The Obstacles to Learning Physics and How to Overcome Them

Amongst students who take up physics, the most prevalent complaint is that they don’t seem to score the grades they desire. Regardless of the amount of effort they’ve put into studying for it, some simply can’t get high marks. It might even make the students feel like all the extra-study hours are pointless. Because of this, students feel disillusioned and those preparing to sit the exam will not know whether all the hard work will ever pay-off.

Disillusionment is a culmination of failing to overcome other obstacles beginning with setting unrealistic goals, poor time management, lack of understanding of the concepts, no feedback, doubt and eventually losing confidence and interest which later becomes disillusionment. Here’s how you can overcome these obstacles in learning physics, whether in the classroom or in physics tuition in Singapore.

Poor Time Management and Setting Unrealistic Goals

At the beginning of the school year, teachers would share the syllabus as well as recommended books and texts for reference. Most students make the mistake of setting a quota of pages to read, topics to cover or exercises to attempt. The same mistake often happens amongst many physics tuition classes also as they attempt to cover as much in the syllabus as possible.

However, a smart A level physics tutor for JC physics tuition will know that this will only make you less productive. Setting a “pages to read” or “topics to cover” target will encourage you to skip materials that seem hard to grasp or overlook areas that seem easy. However, what you skipped earlier on would eventually come up as a critical foundation on a subsequent concept and problem. Therefore, you’ll have a hard time comprehending it. Instead of rushing through the syllabus, put realistic targets to understand each concept thoroughly.

Having a Hard Time Understanding Difficult Concepts

The reason why students seem not to understand difficult concepts in physics is partly explained by the point above. Another reason is when they cannot relate what they are learning during their JC physics tuition with their daily lives. This way, physics becomes an abstract subject and often an unimaginative teacher is to blame.

However, you can overcome this first by planning your time and study schedule correctly. And if the concepts are difficult, enrol for physics tuition in Singapore with an experienced A level physics tutor who’ll help you relate what you learn with daily life.

Not Getting Feedback

Another “teacher-related” obstacle in learning physics is when students don’t get feedback in a timely manner. A level Physics problems frequently have several steps and when students are unable to solve, the speed at which they receive feedback is crucial. Timely feedback will help them understand where they went wrong (whether in calculation or in logic). However, late feedback is often a source of frustration.

If you realise that you have to wait for a week during your next physics tuition session to get some feedback, you’re not helpless. Seek the assistance of an A level physics tutor, even online, explain your challenge and get immediate feedback.

Doubt and Loss of Interest

A culmination of the first three obstacles is that students doubt their intelligence. They doubt if they are smart enough to master physics and view themselves as failures. Eventually, students start to lose interest. This is a mindset obstacle that you can overcome only by changing your mindset. Mindset transformation can help you overcome all these obstacles by instilling different beliefs in themselves. Teach students that learning Physics, just like any other subjects, requires patience and dedication. In time, they will achieve the results they wanted.