Advice
Please see our help page for general suggestions about getting assistance, and our generic "how to succeed" page, as well as a Problem Solving Strategy guide.
General reflections:
We put a large emphasis on conceptual understanding and sensemaking in this course. Be aware, there will be a heavier focus on this on exams in 2020 compared to what you may have seen in Physics 1.
For some
students, more careful reading of lecture notes or textbook(s) may be
key. Reading a physics textbook is not
like reading literature. You can't skim, and reading with a marker pen,
underlining keywords, is probably not very effective either. Have some
blank paper, work things out as you read. You need to engage with the
text. Argue with yourself, keep closing the book and try to reproduce
the argument, make sense of the definition, solve or extend the example.
Mastering physics is not about memorizing answers, or even memorizing
procedures. It's about making sense of the material. How do you
know if it makes sense? Getting a question right is not enough - can you
generalize, think about other cases? Can you explain your answer, in words?
Can you make up new problems, and solve
them? Can you summarize how the various ideas
we're studying fit together, can you build a "concept-map" that is more
than just a disconnected list of topics or (worse yet) equations?
When in doubt, ask yourself "how would I explain this to someone who
doesn't get it" or perhaps better yet, who doesn't even know much physics?
It's an incredibly helpful way to go about making
sense of something. If you can't explain it, clearly, so that someone else
gets it, then you probably don't have a solid understanding yourself yet . (This is one of the reasons that labs and ConceptTests in class have such a demonstrably strong positive impact on learning in this course!)
Perhaps you may need to devote more time and attention to the labs? Maybe you should spend a little time before the lab, looking over it to try to get a sense of what it's about. You might re-read the appropriate section of the textbook(s) or lecture notes, to try to see how the lab connects with the formulas. Get help in office hours (see the schedule to make sure there's a 2020 TA in the help room when you go) Study groups, if used effectively, can be great for this kind of work. During lab itself, keep asking yourself "am I just going through the motions, or am I trying to think about the big picture, and really make sense of this material?"
Some of you may need to focus on the concept tests. There are even more available in your text (and, at the end of every chapter, just before the "Problems", are "Questions", which I think are very good!) Giancoli also has a website with yet more questions. But remember - it's not about "learning the answers" , it's about making sense of them so that you can do new and different ones on your own . Don't rush to "check yourself with the answer". Take your time, think of the arguments. Ask yourself what the arguments are likely to be. How does this concept relate to the section we're covering in the text? Why did I choose to ask it? How might I change it just a little, keeping the CONCEPT the same, but changing the example or style or precise question. Again, discussing with study partner(s) can be invaluable - not just to hear other ways of thinking, but to help you learn how to explain yourself out loud. There is no better way to learn than to try to teach!!
If the problems you missed on the midterm involved algebra or math or "problem-solving" skills, perhaps you need to try more than just the CAPA problems. E.g, you might start working problems from Giancoli, there are many solved examples, and most odd end-of-chapter problems have an answer in the back to check yourself with. This is not the solution to everyone's test taking problems - but it can help if your algebra or "problem manipulation" skills are what are hurting you. (This will probably not be as much of an issue on the first midterm as you may think - there won't be a whole lot of "plug-n-chug") Outside resources:
For a few people, the problem is not so much physics as it is simply
test-taking. If you feel you get so nervous or distracted taking exams that
your performance is not reflecting what you know, consider talking to Student Academic Services to get evaluated for test anxiety. There are some
basic tricks and tips that can help anyone relax, and perform as best they can.
Remember that any SINGLE exam will not determine your grade.
If you find that time is an issue on exams, you may need to
actively practice budgeting your time and working efficiently. Talk to us,
or your TA -
we're happy to try to help, it's what we're here for.