I did very poorly on Physics 1 and now I am doing Physics 2 which is E&M.
However, I have a very poor prof. Basically, he is using the slides that the textbook provided to run his class. However, he only talks about the theory and never does a single problem or show how it is done.
But physics is all about solving problems. I don’t know what I should do.
Read the textbook and learn solely from it?
Read the slides?
I can only afford to do 1 because it will be too time consuming along with 5 of my other courses.
I would do the problems in the textbook, provided there are answers in the back of the book to make sure you are getting the correct answers. Also, I would think the book would contain problem-solving strategies in the chapters. If your book isn’t very good, there are countless places online to get help with introductory physics.
Does your physics textbook have problems in it? You could also do those. Many textbooks have the answers to some of the problems in the back of the text. They also often have some problems that are examples and are worked through in the text so you can see how you should be solving the problem. You can also look up physics problems online. There’s a ton of resources available for physics online, including solutions for common physics problems. If your textbook doesn’t have problems, you can see if your library has other physics textbooks that you can use for problems and as a reference.
Do you have any idea how his tests will be? You can ask if they will primarily be free-response problem-solving tests or if they will primarily be information-based (or even problem-based) multiple choice tests (or a mixture of all of the above). Knowing how the test will be structured ahead of time will help you study.
If the textbook company provided the slides for the class, then they will likely be very similar to what is already in the textbook so both options will likely be very similar. You can also compare the slides briefly to the textbook to see which seems more useful.
Also, does your school have tutoring for physics? Do you have a TA you could ask for help?
Ugh, I really struggled in physics. I would do the homework, but the test questions were always impossible for me. I got a C one semester and barely a B the other. I still graduated with high honors, so there is hope! You have a lot more resources than I did, 30 years ago. I did get a tutor. I even talked to the head of the physics department about the professor, because I thought he was so poor. That didn’t help at all.
I hate it when profs use Power Point instead of actually teaching you on the board.
General Strategy:
-Read over text before class. Don’t go too crazy but get a general idea and do try some example problems. Mark down any questions you have and ask them during class. Lectures should always be your 2nd exposure to the material.
-Work the assigned homework problems and then work more (that are similar but weren’t assigned) if you have time
-Get a hold of a solutions manual. Check Amazon, google, classmates, library, etc. This way you know if you are working the problem correctly and can use it as a guide to practice.
-Always stay one step ahead
Problem Strategy:
-Read the problem once
-Read it again, marking down any given information.
-Draw pictures/graphs/diagrams if relevant to the problem
-Read again, try to conceptualize the problem (this can be tough for E&M by try it) and think about any assumptions (i.e. any information that is not given but can be assumed in the context of the problem)
-Go through it one step at a time, referring to the chapter, notes or example problems to help you out.
Helpful Resources:
-Khanacademy.org
-Schaum’s Outline (search on Amazon of Google)
-Youtube
-Google in general
General problem solving technique is the hardest part to these classes; once you get good at it you’ll find everything gets easier, it just takes practice. Good luck!