Feeling Burned Out on Studying for Physics? How Can I Keep Myself Motivated?

[_Mayday_]

Hey.

Well I have completed the Physics curriculum, and now it is just a question of revision. The problem is that I have done so many past papers, and I am averaging a high A but I am bored! I am just really put off by it all now, I've done it all a hundred times! How can I keep myself motivated, this is what happened in my biology at christmas. I sort of peaked too early, was averaging near full marks, and then just stopped because I couldn take it anymore. I got a B.

Any help or tips would be really nice!

_Mayday_

 

[Tedjn]

Take a break, then read ahead. Find something you don't understand, and work at understanding it. It's worked all right for me :)

 

[_Mayday_]

Cheers Tedjn, I'll give it a try.

 

[cristo]

I'm not sure what "read ahead" means, but I would guess that it means read in your textbook past where you are up to now. This is firstly, I imagine, not possible, since you have finished your AS level learning, but secondly, even if this is possible, I would not recommend trying to learn stuff way ahead when you've got exams in (I guess) a few weeks.

I agree that you should take a break; then perhaps try going through your notes, or textbook again. Write revision notes, trying to make them as concise as possible. Perhaps read a chapter and then try and write, with the book closed, a brief summary of the chapter.

Of course, while doing all this, don't forget to eventually start doing the practice problems again: they are certainly the way to excel!

 

[Tedjn]

By read ahead, I meant not just whatever textbook the school is using but whatever material he could get his hands on that is something new and interesting to him. Of course, it's important to review and redo problems, but I also think it should be balanced with self-study if one is motivated and wants to keep his or her interest.