How to succeed in competitive exams, by yourself!

If you visit our website, PhysicsAcademyOnline.com, you will find it easy to manoeuvre through a well-structured module to access a large number of video lectures on various topics of Physics.

Broadly speaking, these lectures are suitable for students at advanced school level and introductory college level anywhere in the world, with particular emphasis on + 2 Board and Competitive Examinations in India. For the convenience of the visitor, these lectures are arranged chapter-wise such as Motion in One and Two Dimensions, Newton’s Laws of Motion, Work and Energy, Rotational Mechanics, Gravitation (all under Mechanics), Fluid Statics, Surface Tension, Fluid Dynamics, Viscosity (all under Mechanics of Fluids), Thermal Expansion, Calorimetry, Kinetic Theory of Gases, Laws of Thermodynamics (all under Thermal Physics), Simple Harmonic Motion, Waves, Sound (all under Waves)…. and so on.

Under each chapter, the topics and subtopics are taught in the most scientific manner: the theories first, explained with diagrams and illustrated with simple problems (BASIC), followed by more challenging problems graded on the basis of difficulty level (ADVANCED). A student, depending on their aptitude and level of preparation, can choose any lecture and benefit immensely.

So, to put it in a nutshell, our guiding principle in teaching physics is: Theory First, Problems Next. We dare say this is quite distinctive pedagogy against recent trend of hurrying through the theories (or avoiding them altogether) and attempting problems with half-baked knowledge and dubious shortcuts.

The reason is not far to seek: competitive exam papers often contain problems only, and no theory-based questions. But how many students – to be more precise, what fraction of the total number of aspiring students – succeed in cracking those exams by this unscientific, cart-before-horse method of study? Very small indeed. Agreed that a minuscule fraction of students always succeed through their extraordinary talent by whatever approach.

A small fraction of students succeed by learning the “tricks” handed down by coaching ghettos in far-flung places, with long joyless hours of rote learning and a big “luck factor”.

But, as the results come out every year, a huge majority of sincere students keep wondering, “Where have I gone wrong? Did my preparation for Board Exam hamper my preparation for Competitive Exams? Is the idea of self-study at home with optimal outside guidance not sufficient for cracking Competitive Exams?”. And similar questions. We @ PhysicsAcademyOnline.com have answers to these questions, and more importantly, remedies.

Physics is a deep and interesting subject that requires your continuous attention. If the theories could be the horse that would pull the cart of problems and MCQs, always put the horse before the cart, and never the other way around.

Don’t learn the theories by rote, or cram some dry formulas without context. Understand how a theory evolves, a physical quantity is defined, a formula is derived, a physical law or principle applies to solve problems.

Do not leave grey areas where a concept or a derivation confuses you; clarify them with a good teacher. Trust me, if you understand the theories well, you are almost equipped with the technique and confidence to crack numerical problems and MCQs.

So, as you finish a topic/subtopic within a chapter, attempt simple, straightforward problems based on it. If you can’t solve one, see the hint and try again. This way, as you finish a chapter, you already have solved a number of entry-level problems. And – voila – solving these problems, in turn, firms your grip on the theory and boosts your confidence! That is your BASIC-LEVEL PREPARATION.

Now, you will attempt more challenging problems based on a single topic or a combination of topics done in the chapter. Sometimes, the solution may require additional inputs from topics done in other chapters. How helpful it would be if somebody could grade the problems, authentically, as follows: “least challenging”, “moderately challenging” and “most challenging”! Because that would jerk you up to the right spirit as you sit with pen and paper.

Honestly, at this point, you will require solid guidance to bridge the gap between theories and innovative problems. A good teacher will teach you again and again how to visualise the situation of a complex problem (sometimes with diagrams), connect it to relevant theories (which you understood so well), recall and apply the right formulas to find the unknown(s). We may call it “sharpening problem-solving skill” over and above sound theoretical knowledge. Of course, there may be more than one approaches towards a problem, and a shortcut method is always welcome to save time and energy. That is your ADVANCED-LEVEL PREPARATION.

I can foresee some of you whining at this point, “But where is the time?”. True, in less than two years, you have to excel in three to four subjects – Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics and Biology – in both Board and Competitive Exams. An arduous task indeed! As far as Physics is concerned, my advice is: Learn Physics in an inclusive way, as suggested above.

It will take care of both Board and Competitive Exams simultaneously. Since Board Exams stress upon theories and relatively simple problems, use the long hours in school/college to complete your basic-level preparation. Since Competitive Exams emphasise on innovative problems and MCQs, use the evening hours on weekdays and longer periods on holidays to complete your advanced-level preparation. Follow a good textbook, and seek guidance from a good teacher.

In case the options around you don’t satisfy you, drop in @ PhysicsAcademyOnline.com from the comfort of your home. You will be greeted with hundreds of hours of quality video lectures, available at a click of your mouse. Pick and play as many as you wish against a small charge. All lectures are made with the same vision: Learn Physics with a smile, to excel in Board and Competitive Exams.

Watch out for the next blog in the same space. Remember our motto: “Theory First, Problems Next”? We shall demonstrate how it always succeeds (unlike some dubious, fair-weather tricks) by choosing problems from contemporary competitive exam papers. Yes, you guessed it right! You yourself will solve them, with little guidance from us.

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