Are you ready to dive into a subject that reveals the secrets of our physical world? If the answer is yes, you’re in luck! Physics is your gateway to understanding the principles that shape our universe, and this exciting journey starts right here in Hwa Chong!
Tips
Be realistic about your goals
Setting attainable and realistic goals is important in many things that we do — including physics. The jump from the Secondary School syllabus to the Junior College syllabus is significant and will take a bit of time to get used to. Do not be surprised or discouraged when your test results come back less than satisfactory, as it is normal to struggle in the face of a more rigorous syllabus. Setting practical goals would not only help to give you an achievable target to work towards, but it also helps to boost self-confidence when you meet those goals. Goals act as stepping stones, tracking your progress towards the eventual goal — A Levels.
Clarify any doubts
The first few chapters of the H2 Physics syllabus have already been taught in Secondary School, but it is essential to continue to pay attention and not get over complacent when learning those topics. Try to resolve any doubts or questions that you might face with your teacher as early as possible, as many times topics are closely related and a concept in the earlier chapters may be important for the subsequent chapters. For example, Chapter 6 (Circular Motion) provides insight to the next topic, Chapter 7 (Gravitational Field), and fully grasping the concepts of Circular Motion would make understanding Gravitational Field much more manageable!
Do your Practices
In the lecture notes given to students, there will be 3 types of questions to do. First of all, while going through the content for the chapter, there will be “examples”, which are basic questions to help students apply what they have just learnt. Usually, a video explaining the solution will be uploaded online, giving students a full detailed explanation on the correct way to solve the problem. Subsequently, at the end of the chapter, there are “Self-Review Questions”, which are generally simple and can be easily solved by directly applying concepts earlier learnt in the chapter. Lastly, there are “Discussion Questions”, which are more challenging and require a deeper understanding of the topic to solve. They sometimes combine concepts from different topics and are usually taken from past internal examinations or the A-Level Papers. Make an effort to attempt all the questions and it will greatly help you have a better understanding of the topic!
What are some potential career pathways through taking Physics?
Choosing to read H2 Physics for A-Levels opens up many opportunities and courses in University. Most of the engineering courses, including computer engineering, state taking Physics as a prerequisite to qualify for the course. Interestingly, architecture also states it will be good for applicants to have read Physics, although not a requirement.
For more details about the prerequisites for courses in University, you can always take a look online!
Ready to begin your journey?
The interconnected nature of various topics in Physics, twisting and turning around the core of understanding the universe, makes it impossible to isolate the topics from one another. At the end of the day, reading Physics as a subject helps to train many soft skills, such as taking a methodical approach to solving problems. From learning how to address the problem at hand, to systematically applying related concepts to solve the issue, these problem-solving skills extend far beyond simply doing well for Physics. Your passion and curiosity for this subject should be the main driving force of motivation behind studying Physics, and your seniors wish you all the best!
H2 Physics Syllabus:
Written by: Wayne Tan (23S66)
Edited by: Tay Jil-lene (23S6T)
Comments