Physics 205A, fall semester 2019
Cuesta College, San Luis Obispo, CA
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Waifer X
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Wordle.net tag cloud for "keep" resolutions.
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Waifer X
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Wordle.net tag cloud for "quit" resolutions.
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Waifer X
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Wordle.net tag cloud for "start" resolutions.
Students were asked to answer a "keep-quit-start" online reflection (hosted by
SurveyMonkey.com) on their studying strategies/pitfalls (Mubayiwa, 2009).
Enter a word or brief phrase that describes what you intend to keep doing to study for this class. Explain your answer to the above question (what you intend to keep doing to study for this class).
Enter a word or brief phrase that describes what you intend to quit doing to study for this class. Explain your answer to the above question (what you intend to quit doing to study for this class).
Enter a word or brief phrase that describes what you intend to start doing to study for this class. Explain your answer to the above question (what you intend to start doing to study for this class).
[Word tags have been edited to consolidate related common subjects; student explanations are verbatim.]
Keep word tags:
askwhy
The way I learn is through asking why. Why it's done a certain way and why you got that out come of an answer. Why = learning to me. It's a deeper form of learning because it allows me to understand the process of a problem, a law and an answer.
concepts
I need to continue to study the concepts presented to us in class. I spend a little bit of time every day, even weekends, revisiting and glossing over the concepts and example problems that we discuss in class. This helps me to stay on track with what we are learning and develop a better understanding of the material, and I believe that this is why I have succeeded in this class (so far).
early
Whenever we have had a quiz or an upcoming midterm, I will start studying a few days or a week before instead of waiting to start studying the day before. I think this tactic has helped me to retain the information and to not panic as much when it comes to actually taking the test.
gotoclass
Doing the labs and being in class to learn.
I'm going to keep going to class so that way I am experiencing all three phases of learning through auditory, visual, and kinetic practicing.
I need to keep being focused on lectures to be successful in class because paying attention in class allows me to understand physics problems even though I don't fully understand some of the concepts.
Attending class is actually pretty easy. The environment is inviting and friendly. I also benefit from good notes.
I intend to continue making it to every class in order to succeed.
I hope to keep up with understanding what we are doing and getting all the clarifications I need in class.
Showing up to lecture and participating in group worksheets helps me understand the material better.
I intend to not miss any lecture classes or labs as these help me stay on track with what I need to be studying and working on.
Attending every class helps me get a better understanding of the sections covered, as well as step by step solutions to example problems in class that show exactly how to approach and solve the problems. I have a much easier time learning the material and concepts when they're demonstrated in front of me.
I intend to show up to each class, participate in the group works and lab work. This round put a little more effort in studying and lose the ego in going into the final.
Physically going to class and paying attention to the lecture is the most effective way to get a good grade. It is incredible how much content people miss out on when they don't come to class.
I think these are the core things that I'm doing well.
I plan to keep attending class every session and taking good notes.
homework
I need to keep doing my assignments so I can succeed. The homework assignments and reading assignments are easy to do if you are reading the textbook.
I intend to keep studying with the reading assignments and the homework problems on the course website.
Because I always do my lab and I need to keep doing my homework and not forget about it.
Stay on top of the homework and be better prepped for each class and lab. Review each section even if there is no quiz/test or just have one question.
I find that the homework problems and reading assignments are the most helpful way for me to be interactive when reading the textbook. The reading assignments really help me to realize what I do and don't understand about the reading.
There are so many points to be gained by those assignments that can really help your grade.
Working out the assigned problems and work out example problems.
I think staying on top of reading assignments and homework assignments is super important. I try to always do my work way in advance, and try not keep it for Sunday night. It would be so easy just to say that you haven't gotten around to doing it yet and still getting credit, but a lot of the success I think comes from testing yourself. Doing the questions along in class with Dr. Len is easy, but it is way harder to actually do them yourself.
KhanAcademy
I find that sometimes when the textbook or the blogs are a little confusing to understand, I revert to Khan Academy for certain concepts to get a better grasp on the subject at hand.
officehours
One thing that has helped me is going in during office hours and asking for clarification. I wish I would have started doing that earlier in the semester.
organized
When I start getting lazy on work or school and I Want to fix that, I begin by cleaning my room or house depending on the time. The build of small "victories" over things I don't enjoy doing (cleaning, laundry, dishes, etc) motivate to become and stay on task.
persevere
It's kind of cliche yeah, but even when I don't understand everything I won't get down because that will cause me to know even less. I would be distracted by own incompetency, so I will persevere and just keep going at it.
Physics isn't my strong suit so I'm going keep believing that I can get through the semester with at least a "B."
practiceproblems
I feel like I learn best when I do practice problems on the material because when I am taking a test or quiz I feel like sometimes its a similar question and I am able to remember how I did it before. I try and make my own "practice quizzes" and I test myself and then go back and go over the ones I got wrong.
I am going to continue studying the practice problems and homework to better succeed in this class.
I find that channels like Khan Academy and The Organic Chemistry Tutor are super-helpful in giving me that last extra boost in knowledge to help me achieve an "A." Their videos usually involve practicing problems that aren't too dissimilar from what is seen in class.
Going over the material online, especially the posted midterm questions and actually doing/thinking through the problems on the homework reports was very helpful for the midterm. Actually doing the readings before class/when the reading assignments are due is also very helpful.
I will continue doing practice problems because they help me understand topics. This is because the more I practice physics problems the more I seem to understand physics. These practice problems are the problems that are posted on P-dog's website and they help a lot.
reading
What I intend to do is to continue reading all of the reading carefully in the course. This is a good way to understand the concepts and to solidify the ideas that are then used in the class.
In addition to reading the blog posts about each sections, I read the sections in the book. Having read both helps my understanding and provides more examples for each subject.
I plan to keep reading the textbook before class so that way I am better prepared for the material in lecture. I also know that it is important to study for quizzes and exams so I plan to keep doing many practice problems.
review
I will return to homework questions before quiz and test days to practice them, as well as whenever I feel generally unsure about the concepts.
I review past quizzes and homework problems, mainly from the homework reports.
I've found re-reading the previous classes lecture material along with the current classes one is a good way to review and preview.
studygroup
My study partner and I met up to study for the midterm a couple times, once in the cafeteria and once via a voice chat program in the comfort of our own homes. This really helped me with explaining what I already knew, and his explaining what he knew so we could work out the practice problems together. We plan on to continue studying together often to keep on a productive track.
studying
I've been generally maintaining a moderate level of studying that has allowed me to stay up to date in class. I intend to KEEP up this level of studying--if not ramping it up--in order to succeed in this class.
Studying for this class is extremely important because it helps grasp the complex concepts in each chapter. Taking some time after class to study when you don't have anything else to do really makes an impact on the amount of material that you can retain.
takenotes
To succeed in this class I need to keep taking notes. I already take notes on every homework reading assignment as well as notes on every example given in class. It's helpful to look back on.
Quit word tags:
absences
So far I believe I've missed two days of class so far which I believe has affected my ability to stay up to date in class. While I have been some-what successful so far, having to play catch-up while simultaneously working 48 hours every week has not been the easiest task. I intend to QUIT being absent so that I may continue to succeed in this class and even surpass my current understanding of the material. BR>
I realize my grade is heavily dependent on showing up and doing the work. The breakdown of points in the class made it seem like a high grade was feasible. BR>
I've only skipped on one lab so far, but the labs are 6 easy points that we get basically just by showing up. So there's no excuse for not showing up.
badnotes
I take some notes in class, but I should be more thorough in writing down every word and solving every step of the problems in the notes just as is done on the board/projector. Having more complete notes would definitely be helpful for doing some of the harder homework problems.
competing
As long as I'm on track to earning an A then it shouldn't matter to me that other people have slightly higher A's.
givingup
Sometimes on homework and reading assignments it is so easy to just quit right away if I don't understand the concept or how to do the problem. I need to quit giving up so easily and take a bit of extra time to really see if I can figure it out before checking the "I don't understand" bubble.
Hulu
I really gotta lessen my Hulu hours. I watched two episodes of "Prodigal Son" when I should have been doing more class work. I could have understood more things.
missinghomework
I have missed many homework reports in the past and I need to make sure I turn them in on time to understand the material.
I have skipped class two times now and I don't plan on skipping anymore. I am lucky that it hasn't affected me that much the last two times, but I'm not willing to risk it a third time.
notaskingquestions
I need to quit not asking questions when I'm confused because it just leads me to more confusion as the concepts get more complex.
Sometimes when working on worksheets in class with a partner I do not always fully understand a question that my partner does. I would like to make sure to take the time to slow down and ask either my partner to explain how they got the answer or have P-dog come over and help me to understand.
overcaffeinating
First time using a new energy drink and it was too strong and made me rush and be anxious on the test; that didn't allow me to focus and I made stupid mistakes on things I knew how to do and got frustrated with.
procrastinating
I need to get more disciplined at doing the textbook questions or questions given through the homework. I may understand the concepts most of the time, but I don't necessarily put them through practice.
I need to stop procrastinating because I tend to do all my assignments last minute. This makes me stress more because I have other homework from other classes to do as well. Procrastinating is a bad habit that I have and that I need to stop so I don't stress.
I really bombed the midterm. I understood a lot of the concepts when presented in class but I didn't try as much to study at home.
I need to stop procrastinating on doing the reading and going to a tutor for extra help. I always tell myself I will do it later, but I end up just barely skimming the reading.
I intend to quit procrastinating to study before tests and quizzes.
When a new concept that I find difficulty with appears I will not wait to take time and try and understand it, I will do so as early as possible.
I procrastinate A LOT. I have since early childhood.
I need to start going in depth at home. I learn best from repetition and many trials.
I am going to stop procrastinating homework and studying for quizzes to hopefully get better grades on quizzes and the midterm.
I think the word "procrastinating" is explanation enough.
Making sure I submit post-lab reports and reading assignments on time will definitely help with my overall grade.
What I need to do is to do my work far earlier than I actually do it. I need to have a better work space and I also need to figure out where to fit it into my schedule.
I should also just do the homework on the day it is assigned.
I need to remember all my assignments.
I would get home and not study right away, which wastes possible reviewing time. After a long day it's hard to study as soon as I get home, but it’s getting easier to get right to it as the semester carries on.
Will quit putting off assignment till later because I may think something is easy, eventually all the theory and lessons build up and the material becomes complicated.
I wait until last minute to read which hurts my understanding. Usually I don’t allow enough time to go through all of the book examples.
Honestly, procrastinating is almost never as beneficial as doing work early and by finishing my work early, it gives me a chance to ask any questions that may arise before it's too late.
I think this is my downfall. I forgot to add that not studying for the quizzes until late after work hasn't helped me. Those so far are the things that are bringing my grade down the most.
I tend to procrastinate a lot especially when it comes to studying. I tend to start studying last minute so that is something I need to stop doing.
For the first midterm I had a fairly busy weekend so I became distracted. Before I knew it I had one day to study and this is what caused me to get such a bad grade on the midterm. For the next midterm and final I intend to study a week before the test so I can go into the test more prepared and not get another bad score.
skimming
Instead of glancing through material and concepts, I'm going to be more through in my understanding of said concepts and homework assignments.
I need to stop just skimming through the reading assignments, I've noticed I do that a lot. I mainly read the main points and look at the examples but I feel like I will succeed more in this class if I thoroughly read through each problem.
I intend to quit skimming the reading and read in more detail.
I need to read the book with a better and more focused attitude. I have a tendency to skim over the assigned chapters and not dive in when the reading gets tough.
I intend to try and understand the material the first time I read through the section in the text. I have a tendency to read through sections without fully grasping the concept and waiting until lecture to see examples. Physics is a conceptual class so it is imperative to try and understand the concepts immediately.
I really only glimpse at the book at time but maybe that's because of my bad time management.
slackingoff
There have been a few times where I slacked off and didn't fully complete an assignment. I just winged it and convinced myself I was fine and I didn't need any clarification.
Honestly, I think the best way to improve success is to dedicate more time outside of class to review/study. Many of the exam/quiz/worksheet problems are pretty involved, and have a lot of different components that need to be found/incorporated into formulas or applied into a logical paragraph.
I think if I practice more problems that I would get the concepts quicker on test and quizzes.
I need to quit being lazy outside of this class and do the homework and reading so I am able to do better on the quizzes and tests. I also need to quit missing the quizzes, I never intended to I just forgot they were that day.
stayinguplate
I think getting more sleep and not staying up as late would benefit me and help me to be more focused during class.
Proper sleep is key.
Start word tags:
askquestions
I need to start asking for help because asking for help will allow me to understand physics more. I tend not to ask questions because I get embarrassed when it seems like everyone in the class understood the problem/concept.
I need to do the opposite of what I am quitting! I need to fully finish assignments and ask questions when I need to instead of convincing myself I am okay.
Sometimes I'll hold off on asking questions. So far, I have been able to figure out the answers to my questions on my own but that will probably no longer be the case once we start doing more learning more difficult material.
betternotes
Sometimes in the process of lecture, my notes don't describe all the steps took in the math equations or the way certain equations were broken down. So to better understand physics, I'm going to work harder on notes.
I will start re-writing notes to increase my active studying styles and understand the more difficult material.
I rarely take notes for this class and when I do they're not very good. I love the notes that you consistently post on Twitter, so I usually just review those as if they were mine. But taking notes and actually writing the material down myself could help better my understanding of the material.
I intend to start filling in any blanks in my notes from the textbook to make them more thorough. Reading the textbook again after class (in addition to before class in the reading assignments) would likely be very helpful for reinforcing the material.
checkingmywork
On every quiz I have taken so far, I have always made a dumb mistake and missed a question that I 100% knew the answer to. I know that if I just take a little bit of extra time and check my answers when time permits, I can definitely do better on the quizzes.
earlier
Not telling myself to do something tomorrow when I could easily do it today.
I plan to start being better with my homework and out of class work. I will start to study before my quizzes and exams
freebodydiagrams
Since the beginning of class I had been haphazardly drawing free body diagrams not realizing the importance of them in expressing an understanding and analysis of forces acting on an object and other physics properties. Ever since the midterm I've realized that I need to START emphasizing an importance of drawing these diagrams when necessary as I believe that's where I missed the most points during the midterm.
gototutoringcenter
I need to start going to the library more often and get help from the physics tutors. They are only there to help and not judge, and its free so I need to start taking advantage of that because it will only benefit me.
I intend to go to the student success center after every weds lecture to do my work there and get all questions answered.
I feel like I need to start asking the teacher more questions, going to office hours and even going to the tutor every once in a while. I feel like that will help me a lot, even getting together with some other students I feel can be super-beneficial for me.
notskimming
Sadly, I had a hard time reading textbooks and the past few chapters I have skimmed the reading or have not read it at all. This may also be a large indicator of why I did so bad on the Midterm 1. I feel if I spend more time in reading the textbook I will understand the history of the physics and how to complete each problem with higher accuracy.
I need to be more thorough with the reading that we have before every class. I feel that if I didn't skim it as much as I do that it would make a huge impact on the knowledge that I gain from it.
now
This week.
officehours
I work a lot which makes it hard to attend office hours. Not attending office hours, however, hurt my midterm score severely so I need to find time.
photographingworksheets
It would be helpful to be able to refer back to the work we do in class and taking pictures is a simple solution to this issue.
I find the in-class worksheets very helpful in preparing for quizzes and exams. I would like to start taking a picture of the worksheets before doing them in class so I can go back later on and try to work them through on my own when studying.
practiceproblems
I tend to start practicing more on the newer concepts involving torque, and kinetic energy and momentum because as we get deeper into physics, it is harder for me to pick up newer concepts. I need to practice more of the homework to become fully confident in these types of problems.
I intend to do more problems all the way out on my own time to help practice math skills in physics.
I need to start practicing problems daily, including on weekends.
Something that I will start doing is more practice out of the textbook in order to get really good at using the equations and understanding how the concepts work.
I need to work out practice problems more consistently so that I'm comfortable with understanding the problems and with working out the math parts.
I intend to start doing extra practice problems in my free time versus waiting until I have a test or quiz. Because you have archived past quizzes and exams it is easy and convenient to find similar problems.
prioritizing
I need to start making more time for this class at home. I need to study more and look at more practice problems so I can understand the subject. I should ask questions when I need the help and not say I will figure it out later.
I need to make school #1 priority over my job. I lack to study because I'm working a lot and I'm "too tired" to read.
To take initiative will mean I need to plan and organize my priorities which will help with time management and thus become a better student.
I actually need to take it upon myself to take the class by the horns and try to really succeed.
CALCULATE HOW I'M GOING TO PASS BECAUSE DAMNNNN.
Make a consistent schedule on when to do certain assignments/reading etc. to get everything done ahead of time.
I bought a planner to keep my up to date and maintain my time better. Another student recommended it and it's proven very helpful to remember upcoming assignments.
reading
I intend to start reading through the corresponding chapters of the book for the quizzes and exams.
relaxing
I've noticed that I can go a little crazy when preparing for a quiz or test, so I think a little relaxation could help ease some unnecessary stress.
reviewing
I think I should start reviewing my physics lecture notes right after class every class in order to better understand and retain the information.
Review old notes and quizzes before the final.
Not try and do to much of the homework again, just review problems and the examples we worked out and trust my preparation. Trust in the work you have given us and showed to study with not to overload my self.
studygroups
I would like to try to study with some of my classmates more. I have found that in some of my other classes working on problems with my classmates and getting input from other perspectives has been beneficial in the past.
studymore
I should study more before tests.
I need to start studying more so I can get better grades on test and quizzes.
So, starting by dedicating more time outside of class to practice solving physics example problems, I hope to become more comfortable with breaking down word problems/figures into free body diagrams, and memorizing when and where to apply specific formulas when under certain conditions. The hardest thing about this class so far, is the fact that you have to take something that you've accepted and never really questioned, and begin applying different math and concepts to it. I took everything that moves in the real world for granted, and justified the way things are/act/move with just "because it does." Taking something that you've accepted and viewed with one (albeit ignorant) lens, and turning that around by trying to rationalize and understand it with numbers and concepts, I believe, is more difficult than just learning something entirely new with a fresh pair of eyes.
I need to start studying for the quizzes way more then I have been. I would like to get an "A" in the class and not just a "B." By studying for the quizzes harder, the easier it will be for me on the test.
Even though I did well on the first midterm I'm going to start studying on a daily basis. That way I know for a fact that I will do well on the next test instead of hoping I did well.
