IN-CLASS TIME

• Read the textbook before coming to class.  Note areas you do not understand or questions you would like to have answered.

• As you take notes, think about what is being said.  Do the explanations make sense to you?  Has the instructor answered the questions you had when reading the chapter?

• ASK QUESTIONS IN CLASS!! -- There is a very good chance that several other people have the same questions that you have.  Do not be shy.  If you are truly uncomfortable asking a question in class, make sure you either talk to the instructor before class, during office hours, or you email her.

• Keep track of demonstrations and mini-experiments you do during class time.

• Try your homework on your own first.  Read the problem, note what information you have and what is being asked, think about approaches which might give you what you need.

• Do a little bit of homework each day after class.  DO NOT try to do everything all at once before the exam.  Physics builds on everything you have done before, so it is important to be comfortable with the questions and problems and concepts being presented.  Working for short amounts of times more often is a good way to keep the information in your head and to learn it better.

• If you have trouble with a problem, work on it awhile and then go on to another question.  Later you can go back to the tricky one!  Once its not productive for you, go see a friend, instructor, or tutor for help.

• If someone is helping you, have them guide you (give you hints), rather than show you how they did the whole problem.  That way you can gain experience working on that type of question yourself.  AND sometimes one hint is all you need.

• Don't wait until the last half of the semester to see your instructor if you are having great difficulty in the class.  Look for assistance as soon as you realize that your chances for success in the class are limited by your working alone.

• Try to take your time with your exam.  Read the questions carefully, not BOLD or unusual circumstances or specific instructions (find the FALSE answer, IGNORING friction, etc).  Think about what you thing the answer should be and why and then read ALL answers provided.  You are to pick the best answer and that might not be the first "almost" right answer you read.

• Once you have an exam, look at the questions you had wrong.  Are there particular type of questions that are harder for you? or was it a particular topic that gave you trouble?  Armed with this information, we can form a plan for studying more effectively.

• Math Problems are your trouble?  Well, practice your algebraic manipulation of the various equations, say out loud what each equation means, what each symbol means, find examples of when the equation can be used (when is it valid/ in what situation will it work- not work and why)  Do extra problems from the book for practice.

• Concept Problems make you crazy?  Well, spend more time thinking about how you could explain an idea to a friend who is not studying the topic, how does the idea work?  when does a particular thing not work?  why is this the case?  think of extra examples of a concept.

• Multiple- choice/ multiple- guess:  Here the research tells you that if you can eliminate a few answers as being obviously wrong, your chances of finding the correct answer go up.  ALso, you should not change an answer unless you feel quite sure about it -- the "gut" response is often based on subliminal understanding of a topic or hidden memory.  This does not mean that if you punched a button incorrectly on the calculator, you should just leave the answer alone!

• Come see me and we can try to tailer your concerns to your particular needs.