Just in case you didn't know about these . . .

Reading the textbook

• Read the text more slowly than you would a novel or magazine.
• Ask yourself questions all the time (What does this word mean? How does this fit in with the class?).
• If the text refers to a diagram, take the time to look it over carefully.
• When the text does math as an example, pull out pencil and scratch paper and try to do the same thing yourself.
• When you come to something you don't understand, write it down to ask about later or email somebody (a fellow student, the instructor) immediately.
• Read the summaries at the end of the chapter.
• Answer some of the problems/questions at the end of the chapter, even if they weren't assigned.

• If you're having trouble on your own, find a classmate to study with.
• Make a list of everything you've learned.
• Look over old quizzes, tests, the text, class assignments.
• Make a list of all the things you don't understand.  Be specific and narrow it down.  Asking the physics teacher "Will you explain Chapter 2?" is not likely to get you anywhere.  Ask about the items on your list at the next class meeting, during help time, or send an email.
• Rework problems that you had trouble with in the past.
• Start immediately after the last test.  Study every day rather than the night before (hour before or minutes before) the test.
  

    2 Think about the ideas the problem is asking about.  Write down "This is a problem about ______ (you fill in the physics concepts)."  If possible, make a rough estimate of the answer.

    3 Make a list of givens and unknowns in the problem.

    4 Make an accurate diagram (to scale is safest).

    5 Apply the equation(s) that relates to the ideas you think the problem is asking about.

    6 Do algebraic rearrangements of the equation(s) first.

    7 Substitute numbers and solve for an answer.  Check your answer for reasonableness (perhaps with the estimate you made in step 1 above).

    8 Whether or not you think your answer is reasonable, save all your work to show the physics teacher.

Memorizing material

• Read each thing over and over again (at least three times).
• Write each thing down over and over again (at least three times).
• Make a flash card for each thing you need to memorize.  Show yourself one side (with a key word, say) and try to remember what's on the other side (the concept or equation or whatever).
• Say it to yourself over and over again (at least three times).