Considered one of the top three hardest GCSE subjects by many students, GCSE Physics is known for its daunting mathematical content intricately woven into complex equations that leave students struggling amidst unfamiliar concepts. Physics is one tricky subject in which memorising without in-depth understanding will often, if not definitely, prove insufficient.
Sometimes, you might take too long to realise when external help is needed, causing you to lose precious time. Other times, you might just simply seek help without necessarily needing it, causing you to waste your financial resources. How do you know when is the right time to invest in a Physics tutor? We’ve compiled 4 signs that may indicate it may be time to seek out a Physics tutor.
Take an active effort to track and examine your performance in Physics tests and examinations. Are you constantly performing below expectations in Physics? Despite your best efforts, are you still struggling with the subject due to your difficulties in grasping the theories of Physics? Would more personalised attention in class help with your grades?
If your answer is ‘yes’ to all the questions above, then it may be time to consider seeking out a Physics tutor. A tutor can provide a much more flexible environment for you to learn at your own pace, not to mention, a teaching style that suits your specific learning needs for any specific Physics topic. Additionally, a Physics tutor would be able to grant you undivided attention as opposed to a teacher providing generalised lessons in a typical classroom setting with many students to consider.
If you are constantly performing poorly in Physics, take the time to consider the underlying reasons behind it. Is the subject simply too difficult for you to grasp during your time in class or could it be due to lack of interest on your part? Whilst a Physics tutor may be able to help you cope with the subject’s technical difficulties, lack of personal interest in the subject is a cause of concern and can be very demotivating. The best way to resolve this is to find the joy in learning the subject through understanding how to apply it to the real world. Believe it or not, Physics is a highly applicable subject to the modern world we live in. From the usage of Magnetism and Electromagnetism for mobile phones to how the Doppler Radar catches speeding vehicles through applying the Doppler Effect, the application of Physics is required for many things to function. By simply observing your surroundings, you may begin to understand the importance of Physics and gain a deeper interest in the topic.
Do you have an effective revision plan in place detailing your revision schedule, the study duration for each Physics topic, and subtopics? Do you have sufficient and suitable materials for your revision and Physics exam practices? Is there a subject matter expert available at your disposal to provide guidance on your revision scheduling, feedback to your answers in exam practices as well as supplying you with timed exam questions and challenges?
If your answers to the above questions are ‘no’, then a Physics tutor would provide the much-needed guidance in setting your priorities and planning out your detailed revision timetable. A tutor could also help greatly in building up suitable learning materials that get progressively more challenging as you improve, not to mention, providing feedback on the marking schemes, question answering styles, and other important exam tips and strategies.
What outcome are you aiming for in your final GCSE Physics test? Are you looking to just pass the subject or are you aiming for a 9? If you’ve been scoring a 9 in your Physics test all the time, you may find seeking out a tutor to be unnecessary and a waste of time and money. However, without leaving anything to chance, a dedicated and experienced Physics tutor would be able to challenge your abilities and push you even further towards excelling and maintaining a high score in your final exam.
Ultimately, there is no right or wrong decision as to whether you should seek out a Physics tutor. Whilst the above signs provide guidelines to help you decide, you could also take into consideration other alternatives instead of or alongside a Physics tutor.
One such alternative could be revising your Physics with an online AI-driven learning platform such as sAInaptic. sAInaptic's AI-driven tool serves as your Personal Physics Tutor that allows you to practice open-ended exam style questions with 100% interactivity by providing a predictive score and qualitative instant teacher-like feedback for every question answered. The AI even breaks down your scoring to explain the awarded marks and further gives feedback on how to better improve each answer towards acing your GCSE Physics exam.
Whether you decide to finally invest in a Physics tutor or otherwise, be sure it’s a decision that you are comfortable with and one that is consistent with your needs, goal setting, and priorities.
62% of science teachers identify student behaviour as their biggest challenge, according to the Science Teaching Survey 2023. Read nine strategies to improve classroom atmosphere and student engagement in our blog.
In our blog we take an honest look at the challenges, strategies, and finding the right mix of work and personal time for a GCSE Science teacher.
In this blog we talk about how the forgotten warmth of a coffee cup reflects the unwavering commitment of GCSE Science teachers.
