If there are two things that the American sitcom The Big Bang Theory and award-winning movie Everything Everywhere All At Once taught us, it's that Physics is certainly multi-dimensional (or multiverse) and they mean differently to different people.
For characters like Sheldon Cooper and Leonard Hofstadter, Physics is how they roll.
For the Daniels (Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert), Physics is one of the main plots of their biggest and most successful production throughout their media career.
For some of you now, Physics is a key subject that you'll be taking for your pre-university studies before you pursue a Science related degree like an engineering degree, computer science, data science, artificial intelligence and so forth.
If you are currently an A-Level student, you're in the right place.
In this article, we will be looking at five main learning resources that you can utilise to master A-Level Physics more effectively.
#1: Notes That Contain Summary Of Each Topic (Bullet Points, Diagrams and Tables)
Whether it's handwritten notes or typed notes from your lecture slides or course textbooks, you'll need a bit of everything.
In fact, making notes is not a waste of time because you are being an active learner as you are writing them down.
Think about it. You have to first understand the key concepts, simplify them and write them in your own words. The more you do it, the better you'll remember them too.
It's important to summarise at the end of every topic because your brain will need to pick them up as a cue to relate everything that is covered in the whole chapter.
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For example, when it comes to revising the chapter on electricity, the summary should consist of brief definitions of electric current, potential difference and power, resistance and resistivity as well as the relevant formulas of these concepts.
Bear in mind that there are 25 chapters that you will learn throughout your A-Level Physics subject. While you will be tested on different papers (for AS and A-Level topics), you'll never know what questions will be asked eventually.
By the time you reach the final lap of revision, you'll probably rely on straightforward mind maps and bullet points to get a brief overview of each chapter before practising with non-stop sample questions and past-year papers.
Don't forget to read these tips to master your A-Level Physics papers.
#2: Repeat Listening To Physics Tutorials (Q and A)
One way to make your learning journey more engaging and diverse is to make good use of a variety of learning resources.
Let's be honest. Not everyone is fond are starting at notes and books for one whole afternoon. Some of us tend to focus better when we are watching or listening to something.
In other words, audiovisual learning could be more appealing and more effective in the long run.
If you belong to this category, you can constantly watch many A-Levels Physics tutorials on Youtube or even download them whenever you are free. Whether it's a complete topic tutorial or a Q and A tutorial on past year's questions, you'll definitely learn better with them.
Don't miss this article on the latest examination structure and marking scheme for your A-Level Physics papers.
#3: Practicing With Past Year Questions
It's now time to put what you have learnt to the test.
When you practice with past year questions, you get to experience the following benefits.
Firstly, you can clearly identify your strengths and weaknesses. By doing the questions, you'll know what topics you are less confident and competent in. You can tell by the time that you spent on doing the questions as well as how you present the final answers.
Secondly, you can gain an overview of how the questions are asked in terms of the breakdown of the topics, questioning styles, commonly used keywords and also mark allocation for each paper.
Thirdly, you can easily notice the recurring patterns of even repeated questions when you are answering the factual paper. Don't be surprised to see the same questions that were asked two years ago. Practising with past year papers will give you the upper hand because you are building a sense of familiarity and also brushing your "prediction skills" as you are answering the questions.
For instance, the more past year questions you have completed on magnetic fields, the better you can answer during the actual papers.
Fourthly, you are more likely to develop a better answering technique for each paper in terms of planning your points as well as time management. That's because you already know what the questions expect from you and also the exact marking scheme of each component.
Last but not least, let's not forget that any form of examination is actually a psychological battle. When you constantly practice with past year papers, you are unknowingly building your "Physics muscle memory". Your brain will let you know that you have seen these similar questions, understood these similar questions and masterfully answered these questions correctly.
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This in turn will develop your confidence to answer all the papers of your A-Level Physics throughout the semesters.
You can either visit your nearest bookstores to get hold of collection A-Level Physics past year questions as well as specimen papers or access them online via several student blogs. Remember to check if they also come with complete answers and grading criteria.
That way, you have won half the battle to ace your A-Level Physics papers.
#4: Private Tutoring
Having personalised guidance is one effective way to enhance your learning experience regardless of the learning subject.
When it comes to A-Level Physics tutoring, you can find many good Physics tutors in different parts of Malaysia.
Not sure where to start looking for one?
Introducing to you Superprof, a global tutoring platform that connects students and tutors in just a few clicks.
As soon as you have arrived at the Superprof homepage, you can select Physics as your desired subject and indicate your current location. From there, the system will direct you to a wide selection of tutors that offer their services near your city.
Some of the cities that are covered so far include:
- Subang Jaya
- Seberang Perai
- Kuching
- Miri
- Kangar
- Kuala Lumpur
- Shah Alam
- Seremban
- Pasir Gudang
- Tanah Merah
- Kota Kinabalu
- Iskandar Puteri
- Petaling Jaya
- Georgetown
- Melaka
- Ipoh and many more
Having said that, you can also opt for online lessons if you prefer a more flexible learning environment. That way, you can also save a lot on transportation and time because you can learn from the comfort of your home.
Also, online lessons at Superprof are generally 20% cheaper than physical lessons.
As you are browsing through the tutors' profiles, you can read up on their basic information which includes their qualifications, years of teaching, learning mode (physical/online lessons), teaching methodology and style, their hourly rates as well as their past students' reviews.
In other words, you get the final say in terms of the teaching methodology, hourly rate as well as learning location before you eventually begin the first A-Level Physics lesson. From there, you can discuss with your tutor your learning expectations and finalise the payment details via the inbox feature through the tutor's profile.
You can say that it's pretty convenient, easy and safe to find a Physics tutor with Superprof!
#5: Teaching A Friend (Group Study)
You've read through the notes, listened to and watched the tutorials, practised your heart with the past year's questions and had private tutoring, there's one final thing left to seal the deal.
While we teach, we learn. -Philosopher, Seneca.
Nothing beats the satisfaction of teaching someone what you have learnt and seeing that they fully understand what's been taught.
Granted that self-studying can be quite lonely at times, you can form a group study with your fellow coursemates and take turns teaching one another. For example, if there are four of you in a group, everyone can take 3 chapters according to the syllabus respectively and provide a short tutorial based on the topic.
That way, you not only get to immerse yourself in the teaching process (as you read through and prepare to memorise the key concepts), but you also get to learn all the topics from different angles within a short period of time.
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You won't feel pressured to memorise so much information at one go and you can take the time to dive deep into each topic and also ask questions freely in between.
Also, as you are learning with friends, you can also immediately help one another through the consistent exchange of ideas, reviewing the final answers for sample exercises and even supporting one another emotionally.
For those times when you are stuck on the same question or feeling down, having a group study will help you to persevere and press on until you experience a breakthrough.
In the long run, you'll not only develop a sense of responsibility and self-discipline towards your studies, but you will also be more motivated to study and do well in your actual papers because it puts you in a good mood too.
We hope you have found this article useful. With the right resources and methods, the journey to master your A-Level Physics can be enjoyable as one episode of The Big Bang Theory. You got this!
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