Some comments for those who are concerned
after the first midterms in Phys 2010
Some people got a score on the first
midterm(s) below what they had hoped or planned for. If this describes you,
please don't panic, but consider this as an indication that you may be
headed for difficulties in the class. Any given exam is a
relatively small fraction of your grade, and can therefore be
overcome. But, if you do similarly on future exams, it obviously
becomes a problem. The worst approach is to ignore what
happened, merely hoping for the best. That's not a strategy for
success. Something has to change: your grade on future exams probably
won't go up just because you realize, after the fact, what you got
wrong on the first midterm. Use this as an opportunity to change what
you're doing, and to rethink your own ideas about what effective
studying means in this course.
Look back over the exams carefully, on your own at first. Ask yourself
why you missed the questions you did. What do you need to do
more effectively to prepare for the next midterm? Don't just hope it
might work out OK. Take charge of your own learning, think about
the course goals and the kinds of assignments we have, and try to
figure out how to best study.
Mastering physics is not about memorizing answers, or even memorizing
formulae or 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?
Unfortunately, there is no magic
bullet or universal answer. For some students, more careful
reading of lecture notes or textbook(s) may be key. Remember what we
have discussed in lecture - reading a 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, and 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.
Once you think you understand something, 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.
You may need to devote more time and attention to the CAPA and the
recitation assignments. These are hard, but they are definitely
within your reach. Maybe you should spend a little time looking over
the CAPA more broadly, to try to get a sense of what it's about,
before and after diving in to chug through to an answer. You might
re-read the appropriate section of the textbook(s) or lecture notes,
to try to see how the CAPA questions connect with the
concepts. Don't forget that CAPA counts more than a
midterm. It's worth putting some energy into that!
Feel free to get help in office hours or the Help Room, but be warned
that we are much better equipped to answer questions about physics
than questions about how to study. Studying is a very personal thing!
Study groups, if used effectively, can be great for this kind of
work. (But, make sure you're coming up with the concepts and answers
yourself: if you are basically copying what others are doing, then
your CAPA score will be great but you won't learn the material. This
is a prime cause of exam underperformance!) During recitations,
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 clicker tests (both in-class, and
the extra ones I provide online). There are similar questions
scattered throughout the textbook. But remember: it's not about
"learning the answers," it's about making sense of the underlying
principles so that you
can do new and different problems on your own
. Don't rush to
check yourself with the answer. Take your time, think of the
arguments. Ask yourself what my 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, 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 the
back of the chapters in the textbook. 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's ailing you.
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 about 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.
There are a number of people in the course who, perhaps, haven't
figured out the best way to learn this material. You can't memorize
your way through Physics 2010, and it's not about grabbing a formula
and punching in numbers.
We're here to help, but nobody can "teach you"
this stuff except you ! Take advantage of the help room, and
office hours. Perhaps you should find/make a study group? Don't put
it off! You can't "cram" effectively for a course like this, now
is the time to take action, change your study habits, and decide
what kind of effort you need to put in to do as well as you want to in
this course.
Spending more time is NOT always what's needed,
you may just need to change the way you spend your time. (For
sure, try to do the assigned readings in advance of lecture, and
attend lecture and recitation!)
Good luck, and let me, Prof. Smith, or your TA know what more we
can do to help you learn this material.
-EDZ
Physics 2010 home page.