How best to learn? How to get 100%?

[berkeman]

I'll try to compose a private response, if I can figure one.

Yes, please take that conversation to DMs.

 

[sbrothy]

We did.

 

[IneedA]

ineedA said,

NO. That is quoted wrong! The bottom needs to be OUTSIDE of the quote tag. I will try to put it here now.
EDIT: OK fixed the problem myself.

Be careful with that kind of thinking. The Course is the course, almost no matter who teaches it. You should best decide, who teaches the Course well; who generally teaches well. As far as trying to decide by judging yourself and what other students believe, try to pick the teacher/professor who is level-headed, who is not insane and not a psychopath.

Is there actually that many crazies out there?

 

[sbrothy]

You'd be surprised!

Nah, I'm joking. "Insane", and "psychopath" sounds a little harsh though.

EDIT: I'd choose words and statements like "persistent when you should've given up". "On the harder part of the ADD/ADHD spectrum" and the old winner "crackpot"!

 

[CrysPhys]

Be careful with that kind of thinking. The Course is the course, almost no matter who teaches it. You should best decide, who teaches the Course well; who generally teaches well. As far as trying to decide by judging yourself and what other students believe, try to pick the teacher/professor who is level-headed, who is not insane and not a psychopath.

Were you able to pick your professors? The OP's profile states they are in the US [ETA: In one post, they say they live in California.]. Here, with some exceptions, you generally don't have a choice; especially in your first two years and especially with required courses.

 

[CrysPhys]

Basically like, if it was your job to make a C student get an A in calculus-based physics. What would you tell them to do if you wanted to guarantee they would get an A?

. Well, I live next to ucla, usc, and caltech. These schools don't like B’s. The pressure is intense. I get stressed when I see a 90% as opposed to 100%.

I got a B on a midterm. I was stressed seeing my grade at 91% the rest of the semester.

Physics is not until fall so i have time to learn. I have calculus 1 in summer.

I know physics will be my most difficult course. Some people at my college are just going to take physics with easier professors at another college. I am not about it. I want to take physics as it was intended. I just need to know exactly what steps I should to give me the best chance for an A.

You've gotten some good advice. I'll highlight what I think is important, and also throw in my two cents.

* There is no one prescription that works for everyone. You need to find out what works for you.

* Your goal should not be to earn an A. Your goal should be to learn the material. But note: There is no guarantee of an A, even if you learn the material (more on that below).

* Some degree of memorization is essential; e.g., basic definitions and formulas (including the circumstances under which they apply). N.B.: Memorization is necessary, but not sufficient.

* You need to understand the abstract concepts for sure; and, you also need to understand the methodology for solving problems (as emphasized in previous posts). But (as also emphasized in previous posts), don't just mechanically turn the crank or punch the keys: you need to develop insight and intuition.

* Learning is typically iterative, not a steady progression. Doing many problems is helpful, but don't do so blindly. A previous poster used a reference to figure skating. I responded to that, and I'll add to it. In figure skating (as in other sports), there is the concept of "deliberate practice". If you practice the same move over and over incorrectly, you will never make progress, no matter how hard you work: all you will do is imprint your muscle memory with how do the move incorrectly. You need constructive feedback from a coach who will tell you what you are doing wrong and how to correct it; this may entail remedial drills.

Similarly, seek help early, if you find that lectures, main textbooks, and supplementary textbooks are not sufficient. Don't turn to AI [review this concurrent thread, if you already haven't: https://www.physicsforums.com/threads/the-use-of-ai-in-self-learning.1085339/]. If your professors, or graduate teaching assistants, have office hours, go to them. If not, ask your professors or academic advisor whether tutors are available (in particular, are there volunteers who don't charge).

* As I mentioned above, there is no guarantee of an A, even if you learn the material reasonably well. A lot will depend on what the grade is based: homework, quizzes, midterm, final? The worst case scenario is that in which your grade is based entirely or predominantly on just one final. Tests are constrained by time, and you need to practice under time constraints. Tests can be nerve wracking, and you need to be psychologically prepared to deal with that. There are also basic physiological issues you need to plan for: such as getting enough sleep and not pulling an all-nighter; timing and planning your meals so you don't go hungry during an exam and so you don't need to go to the bathroom during an exam; getting your flu shot in time to reduce your chances of getting sick during finals at the end of the first semester ....

 

[symbolipoint]

Were you able to pick your professors? The OP's profile states they are in the US [ETA: In one post, they say they live in California.]. Here, with some exceptions, you generally don't have a choice; especially in your first two years and especially with required courses.

Very small ability to choose which professor or teacher. The small number who would teach any course makes the possibility to let student choose which class/which teacher, very restricted. Offering several sections for a course - a few choices who to teach; offering few like one or two sections for a course - extremely limited choices who to teach.

edit: sentence integrity

 

[Matterwave]

Were you able to pick your professors? The OP's profile states they are in the US [ETA: In one post, they say they live in California.]. Here, with some exceptions, you generally don't have a choice; especially in your first two years and especially with required courses.

In the US I think you can at least try to figure out *when* to take a certain course and *which* elective courses to take. There's websites where you can see professor ratings and if a professor has very poor ratings you might consider postponing that subject a quarter or two or choosing an alternative elective. That being said, for lower division courses this is pretty limited as those are more rigid. Upper div might be a bit better for this.

 

[IneedA]

Were you able to pick your professors? The OP's profile states they are in the US [ETA: In one post, they say they live in California.]. Here, with some exceptions, you generally don't have a choice; especially in your first two years and especially with required courses.

I do not avoid difficult professors or choose easy ones. I get whoever fits my schedule and is at one college. Theres like 30 colleges/universities here in Los Angeles area or maybe more

 

[IneedA]

In the US I think you can at least try to figure out *when* to take a certain course and *which* elective courses to take. There's websites where you can see professor ratings and if a professor has very poor ratings you might consider postponing that subject a quarter or two or choosing an alternative elective. That being said, for lower division courses this is pretty limited as those are more rigid. Upper div might be a bit better for this.

Yea. The website is called ratemyprofessor. I used to look at it. Now i dont care. I get who i get. Im not afraid of hard professors

 

[Matterwave]

"Hard" professors can be excellent. "Easy" professors can be horrible. I would think the goal is to avoid bad professors in favor of good ones.

 

[IneedA]

"Hard" professors can be excellent. "Easy" professors can be horrible. I would think the goal is to avoid bad professors in favor of good ones.

My favorite type of professor is the ones that make the homework a lot harder than the exam. I think that is how it should always be.

 

[symbolipoint]

My favorite type of professor is the ones that make the homework a lot harder than the exam. I think that is how it should always be.

Debatable! Too many ways are possible to say what any type of favorite professor does. Some subjects are, HARD. No professor can turn a hard subject & topics easy for you. Enough of hard in the subject that when professor seems hard, he may really not be, but is in practice trying to show you a road toward understanding.

 

[CrysPhys]

Were you able to pick your professors? The OP's profile states they are in the US [ETA: In one post, they say they live in California.]. Here, with some exceptions, you generally don't have a choice; especially in your first two years and especially with required courses.

In the US I think you can at least try to figure out *when* to take a certain course and *which* elective courses to take. There's websites where you can see professor ratings and if a professor has very poor ratings you might consider postponing that subject a quarter or two or choosing an alternative elective. That being said, for lower division courses this is pretty limited as those are more rigid. Upper div might be a bit better for this.

<<Emphasis added.>>

If "lower division" refers to the "first two years" and "upper division" refers to the "last two years", aren't you essentially saying the same thing as what I wrote?

Consider the required core physics courses for a physics major. They are typically taken sequentially: you need to satisfactorily complete the freshman courses in order to advance to the sophomore courses; you need to satisfactorily complete the sophomore courses in order to advance to the junior courses; .... Now, suppose that when you enter the university, the freshman courses are taught by Prof A, who has dismal ratings. What do you do? Run to the dept office and ask who will be teaching those courses the following year? Will they even know?

Assume they do and tell you. Will the prof next year be the same Prof A, someone else on a par with Prof A, someone else much worse than Prof A, or someone else much better than Prof A? Assume the best case scenario: it will be Prof B, waaay better than Prof A. So you decide there's enough wiggle room in your four years to defer taking the freshman courses until your second year (assuming the dept even lets you). Prof B lives up to his reputation; and at the end of the second year, you pat yourself on the back for having made a wise decision.

At the start of your third year, you need to sign up for the sophomore courses. And you find out that they are being taught by the much dreaded Prof A (or someone else on a par with or much worse than). Now what are you going to do?

..................................

In contrast, assume you have completed the required core freshman and sophomore courses. In your third and fourth years, in addition to any remaining required core courses, you can choose specialized electives such as Intro Solid-State, Intro Plasma, Intro Astro, Intro Nuclear .... These are independent of one another. Suppose you want to take several sometime in your last two years, and it doesn't matter to you in which order. Now, if in the first semester of your third year, you find that Nuclear is being taught by a great prof, but the other electives you are interested in are being taught by so-so profs, you can choose to take Nuclear (assuming there's no schedule conflict with remaining required core courses) and hope that in the future the other electives will be taught by better profs (maybe, maybe not).

But there may be other constraints. Such as, some electives are not offerred every semester, or not even every year. Then you can't be so picky in scheduling. And what if you want to take an elective sequence? E.g., you want to take Physics of Optoelectronic Devices, but that course requires Intro Solid-State as a prerequisite? Again, you can't be so picky in scheduling.

 

[CrysPhys]

I do not avoid difficult professors or choose easy ones. I get whoever fits my schedule and is at one college. Theres like 30 colleges/universities here in Los Angeles area or maybe more

I'm not familiar with the California system. Are you saying that there is a large group of associated colleges and universities, and if you are admitted to one, you can take courses at any of the others as well?

 

[CrysPhys]

My favorite type of professor is the ones that make the homework a lot harder than the exam. I think that is how it should always be.

I know you are focussed on getting A's; so acing exams is your number one priority. But there are more factors in characterizing a prof. As an undergrad, I knew I wanted to pursue R&D in experimental solid-state physics. In my junior year, I took Intro Solid-State Physics. This was way back before there were online ratings (before there were online anythings). I simply enrolled in courses that I was either required to take or elected to take, according to how I could arrange my total schedule.

As a classroom teacher, this prof was definitely in the bottom half (maybe even in the bottom quarter) of all the profs I've ever had (undergrad and grad). But I would speak to him outside of class, and I gained valuable insights. And we got along well. So well that I later asked him to be my advisor for my undergrad thesis. He said yes. I spent a large chunk of my senior year in his lab; it was one of the best times of my life.

 

[gmax137]

If I tried to give a problem like that to my wife, she'd smack me upside the head!

If your wife's arm, from shoulder to palm is 30 inches, and her swing angular velocity is 1 rad/sec, how fast must you duck to avoid being smacked?

 

[IneedA]

I'm not familiar with the California system. Are you saying that there is a large group of associated colleges and universities, and if you are admitted to one, you can take courses at any of the others as well?

Colleges are first two years only and admit anyone, even high school drop outs. Universities are 4 years and above. You need to prove yourself to be accepted. Theres many here that range from accepting C grades to A grades only. i would prefer the more strict ones. I want to experience what it’s like in there.

Going to 2 year college is not a bad thing. Its significantly cheaper to go there for the first two years. A guy from a high school in China got directly accepted into UCLA. He went to my college first two years because it was cheaper. I did not speak to him, but i heard he only has A grades in every subject. He was a physics, chemistry and math tutor while he was there.