Posted by alexandra_k on December 19, 2014, at 18:35:19
In reply to Re: wrecked the bar, posted by alexandra_k on December 15, 2014, at 18:13:05
we had a conceptual physics textbook for the physics class i just did. the focus was on the concepts rather than equations. in our assignments / exams we did have conceptual questions... but we also had equations. and i struggled with both, to be fair.
i got to looking at the 'proper' physics textbooks. they are wonderful! so very much better! perhaps i needed the conceptual physics as a platform... but these other textbooks have short descriptions... describing the equations, basically. then present a problem where the solution is going to involve using the equation. then presenting a strategy which involves a description of a line of reasoning for solving the problem. then their worked solution. then a discussion about the working...
and the discussion is explicit about the algebraic substitutions that they used in their solution (the absence of which makes it very f*ck*ng hard for me to follow the worked solution). to the extent that i can actually follow (with a lot of effort). rather than going off about derivations (which is too complicated for me since they themselves involve substitutions which prevent my following the derivation) and confusing the hell out of me.
a wonderful textbook is a wonderful thing!
that textbook is the textbook for biological physics. then i took a look at the textbook for the summer school paper and it is so very similar! i actually have a hope in learning from them!
maybe it is just where i am at now that i have done some... i still do have some trouble with scientific notation and unit conversions... but the textbook explained it in a way i've never seen with setting up the scientific notation as a dimensional analysis / unit conversion... anyway... it is seeming a lot clearer to me. i do need to practice... but it is a beautiful thing when what was so very murky... when clarity begins to emerge. a wonderful feeling, indeed.
the summer school course is a bit compressed, i think. mechanics, electricity, wave motion, optics. no gases! no thermodynamics! it does say something about deriving a wave equation using 'simple calculus'... but that is the only mention of calculus...
i am looking forward to it :)
chemistry, too. back on track. i love my model kit. i made seroquel (just - used up ALL my carbon!) i don't quite have enough to have a model of each of the functional groups that we need to know (all set up at the same time)... but fortunately i will have another model kit arrive early next week :)
physics IS helpful for exposure / practice with equations / algebra / graphical relationships etc. I think I will have a MUCH easier time of kinetics etc that we do for chemistry after doing more physics... and i'll go bonkers if i don't have something scheduled... summer school will be fun, yeah.
i haven't given up on medicine. or on science. it is helping to motivate me knowing that law is a viable option for me... it helps me feel competent and like working on something is worthwhile. it helps me feel... secure. it is important to me to do well at what i do, yeah. i think i could be good at physics / chemistry... it is just really hard to stay curious and motivated and enjoying things that so many others ridicule... and it is also really hard to find instruction at the right level...
poster:alexandra_k
thread:1058481
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/social/20141123/msgs/1074372.html