Final Exam

So, I've made it up now, and I estimate based on your past performance that most of you can finish it in 90 minutes or so. Some of you will finish in under 60 minutes, just barely. One update: you can choose 6 of 9 questions, not 6 of 8. One more choice than promised.

Here are some of my random thoughts on the final. It goes to 11.

(1) Relax. There is no reason to be more freaked out about this exam than any other, percentages and so forth notwithstanding. You should be less scared: broadening the scope of the material necessarily means that the difficulty level for any given problem goes down.

(2) There is only one way to study for this thing: read and solve problems. You will be given all of the required formulas, memorizing them will not help, nor will memorizing tricks or shortcuts. All problems will involve the systematic application of simple principles and simple relationships, there are no tricks. Cramming is not useful.

(3) Cut your losses on chapters you don't think you can master in the time remaining. There are only 6 problems you have to solve. Nailing 5 out of 6 can still get you a solid B without even attempting a 6th.

(4) Look at the Fall 2007 final exam and the second PH106 exam from Fall 2008 (only the parts without calculus).

(5) No problems I have asked you before will appear on the final. No problems directly from the notes will appear on the final. However, about half of the problems will seem eerily familiar.

(6) Relax. You will need to have your wits about you, the problems on the final will involve logically solving problems step-by-step using simple rules. They will not involve remembering an arcane phrase or formula buried in the text, nor will they have many convoluted twists and turns. Most of them involve only 1 or 2 steps.

(7) Run the numbers on your grade. The final is worth 25% of the total grade ... it can only change your overall grade by so much. Not as much as you think. I will scale the average on the final if necessary, such that it is at least 75% for the class. It is unlikely to be necessary.

(8) I like crystals and mass spectrometers, and quantization of angular momentum. Capacitors have been done to death.

(9) Study the homework solutions.

(10) Seriously, relax. Get some rest Wednesday night, you'll be better off well-rested.

(11) Answers to exam II will be posted soon. Full-blown solutions are probably beyond my grasp at this point, given that it is already nearly 3am.