I hope that this year I will not only be successful in physics grade-wise, but that I will also become interested in the subject. In order to do well in this class, I believe I will have to work hard at the following five tips for success.
1. Come to class prepared and ready to work. Being an active participant is essential if you want to get anything out of the class. Part of being an active participant is taking notes, joining in on class discussions, asking questions, and pulling your weight in group activities.
2. Take advantage of all resources given. In addition to reading the textbook, there are many online resources provided by Mrs. Gende that will be beneficial to my understanding of physics. When reading information in the textbook, I plan on highlighting and annotating the text so it will be easier for me to study when I am preparing for finals.
3. Stay on top of assignments. Instead of doing homework the night before class, I will start it the night it gets assigned in case I have any questions. After I finish the work, I will look over it to make sure I actually understand the concepts, to prepare for a future quiz. The night before each class I’ll check the wiki to make sure I didn’t miss any assignments or things to study.
4. Become a good problem solver. Before starting to work on a problem, read over it again to make sure you know what the big picture is and what the answer is asking for. After establishing what needs to be done, follow the four-step rule (write/sketch the data and units, create equation and solve for unknown, substitute values, check). When it comes time to graph, make sure the graph is to-scale, neat, and labeled.
5. Be an organized and self-sufficient student. Keeping binders neat, seeking help whenever needed, and communicating with a group are all important parts of being successful as a student. A prepared student is always ready to answer questions, or even take a test or quiz.
I believe that if I follow the five steps to being successful, I will have many opportunities to become a better student and become interested in physics. I look forward to a challenging and interesting year taking Honors Physics!
