How should I prepare for Berkeley's Math 1A & Physics 8A?

[drawded]

I just finished my sophomore year of high school and I'm taking Math 1A and physics 8A this summer. I got A's for both my physics II (school doesn't offer AP phys) and advanced algebra 2 + trig (I think it's equivalent to precalc, highest level offered in my grade) classes, but I feel like the stuff i learn at my school is really watered down, so I'm a bit anxious taking my first ever university level course. Also I read online that Math 1A is a difficult weeder course so that adds to the anticipated difficulty as well.

I've got around 2 weeks before the courses start, how should I spend this time to prepare? I downloaded a calculus textbook from openstax and I'm thinking maybe I should work through it as much as possible on my own before the course starts, is that a good idea? I've never taken calculus before. What should I do to prepare for physics 8a? How difficult are these courses? Can you give me some advice for after the courses start?

Thanks

 

[fresh_42]

Two weeks isn't much time. If it is sufficient for you to make your way through the book, then it's probably not worth doing. You could download the openstax books as a source to look up things if you get stuck somewhere. Therefore it might be better to know where in the books can be found what. Although the content of your classes will be pretty much the same everywhere, it is also the professor's style you will have to get used to. So I'd say, relax and see what will come. Here's a nice interview of a mathematician who addressed students with a recommendation of how to study. It might be more valuable then another theorem learnt:
http://www.ams.org/publications/journals/notices/201707/rnoti-p718.pdf

The most difficult part of the transition school - university has been in my experience the complete different point of view, and not so much the contents. Whereas in school we basically solved exercises and learned methods to do so, at university the emphasis is on proofs. If you're not used to them, read some, e.g. the mean value theorem or the theorem of Bolzano-Weierstraß. Another possibility is to have a look on a book about proofs, e.g. http://www.people.vcu.edu/~rhammack/BookOfProof/BookOfProof.pdf

 

[Vish]

I just finished my sophomore year of high school and I'm taking Math 1A and physics 8A this summer. I got A's for both my physics II (school doesn't offer AP phys) and advanced algebra 2 + trig (I think it's equivalent to precalc, highest level offered in my grade) classes, but I feel like the stuff i learn at my school is really watered down, so I'm a bit anxious taking my first ever university level course. Also I read online that Math 1A is a difficult weeder course so that adds to the anticipated difficulty as well.

I've got around 2 weeks before the courses start, how should I spend this time to prepare? I downloaded a calculus textbook from openstax and I'm thinking maybe I should work through it as much as possible on my own before the course starts, is that a good idea? I've never taken calculus before. What should I do to prepare for physics 8a? How difficult are these courses? Can you give me some advice for after the courses start?

Thanks

My daughter is also at UC Berkeley as a freshman in the college of engineering. This the advise I gave her for studying Physics-

There is a lot of stuff available in form of books and videos to learn from. I recommend the following and you can pick what you think is good for you-

1. Start with Youtube (all the following are available for free on YT)
   1. Khan academy videos for the topic you’re studying,
   2. follow up Crash Course for the same topic
   3. watch Walter Lewin Lecture videos (MIT freeware)
   4. you can also watch Yale lectures by Prof. Ramamurthy
2. Read Halliday and Resnik, Fundamentals of Physics (for conceptual understanding and Numerical problems)
3. Read Sears’ and Zemansky’s University Physics (for conceptual understanding in case you need to explore a topic beyond Resnick.
4. Do a lot of mock tests. I suggest at least one in a week
5. Find best way of solving problems
6. Do not leave a problem till you get conceptual clarity around the solution
7. Practice is the key
8. Apart from this,
   1. I would strongly recommend proper nutrition and some exercise. It plays big part in keeping you motivated
   2. Remove social media from your mobile phone
   3. Have designated time to check social messages. If possible just get our of social media
   4. Make best use of time of the day and you need to get creative about this. Mornings to noon, when your brain is at peak performance, should be reserved to do mock tests or tackle difficult topics that you need to master. Afternoons should be used to do revision of something that you are familiar with. Evenings again can be used to work around subjects that you may be a little familiar
   5. When in a taxi, watch video lectures on YT
   6. Do not burn yourself out, indulge in something that you like. Of-course in moderation
   7. Get 7 hours of sleep every day. Your productivity will be high of you get adequate sleep
   8. Relax one day before the exam and get atleast 8 hours of sleep