whining...it's haaaaaard!

[Maniac Craniac]

Physics only looks complicated. In reality, it is little more than plugging numbers into formulas that are (in my experience, anyway) given to you.

If you, or anyone is having trouble with it, then I can only assume that you have either a bad teacher or a bad book (a bad book is, in fact, why I have not finished studying for any of the CLEPs I was planning on taking LAST MONTH... GRR!!!).

I had a great teacher, so I can tell you with confidence that physics is definitely a whoooooooooole lot easier than it looks.

[cookderosa]

Physics only looks complicated. In reality, it is little more than plugging numbers into formulas that are (in my experience, anyway) given to you.

If you, or anyone is having trouble with it, then I can only assume that you have either a bad teacher or a bad book (a bad book is, in fact, why I have not finished studying for any of the CLEPs I was planning on taking LAST MONTH... GRR!!!).

I had a great teacher, so I can tell you with confidence that physics is definitely a whoooooooooole lot easier than it looks.

>>



I'm TOTALLY adopting this new policy. All academic struggles = bad teacher That rocks Maniac. :iagree:

[cookderosa]

Okay, here we go:

Rule #1: You can do it.
Rule #2: Refer to Rule #1.

I did not enjoy physics when I took it in my earlier incarnation as an engineering major--until we got to the labs. Am now enjoying it a great deal now that my 14yo is taking it in school; we talk about it a LOT.

See the movie October Sky. Remember that it's not brain surgery, it's just rocket science. And refer to Rule #1. Physics is like math. My way of "learning" math was to follow the procedure for solving the problems (and get the right answers), the why will sink in later. And it usually does.

Good luck!

i seriously have to turn off the why part of my brain. :p I don't have a teacher, just a book - but I'm hiring a 1 hour/week tutor, so hopefully that's a good plan.

[Maniac Craniac]

I'm TOTALLY adopting this new policy. All academic struggles = bad teacher That rocks Maniac. :iagree:

Given your laundry list of accomplishments, it is the only reasonable explanation.

[cookderosa]

Given your laundry list of accomplishments, it is the only reasonable explanation.

THAT's what I'm talking about!!!! I'm putting in a word with Santa for you

[Maniac Craniac]

THAT's what I'm talking about!!!! I'm putting in a word with Santa for you

If you ever need a bit of relief, just imagine your physics professor trying to survive the Culinary Institute of America :roflol:

[Kaz]

One of the reasons I'm doing this DL is because of the absence of prereq requirements- physics, however, IS a prereq for bigger and better things. Perfect for crazy folks like me.
FWIW, I didn't say I couldn't DO beg. algebra, I said I've never taken the course.

I can't wrap my head around an accredited physics1 course that doesn't have any math pre-req. That sounds like a recipe for disaster. There are non-calculus based physics1 courses out there (I took a calc based one) but you still need to be comfortable with pre-calc stuff like infinite series. Trig shows up a lot too. If you are learning the math while you are also learning the physics I'm not surprised that it's nerve racking. Good luck! :patriot:

[Maniac Craniac]

I can't wrap my head around an accredited physics1 course that doesn't have any math pre-req. That sounds like a recipe for disaster. There are non-calculus based physics1 courses out there (I took a calc based one) but you still need to be comfortable with pre-calc stuff like infinite series. Trig shows up a lot too. If you are learning the math while you are also learning the physics I'm not surprised that it's nerve racking. Good luck! :patriot:

I took physics without taking either pre-calc or trig first :wilynily:

You don't have to actually know trig or calculus, you just need to know which buttons to press on your calculator for the specific physics problems. Sadly, even after physics and calculus, I really don't know what sin and cosin are, just that they are buttons on the calculator.