How To Get An A In Physics – 7 Steps

A lot of people say that it’s impossible to get an A in high school physics. This couldn’t be more wrong. Physics is a hard subject, not even the most optimistic tutor (me) would ever deny that. But if you work hard and follow these steps, you’ve got great odds of landing that fabled A.

1. Make good notes

This step is a pretty good start for any subject, but it’s particularly important for physics. Physics classes can be pretty intense, and it’s easy to end up blankly staring into space while the equations roll around you.

That’s obviously not the best situation, but it can be hard to avoid once the teacher really hits their kinematic-equation-stride. However, if you get the key points written down, you’ll be able to come back later and work through it at your own pace. In particular, if your teacher writes an equation on the board, get that written down, it is DEFINITELY important. Make sure you write down what they stand for too, so you don’t end up with a “Where did that C come from? What does that even mean?” kind of situation. Ideally, you’re getting everything important your teacher says written down, but if you get these key points, you’ll be able to come back and figure it out later.

2. Understand your formulae

The next step is figuring out how your formulae work. Get used to breaking apart your equations, figuring out how the different pieces work together, and working out what units your answer is going to have.

Familiarise yourself with different ways the formula is commonly rearranged, and other formulae that tend to link in with it. For example, if you’re working with the equation for friction (frictional force is equal to the coefficient of friction times the normal force), then practice rearranging that equation a few different ways, so you’re used to it in all its common forms.

This is an equation for a force, so other equations that use force (like F=ma, for example) might be useful things to be able to substitute in. If you can do this step, then the next one will become much easier.

3. Practice using them. A lot.

It’s pretty much exactly the way it sounds, but it’s really worth emphasising. If you don’t practice using the equations you’ve been given, over and over again till you cringe at the very mention of the word “friction,” you won’t get an A for physics. It’s as simple as that.

Do the problem questions your teacher hands out as homework. Find more in your textbook and do them too. Check your answers and make sure you’re doing them right. If you can do that, then congratulations, you’re already most of the way to getting that A. There’s still a few more tips and tricks that’ll help you along the way though.

4. Look for “reasonable” numbers

Physics is an easy subject to make lots of little errors in, and those silly mistakes really start to add up when they’re costing you a mark or so at a time. Because you probably won’t have time in an exam to check your work as rigorously as normal, the best way to avoid them is to know what sort of answers you expect for these sorts of questions.

If you’re doing a friction question, and your calculator tells you that the object will be experiencing 758, 437N of frictional force,  you should probably take a step back and go “huh, that’s really, really high.” Generally, your answers for certain types of questions are all going to fall within a certain range, and anything outside that is a clue that something’s gone wrong.

If you’ve done a hundred friction questions, and gotten answers between about 2N and 15N every time, then when you see that crazily big (or small) answer come up in the exam, you know something has gone wrong. As a result, you can go back and check, and figure out that you’ve divided the normal force by the coefficient of friction instead of multiplying it, or whatever silly little error you’ve made. Sometimes, there won’t be an error, but it’s definitely a clue that you should go back and check.

5. Start EEI’s early

EEI stands for Extended Experimental Investigation, or Early… Okay, I can’t think of a second “E” word there, but you get the point. You really can’t start an EEI the night before.

To be honest, starting even a week before is crazy brave. Between the testing and the research, these things are months of work, and you should plan accordingly. If you start the second your teacher hands them out, you’ll be fine.

If you leave them till the last minute, they will become the hell that everyone says they are. Also, if you’re struggling, We have an EEI manual that can be a great investment, available here!

6. Do your research before you test

This one kind of goes hand in hand with the last one, but it makes a big enough difference to get its own heading. At the end of the day, there’s a certain amount of research into the topic you’re doing your EEI on that you’ll have to have done before you can write the final report.

The choice is up to you about whether you do that before you gather your data, or after. However, it’s really worth getting in early and getting this done before you test, because it will make your job a heap easier. Not only will it mean you actually know what you’re looking for when you’re gathering data, you’ll often find helpful tips online when you’re researching that will help you refine your experiment.

Plus, it means less for you to do at the end, when you’re busy tearing your hair out writing the report on your findings, so it’s a win-win.

7. Make a formula sheet, then ignore it

The last step should be done either throughout the term, or when you’re revising for your exam. Either way, it’s really important. Gather up all the formulae you’ve used throughout the term, write down what all the variables mean, and put this all onto one A4 page (they should probably fit, go double-sided if you have to).

You can use this for the start of your revision. Then, once you’re starting to get a handle on the topics you’re covering, try and use it less and less. Even if you know you’ll get a formula sheet in the exam, it’s worthwhile weaning yourself off it if you can. Otherwise, in the exam, you’ll waste heaps of time flicking back to look at the piece of paper with all the tiny little equations on it.

If you can get to the stage where you’re not relying on it, then you know that you’ve got those equations in your head, and you’re ready to rock this exam.

7.5. Don’t freak out!

Physics is hard, but people pass it all the time, and yes, people even get A’s. Follow these steps, and you will be one of them. Good luck!

The post How To Get An A In Physics – 7 Steps appeared first on A Team Tuition.

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How To Get An A In Economics – 7 Steps

Economics, as you may know, can be a pretty weird subject.

After all, there aren’t many high school subjects that juggle mathematics with essays, hand-drawn graphs and a decent amount of educated guessing to produce crazy conclusions like why milk costs the Government millions of dollars every year.

If you’re struggling to figure out how you’re meant to get an ‘A’ in a subject which comes across as pretty darn strange, then you’ve come to the right place!

True, Economics might not seem like your other subjects – but just like you get guidelines in English and formulae in Mathematics, there is indeed a set of strategies and measures you can undertake in order to improve your grade.  It’s worth noting, too, that these are the very same steps which I still use as an Economics Major at Bond University – no short-term tricks here, just proper strategies!

So, let’s begin!

1. Translate the Task Sheet into a Plan

It often seems like Economics task sheets are written in a different language; if we are able to translate all of this business jargon into plain old English, we stand a much greater chance of answering the task succinctly and effectively.

It’s easy to freak out when the task sheet outlines the topics that are required in your assessment piece.  But hidden in all of these confusing words is something super useful; an assignment plan!

By categorising the types of topics that you are required to address in the essay, the task sheet has inadvertently given you a ready-to-go outline for your essay structure.  Less work for you!  Choose which topics are similar, pop your now-grouped-together topics into separate paragraphs, add a cute introduction and conclusion and boom – plan complete!

For example, consider an instance where the terms GDP, inflation, demographics, target-market, and supply-demand graphs were all mentioned in a task sheet which asked you to explain how the rapidly increasing output of goods and services within Australia will affect overall prices in a certain market.

You would first group together your like terms.  Inflation rises because of GDP.  Target-markets are a part of a demographic.  And supply-demand graphs work with the law of supply and demand to demonstrate how prices will change in a certain market.

Then, you would use these groups of terms to create a body paragraph for each one which contributes towards your argument.  An example of an Economics essay plan is shown below:

Introduction – Address task and what the essay is striving to achieve

Body Paragraph 1 – Introduce ‘inflation’ and ‘GDP’ and the impact that these factors have historically had on overall prices.

Body Paragraph 2 – Talk about what part of the demographic your target-market fits into, and thus explain how they are impacted by the previously mentioned inflation and GDP.

Body Paragraph 3 – Outline the law of supply and demand, including graphs, and visually demonstrate how the price of the product or service changed due to the rising GDP/inflation figures.

Conclusion – Summarise your findings (and provide a recommendation!)

See what I did there?  I didn’t actually create any new ideas.  I didn’t attempt to reinvent the wheel and produce the most mind-blowing piece of Economic theory ever seen.  I simply reorganised a whole heap of topics that were handed to me on the task sheet to form the outline of an essay structure.  Easy!

So, instead of putting on your I-look-okay-but-am-actually-freaking-out face when your teacher puts the task on your desk, relax!  With a little bit of reorganising, you’ll have a finished assignment plan in no time.

2. Work with the Teacher

Economics is similar to humanities subjects in that the marking guide is often subjective.  The result of this is that you need to work closely with your teacher to ensure that you are writing essays and answering exam questions in a style which is both factually correct and to the teacher’s liking.

What does ‘working with the teacher’ look like, though?  It looks like several different things: paying attention to the way they describe and define economics; listening carefully to how they want you to structure answers and essays; and it always involves submitting a draft where possible.

Because a lot of Economic theory is in ‘the grey’ – i.e. the answer is not absolutely clear – the manner in which you present your findings becomes critically important.

Why is it that some of the greatest economists throughout history of directly opposing opinions on certain matters?  Because plenty of Economics is not set in stone.  Plenty of Economics is, in fact, based on assumptions which can be interpreted quite varyingly, thus requiring justification and explanation.  Therefore, it is essential that you tailor your justifications and explanations to suit your teacher.

By ensuring you work cooperatively with your teacher’s preferences, you immediately stand a far greater chance of working towards that ‘A’.

3. Nail your Terms and Definitions

You’ve been studying all term.  You’re itching to get into the end-of-term exam and smash out the extended essay.  The teacher ushers the class in, you take a seat, the exam bell rings and you’re off!  You make a flying start to your extended essay – but wait!  You realise you’ve forgotten something terribly important…

Definitions!

Economics is built upon a language of confusing terms and business jargon; the importance of providing articulate and concise definitions to topics cannot be understated.  Want to talk about how employment is affecting Gross Domestic Product? Explain Gross Domestic Product to me first.  Want to discuss why inflation is good at a certain rate but not at a higher rate?  Explain inflation to me first.  Do you want to draw an elaborate set of supply-demand graphs to demonstrate the impact of negative publicity on a certain market?  Explain the law of supply and demand to me first.

Getting the picture?  Awesome.  If you can cohesively bring in succinct definitions to each of your economic terms as you write an essay or extended exam answer, your knowledge and understanding criterion is going to go through the roof!

And when criteria go through the roof, so too do our chances of getting an ‘A’.

4. Think in Real Terms

Thinking exclusively in Economic terms can get a bit stressful.

When we talk in Economic terms, it is highly conceptual and very abstract.  In other words, none of it actually seems to relate to anything real.

Consider this question: How will a change in consumer preference shift the demand curve?  Will this shift subsequently put upward pressure on price and generate more economic profit for the firm in the market?

Don’t worry if you’ve already zoned out.  After all, that question doesn’t actually mean anything real, does it?  It’s just a whole heap of different concepts mashed together to prove something which only someone studying Economics would be able to understand.

Instead, consider this question:  A Current Affair runs a one-hour program on the benefits of sourdough bread; they claim it will make you live longer, feel fitter, slim down and half your chance of heart-attack.  Will the sales of sourdough bread go up or down because of this? Will the profits of sourdough bread vendors go up or down because of this?

Better?  I thought so.  It is fairly logical that good publicity for sourdough bread will lead to more sales and thus more profit.  Thinking in real terms helps us give context and application to otherwise obscure concepts, thus making them far more palatable.

So, there you go; whenever faced with a dizzyingly conceptual question in that pesky Economics mid-term, try to think of it in terms which make sense to you, as opposed to relying exclusively on your understanding of Economic terms. In doing so, you’ve taken yet another step towards that ‘A’.

5. Connect the Dots – Linking Sources

Economics, like a crime scene, is filled with clues.  Some of these clues are obvious, whilst others are almost invisible.  It’s time to put on your detective hats and pull out the magnifying glass; in this section of How to Get an ‘A’ we are going to be looking into how to link sources (i.e. the clues) to produce a comprehensive and complex conclusion.

When posed with a broad question in Economics – perhaps something along the lines of “How does inflation affect employment?” – you as the Economist will be required to investigate a variety of sources, each with their own opinion or facts.

Consider these opinions and facts to be a pile of scrambled jigsaw puzzle pieces.

Identifying what these opinions and facts are will get you a ‘C’.  Grouping together the pieces which look similar and show the same thing will reach a very respectable ‘B’.  But what do we do if we want to reach that coveted ‘A’?  We must strive to not only solve the puzzle in its entirety but to explain how each part of the puzzle interacts with the others.

If you’re having trouble imagining how this applies to Economics, let’s use Step 4 and think in Real Terms.

Consider the question posed before: “How does inflation affect employment?”  Now, let’s think of pocket money.

Let’s assume you receive $10 per week in pocket money.  You always spend the whole $10 on ten individual lollies, each costing $1.  It’s a lovely routine and you enjoy it very much.  Good for you. 

Unfortunately, however, the rate of inflation is rising in Australia.  The Reserve Bank of Australia, in turn, increases interest rates; in other words, how much money families and businesses have to pay back on their loans. 

What does this mean for your lollies?  It means the corner-store you buy them from has to suddenly increase the amount of interest it repays to the bank it received a loan from.  More money being spent on the loan repayments means that they need to raise prices of everything in the store in order to compensate.  To your dismay, you see the price of your $1 lollies has increased to a whopping $2. 

Shocked, you decide to never shop there again.  Your train of thought is mirrored by half of the customers who also shopped there.  And so, the number of customers that shop in that corner-store is halved. 

As a result of this, the manager of the corner-store dismisses half of his/her employees due to there being too many employees for the number of customers coming in.

Identifying that inflation will lower employment is akin to identifying what the facts of the situation are; a ‘C’, in other words.  Pointing out the how and the why – i.e. explaining that the rate of repayment affected the cost of lollies which in turn detracted from customer-numbers and thus employees – is an excellent way of reaching a ‘B’.  If we put this example in the context of an entire nation, however, we can explain that the reduced consumer spending is exactly what the Reserve Bank of Australia wanted when it raised interest rates and that this reduced spending will reduce the rate of inflation via increased unemployment and loan repayments.  Now we are well positioned to achieve an ‘A’.

Just like detectives follow clues, figuring out and explaining the complex web of Economics is akin to solving a crime.  The more clues we can prove to be correlated, the greater our chance of getting an ‘A’.

6. Don’t just Conclude – Provide Recommendations

This step is actually pretty easy.  By this stage you’ve done all the hard work.  You’ve already translated the task sheet, consulted your teacher, nailed your definitions, rethought the topic in real terms and connected the dots.

All that remains is for you to demonstrate your knowledge of Economics in one final way; by providing recommendations.

Consider this step the final few metres in a marathon.  Sure, it’s only a fraction of the total distance, but without taking this final leap the entire race has been for nothing!  Use all of the background information you have gathered, as well as the analysis provided in your essay, to craft a reasonable and insightful recommendation as to what path the relevant parties should pursue in order to maximise Economic efficiency.

So long as your recommendation is supported by evidence and Economic theory, the possibilities are limitless.  Every morsel of data and every varied opinion collated during your research process has led to you being able to provide an astute recommendation.  Back yourself!  With logical justification, you can’t go wrong

7. Find Your Passion in Economics!

With all of the nitty-gritties out of the way, all that remains is for you to find your passion in Economics. Don’t worry, either; Economics doesn’t have to be as boring as it sometimes comes across.  With the help of A Team’s Academic Personal Trainers, discovering a topic which is inspiring and stirs a sense of passion within you is entirely achievable.  By collaborating and brain-storming with energetic and enthusiastic tutors, you will be able to best showcase your comprehensive understanding of Economics within a topic that will motivate you to produce your finest work.

You may even be surprised where you find a passion.  After all, many things you already hold strong opinions about are, in fact, outcomes of Economic decisions.

People flood the street and holds riots when outrageous tax increases are enforced. 

Families are forced into homelessness when Social Security allowances are decreased. 

Legalising certain drugs may negatively impact our daily lives, however the Government revenue generated by regulating the sale of said drugs would create fabulous facilities for all of society to enjoy.

Cigarette sales produce millions of revenues in the form of tax but cost just as much in the form of health care.  If health care costs outweigh tax revenues, we are losing twice; with both our health and our finances.  If the revenues outweigh the costs, however, we’re essentially compromising our collective health for a bigger pay cheque. 

The complexity of Economic issues is endless.  The range of topics to address, too, is effectively limitless.

So, try not to roll your eyes when you find out what next term’s topic is.  Because hidden inside that topic is a puzzle.  A puzzle of complex, multi-dimensional Economic concepts all waiting to be discovered.  Try to dig deeper than the surface of any Economic topic and you will find a vast and fascinating network of interrelated facts, figures, graphs and opinions.  The contradictions, the corroborations, the agreements, the furious denials, the nuanced political background to Government Economics; they all weave together to create the fabric of perhaps the most stimulating and thought-provoking subject around.

What now?  It’s time to follow these 7 Steps and start working towards your ‘A’ in Economics.

There are many things in Economics that remain uncertain – one thing you can be certain of is that you won’t regret following these Steps for one minute.  Good luck!

The post How To Get An A In Economics – 7 Steps appeared first on A Team Tuition.

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