Props for NOVA Physics

[unDRdog]

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So this is my first post on SDN…sweet site…For what its worth I’m taking the MCAT September 10th and wanted to echo the compliments for NOVA physics. I have always had trouble when it comes to physics and have been intimidated for way to long. I bought NOVA at the direction of many SDN’ers and have found that it lays an amazing foundation for basic conceptual physics. Each chapter is re-enforced with several discretes which allow you to practice the formulas and ideas learned. The passages are much more difficult and force you to think inside out and backwards concerning the concepts that the groundwork of formulas provide… Neway..thats all for now…just two thumbs up for NOVA… Next will be Chemistry and I believe TBR will be my next purchase…unless convinced otherwise on SDN!!! Look foward to gettting to know many of you on this site-OUT

 

[dapmp91]

congrats on acting like an unpaid cheerleader for nova physics

 

[unDRdog]

Yeah...I guess my first post on SDN was a little over the top!! I'm just really freakin happy I finally found something to make that little light bulb over my head come on!!!

 

[swineflu]

I just bought this book. Hopefully it will help me too

 

[kwokkit]

After hearing a lot of good things about NOVA, I got it too and I'm pretty much finished it. I feel much more confident about physics now than I did when I only used EK. That being said, I don't think NOVA represents comprehensive MCAT physics prep. EK has some intuitive systems (e.g. optics) and ways to solve problems that hardcore academics like the writer of NOVA would scoff at. I am also cross-studying it with other companies like TBR and TPR to fill in the few gaps that NOVA has. Nevertheless, 500 practice problems, a lot with passages, are invaluable.

 

[BasalGanglia]

Thanks for the advice about Nova physics! I am too physics challenged.. possibly because I hate physics. It seems like you throw a ball and you have to make 5 graphs about it.. 😕

 

[LoveWalk]

You will find that you will love Nova even more AFTER TAKING THE MCAT

Nova does not include the equation for capacitors in series and parallel

Nova does not include any thermodynamics

Besides that, however, it is a godsend

Oh, BTW: MAKE SURE YOU KNOW YOUR UNITS INSIDE AND OUT

Dimensional analysis is the most important skill for MCAT physics

True story

 

[katie072]

i also thought it skimped a bit on magnetics. otherwise, it was amazing.

 

[unDRdog]

i also thought it skimped a bit on magnetics. otherwise, it was amazing.

Yeah.. agree with your noted subjects...u know i found this book to DRILL concepts home but i am supplementing it with TBR and EK 1001..the later is especially useful for me bc it is allowing me to become proficient at manipulating formulas quickly..via practice and repetition...Physics is my weakest suit and the more i can saturate my brain with familiarization of equations/applications the better...all that to say that that NOVA isn't entirely sufficient for me. but as the OP I stand by the fact that without the solid framework this provided i woould be screwed...bottom line!!!

 

[dapmp91]

Yeah...I guess my first post on SDN was a little over the top!! I'm just really freakin happy I finally found something to make that little light bulb over my head come on!!!

yea, I'm slowly working my way through nova, and it feels like I'm having an MCAT orgy 😛

 

[unDRdog]

yea, I'm slowly working my way through nova, and it feels like I'm having an MCAT orgy 😛

dap-thats gotta be one of the f'd up things ive heard in a while!! I could be out at a lake with all of my other buddies recovering from a hangover from last night by drinking a beer this morning..but no...i'm on on SDN in my third hour of prep for the day appreciating a statement like that..WTF is wrong with me..neway..have you done anything with TBR or EK (physics)? if so what ya think?

 

[dapmp91]

dap-thats gotta be one of the f'd up things ive heard in a while!! I could be out at a lake with all of my other buddies recovering from a hangover from last night by drinking a beer this morning..but no...i'm on on SDN in my third hour of prep for the day appreciating a statement like that..WTF is wrong with me..neway..have you done anything with TBR or EK (physics)? if so what ya think?

I haven't ordered TBR since their still in the 90's with their shipping method and everything, and I have EK physics, but when I read the EK physics I don't understand it very well, I feel dumb and discouraged when I read EK physics, they expect your getting your BS in physics or something, I'll probably take a jab at it once I'm done with nova physics

 

[FIREitUP]

ehh, i thought it was way overrated. fluids chapter was pretty bad, and optics was mediocre. gives you way to solve problems, but doesn't help you intuit them.

 

[Vanguard23]

I like it, I really do. But I honestly think some of the math is skipped on. I'm *ok* at math problems but sometimes I really need a step by step analysis on the problems or I get lost. I look at some of the stuff and they automatically assume I can go through five different steps in an algebra problem and I have no idea what they did.
I mean, it's a great book and has helped me..but has some short comings. I use EK and Nova for physics. Where one lacks, I use the other.

 

[Destro96]

It's great for the practice problems (although the explanations are lacking).

The tutorial part is OK at best.

 

[tiedyeddog]

I did NOVA, I thought it was OK. I felt physics was a strong point of mine. However, I think NOVA did a poor job with energy, momentum, things along those lines. Also, eletricity wasn't very detailed.

I voided my first MCAT after the PS section, mostly due to the chem questions on it. I am going to buy TBR physics and do it, some people on this site advocate doing both of atleast BR... Hope it helps....

 

[tiedyeddog]

ehh, i thought it was way overrated. fluids chapter was pretty bad, and optics was mediocre. gives you way to solve problems, but doesn't help you intuit them.

I agree with this 34235%. It didn't hit me until three weeks before my MCAT date that it isn't about how many problems you do or how well it is explained, it is about how the books gets you to arrive at an adequte intuition for solving the problems.

I am ordering physics, gen chem, and orgo TBR... I have read many, many times on this site that TBR is the best at helping you gain intuition in solving problems.