• First of all, don’t be intimidated by Physics (No matter what

you’ve heard from others). Physics is about how things work in

the world in which you live. It explains everything. from how

cars run to the way electronic circuits function in your CD

player, television and cell phone.

• Think positively. Problem solving is actually fun if you’re in

the right frame of mind. (What you learn in Physics is a

transferable skill applicable to all the rest of your life).

• Attend all lectures and read the material to be covered

BEFORE you attend. (Otherwise you’re wasting a lot of energy

taking down notes that may be useless)

• It’s better to do a little physics everyday, rather than trying

to do everything in one long stretch. You can’t cram physics.

It’s like learning a whole new language. You need to learn the

vocabulary and grammar piece by piece.

• Never, ever pull All-Nighters!

• Use the best hours of your day to study physics (and your

other difficult subjects). For some people that’s mornings,

others afternoons, still others evenings. Find your optimal

time.

• Read the text book more than just once. And keep testing

yourself to see if you understand what you’re reading. (Physics

textbooks aren’t novels. They need to be read line by line.)

• Solving problems is not a spectator sport. You have to do it

all by yourself. If you’re truly stuck, seek a little help, then try

to go further. Once you’ve broken through the wall of a tough

problem, your brain will never lose the approach.

• Try to visualize a problem by drawing a diagram.

• Try to break problems down into manageable pieces.

• Be sure that your units are consistent (this will help you

discover errors).

• Try verbalizing your problem with friends. Sometimes simply

putting something into words helps clarify it.

• If you can’t solve a problem, sometimes it helps just to

relax. Let it go. Do something else and revisit it a little later.

• When you get a numerical answer, see if it makes sense. Is

the number too big? Too small?

• Above all, don’t panic during an exam. Start by looking it

over to get a feel for its scope. Begin with the first problem. If

you can’t solve it, calmly go to the next (your brain will be

working on it in the background, believe it or not). If

necessary, even go on to the third before revisiting the first

two.

• When you get an exam back, don’t throw it away. Go over it

and see where you went wrong. Learn from your mistakes.

(Exams are meant to help you identify your weaknesses.

• Remember, you’re here at Cornell to LEARN, not get grades.

No one will ask you in ten years, much less five, what grade

you got in a specific course. But you will be asked to use your

brain to solve complex problems.