<p>Ah, thermodynamics. Thermodynamics is a unique blend of difficult for students. It is usually one of, if not the very first engineering class students take, is often taught by less-experienced faculty, and has a bunch of seemingly disparate topics.</p>
<p>Your best bet is to make sure you internalize the concept of conservation of energy, as it is the one overarching concept that applies to everything in the class, and work with a group when you get stuck.</p>