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- About This Course -

- When you are struggling.... -

- Step by Step Guide in How to Succeed in PHYS 111 -

1. Attend class daily, pay attention, and be an active participant. (Take notes, ask questions, etc.)
2. Read your textbook and/or watch the linked videos before class! (It may be confusing on this first exposure, but this way when you hear it in lecture you'll be hearing it for the second time. If you hear it in lecture the first time, you will almost certainly be confused. If you are kind-of/sort-of familiar with the content in advance, then -- when hearing it in lecture -- you can identify what things are still confusing and ask effective questions). Reading a textbook -- especially before hearing the lecture on the topic -- is likely the most important thing you can do to succeed in this class.
3. Complete all homework (including reading a text!).
4. When confused or lost, seek help right away! (Via office hours -- normally scheduled or by appointment, sessions at the tutoring center, attending and participating at the regularly scheduled problem solving sessions, or through help from private tutors. There are many resources available for extra help if you need it, but you can't wait until the end of the semester to turn things around!)
5. When preparing for tests, rework problems you've seen before -- the ones done in class, during problem solving sessions, or non-assigned questions in assorted texts (most introductory physics texts have at least some of the answers in the back of the book). Get help on any questions you do not understand. I'm happy to work any problems for you independently, except for assigned homework problems before they are do. (I will give you help/hints on these problems if you come see me, but I won't just do the homework for you.)
6. Don't wait until the last minute to start your homework! Sometimes you'll struggle for a while with a problem, and need to come back to it several times to develop a plan of attack. You can't do that if you're starting it 6 hours before it is due. My homework is not easy! Sometimes, successfully solving a single problem is a productive evening's work. Budget your time accordingly! (If you have any doubts about this, ask around the Physics upper-classmen; they will vouch for the seriousness of my homework sets).
7. Do as many extra practice problems as are necessary to master the material! Yes, the homework assignments are already long. Yes, you probably are devoting a significant amount of time to this course outside of class hours. Yes, it seems like the workload is already out-of-line with many of your other courses -- but that's often what it takes to succeed at this content. Physics doesn't get easier just because you want it to. Some people will be able to master this material only doing the assigned homework, but others will need to work through extra ungraded homework to master the material. You aren't graded on how easy it was for you, but rather your mastery at test-times. Do whatever you need to do in order to become confident in solving new problems using the ideas and principles discussed in your textbook, class, and in the homework. For me, at least, this meant I had to practice. A lot. Generally speaking, there are no shortcuts.

- Class Readings / Videos -

- Homework Assignments -

- Test Information -