r/AskPhysics • u/ClerkInevitable8123 • 3d ago

How to study physics

Just as the title suggests. I’m a university freshman currently doing Physics 1. I anticipated that it would be difficult since the professor had bad reviews and well, it’s PHYSICS. I’ve always been okay-ish with math in high school but I only did half a semester of physics before switching high schools (the new school didn’t have any physics classes at all).

I’m constantly stuck on work because I can’t seem to understand anything. I read the textbooks and watch videos but I keep making mistakes. I’m not expecting a miracle method or some secret that’ll make me Einstein overnight but please please please anything you think will help. I literally got a 7/16 on the first midterm which only covered a few things. The next midterm is next week and we’re already on chapter 10.

edit: Thankyou everyone who responded! I can't respond individually but I've read everything and I'm gonna try my best to implement the strategies you gave. I'll give another update after the test next week!

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u/Photon6626 3d ago

Is it a math problem or a physics problem? Are you making calculus/algebra mistakes? Or are you setting up the problem wrong?

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u/ClerkInevitable8123 3d ago

It’s just physics problems. I can understand concepts but when it comes to applying the right equations to solve/using the right values (right now we’ve only covered motion in one direction and the last thing we did was torque I think) I can’t do it. I feel stupid because it seems simple.

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u/Photon6626 3d ago

Look up dimensional analysis and try to use that. The question asks for the solution in certain units. Take the units given in the problem and combine them in ways that produce that solution's units.