Survival Guide: Honors physics

Dear honors physics students,
Congrats! You’re half way through one of the most challenging yet rewarding science classes at Wayland High School! On the morning of Friday, Jan. 27, all of you will take your long anticipated (or dreaded, in most cases) physics mid-year exam. To help you alleviate the excruciating stress of studying for the test and to help you navigate through the second half of the course, I’d like to share some advice with you.

Some basic test-taking strategies:
Watch your time
Unlike the biology and chemistry midterms, both of which are multiple choice exams, the honors physics midterm includes a multiple choice section AND an open response section. Therefore, time management during the test is crucial! Don’t spend too much time on one multiple choice question because all multiple choice questions are weighed the same. Don’t just skim through the multiple choice section, either, because you’ll miss some important details in the questions. Those other options exist for a reason — your teacher knows what mistakes you might (or will, if you don’t read questions carefully enough) make!

Scantron
Always make sure you’re bubbling in the right question on the scantron, especially after you skipp a question. On that note, make sure you make an educated guess for all questions that you skipped because you won’t gain any more points by leaving a question blank than getting it wrong. (In the rare occasions that even an educated guess doesn’t lead you to an answer, choose B.)

Show your work
Beware of how much work you show. You won’t get partial credit for the multiple choice section, so the work you show in that section is for your benefit. I suggest that you only show the basic setup for calculations, as that is both time-efficient and tremendously helpful when you check your work. You will get partial credit in the open response section, so make sure you show all steps of the calculation for open response problems. However, it’s still a timed section, so keep your explanations as succinct as possible.

Write legibly
I once misread my own handwriting and thought “-12” was “+2.” Don’t make that same mistake. Losing points for something like that is stupid.

Tips for taking this test:
Think about which topic the question addresses
Unlike the unit tests, you’ll be taking a test that covers topics ranging from Newton’s Laws to the impulse-momentum theorem. If you don’t know how to solve a problem, first think about which topics the problem is addressing. Once you figure that out, use the appropriate problem-solving procedure of that corresponding topic.

Let equations guide you on conceptual questions
Yes, you will see conceptual questions on this test, but don’t panic and take a random guess! Again, think about the topics that a conceptual question addresses, then use the equations for the topics as the basis of your thinking. For example, if you know that velocity is constant, then you know acceleration is zero. This makes net force zero, and you can start from there.

Tips for studying for this test:
Don’t just memorize the equations. Understand the concepts!
Contrary to the common misconception that physics is all math, physics is actually largely concept-based, and, like I mentioned earlier, the equations that you’re provided with are just useful tools for you to understand the concepts. For instance, don’t just memorize that the slope of a velocity-time graph is acceleration. Think of it as the change in velocity over change in time, which the slope of this graph represents, is indeed the definition of acceleration.

Review problems that you got wrong the first time
Mr. Rideout has said that “review time is a good time to review certain concepts or procedures that weren’t quite clear the first time because, oftentimes, it is the second time through that things start to make more sense and come together.” As you review your old formative assessments and tests, figure out why you got a problem wrong. Was it a stupid mistake or did you not understand the concept as thoroughly as you should? If it’s the former, don’t make that same mistake again. If it’s the latter, read through your notes, think of real-life analogies and ask for help. Once you figure out why you got the problem wrong, redo the problem – that’s the most effective way to test your understanding.

Study in multiple short sessions
Don’t try to cram everything the night before. Your brain will get bored, and procrastination can easily kick in. Divide your study into shorter sessions and study at different settings. The more times you have to retrieve and apply a knowledge from memory, the easier it is for you to access the knowledge later, especially during the test.

Sleep
Get a good night of rest before the exam. It’ll help you with memorization and creativity, both of which will be extremely helpful during the exam.

Finally, some tips for the coming semester:
Ask questions!
Most topics in physics are connected. For instance, if you have a solid understanding of linear kinematics (you better do, since that’s a major topic on the midterm), you’ll find rotational kinematics, a topic that you’ll learn soon, a lot easier than it sounds. Understanding a topic as you learn it is key in learning physics. If you find yourself confused when learning a concept, ask! You’re probably not the only one who has this question, and your classmates who have the same question will appreciate it as well.

Organize notes as you go
After you’re done with a chapter, keep all handouts for that chapter together with a paper clip and file them away in a portfolio. When finals come around, you’ll be glad that you did this. Also, wouldn’t it be nice to carry a lighter backpack?

Hope these tips are helpful. Best of luck on all your exams!

Special thanks to Mr. Rideout for helping me brainstorm before writing this article.