Studying Need Help with Study Approach

[Nishanta]

Hello everyone,

My name is Nishanta Choudhury. I’m from Assam, India, and I just completed my BSc with Physics Major from B. Borooah College under Gauhati University. I’m now about to start my MSc in Physics, and I’m very excited to improve myself.

To be honest, I struggled during my undergrad — I ended up with a 6 CGPA. This was mainly due to weak fundamentals from 12th standard, poor study habits, and distractions like YouTube and gaming. I mostly watched YouTube lectures and avoided textbooks because I found them boring or hard to follow. I now realize that this affected my deep understanding of physics.

But I don’t want to continue like this. I want to seriously change, work hard, and truly master the subject during MSc. I want to understand physics deeply, not just pass exams.

My main question is:
"What’s the right way to study physics properly?"
Is it okay to learn through YouTube lectures, or should I force myself to use standard textbooks more?

I would really appreciate any suggestions, book recommendations, or advice on how to build a strong foundation and think like a physicist.

Thank you for letting me be part of this community!

 

[Mark44]

To be honest, I struggled during my undergrad — I ended up with a 6 CGPA.

I'm not familiar with this system. Is the scale 0 through 10?

This was mainly due to weak fundamentals from 12th standard, poor study habits, and distractions like YouTube and gaming.

I assume that a cumulative GPA of 6 is not very high. That and your study habits and history of being distracted by watching YouTube videos and gaming do not bode well for how you will fare in graduate school.

Is it okay to learn through YouTube lectures, or should I force myself to use standard textbooks more?

No and yes, respectively. In addition, the fact that you found the textbooks boring might indicate that physics is not the most suitable choice for a career.

 

[Nishanta]

YES , it is scale of 10 .. 6 cgpa means 60 percent . thank you for your reply sir

 

[bryantcl]

Nishanta,
I'm not familiar with the education system in India, so I cannot give you advice particular to your situation. However, I think I can give you some tips that can be applied more generally.

I come from more of a math/comp sci/comp engineering background but I think what I am about to say applies. The professors choose their texts for a reason so I don't think you should ignore them or try to replace them with YouTube videos. Consistency is key. I would recommend setting aside a time each day and studying every day. The amount of time is up to you as you know your schedule better than anyone. Daily consistent effort will return better results than trying to cram everything in the night before an exam.

My thoughts on YouTube videos for learning. It should be a supplement to whatever is assigned in your course of study. Also, all channels are not created equal, I've seen some, such as Math Sorcerer, which are good. So to find ones that are good, may take a considerable amount of time to find.

Best of Luck,
CLB

 

[Math100]

I wouldn't claim that there exists a 'right' way to study any subject, not just physics, but watching lecture videos on YouTube won't suffice in order to truly understand advanced physics. Textbooks can be boring but they provide formulas, derivations and practice problems. It's very important to study from textbooks and limit the time spend on YouTube. Also, you should plan to obtain a fixed study schedule, for example, like 3-4 hours of study on your coursework each single day. Read related articles in physics and research papers, too. When you have problems, then ask your questions here, at Physics Forums. Physics isn't just about reading textbooks and solving problems in a quiet room, you have to do a lot more than that. Science involves extensive research and conducting experiments. You have to learn how to collect data from those experiments.

 

[TensorCalculus]

Maybe the lack of deep understanding comes from before uni - did you take JEE?

I'm Indian (but live in Britain) and a recurring theme amongst those who have taken JEE is that sometimes later on they feel they do not understand concepts properly.
It's so competitive that when revising JEE physics many people try and cram learning formulas and how to solve the problems without a good understanding of what they mean and where they come from. This leads to struggle later on, sometimes. (This view is also expressed by Kevin Zhou, 2 times IPhO gold medallist and former coach of the USA IPhO team here: ). Unfortunately the competitiveness of the exam isn't really workaroundable considering the high population but the aftereffects of studying for it are.

This struggle to properly understand where formulae come from may compound to bigger problems over time. Now, if you did not take JEE then maybe this is not as relevant, but still the fact holds that, as someone who has experienced both the Indian (particularly through books) and British system and seen the flaws and strengths of both, the Indian system (which does have it's advantages as well!!!) tends to prioritise "problem solving skills" (whilst the british system moves much slower but ensures students have a good grasp on the very basics) which works wonderfully in the short term, but might not be great for the long term.

Maybe trying to consolidate whether you understand where everything comes from is a good idea - getting foundations straight will do good for later on. What I like to do (but which might only work for the more basic physics) is try and pretend to teach it (in my head) and then when I fail to be able to explain something properly I know there is a gap in my knowledge.

 

[vela]

I mostly watched YouTube lectures and avoided textbooks because I found them boring or hard to follow. I now realize that this affected my deep understanding of physics.

I think the reason a lot of students prefer watching videos over reading a textbook is that watching videos is a fairly passive activity, like watching a TV show. Understanding a science textbook requires the student to actively engage with the material. It requires significant mental work, and many students are, frankly, kind of lazy.

Note that reading a science text effectively is a learned skill. You may need to investigate new strategies on how to learn from a textbook.

My main question is:
"What’s the right way to study physics properly?"

Probably the most important thing is your mindset. You want to approach learning as if you're preparing to teach a class as opposed to studying for an exam. You'll want to anticipate possible questions and understand how to answer them.

Is it okay to learn through YouTube lectures, or should I force myself to use standard textbooks more?

I'm not sure why you're asking this. You've already acknowledged trying to learn primarily through videos wasn't very effective.

 

[Choppy]

When it comes to studying there is no single best way to do that applies universally for everyone. You need to figure out what works for you. That said, here are a few pro tips...

• Problem Sets
  Physics is very much about developing skills in problem solving. It's one thing to acquire a basic knowledge of how something should work, but it's also important to develop skill through rigorous and frequent practice in the application of that knowledge to unfamiliar problems. It's hard to say exactly how many problems to do, but generally speaking more is better until you reach a point where you're so comfortable with the material that you feel like you're not learning by doing more.
• Identifying Your Gaps
  If you've just squeaked into graduate school with a minimum acceptable grade, you probably have weaknesses in your foundation. Filling in these holes is critical. So over and above any homework, it's important to go back though the material that've you've covered and make sure that you develop an improved understanding of all those topics you didn't quite get the first time around. And that can be a tall order when you only have a couple of months over the summer.
• SMART Goals
  When it comes to studying, invest time in strategizing how you will manage your time. Set goals. To the extent that you can, make them specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-limited.
• Have Fun
  In my experience it's important to make time for the aspects of physics that you really enjoy. Read up on the topics you're passionate about. Take on a project just for the sake of exploring. Often you can learn a lot more when you're doing something out of interest, rather than because you're required to do it. (And sometimes you can force yourself through the less interesting aspects of a topic because you have an end-goal in mind.)
• Avoid Burnout
  Often people end up defaulting to video games, scrolling, etc. because they get tired, lethargic, stressed, or overwhelmed with the different demands on their lives. While there are no perfect insulators, you can strive to get adequate sleep, exercise, nutrition, socialization, and quiet down time as needed that will all help you to remain resilient against burning out.

 

[Nishanta]

Maybe the lack of deep understanding comes from before uni - did you take JEE?

I'm Indian (but live in Britain) and a recurring theme amongst those who have taken JEE is that sometimes later on they feel they do not understand concepts properly.
It's so competitive that when revising JEE physics many people try and cram learning formulas and how to solve the problems without a good understanding of what they mean and where they come from. This leads to struggle later on, sometimes. (This view is also expressed by Kevin Zhou, 2 times IPhO gold medallist and former coach of the USA IPhO team here: ). Unfortunately the competitiveness of the exam isn't really workaroundable considering the high population but the aftereffects of studying for it are.

This struggle to properly understand where formulae come from may compound to bigger problems over time. Now, if you did not take JEE then maybe this is not as relevant, but still the fact holds that, as someone who has experienced both the Indian (particularly through books) and British system and seen the flaws and strengths of both, the Indian system (which does have it's advantages as well!!!) tends to prioritise "problem solving skills" (whilst the british system moves much slower but ensures students have a good grasp on the very basics) which works wonderfully in the short term, but might not be great for the long term.

Maybe trying to consolidate whether you understand where everything comes from is a good idea - getting foundations straight will do good for later on. What I like to do (but which might only work for the more basic physics) is try and pretend to teach it (in my head) and then when I fail to be able to explain something properly I know there is a gap in my knowledge.

yes i was a jee aspirant.. thank you so much for your reply

 

[TensorCalculus]

yes i was a jee aspirant.. thank you so much for your reply

No problem. It might then be worth considering consolidating your fundamentals and ensuring that they are of the level that will be required for your masters - know not just the formulae but where they came from, why they make sense and how they could link to other concepts

 

[Rive]

Is it okay to learn through YouTube lectures

Some people is better off if things got explained by somebody, and some others prefers textbooks.
But this is only part of the learning process. You need to learn to apply what was explained. What about that part?
By the way, how do you feel? Did youtube work for you? You need to reflect on the result honestly.

I want to seriously change, work hard, and truly master the subject during MSc. I want to understand physics deeply, not just pass exams.

That is nice. What do you want to actually do with physics? After graduation?
Just a feeling but your story feels like ... well, like you did not yet found your place and direction.