Dr. ERNEST BEHRINGER
ADVICE FOR PHY 22X STUDENTS
Let's get the "bad" news out of the way: it's challenging to develop a useful understanding of physics. It's challenging for a very good reason: you must have good verbal, analytical, and quantitative skills. All three, not just two. You not only have to be able to speak, read, and write well (which involves your verbal and analytical skills), but you also have to speak, read, and write the language of mathematics (which involves your analytical and quantitative skills)! On top of that, you have to be skilled at translating between mathematics and the written word.
To summarize: you've got to be firing on all cylinders.
It should be clear from the preceding that straight memorization is not enough. I sympathize with students who have been trained to do little but memorize during their grade school education. My advice to you: it's time to develop some new study skills and learning habits! The sooner the better!
Now that the challenge is clear, ask yourself what you want to achieve: a good grade, or useful understanding. They do not imply one another! I recommend achieving useful understanding. Usually, if you understand a subject so well that you can use it - actually apply what you've learned - the course grade will take care of itself.
In order to succeed in your physics course, I advise you to budget sufficient time to do the required work. Practically speaking, budget approximately two hours for each hour you attend class. For example, if you are taking PHY 221, a 4 credit hour class which consists of 4 hours of class and 2 hours of lab, then budget at least 12 hours to do the course work each week, in addition to attending class. If that seems like a lot of time, it is: developing a working understanding of physics takes time. Like any learned skill, there are no shortcuts: you have to practice in order to achieve competence. "Practice" means reading the book, taking notes while you read, and solving problems and answering conceptual questions. In addition to this, you might consider solving problems or answering questions beyond those assigned. If you do, you will be better prepared for exams and learn to think for yourself - which is the whole point, after all.
If you can't commit this much time to the physics course, don't expect to develop a useful understanding or to achieve an honor grade (A or B).
Because time is precious, it is helpful to do the assigned work as efficiently as possible. It can be very useful to actively discuss the assigned work with other students, but ultimately you need to learn how to do things on your own. (How will you manage when your classmates aren't available?) Obviously, mindlessly copying another person's work at the last minute doesn't help you learn and will leave you clueless during exams. So don't do it. Rather, be interactive, and at the same time learn to be self-sufficient.
Also: if you've been banging your head against a problem for a while - I mean, you've really thought about it (not daydreamed about it) for a half hour or so - then you should consult your classmates and/or your instructor during office hours. Your instructor is there to help you resolve conceptual difficulties, to guide you through the crux of a problem, and to help you to learn how to guide yourself the next time.
Remember to take advantage of any available tutoring time in the Physics Reading Room (adjacent to the Department Office)!
