Tips for Studying Physics: How Can You Better Understand the Material?

[babysnatcher]

I just read once, attempt the examples, and I solve the basic problems. My CE professor said he read every chapter 3 times. Is there anyway to understand what is going on better?

 

[darkxponent]

It is like asking-How can i be successful? Everyone has a different way of understanding things. Just the urge to study will be enough and you will find your own way.

 

[zephyr5050]

This is just from my personal experience, but I find the best way to really learn the material is through repetition.

Read the material, try to derive the results yourself (don't just look it over), work on problems.

And here's the key - after a time, reread the material, go over it all again. I find that often after I first learn a topic, it takes a while for the ideas to settle and for me to grasp them fully. After a time, I go back again and relearn it from a fresh perspective and it makes much more sense and I'm able to pick up on more details I didn't realize the first time.

 

[Von Neumann]

Sometimes people like to read a few of the problems first, and then actively scan the chapter for the information required to solve the aforementioned problems.

Personally, I don't start doing problems until I can confidently derive the key results on my own. This way, when going through problems, (usually) I know the material well enough so that I don't have to keep flipping back and forth in the text.

Experiment and find what works for you. Best of luck!