Many students are starting a new school year. Faculty and students alike need to be prepared for tough classes, especially when dealing with Covid-19. Even though I have only experienced one pandemic, I have been teaching Physics for more than 20 years. I will share my best strategies to help college students succeed this year. Although these tips are for science classes, many of them can be used in other classes.
Let's get started.
Understanding Learning and Grades
You need to ask yourself two questions: Why are your taking this class and what are the goals? It's possible that the course is necessary. Perhaps you have always wanted to know more about quantum mechanics. In that case, you may have enrolled because you were curious and not pragmatic. No matter your reason for being here, you must have a goal. Do you want to learn something or do you want to earn a certain grade on your academic transcript?
Let's face it. Most people would be happy to get an A in the class. What does that letter grade mean 10 years later? While grades may have an impact on your options when you go to college, they are not as important as the information you learn. While some of the exercises that you'll be doing as a student in physics or other STEM subjects are practice, they won't necessarily match what you will encounter later in your career. There is no job that can be described as a quantum mechanic. These skills can be useful if you are interested in careers that are not predictable. In fact, physicists have a reputation for landing jobs that aren't related to physics. Sigma Pi Sigma, the Society for Physics Students, has a series that focuses on hidden careers in physics, such as oceanography and videogame design.
Imagine you're on a football team. You do push-ups during practice because your coach instructed you. Are you going to push-ups in the game? I don't think so. This is not how you will win. However, push-ups can help you indirectly because they will make your body stronger.
Quantum mechanics class can be compared to doing push-ups. It's important to make yourself stronger and better than it is to earn a special letter grade. It is better to work hard on a difficult assignment than to get a poor mark. Although it might appear that the solutions are helpful, they are not. Even if you're just trying to understand the problem and not to cheat on your assignment you won't get the full experience of solving the problems by copying the solutions. It is better to do fewer pushups using the correct form than to have poor form and complete many.
Talk to your Professor
Although it may seem obvious, you may be surprised at how few students do this. Let me give you an example: You're working on a problem and are stumped. Although you don't give up, you eventually decide to seek help. You have the entire internet at your fingertips. If you search for keywords, you're likely to find great information in video or blog posts. This is not a bad thing, but it's best to talk to your professor before doing this. Do not send an email, talk face-to-face. This is why office hours exist. Ask this question during class, before, after, or in between classes. Make time for communication.
This is the deal: Talk to your professors and they will be able to understand what you are thinking. This is extremely useful for us. We often rush through a lot of material thinking that everyone will understand it.
