First quarter of college physics

AI Thread Summary
The discussion centers on the challenges faced after completing the first quarter of college physics, resulting in a C+ grade. The individual expresses a strong desire to improve their understanding and performance in physics, planning to re-read chapters and redo homework during the break. Halliday, Resnick, and Walker's textbook is acknowledged as a reputable resource, with advice emphasizing the importance of solving numerous problems to enhance comprehension. Suggestions for additional resources include "The Portable TA" and "Schaum's Outline of Beginning Physics," as well as Hyperphysics for clearer concept explanations. Overall, the focus is on proactive study strategies and resource exploration to improve physics skills.
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I just took my first quarter of college physics and it made my head spin! I ended up with a C+ in the class and this is only my 2nd C ever. I'm not a genius so I study a lot and enjoy learning.

Now, I really want to learn Physics and know that I need to do a lot more work than I did this past quarter to get a better grade. I'm willing to re-read all the previous chapters and re-do all the homework over this Christmas break so I can be better prepared for next quarter. We're using the 6th edition of fund. of physics by Halliday, Resnick, and Walker. What do you guys think of this book? I haven't looked at any other physics book to make a comparison. Do you know of any other books or study guides that you think would be helpful? Some people suggested The portable TA by Andrew Elby and Schaum's Outline of Beg. Physics. Anyone have any feedback regarding these?

Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated!
Thanks in advance.
 
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Halliday & Resnick is, by all accounts, one of the best texts you can get. It's a great book! My advice: do lots and lots and LOTS of problems. You may find that are you are able to read the book very easily and follow along with everything they say -- but when it comes times to solve a problem, you still don't know what to do. The answer: try to solve lots of problems! There's no better way to learn than by doing. If you get stuck on a problem, just find another one that looks enticing. You can come back to the hard ones another time.

- Warren
 
Thx Warren! Yes, I'm able to follow and read the text but I get stuck when it comes to solving a problem. Doing lots of problems is my plan for these next 2.5 weeks. I'm thinking I may "see and understand" the concepts better if it was presented to me in different ways (as in different texts or study guides). Do you suggest a beginning Physics book as good as Halliday's?
 

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