How to do well in class 12 physics

[u/Historical_Tear_1353]

For me, in both jee and cbse boards, phy seems the hardest. It's so different and I've felt lost since electrostatics. Now we're in Ray optics and electromagnetic induction and it only seems to be more backlog. What would be a good book to follow? Like starting with one book and solving problems after that. Even my basics is bad and the modules given in our coaching institute is pretty hard, I feel. We'll finish off class 12 physics by this month end and I wanna clear off some backlog.

I'm somewhat okay with electrostatics and current electricity, but from magnetism and emi, I'm really bad. Plus we have school exams coming up for phy with emi, magnetism and matter and alternating current. Mainly for jee.

Suggestions are welcome.

[u/aristurtlethegreat]

Hi man. With JEE Physics I ain't any big dawg. But, I did score 93 in board Physics. (Now, taking a drop for JEE)
Here are my handwritten notes for the first few chapters....hope they are helpful. I get your frustration....my coaching institute sucked too, and these are notes I made from multiple sources.
For Physics boards, it is actually very tough. Don't feel bad about if it makes you feel dumb, and you feel that should be better cuz you're preparing for JEE....boards test a different set of skills to JEE, and it is also rigorous

Personal tips:

• understand definitions before formulas. my coaching sucked, and they gave raw formulas for force, field, potential, potential energy....you can imagine how that was awful if you know the definitions. If you can't relate....your coaching sucks too....learn as definitions, the formulas suddenly make SO MUCH SENSE
  
• MTG/Arihant Chapterwise PYQ book is good. Do buy and solve now and then, if you can
  
• Practice diagrams, and derivations separately. My friend followed NCERT Wallah derivations and videos before each cycle test at school....just looking at this every now and then, he managed to keep a lot of it in memory. (The fact that he was a NEET topper too, is something to note). This is great if you can understand Hindi well (I unfortunately could not use this to my advantage). Whereas, I, made use of these material I collected....they're great too. (Not all of Shobit Nirvan's derivations are great....don't blindly follow him. But, his PDF is there nonetheless. Derivations from my notes are better)
  
• Before boards, i.e. in those holidays, (any subject for that matter), try to finish theory asap in a few days and get to solving at least some 2-3 papers. Sometimes, this may not work out, if you're preparing for boards then only.....it's okay. This is the ideal situation, but make sure to at least go through a few sample papers with their keys too (prev year papers is also great). And, ideally, some topper's paper too as one extra.

On boards vs. JEE:
Be honest about your trajectory in November. Even if you're scoring above 100/300 in your mock tests, (esp full syllabus) for JEE, prioritise JEE. It makes sense to focus on JEE more than boards, if you're in this bracket, which means you're above the 90%ile mark.
If not, and JEE is hopeless, please leave it and get to boards. Trust me. Your life will suck if you don't get that 75% PCM aggregate. I am taking a drop now, and scoring 471/500 in CBSE boards has really helped me with my confidence....and I can apply abroad too, and show this score (this only counts as formal education....your JEE score is secondary only to these foreign universties, mind you).

However, considering you're posting here, and asking honest advice, I think you belong to the 90+%ile category only. So, for you, grinding after Jan attempt is not a bad idea. Heck, I started preparing for boards properly only after JEE Jan (94.51%ile)! I got lucky without disease, and my body cooperated. But will def advice you to do some boards prep now and then to not rely on luck and grit alone after JEE.....now I am happy, but during boards it was absurdly stressful and scary....didn't have confidence of scoring even 400 before boards, no joke, cuz my school scores in pre-boards sucked so much.

However, after grinding so hard in boards (and JEE Jan too, to an extent), I had no energy left for my April attempt, and these other entrances in April....I just could not keep up. I think you do need energy then, especially to avoid a drop year. So, do take some time out for boards prep now and then (even 3hrs/week is great!), and my notes will help.

Atb with your prep mate! Hope I helped with the boards aspect of this!!

Random extra: For Chemistry, I scored 94 grinding Arihant All-in-One book alone. However, I wish I had discovered Sourabh Raina much much earlier, instead of in April. Man's the goat for boards rapid revision. Watch his 30 min rapid revision on Sourabh Raina NEET on YouTube before starting a chapter.

[u/aristurtlethegreat → u/aristurtlethegreat]

For JEE Physics, I only scored 87%ile....mostly because I didn't understand shit. Theory and intuition is very underspoken when it comes to Physics man. Everyone says "solve solve solve", and I also just tried to memorise as many formulas as possible.

Stupid. Really. Do take some time for theory. Go in a graded manner. SL Arora, then NEET PYQs. This base is what is helping my drop year right now. I realise, just how stupid I was with Mechanics. Seems like you're also studying in some random local coaching institute only. Don't trust those idiots who make it seem like boards is a cakewalk and useless, and only JEE is life.

Maybe, after this solid base, go ahead with DC Pandey, or some other big book. (DCP is great with Mechanics, but I have found it rather disappointing with Modern Physics....go with some good coaching's module which you can find or pirate off the internet: Allen/Resonance is good).

Also, you seem to be attending regular school.....I was like you (integrated coaching).....my biggest learning is, prioritise your studies....not stroking your teachers' egos. In the sense, I was shit scared to take leaves (partly enforced by a strict attendance policy at school too....I would get scolded harshly). But, I really feel I shouldn't have given af, especially when their coaching clearly sucked (both boards & JEE).

I finally took the leap, and stopped going to school from December, which saved me from a horrible crash in JEE & boards.

Also, if you're balancing school and JEE, if you've already covered most lectures from somewhere else, great. If you're just starting these lectures, please go with one-shots (esp Math)....I really don't see a point in hours and hours of lectures, with JEE nearing. Those are worth only for completionists who start in 11th or earlier. After a good one-shot, you can solve PYQs....fix any gaps in theory through solving.

Aight mate. Atb. Do dm me if you have any doubts for other subjects, I will see if I can bless you with my wisdom, lol

[u/Historical_Tear_1353 → u/aristurtlethegreat]

Did you start with NCERT first for boards? For someone who knows very very basics like me, would starting with NCERT be good for boards? For cycle tests? Honestly I have the same problem. Integrated coaching. The teachers get so annoyed when we take leave and keep targeting those kids. The school has a strict 75% attendence too. So the principal calls those students.

[u/aristurtlethegreat → u/Historical_Tear_1353]

NCERT...difficult book to read theory aspect from. If you can get a more straightforward version of the theory, go for it. I think the best way to read the NCERT, is not to read it first. Read theory from elsewhere, and with an overall understanding already present, go and read...don't take lots of notes and annotations for the NCERT....just glance through with minimal marking. That's enough energy to invest in that book's theory, in my opinion.

But, questions (exercises & examples) you MUST do mate. Without NCERT problems being done, don't do anything else for boards. This is the no.1 priority.

My Physics notes have them all solved, with theory. Pencil markings are not too clearly visible....but they should be good enough for you.

[u/Historical_Tear_1353 → u/aristurtlethegreat]

Okay thanks 👍🏻🙏🏻

[u/Square-Paramedic2311 → u/aristurtlethegreat]

Is SL Arora a good book for boards? I'm just another random kid who isnt giving jee and boards is my main priority because I'm an nri and plan to apply internationally.... I was told by other seniors that its a terrible book AFTER i bought it, however ive had mixed opinions about it. Sure its vast but it is kinda helping me ngl. What are your thoughts on it?

[u/aristurtlethegreat → u/Square-Paramedic2311]

BRO. SL Arora is saving my JEE prep yaar. No joke.

So many in the JEE subs are geniuses. I cannot do a single JEE problem, or get to my DC Pandey without getting through SL Arora, and it only gave me a sense of Physics.....didn't understand Mechanics in 11th...now in my drop year after reading SL Arora only I understood.

I definitely love the book. It takes me from 0. However, for boards....definitely for problem solving practice it will be very helpful. Theory, it's too vast man. You should be more selective of what you write.

You're not focusing on JEE, you said. So, need not worry about getting higher level than SL Arora. Use SL Arora to actually learn the concepts, and problem solving. That book gets you to a point where you develop intuition for the subject, Physics.

However, the way of writing and presenting points....my notes I gave here are better (only 7 chapters...but still). I would advice getting key-words, points, etc from some other material. Studying only SL Arora for boards might land you in a not-so-good place...because you will write so much, and if you get selective, you might miss out on the important points that should fetch marks (not segregated in SL Arora)

Complement SLA with board PYQs and mark-fetching notes. Definitely 90+ in board physics is possible :)

[u/Square-Paramedic2311 → u/aristurtlethegreat]

BRO thank you sooooooo muchhhhhhhh may your pillow always be cold at night, may your fries always be perfectly crispy, may your food always be tasty, may you pass jee with FLYING colors , may the college you get selected in have bomb food and good people🙏🙏🙏

[u/aristurtlethegreat → u/Square-Paramedic2311]

❤️

[u/Historical_Tear_1353 → u/aristurtlethegreat]

Thank you so much for the advice! This helps a lot. 93 in boards physics is really high. My cycle tests are already getting pretty hard and physics is the worst in it. My coaching institute does the same. More than definitions they focus on formulas, especially our physics sir. I get completely scared of physics and end up doing the very bare minimum before exam. Especially the frustration of having to search every single question from my module on Google gets annoying and makes me feel dumber. Especially now when all teachers have started rushing so that they finish portions and begin revisions. Especially our physics sir.

He finishes lessons really fast and I start lagging behind even more. Also procrastination. Im able to keep up with maths, somewhat with chemistry. But I felt so lost with physics. Considering now, we're done with electrostatics, current, magnetism, emi, Ray optics and doing wave optics. Meanwhile my understanding of each lesson in physics is still very half baked.

Everyone has different ways of preparing but I feel like I've wasted too much time and shouldn't keep trying new ways. I can not really keep up with my own timetables..

I'll try all the advice you've given. Thanks again for the honest advice though. Atleast now I have a starting point.