Interview With Physics Tutor Adam From The TutorOcean Marketplace
In this podcast you will learn: 👉The single most useful advice when learning physics 👉Why confidence is important and failure means success in the long term 👉How to enable your child to a journey of lifelong learning 👉Some tips and tricks for learning physics 👉What Taylor Series is and its importance in physics 👉Misconceptions about physics and physicists 👉Great tools for learning physics 👉The difference between physical and digital tutoring from a tutor’s standpoint 👉Good study habits for learning physics 👉What can you do with a physics degree 👉What are the different branches of physics
Introduction
Adam Aker is a leading Math and Physics Tutor. He’s a current PhD hopeful. His specific interest is in data-driven construction of mathematical models.
Adam is a Physics tutor at Tutor Ocean. Students are now back to school and ready to learn more about what it takes to learn Math and Physics. Adam is doing his PhD in Physics. He’s interested in generating models directly from data using machine learning. This is like the intersection of Math, Physics, and Programming. Adam has a love for learning. Besides Physics and Math, he’s learning many languages. Adam studies Spanish, German, Russian, and Ukrainian. What Adam explains though is that he’s a pure Math guy.
He used to hate it until he understood it!The reason he hated it is because no one ever explained how to do a proof and once he learned how – it was actually fun.The most challenging thing about learning is understanding the proof. You see this in (algebra or calculus). A student may feel like a fish out of water when you don’t know this important piece. Adam explained no math covers it. Once you understand how logic works and that logic is the language of math, it all becomes easier.
Adam recommends parents get a tutor for their kids. Students need help understanding this. It would have helped Adam to have someone explain how to do this. It would have given him the foundation to succeed earlier on.Adam used to go through the motions of pure math, but the logic wasn’t there. It all clicked when he understood why it worked. This is why you’re doing it. Understanding the logic feels better!
The Single Most Useful Advice When Learning Physics
Adam says that finding passion is the key to learning physics. If it’s hard to find passion in physics itself, it helps to find something about physics they do care about. Apply physics to something you’re interested in and the passion will build.
When Adam tutors or assists students with physics at universities he asks, “What can you conclude from this data?” Discover the why behind the math. Why are we doing this? What is the meaning behind the data you’re working with?
If you’re not passionate about it then try and find something within it that you do love.
Why Confidence Is Important and Failure Means Success in the Long Term
Students often feel silly asking questions. A bad question risks laughter and all eyes are on them (or so they feel). Having the confidence to ask questions anyways will take a student far.
People are capable of doing the hard things to build confidence. This is part of learning. “Failure is part of the process,” Adam says, “Failure is a learning opportunity.” When you fail and try the next time, you fail less which leads to success.
Finding that confidence can be fun. Adam found a gravitational pull toward math and physics. He also loved exploring languages. Adam likes learning the differences in how people communicate. Exploring the idiosyncrasies of the way people communicate is fascinating to him.
How to Enable Your Child on a Journey of Lifelong Learning
Help your child develop a love of learning. Adam explains your child should try things. We don’t have control over what we like in life. It takes trial and error to figure that out. The more you try the more you know.
The more you try things in life, the more you know yourself. Parents can help their children have more to choose from by encouraging a sense of exploration. If you want to be a lifelong learner you must have more experience to get to know yourself.
Some Tips and Tricks for Learning Physics
We asked Adam to share some tips and tricks to help students who are learning physics. Here’s what he said.
Study Tip: When it comes to quizzes and tests, Adam says to make a cheat sheet. Even though you can’t use it in class, it forces your brain to organize. It helps your mind be fresh for the test.
If you don’t understand the equation for the cheat sheet you have to do the work and practice to figure it out. Make your cheat sheet a good one, do the job well, and understand all the formulas. This tip will lead to success.
Taylor Series: If you are taking physics as a major, Adam says, “Get really good at Taylor Series.” You use it so many times
What Taylor Series Is and Its Importance in Physics
Listen at 19:10 when Adam explains Taylor Series.
Be Humble: To be a great physics student Adam says the key is to be humble. 99% of people hit a wall that stops them. It doesn’t matter how smart you are. You’ll be wrong, you’ll make mistakes. In physics, you’ve got to be humble and cultivate a sense that being wrong is not a big deal. When you know how to recognize when you’re wrong and how to move forward you’ll make great strides. You can learn to be humble.
The Importance Of Study Breaks
Take a Break: When you feel frustrated or you don’t have a positive outlook Adam says the first thing to do is take a break. If you’re frustrated and it’s weighing you down, take a walk. Eat some food, have a shower, have tea, and relax. Once you find that happy place then go back and understand where the problem is.
You may need a tutor or someone who can ask the question and have you explore why you’re doing it the way you are. Working out a problem with someone else is like debugging code. A fresh pair of eyes, from someone knowledgeable on the subject, can make a difference.
Why Adam Aker Is a Leading Math and Physics Tutor
Adam helped a student to go from frustration to the head of the class. The student came to Adam confused about the class, Partial Differential Equation class. Support can go a long way. – hear the story at 29:02
A tutor helps to show alternative ways of approaching the work that the student couldn’t see. Adam helps his students reach top grades. Some have gone from D’s to B’s.
Adam says he likes to solve problems. He finds it fun. This helps him be passionate about helping others. I have always loved sharing knowledge once I have it.
Tutoring came naturally to Adam. While taking a Differential Equations course he would work on the homework and answer many questions in class. A classmate came to him for help and they worked together. This one classmate turned into 2, 4, and 6. His group continued to grow. It was his natural tendency to help others before it was his job.
What Is a Common Myth About Physicists?
Physics gets a rep for being very esoteric, and not very grounded. Is reality even real? Sensational headlines promote stereotypes. For Adam physics is very down-to-earth and practical.
He explains, “A lion knows physics very well. What a lion can do is calculate exactly how it needs to position itself to get its prey.”
Here Are Some Tools and Tips Adam Shares:
Adam loves online tools like Youtube, Zoom, and Skype. He believes you can do the learning online (Adam knows this is controversial for some people). Adam more or less did his master’s online, he explains. You’ve got to put the work in on your own. Physical interaction is nice because it’s nice to be around people, but it’s not necessary. What is necessary is that you put in the work.
My job as a tutor is to be a guide. Online or in-person you need someone to help you feel better about the work. It helps you build confidence and work through life challenges.
Adam is advanced in this, with his Masters’ degree in Physics. Here are the study habits he recommends.
– Do homework early. Don’t wait until the last minute
– Take advantage of office hours.
– Get a tutor or support from someone
– Look for more problems to solve. Homework is not enough.
– Use google and extra textbooks to find problems to solve. This subject is so complex that one textbook will cover it.
What Can You Do With a Physics Degree?
Selling yourself with physics can be challenging. It’s helpful to combine it with other knowledge. Pure physics would be good if you’re looking to teach. Otherwise, a common combination is a financial analyst. With a programming background, a lot of different doors open. People see physics and assume that you are smart. It’s the extra technical skills that you can bring to the table that makes a complete package. In the real world, you’ll be applying physics to an actual field.
What is Physics?
Adam explains that physics is crucial to understand the world around us and how things fundamentally behave. This means understanding the world around us, inside us, and beyond us. By understanding the fundamental science it can be applied in real life. Physics leads to advancements in technology, health care, and even in the development of sustainable resources.
When you study physics some of the classes you’ll take as part of an undergraduate program are:
- Classical Mechanics
- Electromagnetism
- Thermodynamics
- Statistical Mechanics
- Quantum Mechanics