Study Skills in Science
Study Skills - Physics 2
General
You have come here to learn Physics. It is your job to educate yourself and you are the only person who knows if you are managing. You have already survived First Year, so you know how the system works. You learn a little Physics in lectures, labs, tutorials and supervisions, and a lot of Physics during your own personal study periods.
More information can be obtained from the professionals.
Also on the Clyde Virtual University based in Glasgow.
Computer based packages can be found at CTI Physics.
Lectures
Lecture notes are your most valuable possession, and a good set of your very own notes is essential. They form a detailed outline of the course. Make a real effort to UNDERSTAND the content of a lecture as it happens, and again as soon after the lecture as possible - the same day if you can. You then have a chance of remembering what went on in the lecture, and you can add to your notes or correct errors in them. If there are things in your notes which you don't understand, get them explained as soon as possible.
Structure your notes
The longest and most complicated argument in Physics can be dissected into a series of small pieces which can then be understood one at a time. You also create a logical overview of the entire piece of work which helps you to put the different parts into perspective.
Keep up
You will never be completely up-to-date with all your work, but don't fall too far behind. Use the weekends to catch up.
Reinforcement
Work through your notes again several times in the week or so after the lecture, and occasionally after that. Active recall is much better than passive recognition. Write out proofs and derivations for yourself. This also help you learn methods rather than facts.
Things that you study late in the course often help you to understand things that came earlier. So occasional revision of the complete course is very rewarding as it allows you to get the whole subject into perspective.
It is a mistake to think that you must understand every aspect of your lecture notes before you dare to read a textbook or try a few problems on a topic. Read different accounts of the work in different sources. Textbooks and problems always give you a new perspective on the subject. You see the thing from a different point of view and this helps you to understand it.
Learning aids
Staff are here to "teach" you "to help you educate yourself" and they get paid for it, so use them. But they will only know about your problems if you tell them about the things that worry you. Your lecturers, tutors, supervisors, lab demonstrators and class heads are all available to help you sort out your difficulties.
Use text-books to get second opinions. A good book (not always the recommended text) which you find easy to use is a valuable bonus. Browse through the books in the Library. You will almost certainly find one that is best for you.
Problem Sheets
Do the problems on the sheets given out by your lecturers. You learn nothing if you can do a problem straight away without thinking, or if you fail to solve it and never find out how to. You learn most from a problem if you have to think hard about how to solve it, and eventually manage to do it yourself or get a few hints from someone which allow you to see how it's done.
Don't expect to solve every problem the first time you see it. But do try, and come back to it from time to time. Don't spend too much time on any one problem. If you are getting nowhere after about half an hour, start on something else. If you really are stuck, ask someone about it and don't leave it until the day before the exam.
In Physics2, every problem in the example sheets will be discussed in a lecture, tutorial, or supervision period, or a solution will be made available for you to refer to.
Timetables
Make yourself a timetable to regulate your study. Stick to it when you can, but don't be a slave to it. Put everything on your timetable: lectures, labs, supervisions, when you go swimming or go out.
Summaries
Make summaries. This allows you to get all the information
in perspective and to ignore the details. Long and complicated proofs can be reduced to a few headings. It is also extremely useful for revision purposes, and you can review an entire course in a few minutes if you have a good summary.
Be prepared to make more than one summary. Your first try, when you don't fully understand the work, may turn out to be misleading and emphasise the wrong points. Tear it up and start again.
Examination techniques
All examinations are governed by rules with which you must be familiar beforehand. Here are some hints which may be helpful.
- 1. Start your preparation now. Try questions from past exam papers to give yourself practice at answering questions of the correct standard, and also to become familiar with the type of question you can expect.
- 2. Always arrive in time. If you are late, you will be flustered and anxious. Make sure you know the time and place of the exam.
- 3. Take your toolkit: pens, pencil, ruler, watch, calculator (with reliable batteries) and matriculation card.
- 4. Fill in the front of your scripts, attendance slips etc.
- 5. Begin by reading through the entire paper before you do anything else. Your subconscious will get to work on the questions immediately. Decide which question you like best and answer it first.
- 6. Read each question carefully before you answer it. Answer the question set, not the one you would like to answer. Write as much as you can. If you are having difficulty with a question, move on to another one and come back later.
- 7. Always answer the number of questions asked of you and try every part. Remember that you are trying to pick up every single mark you can.
- 8. You should try to regulate your work to make sure that you have a few minutes to spare at the end in order to check over everything you have written.
- 9. Don't leave early. There is always something else you can add. If you think something is relevant, write it down.
- 10. If want to change your answer to a question, don't score out anything you have written until you have completed the new solution.