I Have an Issue With Physics... (1 Viewer)

[bujolover]

Hi guys,
So...I hate physics. Not only do I fail to understand it, but the teacher doesn't even teach us properly (he just talks and gives us a bunch of worksheets to do without giving us any notes) and I honestly just hate everything about it because of that. I don't even like the context/applications of it - they're just plain boring to me and full of content that I need to memorise because I lack the interest to try and understand it. Honestly, I don't even like the mathematical part of it, as I don't understand how to do harder questions (I can do basic substitution, but beyond that, I can't do any mathematical physics problems somehow, although Maths is one of my strengths). I even did really badly in the recent exam (I didn't fail, but still really bad). I feel like I'm getting more and more behind in it every day, and while it's only Yr 11, if I don't do significantly better in one other subject that I haven't been getting good marks in either, I'll be forced to take physics in Yr 12 since it's the highest-scaled of my non-Maths/English subjects (not my choice :/ ), which would be disastrous!

Can anyone give me any tips for pulling off an 85 (no higher, but I want to do well in it at least) to make it through Yr 11 (I want to try and study more for the other subject I haven't been doing particularly well in so that I can do much better in it, so that I get to do it in Yr 12 rather than physics)?

P.S. Please don't suggest tutoring, as that will just make it worse. My parents want me to go since I'm doing badly in phys, but I hate the subject to the extent that I literally do nothing in class at school for it. I literally sit there for entire lessons doing other subjects/bludging around in general. I've even stopped studying it altogether, so chances are, if I go tutoring, I'll just go to the tutoring class, bludge around/fall asleep, absorb nothing and come home, having wasted valuable time and money.

 

[pikachu975]

Firstly don't pick a subject because of it's scaling because it's really hard to do well in a subject you hate because you won't be bothered studying for it and won't be interested with the content.

Year 12 physics is very different to year 11 because I feel like year 12 has more memorising I guess and also more difficult conceptual stuff such as relativity and quantum mechanics. If you're interested in these conceptual ideas (which year 11 lacks) then you might find year 12 physics interesting.

There really isn't many calculations, last year had like 13 marks out of 75 with calculations (using your calculator/equations to solve stuff sort of questions) in the HSC so I think it's more about applying content, so don't worry about not being able to do the maths. Most of the maths is unfortunately subbing into equations. Projectile motion you just use equations and you said maths is one of your strong points so it's just 5 formulas and you manipulate them (e.g. make 't' the subject, sub into another formula) to solve questions. The rest of the maths is mainly manipulating and using formulas but some questions can be pretty hard with the wording or the scenario if you like a challenge.

To get above 85 I think you have to at least force yourself to like the subject because there's a lot of challenging stuff to understand which will require extra reading at home. Also there's more rote stuff like society questions so basically it'll be a bit boring AT TIMES but some of the stuff is interesting (depending on your preferences).

Also you won't get 85 if you never study for physics in year 12 so it's fine to not study for it now, but next year you have to study equally for physics and don't neglect it.

Remember, HSC is about maximising strengths and minimising weaknesses, so don't neglect physics.

 

[boredsatan]

Hi guys,
So...I hate physics. Not only do I fail to understand it, but the teacher doesn't even teach us properly (he just talks and gives us a bunch of worksheets to do without giving us any notes) and I honestly just hate everything about it because of that. I don't even like the context/applications of it - they're just plain boring to me and full of content that I need to memorise because I lack the interest to try and understand it. Honestly, I don't even like the mathematical part of it, as I don't understand how to do harder questions (I can do basic substitution, but beyond that, I can't do any mathematical physics problems somehow, although Maths is one of my strengths). I even did really badly in the recent exam (I didn't fail, but still really bad). I feel like I'm getting more and more behind in it every day, and while it's only Yr 11, if I don't do significantly better in one other subject that I haven't been getting good marks in either, I'll be forced to take physics in Yr 12 since it's the highest-scaled of my non-Maths/English subjects (not my choice :/ ), which would be disastrous!

Can anyone give me any tips for pulling off an 85 (no higher, but I want to do well in it at least) to make it through Yr 11 (I want to try and study more for the other subject I haven't been doing particularly well in so that I can do much better in it, so that I get to do it in Yr 12 rather than physics)?

P.S. Please don't suggest tutoring, as that will just make it worse. My parents want me to go since I'm doing badly in phys, but I hate the subject to the extent that I literally do nothing in class at school for it. I literally sit there for entire lessons doing other subjects/bludging around in general. I've even stopped studying it altogether, so chances are, if I go tutoring, I'll just go to the tutoring class, bludge around/fall asleep, absorb nothing and come home, having wasted valuable time and money.

If you hate a subject the best thing to do would be to drop the subject

 

[bujolover]

If you hate a subject the best thing to do would be to drop the subject

I know, but I have to keep it for another 1 1/2-ish terms at least before Yr 12. :/ I can't drop the subject now; I still need my 12 units. I really want to drop it in Yr 12, but IDK, it depends on my parents...I haven't even been doing well in biology, though, which I like a little bit more than physics. Only if I do really better in bio than in phys, I'll be allowed to drop phys. This is because phys has significantly higher scaling than bio, which means that even if I do not so good in phys, I'd get a higher HSC mark at the end of the day for it than if I got only 5% raw higher for bio (which, btw, is where I'm actually sitting currently). I'm gonna try and do bio really well for the rest of Yr 11 in that case, because, according to what pikachu975 says about the HSC course, physics only seems to be getting harder to me by the looks of it, and I'll only get more demotivated, and who knows, I might even fail it in Yr 12 if I keep it.

 

[pikachu975]

I know, but I have to keep it for another 1 1/2-ish terms at least before Yr 12. :/ I can't drop the subject now; I still need my 12 units. I really want to drop it in Yr 12, but IDK, it depends on my parents...I haven't even been doing well in biology, though, which I like a little bit more than physics. Only if I do really better in bio than in phys, I'll be allowed to drop phys. This is because phys has significantly higher scaling than bio, which means that even if I do not so good in phys, I'd get a higher HSC mark at the end of the day for it than if I got only 5% raw higher for bio (which, btw, is where I'm actually sitting currently). I'm gonna try and do bio really well for the rest of Yr 11 in that case, because, according to what pikachu975 says about the HSC course, physics only seems to be getting harder to me by the looks of it, and I'll only get more demotivated, and who knows, I might even fail it in Yr 12 if I keep it.

The scaling of physics isn't significantly higher than bio, it's kinda similar but bio it's kinda easier to get marks since there's no really difficult concept to understand it's more so applying content to questions.

I thought understanding some stuff in y11 was kinda harder though (maybe because of how it was taught or didn't try that hard in y11) but maybe keep it for a term and see if you like physics

 

[Mathew587]

Tbh, I'd keep the subjects atleast until the end of the first term of the HSC. You may like it idk. Try put in more effort and give it a shot. Also you can get help from other teachers dont forget.
However if you still can't understand it and doing badly, just drop if you don't think you can handle it.

 

[bujolover]

Tbh, I'd keep the subjects atleast until the end of the first term of the HSC. You may like it idk. Try put in more effort and give it a shot. Also you can get help from other teachers dont forget.
However if you still can't understand it and doing badly, just drop if you don't think you can handle it.

I know it might sound lame, but my parents say that I shouldn't do any extra units in Yr 12 for even a single day, as it kinda wastes time, and the HSC year is not a time to be wasted. They have a point, though, especially since my time management is really crappy. :/

 

[bujolover]

The scaling of physics isn't significantly higher than bio, it's kinda similar but bio it's kinda easier to get marks since there's no really difficult concept to understand it's more so applying content to questions.

I thought understanding some stuff in y11 was kinda harder though (maybe because of how it was taught or didn't try that hard in y11) but maybe keep it for a term and see if you like physics

Scaling isn't really important if you're getting high-90s raw anyway, but assuming I get (worst-case) 80s, considering my current performance (can't honestly be certain as to how much I'll change in Yr 12), then the scaling actually matters (if you look at Matrix scaling graphs, you'll see they differ more as you go to the lower percentiles).

 

[Lumenoria]

God I feel you so much, your attitude towards physics is exactly the same as mine towards biology. I have absolutely no interest in it whatsoever, so I literally just do nothing in class. I haven't ever touched my biology book at home to study, because the subject is so terrible that I can't even bring myself to memorise shit, let alone understand it. It's gotten to the point where I'm failing and I don't even care because passing would require focus on the subject, which is not worth my misery at this point. I walk into exams praying that my brain retains some aspect of the little attention I periodically pay towards the teacher in class. I'm literally getting 80-90s across all my subjects except for biology, where my mark is around the low 50s hahahah. I'm so keen to drop it in Year 12. Good luck man! This is such a tough situation but you'll get through it


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[pikachu975]

Scaling isn't really important if you're getting high-90s raw anyway, but assuming I get (worst-case) 80s, considering my current performance (can't honestly be certain as to how much I'll change in Yr 12), then the scaling actually matters (if you look at Matrix scaling graphs, you'll see they differ more as you go to the lower percentiles).

Just put in the work for physics next year it's all rote learning like bio except physics is more difficult to understand, but they're both just rote learning so just put in the effort and you can get a b6.

You already rote learn bio and english so you can probably extend that to physics too! If you really need tutoring I recommend fizzycyst he's pretty entertaining so it could make physics fun your choice though.

 

[Mathew587]

I know it might sound lame, but my parents say that I shouldn't do any extra units in Yr 12 for even a single day, as it kinda wastes time, and the HSC year is not a time to be wasted. They have a point, though, especially since my time management is really crappy. :/

wth no thats wrong. if you think you can handle it, keep it otherwise drop. dw you have time but you really have to put in a lott of effort,

 

[boredsatan]

I know, but I have to keep it for another 1 1/2-ish terms at least before Yr 12. :/ I can't drop the subject now; I still need my 12 units. I really want to drop it in Yr 12, but IDK, it depends on my parents...I haven't even been doing well in biology, though, which I like a little bit more than physics. Only if I do really better in bio than in phys, I'll be allowed to drop phys. This is because phys has significantly higher scaling than bio, which means that even if I do not so good in phys, I'd get a higher HSC mark at the end of the day for it than if I got only 5% raw higher for bio (which, btw, is where I'm actually sitting currently). I'm gonna try and do bio really well for the rest of Yr 11 in that case, because, according to what pikachu975 says about the HSC course, physics only seems to be getting harder to me by the looks of it, and I'll only get more demotivated, and who knows, I might even fail it in Yr 12 if I keep it.

fair enough, maybe try getting a tutor for some help?

 

[bujolover]

fair enough, maybe try getting a tutor for some help?

Please read my original post to see why I don't want to go. ^^

 

[pikachu975]

Please read my original post to see why I don't want to go. ^^

Being bored isn't really an excuse not to go tutoring because why do you think many people go english tutoring in the state?

 

[andrew12678]

Please read my original post to see why I don't want to go. ^^

I can understand your dilemma, if you're failing to concentrate in the class environment then small group/class tuition definitely won't help, but maybe give private 1 on 1 tuition a try with a tutor who can hopefully inspire you and seek if it works? You can always choose to stop if it doesn't work. You never know what can happen if you don't try.

 

[boredofstudiesuser1]

Please read my original post to see why I don't want to go. ^^

It's ok boredsatan - you tried