Maximizing Efficiency in Textbook Learning: Tips for High School Students

[Thinkaholic]

Hi. So I’ve been teaching myself mathematics and physics, and over the past year I’ve been buying various textbooks. I’m currently reading Stewart’s “Calculus” (6th edition), “Elements of Set Theory” by Enderton, and “Number Systems and the Foundations of Analysis” by Mendelson, and I’ve been loving all of them. I have a lot of textbooks that I’m waiting to read, but there are some that I bought without being that informed about the said textbooks. For example, I have two Pearson textbooks: “University Physics with Modern Physics” by Young be Freeman, and “Linear Algebra and its Applications” by Lay. I don’t know what to think about these textbooks due to the Pearson thing; does having Pearson as a publisher immediately make a textbook boring and unreadable? Also, I want to know how my physics textbook reading list should go. I will read University Physics first and I’m planning on getting rigorous single-subject (Classical mechanics, E&M, TD, Relativity, QM; etc.) textbooks, but when I read the single subject textbooks, where do I start? I was thinking maybe Goldstien’s book on CM, as I will have learned a lot of higher level math by the time I’m finished with UP, but I don’t know if that’s right.Also, does anybody have any suggestions on how to get through textbooks faster while still learning everything? Seeing as I’m about to be in high school, my schedule will be packed, so I want to be able to read all of these textbooks without taking forever to do so.

 

[Mark44]

I don’t know what to think about these textbooks due to the Pearson thing; does having Pearson as a publisher immediately make a textbook boring and unreadable?

"Boring and unreadable" is highly subjective. If you're comparing these books with your middle school science textbooks, university textbooks with fewer color pictures might seem less readable.

Also, does anybody have any suggestions on how to get through textbooks faster while still learning everything? Seeing as I’m about to be in high school, my schedule will be packed, so I want to be able to read all of these textbooks without taking forever to do so.

Getting through a textbook fast probably doesn't equate to learning much. If all you're doing is reading these books, there's probably not much learning going on. Math and physics textbooks aren't meant to be rushed through -- it's necessary to spend a lot of time working problems in order for the material to really sink in.

 

[Doc Al]

it's necessary to spend a lot of time working problems in order for the material to really sink in.

Absolutely! That's where the real learning takes place. After you've put the book down and started tackling problems.

It's all too easy to fool yourself into thinking you understand something as you read it. Only when you can solve the problems -- without looking at the book -- will you be able to say that you really understand the stuff. Young & Freedman has plenty of problems. So dig in!

 

[fresh_42]

In my experience are books from publishers like Addison Wesley, now Pearson, Springer or similar editors all but boring. They are usually very exciting and you rarely get to a point at which you could call them "unnecessary anymore". There are other books like GEB or similar, which are entertaining, however, they cannot be called scientific. There are also paperbacks on basic topics with titles like "Introduction to Topology", "Geometry" and such, which are suited to be read while waiting somewhere, but I don't think that increases speed, the opposite is true. And in all cases, to read those books properly, one needs a lot of paper.

 

[Thinkaholic]

Thanks for the replies! I don’t rush through textbooks, I still do the problem sets and don’t move on to the next topic until I can get 20 or so problems correct in a row. For example, just this week I’ve been spending a lot of time mastering integration by parts. Also, thank you for the Pearson info. Science and math textbooks in 8th grade at my school are published by McGraw Hill, and they are absolutely terrible. My geometry textbook, for example, explains different geometric theorems and relations in the most minimalistic way, as if to teach kids to not think about them at all. I’m going to start reading University Physics soon, can’t wait!

 

[Dr Transport]

Also, does anybody have any suggestions on how to get through textbooks faster while still learning everything? Seeing as I’m about to be in high school, my schedule will be packed, so I want to be able to read all of these textbooks without taking forever to do so.

You're not even in high school and you want to be reading Goldstein? Why can't you be a teenager and do teenage things without being burdened with graduate school...I advocate for you to work through your high school texts and actually learn the materials in there before going off and trying to be a college/graduate student.

 

[Mark44]

Why can't you be a teenager and do teenage things without being burdened with graduate school...

Good advice!

 

[jtbell]

Science and math textbooks in 8th grade at my school are published by McGraw Hill, and they are absolutely terrible.

Middle and high school textbooks on the one hand versus college and university textbooks on the other hand, are completely different worlds. The former are basically written by committees, and are chosen or approved by state committees loaded with educational bureaucrats and politicians. The latter are written by individuals (occasionally two or three in collaboration) and are usually chosen by the professor teaching a course, sometimes by the department (e.g. physics) if it's a large course taught by several professors.

At the high school level, AP courses are more like college courses because they use the same books that the corresponding college courses use.

 

[Demystifier]

Why can't you be a teenager and do teenage things without being burdened with graduate school

Look at his name!
Now seriously, the brains of some people just don't work the same way they do in the rest of us.
So my advice for the OP is: Don't try to fit in and be like the others if you think you can do better than that!