How to Study

Most people learn best through a combination of sequential and parallel processes. Even when the material is presented in a sequential fashion, as in a book, most people study the material by moving forward and backward through the book as they focus on and review the information. Similarly, it has been found that when the material is presented in a parallel or web-like fashion, most people learn best by moving sequentially through first one branch and then another.

It is up to you to learn how far you should move up the tree before climbing back down and proceeding horizontally to a different branch. To some extent this depends upon what you intend to get out of the course. If your goal is simply to satisfy conceptual curiosity, you should remain on the very lowest branches of the tree. If you want to acquire some quantitative ability, you will need to climb a little higher. If you want to be able to work some serious problems, go even higher. If you want to be able to understand the more difficult applications, go higher yet. If you want to master the whole subject, go to the highest branches available.

If you want to get college credit for the course, we recommend that you do a combination of the above. Specifically, you should remain on the lower levels of the tree until you have mastered the basic concepts. Then you should move up one of the branches and master the material on the next page. Make sure you have gone through each example, worked enough of the problems on that page to build your confidence, and taken the self-quiz. Then, either move up another page or go back down the tree and start up another branch. In any case, follow the Syllabus to make sure you have mastered the required material within the specified time frame.

E-M Home Page/Introduction/Structure/

This page adapted with permission from the similar page
constructed by Dr. Lionel D. Hewett for his course
Modern Physics 1.