Physics Tutorial Center

Tutee Responsibilities

All tutees should be sure they have met these criteria before coming to the PTC for assistance. Doing so will help you learn, and will make the best use of both your time and the tutors.

Keep positive – Physics can be exciting, because it describes how everything in our universe works, from the inside of stars to the inside of your CD player. The problem solving techniques you learn in physics can be applied everywhere, from medicine to finance to psychology. Remember, your tutor is majoring in physics, they love understanding how things work. Try to let their enthusiasm rub off on you.

Read the book – You expect to read the book for any course in literature, history, or biology. The same is true for physics. You should read the material, slowly and carefully, and try to make sense of it. Don’t skip the equations, they are just as important as the text.

Work example problems – Often, a concept that may be confusing while reading can be made easy by looking carefully through the example problems. Read each step carefully, and be sure you understand which steps used an aspect of physics (some law or formula we know by studying nature), or just mathematics. Try to reproduce each step on your own, make sure you can reach the same steps as the book.

Try solving the problems first – You will learn the material far better by struggling with the problem first. Your tutor will probably ask to see your work so far so they can better assess your strengths and weaknesses; they may also ask you to explain carefully what you have done to solve the problem so far. If you haven’t made a genuine attempt to solve the problem, your tutor may ask you to attempt a solution first before working with you.

Have specific questions – This may range from needing help on a particular problem to needing help understanding a concept. Either way, you should have a clear idea of what you are hoping to get from your session with the tutor, and should try to let them know.

Don’t cram – Physics is much akin to a mental sport; you must practice and exercise your mind if you expect to perform well. Trying to study the material the week before is a recipe for disaster.

Know you aren’t alone – Anyone can succeed in physics, but no one can succeed in physics without hard work. That covers everyone from Albert Einstein to your tutor to you. All of us must struggle to learn a new way of looking at the world. The payoff is that this new vision can be applied anywhere critical thinking skills are needed and complex problems must be analyzed. Form study groups with your classmates and help each other solve the problems and learn the concepts, and you’ll find that often your strengths and weaknesses complement each other.

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