How to allocate study time in physics?

[SuchBants]

Hi,

I'm a 3rd year (Scottish so a 4 year undergrad degree) student doing Physics. Obviously many of you will have been through a Physics/Maths degree and this question is for you.

I'm finding that the volume of content this year is so much that I spend all my time keeping up on course notes, going through the topics so I can try and understand them, and before I can move on to doing questions and practice, more lectures have been and gone and I'm just constantly making notes and moving on.

Any tips for whether I should ditch the notes and focus on questions? Or any tips for note taking in Physics specifically so that I have time to do questions? I know that the best learning is done when practising solving questions, but I've never not taken comprehensive notes. Obviously study methods are personal, so just want to hear some of your personal views.

 

[PeroK]

Basically, all you can do is to try to keep up as best you can. Then use the holidays to catch up. Definitely do some questions and problems. Also, don't be afraid to sacrifice some sub-topics.

Try to be practical and objective about the eventual exam content. What topics and sub-topics do you need to pass? Better to be able to answer 2-3 questions well than not really be able to do any questions.

You might also find that in exams now there is no longer the time to answer as many questions. You might be limited to 3 in any case. (In my day it was 5 questions at 20 marks each. And, by final year, questions were taking 40 mins to an hour in an exam. There was almost no point inn being able to answer every question, as there wasn't time to do them all!)

If you're aiming for a first, then of course you will need to master almost everything. In my experience (nearly 40 years ago!) everyone struggles to keep up in the 3rd and 4th years, even if eventually you do master the material. I worked though Xmas and Easter breaks to catch up and revise the previous term. That was a maths degree, but I know physics was perhaps even harder to keep up with.

 

[Dr.D]

Do ALL the homework. There is nothing more important, no greater learning opportunity than this seemingly mundane matter. If you can do all the homework, there is a good chance you can ace the course. If, on the other hand, you cannot do the homework, you have very little chance of doing well in the course.

 

[Dr. Courtney]

Study time with the pencil moving is much more productive since it forces active engagement and retention. Usually, this means working problems, but it can also mean re-working problems, re-copying solutions, and re-copying class notes.

 

[hutchphd]

Based on my own experience that I need to see a given subject thrice before it settles in my head and having seen similar response in my students, I recommend the following for optimal efficiency:

1. When you walk into a lecture be sufficiently aware of the subject that you could write (or have written) a short outline of the lecture. This means to read and attempt to understand assigned material . The lecture is then your second exposure. An hour spent prior to the lecture is a very good use of time.
2. Take notes only on materials you think you will need to review again or you know is not in the textbook/notes...otherwise pay attention to the lecture and absorb the big picture!
3. Do relevant assigned problems as soon as possible. Avail yourself of office hours etc. if you cannot do the exercises or have further questions.

For increasing efficiency, prereading of the material (i.e. understanding which are the difficult bits for you) is by far the most important. Then you can eliminate those bits expeditiously.
And of course you must do the questions to truly flesh out and solidify your understanding.

 

[gleem]

Your understanding does not completely come from just studying the notes. I comes from seeing the notes relevance to your own experiences. Presumably the problems extend your experiences and thus the relevance of the material. Physics is about relationships and how better to learn than by studying examples containing those relationships.

 

[WWGD]

I suggest even if tired, do at least a light review as soon as possible after the class. Otherwise you conpletely lose track of it and it becomes increasingly hard to dredge it out. And exercise when possible .