Am I sucking, or is it the class?

Alan Bolte · Post by **Alan Bolte** » 2004-01-06 12:13am

I've got a significant problem with my physics class. I spend several hours on the homework each night, which usually consists of five to fifteen problems from the book, typically on the low end of that range. I rarely complete the homework. Most of the time is spent staring at the paper, flipping throught the textbook, and trying to understand the concepts involved. For example, I have absolutely no idea how you can have a pully system which makes it so that pulling the rope a certain distance results in a height change of a suspended object that's different than the length of rope pulled. I just don't understand. Instruction in class feels sort of minimal, and I often don't understand what she's saying either. Most of the class agrees she's a bad teacher, and my grade would seem to be above average. I mean, I have a fucking A. We occasionally have labs which seem disconnected with what we're studying. The teacher and the class have voiced dissatisfaciton with the textbook. Complaints about this subject seem to have only resulted in being allowed to do test corrections for extra credit. This can't be right. What am I supposed to do?

Johonebesus · Post by **Johonebesus** » 2004-01-06 12:43am

Find a tutor. Do independent research. Look up the subject on the internet. Find other textbooks. Go to the teacher after school and ask her specific questions about things that confused you. If you don't understand the subject matter, then find other people or sources to explain it to you.

Is this a High School class, and unrelated to your ultimate career goals? If so, then just do what she allows to coast along and maintain your A. It sounds like she knows there is a problem and finds ways to let the students keep their grades up. It's not ideal, but then, if this class isn't necessary or important to you beyond graduating and getting a scholarship, then all that's really important is that you pass.

I really should proofread before I hit "submit".

The Morrigan · Post by **The Morrigan** » 2004-01-06 01:20am

Johonebesus wrote:Find a tutor. Do independent research. Look up the subject on the internet. Find other textbooks. Go to the teacher after school and ask her specific questions about things that confused you. If you don't understand the subject matter, then find other people or sources to explain it to you.

I second this. I had a couple of really great maths tutors when I was in year 12 & this was probably the only thing that pulled me through. Also, a lot of the time, people who are competent, but not brilliant at a subject can make better tutors because they've had to put in the hard work to master the subject themselves, so they are better able to explain it to others.

PS: Physics. Ugh!

[shudders]

kojikun · Post by **kojikun** » 2004-01-06 01:22am

Alan, I could help you with certain things like that. For instance, such a pulley system would likely involve two pullies, one at the top with an anchor and a wheel, and one at the bottom of a loop of rope that goes from the anchor at the top around the bottom pulley and back up over the wheel in the top. when you pull the rope x metres, you're removing x metres of rope from the loop, but becaus its folded in two, each half only looses x/2 metres and thats the height that the bottom pulley moves.

what you should get are some more books. physics for dummies or something like that.

The Morrigan · Post by **The Morrigan** » 2004-01-06 01:25am

kojikun wrote:Alan, I could help you with certain things like that. For instance, such a pulley system would likely involve two pullies, one at the top with an anchor and a wheel, and one at the bottom of a loop of rope that goes from the anchor at the top around the bottom pulley and back up over the wheel in the top. when you pull the rope x metres, you're removing x metres of rope from the loop, but becaus its folded in two, each half only looses x/2 metres and thats the height that the bottom pulley moves.

[goes of to have a headache]

kojikun · Post by **kojikun** » 2004-01-06 02:01am

WUSS.

pictures help, words clutter.

The Morrigan · Post by **The Morrigan** » 2004-01-06 02:15am

[hides under table & hopes that kojikun doesn't start talking about physics again]

kojikun · Post by **kojikun** » 2004-01-06 02:18am

Morrigan wrote:[hides under table & hopes that kojikun doesn't start talking about physics again]

I can derive the basic principles of relativity (time, space, and mass dilation) using pythagorean theorem.

The Morrigan · Post by **The Morrigan** » 2004-01-06 02:19am

[implodes]

Robert Walper · Post by **Robert Walper** » 2004-01-06 02:20am

Morrigan wrote:[hides under table & hopes that kojikun doesn't start talking about physics again]

Actually, I find talking about physics quite interesting. I most certainly don't understand a great deal fo the more complex material, but I'm certainly up for trying.

kojikun · Post by **kojikun** » 2004-01-06 02:21am

Morrigan wrote:[implodes]

The key is the constancy of the speed of light and equal validity of differing frames of reference. Once you construct a situation where these two things are brought into play, you find that time, space, and mass MUST change. Another bitch is the non-simultaneity of the universe where two events are simultaneous in one frame of reference and not in another.

The Morrigan · Post by **The Morrigan** » 2004-01-06 02:26am

kojikun wrote:
Morrigan wrote:[implodes]
The key is the constancy of the speed of light and equal validity of differing frames of reference. Once you construct a situation where these two things are brought into play, you find that time, space, and mass MUST change. Another bitch is the non-simultaneity of the universe where two events are simultaneous in one frame of reference and not in another.

Robert Walper · Post by **Robert Walper** » 2004-01-06 02:27am

kojikun wrote:
Morrigan wrote:[implodes]
The key is the constancy of the speed of light and equal validity of differing frames of reference.

Did you take into account quantum string fluxuations that may account for differing mass ratios and dynamic light speed variances?

Once you construct a situation where these two things are brought into play, you find that time, space, and mass MUST change.

Not necessarily. Depending upon initial mass displacement within space-time, dynamic values are to be expected, but not entirely outside of normal space-time.

Another bitch is the non-simulaneity of the universe where two events are simultaneous in one frame of reference and not in another.

Violation of basic quantum mechanics understanding, which requires a static reality from which to base said observations.

...

Vertigo1 · Post by **Vertigo1** » 2004-01-06 02:32am

I third the tutor ideal. Physics isn't meant to be a class where you just breeze on through it, and it can be a real ball-buster at times...but its well worth it. I had a rough time going through it too. Ask Connor Macleod if you don't believe me....

Does your instructor just lecture on through reading the book word for word or does she draw diagrams on the board while lecturing?

phongn · Post by **phongn** » 2004-01-06 10:05am

Find a tutor. If you're in college, go to the office hours.

Trytostaydead · Post by **Trytostaydead** » 2004-01-06 11:21am

I fifth the tutor deal. Physics is one of those subjects where you'll hold a grudge against for the rest of your life if your turned off of the subject by bad professors. My 2/3 of my physics professors sucked hairy balls and barely spoke Engish, so I just went through the motions and memorized the formulas and I've hated it ever since.

Alan Bolte · Post by **Alan Bolte** » 2004-01-06 01:26pm

Thanks guys. I posted that when it was late and I was frustrated; that pulley example was just me being an idiot. It really had more to do with adjusting to a different sleep schedule than anything, but I am having some occasional trouble in the class. I hadn't considered the tutor idea, I might look into that, but I don't really care enough about high school classes I'm acing to spend any money on them. At the least I'll remember to do the work early in the day and call my friend the genius. And maybe I'll see about using that barnes and noble gift card on physics for dummies or something.

Nathan F · Post by **Nathan F** » 2004-01-06 01:29pm

kojikun wrote:WUSS.

pictures help, words clutter.

Amen! Go find a book that includes a picture of that that he just explained. It's incredibly hard to understand until you see a picture, or it was for me anyways...

Nathan F · Post by **Nathan F** » 2004-01-06 01:32pm

phongn wrote:If you're in college, go to the office hours.

Seconded. Letting the teacher know your interested and trying if you're struggling can make you or break you. I've had it help me as much as a letter grade before, simply because I talked to the teacher often, and asked questions in class. I'm not talking about brown nosing, most profs see right through that, but actual, sincere questions and discussions.

It works wonders.

phongn · Post by **phongn** » 2004-01-06 01:38pm

Nathan F wrote:
phongn wrote:If you're in college, go to the office hours.
Seconded. Letting the teacher know your interested and trying if you're struggling can make you or break you. I've had it help me as much as a letter grade before, simply because I talked to the teacher often, and asked questions in class. I'm not talking about brown nosing, most profs see right through that, but actual, sincere questions and discussions.

It works wonders.

Indeed. Professors will be more sympathetic if they know you're working hard. Use office hours, if your schedule doesn't fit it, ask professors to schedule a time for you -- most will be willing to do so.

aerius · Post by **aerius** » 2004-01-06 03:28pm

If you have an A just keep working your ass off and don't let it get to your head. Talk to friends or the teacher if there's something you don't understand, and get tutoring if needed. Physics is one of those subjects where if you don't understand one thing you could very quickly end up not having a clue what's going on in the rest of the course.

The_Nice_Guy · Post by **The_Nice_Guy** » 2004-01-06 03:40pm

Find one of those frikkin geniuses that're always around, make friends with him(or her), and get him to explain all the parts that you don't understand.

Saves the tuition money.

The Wobbly Guy

The Cleric · Post by **The Cleric** » 2004-01-06 03:50pm

The_Nice_Guy wrote:Find one of those frikkin geniuses that're always around, make friends with him(or her), and get him to explain all the parts that you don't understand.

Saves the tuition money.

The Wobbly Guy

That works for me, but sometimes the teacher sucks enough that no one picks up on it.

The_Nice_Guy · Post by **The_Nice_Guy** » 2004-01-06 03:53pm

Or the topic is so tough that even the geniuses don't get it at first shot.

A year back, I had a class with only four people(it was a very tough subject). It was like standing before a firing squad every time the lecturer asked us a question. We would go, "Whose turn is it to answer and get humiliated?"

The Wobbly Guy

The Aliens · Post by **The Aliens** » 2004-01-06 07:51pm

If this is Hogh School, and you're not going to do this in University, just keep the A and don't let it slip. Generally going after class and asking the current teacher, or asking a teacher you had in an earlier year can be very helpful. See if your school offers workshops over lunch or after school, they're better than classes because you can go in, get what you don't understand explained to you, and be on your merry way.