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Best way of learning Physics and Mathematics
http://www.uaseducation.com/articles/854/1/Best-way-of-learning-Physics-and-Mathematics/Page1.html
Shana B
 
By Shana B
Published on December 9, 2009
 
As a student you have to make the best of the teaching you receive. The difficulty is that whilst some lecturers and some courses will appeal to you, others won’t. Even if you don’t like the way a subject is taught, you have to make the most it. It will be largely up to you to acquire not only a detailed knowledge of specific areas of physics and mathematics, but also a variety of skills that you will need to learn the materials.
Best way of learning Physics and Mathematics

As a student you have to make the best of the teaching you receive. The difficulty is that whilst some lecturers and some courses will appeal to you, others won’t. Even if you don’t like the way a subject is taught, you have to make the most it. It will be largely up to you to acquire not only a detailed knowledge of specific areas of physics and mathematics, but also a variety of skills that you will need to learn the materials.

 

How do you set about learning these skills?

 

1.       Attend class

You can start by attending every class. By attending the classes you get the preliminary idea of the subject matter. Maybe every single thing is not taught in the class but some ideas are surely given. By attending the classes we will get familiar with the subject matter.

 

2.       Read the book and take notes

 Get one set of lecture notes or a book on the subject of interest, start at page one, work through every example in detail, until the very end of the book. If something in the text does not make sense right away, take the time to figure it out. Read it again, slowly. Study the text's example again. Go over it, carefully, until it makes sense. This way you will have a better understanding.

Generally as you work through a text, you need to take notes frequently. This is important in gaining understanding of a complicated work, unraveling the details yourself.  Working through the exercises is where the vast majority of learning takes place. Build the habit of taking rough notes and keep them so that you can refer back to them when needed later on.

 

3.       Practice

In case of mathematics, nothing can help more than practicing. Mathematics is all about practice. The more you practice the sums the more you capture the techniques of solving that category of problems.

Pay special attention to theorems. Theorems are a mathematical way of summarizing general methods that apply to many examples. They tell you what to do and when to do it. Do the homework assigned and do them in time. Never copy the solution manual or from a friend.

 

4.       Review

The best way to retain what you learned in class is to review your notes immediately after class. If you have the hour after class free, study then. If you don't have the next hour free, at least quickly review whatever you learned before you begin the next class. If you don’t even have that time, make sure you go home and review what were taught in the class.                                                                                                                                              

 

5.       Devote substantial time to learning

Spend time on the subjects outside of class. If you spend at least an hour on each subject everyday it will no longer seem difficult to you. All you have to do is pay attention and concentrate only on studying at that time. If you are multi-tasking while studying, you cannot concentrate fully on your studies and subjects like mathematics and physics require hundred percent concentration.

 

Knowledge and understanding are of course essential but you’ll also need to think critically. Critical thinking is central to the practice of physics. It serves two purposes: first it can help you to understand the physics, and second, by altering the way in which you approach problems, it can help you to achieve better results in the laboratory and in other assessments.

 

And of course, not all students are equally talented, nor have the same expertise in all subjects. If you are having trouble understanding the concepts or contents of the lectures or text book, you can always refer to a private tutor. And the internet has gone a long way up to now, and today you can even appoint an online tutor for yourself. Going online has a lot of benefits (flexible tutoring hours, no need of going to the teacher’s place, no time wasted on roads, ability of recording the lessons for future reference, etc.). You should visit this site: http://www.BestTuition.com (they have a full fleet of awesome teachers and you can easily choose someone based on their qualification, reviews and credentials).

 

 Before you learn it the hard way that it takes serious effort to develop skills for which employers pay well, put that effort in now. Learn to appreciate your developing skills. Enjoy your education. Enjoy the process, and you can excel.