How to Study Effectively for AP Physics 1

If you are an upcoming student or currently taking this course, you will need to have the right study techniques and approach to in class exams! Physics takes a very nontraditional mindset in which many students struggle to adapt to. But, I promise that once it clicks, questions will become trivial and you will see that translate to improvements in your grades.

Here is an effective, non-time consuming, study plan to prepare you for any in class AP Physics 1 tests. 

(Yes, it works the day before even if you have done 0 preparation)

#1: "Prerequisites" 

Before jumping straight into reviewing, especially if your past results have not been up to your expectations, it's important to evaluate your current knowledge and resources. This means you have to tap back to key physics fundamentals and concepts, or address any holes you may have.

But how? A technique I like to use is to tackle practice problems right away, usually being a multiple choice question. I will write out my thinking and detail my thought processes. Use the final result as a baseline in which you can then ask your teacher for critiques and suggestions.

In addition, Physics is also a math-oriented course. Hence the recommendation for the completion of Geometry, and concurrent enrollment in Algebra 2. Yet, you will find that a shaky background in math will hurt you on derivation problems, and variable based expressions. A common trap is for students to become number dependent. So, it's never too late to touch up on your trigonometry or algebra skills!

#2: Practice Problems (30 minutes)

Review time! You are NOT going straight to your notes or textbook! The key is to get your brain trained on problem solving, instead of memorizing. This simple exercise will expedite natural active recall.

As you complete these practice problems, you need to start gauging your weaknesses. I recommend you to review your old assignments and pull problems from there. Chances are, there will be similar questions on the test. After a couple sets, you should start feeling comfortable with the general idea of the unit, the types of equations you need to use, and key concepts.

#3: Video/Textbook Review (45 minutes)

At this point, it is OK to still feel lost and not totally confident. That changes by investing time into proactively reviewing. 

Create a system of resources; you should be making a "one pager" or summary page for all the notes you review. Aim to fill this up as much as you can with video supplements from your new best friends Flipping Physics and Bozeman Science (both absolute lifesavers!) - but do not just copy it down! Write in your own words, words that speak to you and dilute the subject into simpler components.

#4: Test Taking Strategies

Arguably just as important as reviewing the concept is knowing how to take tests. It's a challenging skill in itself and not for everyone, but unfortunately the education system is organized in these rigid silos. 

Here are a couple tips/tricks to help you score higher on AP Physics 1 tests:

• Refer to your reference sheet often. 

It'll help you formulate new ideas and connections you wouldn't have before.

• Draw diagrams. 

Visuals help you process what the question is asking, giving you the opportunity to apply your knowledge.

• Read the entire question. 

Many questions have tiny caveats which you will miss if you skim. Read carefully and underline.

• Identity variables.

List given information (knowns) and what you need to find (unknowns) to formulate relevancy.

• Skip difficult questions.

Most tests are given a scale or curve. Sulking over one question is a big time waste and kills your momentum + confidence.

• Use all your time.

Don't be like me! Pace yourself correctly and do not slow down if you are working through the problems quickly - but take advantage of any extra time to extensively redo problems for confirmation.

That's all! Put in the effort and I ensure you that the results will follow. 

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Want some extra review and practice? Check out our AP Physics 1 Playlist:

• includes 7 unit FULL CONTENT REVIEW 

• 1 hour long AP CRAM

• unreleased FRQ + MCQ practice problems from international exams