options. Find problems you have almost no confidence you can solve, then solve, then figure out why you got it wrong.

 

[Konfetkette]

J DUB, that's what I was thinking too! Hopefully the class is more interesting too. I could care less about torque (and yes I know all about it from the textbook 🙂) but we're doing gas law now, which I know from chem, so it seems to be getting interesting already.

icalz, thanks for saying that! I really feel better now 🙂

ishchayill, that's a good advice thanks! Actually I tried to do that but I guess I wasn't focusing on everything I had trouble with most. I focused stuff I didn't understand, but of course this exam had problems I did not focus on because I thought he would not ask anything from the beginning of practice problems. And he did.

 

[sportsfreak]

well i am totally the opposite to OP, physics by far was the easiest class i took in college, it came really easy to me

I think what really helped me was that I had a very good knowledge of all the formulas and their variations, if you can learn to manipulate formulas easily then physics will become much easier

 

[Konfetkette]

well i am totally the opposite to OP, physics by far was the easiest class i took in college, it came really easy to me

I think what really helped me was that I had a very good knowledge of all the formulas and their variations, if you can learn to manipulate formulas easily then physics will become much easier

Formulas aren't a problem 😀.
I can't even explain it.
I am thinking it's because I haven't done math since I took calculus my freshman year. I did not expect the class to be THAT math heavy. I should have done my research. I was never a fan of math, but I never had this much trouble in it either.

You know what is bothering me? The fact that orgo is supposed to be the hardest class for a pre-med, but it wasn't. I love orgo and totally get it.

 

[sportsfreak]

Formulas aren't a problem 😀.
I can't even explain it.
I am thinking it's because I haven't done math since I took calculus my freshman year. I did not expect the class to be THAT math heavy. I should have done my research. I was never a fan of math, but I never had this much trouble in it either.

You know what is bothering me? The fact that orgo is supposed to be the hardest class for a pre-med, but it wasn't. I love orgo and totally get it.

yeah math is probably your problem, its not as much as memorizing the formulas as being able to easily manipulate them

also, at least in my university physics was more dreaded then orgo, i saw more people drop premed due to physics

 

[Konfetkette]

yeah math is probably your problem, its not as much as memorizing the formulas as being able to easily manipulate them

also, at least in my university physics was more dreaded then orgo, i saw more people drop premed due to physics

Wow seriously? Before taking this class I've only ever heard that physics is much better than orgo. Of course those people hated orgo soooo....

 

[Quantum Mecha]

http://www.physicsforums.com was very helpful to me back when I was taking calc-based physics; has a homework help section.

try to get a hold of a copy of "Schaum's Outlines" for College Physics. I had the engineering version, and it was pretty useful. It is essentially a book full of fully solved example problems.

For physics 1, additional Schaum's outline books that may be useful:
Schaum's outline Engineering Mechanics: Statics and Dynamics
Schaum's outline Statics and Mechanics of Materials


in addition to these, go to your library and get one or two additional physics textbooks. sometimes another author's perspective helps.

i employed all of these strategies, in addition to reading the course's textbook and visiting office hours regularly. It's rough, but you'll feel good when it is over.