How to Succeed in First-Year Physics

1967 saw the debut of a musical comedy "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying". No one will ever be able to make the movie "How to Succeed in Physics Without Really Trying"...

No one ever takes physics to improve their GPA.

Disclaimer: I teach at a regional campus of the University of Cincinnati. Other physics professors with different backgrounds may take issue with some of my suggestions. I offer these only as a result of my personal observations.

1. You have to want to understand.

   If you're taking physics because it's required for your major, but you're really not interested in putting any time into it, you should seriously consider changing your major. Physics is the application of mathematics to understand the universe we live in, and for most people that makes it doubly hard. It is full of wonders and as-yet unsolved mysteries, but you won't see much of them in first-year courses. So you have to want to understand why things work the way they do, in order to keep your motivation up when the going gets rough. Which it will; it does at some point for everybody (even your professor!).

2. Make sure your physics class will be small enough that you can ask questions and get authoritative answers from your professor. Teaching assistants are a variable lot, but beyond that, they have a very demanding master in their thesis adviser. You need to be able to interact comfortably with your professor in order to learn physics.
3. Ideally, you want a professor with a Ph.D. in physics, who still keeps a hand in research. It is important that your professor still be in the business of learning, in order for them to understand where your difficulties lie. And the Ph.D. tells you that your professor understands the ultimate context of every concept you'll cover.
4. Take a math course the summer before you take physics. Even if you took calculus in the spring, a summer with no demands on your mathematical abilities will leave them atrophied.
5. Make sure you have trig before you take physics. Aside from the fact that it will be practically useful, it will teach you a level of mathematical sophistication that is invaluable with physics.
6. If you're taking calculus-based physics, take Calculus and Analytic Geometry first. Many programs allow you to take them simultaneously, or skewed by one term, but your best chance for success in calculus-based physics lies in not having to fight with calculus while you're fighting with physics.
7. Your algebra, including exponents, inverse functions, simultaneous equations, quadratics, exponentials and logs, must be spotless. If you're fighting with the algebra, the physics will go right over your head.
8. Don't miss any classes unless you are contagious, then be sure to make up the work missed as soon as possible. Skipping physics class is the surest route to failure.
9. Read the text and make notes to ask your professor about what you don't understand (if it's not covered in class).
10. Work out all the examples in the text for yourself. The simple act of checking their math will make the flow of solving the problem more reasonable to you.
11. Use other texts, traditional or online, for alternate explanations that might make more sense to you. Most first-year physics textbooks are encyclopedic, and most make the subject harder than it needs to be. That's a personal opinion, but I'm sticking with it.
12. Don't take down everything the professor writes on the board; just the important things (problem setups, tricks, results). Think about everything the professor does and write in your notes (in words) what was done and why.
13. Know how to use your calculator; specifically, how to set it for degrees or radians as required, and how to use the trig, exponential and log functions.
14. Follow along on your calculator with every computation the professor does in class. That way you know how the answer was derived, and can helpfully point out the occasional mistake that your professor will eventually make.
15. Check every calculation done on your calculator to make sure that you entered the correct computation. After lack of effort, incorrect calculator key strokes are the single biggest cause of mistakes.
16. There's a minimal set of equations and facts that will handle all problems; identify and memorize them. Make your own 3x5 flash cards and use them to quiz yourself until you have them accurately memorized.
17. Do as many problems as you can, at the very least 8 to 10 a week. Go over every problem in the book, and if you are unsure of how to solve any, set them up and check your setup with your professor. Just doing the assigned problems is not enough; you need to be able to read a problem and immediately recognize the proper approach. If you can't do the problems, you don't understand the physics (even if it does seem to make sense when the professor does it...).
18. Draw a picture for every problem; many problems simply cannot be done without a good picture to guide you.
19. Check every answer to make sure it makes physical sense, in sign, order of magnitude and units.
20. Expect to spend at least 8 to 12 hours a week doing homework.
21. Turn the radio and TV off while working; multitasking is a myth. The human brain can only do one thing well at a time; make sure it is physics while you are supposed to be studying physics!
22. Never spend more than 30 to 45 minutes on a problem before asking for help. Spinning your wheels for hours on one problem is frustrating and prevents you from working on other problems.
23. Visit your professor during office hours, and come prepared with specific questions.
24. Reorganize and recopy your notes before the final exam. Include descriptions of problem solving techniques, and how ideas fit together.
25. Stay healthy. Get a good night's sleep and have a good breakfast (but not too much!) before any test.
26. Rework every missed quiz or exam problem on your own to make sure you understand what your mistake was.

I'll add to this list as additional things occur to me, and if you think I have left something important off, let me know. The list is not a guarantee that you will be successful in first-year physics, but I expect that if you come to class with the proper mathematical prerequisites, and follow these suggestions, you will have not have significant problems.

©2009, Kenneth R. Koehler. All Rights Reserved. This document may be freely reproduced provided that this copyright notice is included.

Please send comments or suggestions to the author.