Looking for advice to improve my grades in my Senior year at university

[Barracuda]

Hello,

I'm in my final year of physics major in college. I have a semester left, and have to get straight A's this semester in order to have an average grade at best to further my education. I am not an "A" student. I've always been between the 55% and 45% percentile not because I'm dull, but i grew up in a toxic environment that really affected my mindset and the way i looked at education so much that i was brainwashed to believe i couldn't do better than a "C". I had to reflect on the past, and i loathed the person i had become.

I have about a month till school resumes, and i want to cover all the materials and practice questions before school starts. I'd update the forum on progress. I realized the power of community and peers after I joined a volunteer program by giving back to society during the lockdown, it changed my perspective and mindset on a lot of things.
I hope i can get support, and advice on how i can be successful with the project.

 

[mcastillo356]

Well, Barracuda, I'm not native, so let's see if I've understood: you want support to improve in your studies, and you've got few time to do it. I'm I wrong?
Welcome to PF!

 

[Vanadium 50]

Let me see if I understand what you are saying. You want to move from the middle of the pack to near the top, and you're willing to devote one month to do that.

Is this realistic?

3.5 years is maybe 34 academic months. So one month is about 3% of that. Do you think that had you worked 3% harder back then you would be where you want to be now? If the answer is "No, I would have needed more than 3%" why do you think it will work now?

Coming at it from the other direction, you have taken maybe 30 classes. There are 30 days in a month. So you have on average one day per class to improve your foundations to the point where you are near the top. Does that sound realistic?

 

[fresh_42]

You can work on a specific deficiency within a month, e.g. certain theorems, exam nerves, or other meta qualities. Everything else is loading up your short term memory, which gets forgotten faster than it is loaded.

 

[Vanadium 50]

And to build on what @fresh_42 said: you might say "a lot of my problems stem from difficulties with differential equations" (or whatever, this is just an example) and then you might spend the month getting that under control. That might be a realistic goal for one month.

 

[Barracuda]

Well, Barracuda, I'm not native, so let's see if I've understood: you want support to improve in your studies, and you've got few time to do it. I'm I wrong?
Welcome to PF!

I will study all day for it. But i had always had the belief that there are methods or techniques to go about studying that makes successful students successful. I want to adopt those methods to my project. I don't know how to go about studying the materials to get a high grade. A new semester is about to start, i would study and improve on my weaknesses before school starts. The semester is about 2 and a half months. I want to be prepared for the exams even before school starts

 

[fresh_42]

I will study all day for it. But i had always had the belief that there are methods or techniques to go about studying that makes successful students successful. I want to adopt those methods to my project. I don't know how to go about studying the materials to get a high grade. A new semester is about to start, i would study and improve on my weaknesses before school starts. The semester is about 2 and a half months. I want to be prepared for the exams even before school starts

Are you aware of your weaknesses? Of what kind are they?

You could approach your problem like any other project: write a functional specification document, classify the duties, estimate the necessary time to achieve each of the goals, prioritize, and make a project schedule.

 

[Barracuda]

And to build on what @fresh_42 said: you might say "a lot of my problems stem from difficulties with differential equations" (or whatever, this is just an example) and then you might spend the month getting that under control. That might be a realistic goal for one month.

My problem is remembering what i read. I might get the workings and definitions of concepts, but not understand it's principles. I want to work on that. I had the idea that understanding physics is a skill, Is it true?...if it is, how can anyone improve it, and most importantly. What can i do to accomplish my project? Thank you
I studied the works of scott young. He completed the entire M.I.T computer science course in under a year. So it's not impossible to accomplish my goal. Here's a video from scott:

 

[Vanadium 50]

It sounds a lot like you are looking for the "secret recipe" that will give you the knowledge without all the effort. Best of luck. My experience is that such a thing does not exist, because if it existed, everybody would be doing it.

 

[fresh_42]

I'm not a friend of video presentations. They give you a feel-good impression and as soon as you meet a new situation you are completely lost. Books are different. Every new line is a new situation you have to deal with before switching to the next line. And they contain exercises which are meant to deepen your knowledge. Studying is a long term process and there are no shortcuts. It is loading your short term memory with small bites, practice until it diffuses into your long term memory, and this is usually very time consuming. The speed at which this can be done is directly proportional to the amount of curiosity you bring to a subject. It is also the key to understanding: ask why and what are the mechanisms behind a subject (theorem, experiment or model). At the end, your long term memory will include what you had been interested in the most, and the rest is on your book shelves. And with regard to the costs of good books, this usually takes a while, too!

Everybody learns best differently. E.g. I definitely have to write down what I am learning if I want to make it permanent knowledge. And the best way to understand is to teach it. It forces you to be prepared for all kind of questions. You see, there are no shortcuts. Things are different for ingenious persons. However, if you were one, you probably wouldn't have asked these questions.

 

[mcastillo356]

Hi, Barracuda

I feel skeptical, but it is a personal opinion. Good luck!

Greetings!

 

[gleem]

I studied the works of scott young. He completed the entire M.I.T computer science course in under a year. So it's not impossible to accomplish my goal. Here's a video from scott:

You have one semester to undo years of a toxic attitude and you want to correct it in one month? Scott Young is gifted, maybe one in 10 thousand students might be able to do what he did. We mortals who do not have any attitude baggage takes years of developing productive study habits and practice to achieve some proficiency in physics. There is no all-encompassing secret formula. You must wake yourself up to the realization that you have some skill and accept the challenge before you. If you have identified deficiencies then make them up as well as you can. I am sorry I cannot provide any more advice

 

[Barracuda]

I'm not a friend of video presentations. They give you a feel-good impression and as soon as you meet a new situation you are completely lost. Books are different. Every new line is a new situation you have to deal with before switching to the next line. And they contain exercises which are meant to deepen your knowledge. Studying is a long term process and there are no shortcuts. It is loading your short term memory with small bites, practice until it diffuses into your long term memory, and this is usually very time consuming. The speed at which this can be done is directly proportional to the amount of curiosity you bring to a subject. It is also the key to understanding: ask why and what are the mechanisms behind a subject (theorem, experiment or model). At the end, your long term memory will include what you had been interested in the most, and the rest is on your book shelves. And with regard to the costs of good books, this usually takes a while, too!

Everybody learns best differently. E.g. I definitely have to write down what I am learning if I want to make it permanent knowledge. And the best way to understand is to teach it. It forces you to be prepared for all kind of questions. You see, there are no shortcuts. Things are different for ingenious persons. However, if you were one, you probably wouldn't have asked these questions.

I'll heed it strongly

 

[Barracuda]

I'll update the forum on progress

 

[hutchphd]

I'm not a friend of video presentations. They give you a feel-good impression and as soon as you meet a new situation you are completely lost.

I agree for the most part. At the same time I consider the MIT open Coursework lectures to be a tremendous resource, not to supplant but augment books.

I have about a month till school resumes, and i want to cover all the materials and practice questions before school starts

Let me echo what others have said. You need to concentrate your efforts. The edifice of a physics education is built one brick at a time on a strong foundation. Choose one subject and learn it well...I suggest mathematical methods of some type. Teach yourself what it means to learn something well.
Your attempt to do it all in a month is a guaranteed recipe for failure. First you need to accept your circumstance. Then you need to learn how to learn. Then you can comprehensively address physics shortcomings. Start today...folks here will answer specific questions...good luck.

 

[gmax137]

My problem is remembering what i read.

This could be the root problem. Nobody remembers what they read in a physics textbook. You have to do the exercises, the problem sets. If you just read the text, your brain is saying "yeah, yeah... right... yeah" but you won't really get it until you apply it via the exercises. I think it is @Dr. Courtney who likens studying to what musicians and athletes do: training. You cannot learn how to play guitar by reading a book about guitars.

 

[Choppy]

Here is a perhaps counter-intuitive thought... don't study before the semester.

Cracking open the books and trying to prepare for three months of material without specific goals in mind in the period of a month is unlikely to get you very far. Without a specific set of goals, you'll likely feel as though you're behind, no matter how much work you do, and it will require Herculean willpower just to stay the course.

Alternatively, I would recommend finding a small project for yourself. It could be reading up on a topic you enjoy, writing some simulation code, building a quad-copter drone, etc. The point is that the project should be based on something that you're genuinely curious about and give you something concrete and reasonable to accomplish in that time span. Ideally it will involve looking up and applying the material that you've already learned or are going to tackle in the future. Taking on a personal project like this not only helps to keep you motivated about learning, but it gives you context for the material you're covering. And that can make a world of difference in your ability to understand it and apply it.

 

[mathwonk]

I recommend you read and heed the post #15 above by hutchphd. The main thing in my opinion is to understand is that your stated goals are wrong. It is not practical to set a goal of getting an A. It is practical to set a goal of attending every class, doing all the reading, and doing a certain number of problems in every section. I.e. you can set a goal of what behavior you will keep to, but it is not within your grasp to set a goal of what the outcome will be.

There are several benefits to setting realistic goals, eg:

1) they will in fact lead to improved outcomes, i.e. your grades will go up, you may even get an A, but not guaranteed;

2) you will be rewarded by achieving realistic goals, rather than discouraged by not achieving unrealistic goals that you have no control over.

Improve your habits and try to enjoy the process of learning. Then you will be rewarded by that alone, and outcomes will very likely improve as well.

I have "been there". For as long as my ambition was to be a "star", I never accomplished anything, for fear essentially, that I would not achieve all I aimed at. When I decided to just do my best and accept whatever I was able to accomplish as my own, things went way up.

My 2 cents: You can control your effort, you cannot control the outcome. But if you keep working, things will keep happening. If you stop working, things will stop happening.

Good luck. what others have done, you can do.

 

[Barracuda]

Math skill can be built with practice just like any other skill. It's like a muscle. The more you do it, the better you get at it?
I'm currently practicing the derivation of the formula of cubic spline interpolation. I find it extremely long and tasking. I should have it memorized by the end of the day, if not, i'll pull an all nighter then practice every other day so i won't forget. I still have a long way to go. I have 9 courses this semester, and practicing a formula regularly is time consuming. Any advice?

 

[fresh_42]

Math skill can be built with practice just like any other skill. It's like a muscle. The more you do it, the better you get at it?

Only to a certain extend, depending on many variables. Probably enough to get good exams, but you cannot make anyone a Gauß, Erdös, or Tao.

I'm currently practicing the derivation of the formula of cubic spline interpolation. I find it extremely long and tasking. I should have it memorized by the end of the day, if not, i'll pull an all nighter then practice every other day so i won't forget. I still have a long way to go. I have 9 courses this semester, and practicing a formula regularly is time consuming. Any advice?

Try to understand the principle behind the algorithm rather than the algorithm itself. You do not learn mathematics as you learn e.g. law. It is much more important to remind the why's than the what's. A simple example: I do not remember the formula for $\left(\dfrac{f}{g}\right)'$ very well, means: where to put the minus sign. But I know that any derivation is defined by the Leibniz rule, so I can derive $\left(\dfrac{f}{g}\right)'$ from $(f\cdot g^{-1})'.$ The Leibniz rule also covers integration by parts, so I get 3 for 1.

 

[gleem]

I still have a long way to go. I have 9 courses this semester, and practicing a formula regularly is time consuming.

Nine courses, Really? If they include more than four of the usual physics or math course then your chance of an A average IMO just went to zero.

 

[MidgetDwarf]

I do not see why the original poster is "argumentative" with others who do not post what he wants to hear. Your goals are extremely unrealistic. Try to not be stubborn, then maybe some of the great advice given in this thread will start to make sense, and maybe help you in further studies/endevours.

 

[berkeman]

My problem is remembering what i read.

I will study all day for it.

I should have it memorized by the end of the day, if not, i'll pull an all nighter

An all-nighter sounds counterproductive to me if one of your main issues is being able to remember what you've read.

I did pull a couple of all-nighters in undergrad, but it was to work problem sets for review a few days before a final. I can't imagine trying to learn new stuff during an all-nighter.

I've also worked a few all-nighters in my work job (at a startup), and was very productive. But again, I was using things I already knew, not trying to learn new stuff.

 

[Vanadium 50]

Math skill can be built with practice just like any other skill. It's like a muscle. The more you do it, the better you get at it?

I'm not quite sure that you should be lecturing us right now. Maybe after you have reached your goals would be a better time. But even accepting your premise, just because skill can be built with practice, doesn't mean it can be built on the schedule you want.

To go back to the muscle analogy, a month in a gym will not turn an average person into a world-class athlete. A month of cramming won't turn you into an A student.

You are going to make more progress by setting realistic goals and making them than setting overly ambitious goals and missing them.

 

[chemisttree]

I have 9 courses this semester...

I think I see your problem... Set realistic limits.

 

[mpresic3]

This problem brings back memories with me. I had about a 2.2 average heading into the last semester of my Senior year back in the late 1970's. The average grade in my program at the thime was only about 2.5 however. This is probably not the situation today, with what I have heard about grade inflation. Anyway, the last semester, I made Deans list with about a 3.3 average, but not all A's. (I even won a private bet with some better students that I would have a better average, than one of them). Until your post, I never even looked for an explanation for my improvement.

Looking back, I realized that I did better the last semester because I got all the hard core courses in stat mech, quantum, electromagnetic theory, and mechanics, and mathematical methods out of the way. All I needed was two electives in Math and 2 electives in Physics.

I chose Probability and Statistics, (I seemed to have an affinity for this course, and I often solve abstract problems at work in probability, even to this day), Functional analysis II, (At my school, if you got this far in math, you were a math or physics major and you werelikely to get at least a B). Also I took a research course, and most professors would usually give a student a B or A, if they learned and did a good job writing up results in a paper, and nuclear and particle physics. Electives are generally easier than core courses.

If you have to take 9 courses, you better select very wisely.

 

[Barracuda]

I'm not being argumentative. If i appear so, I'm sorry. But i don't think getting a high grade is unrealistic for me. Seeing as examiners tend to repeat questions. Within 5-10 years, there tends to be a pattern of questions. If i commit the answers to the past questions to my memory, isn't there a chance?
I don't expect to be a Tesla, einstein, or Gauß anytime soon. Can't studying hard, consistent and smart yield you a good result?

 

[Barracuda]

I'm not being argumentative. If i appear so, I'm sorry. But i don't think getting a high grade is unrealistic for me. Seeing as examiners tend to repeat questions. Within 5-10 years, there tends to be a pattern of questions. If i commit the answers to the past questions to my memory, isn't there a chance?
I don't expect to be a Tesla, einstein, or Gauß anytime soon. Can't studying hard, consistent and smart yield you a good result?

I need help in studying, and a shift in my mindset, i don't know anything. I got that looking for an "A" is unrealistic goal for sure. But if i stick to the process recommended by the forum, I want to do the best i can possibly do.

 

[Mondayman]

Don't focus on the grade. It's outside of your control. You can do everything right and still not get an A. Instead, focus on understanding the material. Set goals that are within your means to accomplish: attend every class, hand in every assignment on time, study after dinner every night, wake up at the same time and review in the morning, etc. And don't blindly study. Know what you are intending to accomplish with every study session. Zeroing in on weak spots is time better spent than reinforcing what you already know over and over.

Personally, I found familiarizing myself with the material before the course to be helpful, but it wasn't enough to make a serious difference most of the time. Instructors may use a textbook but have their course structured differently and/or use their own style of problems. Instead, consider reviewing important prerequisites.

 

[mpresic3]

I don't know if any of my advice is valid nowadays. I graduated from undergraduate college in the 1970's. I look at students on the forums with 4.0's and 3.8's GPA. When I graduated from college, nobody in physics had anywhere near a 3.8 GPA. I think the average was around 2.7 for the university and around 2.4-5 in the physics program. The cut-offs from grad school were nowhere near the GPA's needed today.
In addition, the forms for professor recommendations, sometimes said something to the effect of, "sometime the student under consideration may not earn a grade that is indicative of the student's motivation and talent. Tell us what talents and motivation and ability this student possesses, for us to grant further consideration."
In my own case I did much better in my final semester undergrad, and got a B+ in a graduate course I took while working full time during the year, I worked between college and graduate school. I also talked to several faculty members in the graduate school I applied to.
I remember I met with the faculty and listened intently when they showed me their labs, and offices. I asked intelligent and sincere (not to impress) questions regarding their research. I do not remember any professor, or the department chairman asking about my low GPA, and if asked, I think it would have been best not to provide any excuses, but would suggest why I would be more successful in the future than I was in the past. I would have referred them to my rising GPA. I also did better than average in the GRE physics and very well (perfect in math) in the other GRE's.
I applied to physics graduate schools outside of the top 10 or 20 (or even 30) range. There are plenty of physics grad schools in this range that are well worth considering. This is especially true versus sitting out another year.

Bottom line: It might be adequate to show substantial improvement, and use strong interpersonal , leadership, and persuasive skills demonstrating strong motivation and interest to the professors at your prospective graduate school. You still need to do well on the GRE's, and to show substantial improvement.