Hi ! This may sound really weird and feel free not to answer. So I'm in high school and want to become a doctor and in my country, they have a diff. Way of teaching physics- they make you learn REALLY lengthy derivations and stuff, which my brain isn't able to retain. I'm struggling SO much , and I've lost hope- I just feel so helpless and I don't know what to do. I'm not struggling with chem or biology , but physics just makes me feel hopeless. I'm sorry
Hey! Thanks for the question. I’ll start this off by saying there’s no one way to learn that works for everyone, so I can’t promise anything. But I can talk about it some and give you some options! I love physics, so I thought I’d tackle this question. I never had to learn derivations though, so don’t take my word for it.
The most helpful thing you can do is to understand the derivations you’re doing. If you just memorize them, you haven’t really gotten anywhere. The importance of derivations is to show that most of classical physics can be boiled down to a few laws and some little tricks.
My first suggestion is to practice. As with everything, practice makes perfect. However, when doing derivations, there is a specific way you should practice. I would suggest writing down relevant laws (Newton’s Third, Ohm’s Law, Kirchoff’s Law, etc.) on one side of the paper and the end goal equation on the other, and then close everything and try to derive it on your own. See where you get just thinking logically. Then, when you get stuck, check what you missed and write that step a few times just to jog your memory for next time. Then sit on it for a while before trying it the same way.
Physics can be really difficult for a lot of people, so don’t feel like you’re alone. And most importantly, know that you can do it!
For more physics-based resources, check out: Khan Academy, physics.info, and HyperPhysics, among hundreds of others. And, as always, feel free to ask us here too!
