Physics – Your LAST Web Post Comment!!

PHYSICS: Can you believe it?!? This is your LAST web post comment!! This is where you put it and here are the three things I want you to talk about:

1) How did physics grow you? What did you learn about yourself?
2) What advice do you have for future physics students?
3) What could we have done different this year that would have helped you learn physics better?

Can’t wait to hear from you!! 🙂

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10 thoughts on “Physics – Your LAST Web Post Comment!!

  1. OK last webpost ever here we go
    1. Physics grew me by teaching me it is okay to fail. This class has definitely had my lowest test grades and overall averages of my entire life. I had never made a b in my life before this class, but I finished both semesters without an a. At first, this was the most devastating thing in the world for me. I wasn’t okay with having “failed” at a class. However, throughout this year I learned that this wasn’t an actual failure. I knew that I had worked extremely hard this year, and if all that work only earned me a b than that’s what I deserved and that’s okay. The b is not the end of the world, and I know that at the end of the day, I did my best.
    2.Since I can’t say my future advice for physics students is to drop out, the biggest advice I would say is to make sure you save time for conceptual review when you’re studying for the tests. It’s easy to get overwhelmed with studying the problems, but make sure you study the stuff that’ll be in the multiple choice as well. Also, don’t be afraid to ask your friends for help if you don’t understand something. I wouldn’t have made it through this class without help so don’t let your pride get in the way. Just ask for help.
    3. I think it would’ve been helpful to do practice multiple choice questions before the tests because that’s the area that I struggled with the most. I felt like I could find plenty of problems to rework and review, but there wasn’t as much to do to prepare for multiple choice.
    A Stine P5, Signing off

  2. Tears!! Last web post!!
    1) I think the main way physics grew me is that it taught me to be okay with failing and not getting everything 100% perfect. Being the perfectionist that I am, physics really stretched me. It really bothered me when I would have to turn in assignments late or right at the deadline, or when I had to put myself out on the line and mess up in front of everybody. However, during physics I learned that when you are pushing yourself so hard, you cannot and will not always be perfect, and that is ok. Physics taught me to have grace on myself, especially when I am not at my best.
    2) Advice to.a future physics student: Do not think that everyone around you has it all figured out. They don’t! You are all learning, you are all struggling. Do not be afraid to reach a hand out to help somebody, and do not shove someone’s hand away when they try to help you. Learn to be ok with failing in front of others, and help them get back up when they fail as well.
    3) I think maybe going over the homeworks more. A lot of times, my homework was guesswork because I was so confused, and I think maybe going over it more in depth could have benefited me (of course, I could have spoken up and asked more questions about the homework as well lol).

    Ms. Skinner, thank you for everything. Even though I did not always enjoy your classes, I really really really needed them to grow me and push me to be a better student. When I think of you, I think of someone who represents Christ well. I don’t even know if you realize this, but the most important thing that you taught me was about the grace, love, and closeness of our Father. You taught me more than anyone else how to rely on the Lord, and I will forever be grateful for that. Even just seeing Isaiah 41:10 on your wall or hearing you speak such encouraging words to us made such an impact. You made a life-long impact on my life. Thank you for exemplifying the Father so well and for showing me so much love. I love you Tskinn!!

  3. I would rate this year a 5/5. The first 5/5 I’ve ever given. Why am I giving it a 5/5? I did not excel to the point where I got an A on every test we took. I did not complete every assignment to the best of my ability. I did not even enjoy every moment working for this class (though I enjoyed most of it).
    In physics, we study how the universe interacts with itself; the behavior of everything we can see and everything we cannot; the relationship between space, time, and matter; the interaction between matter and energy so that this universe that God created works eloquently together, flawlessly designed, simply so that we may live on a mere speck in the middle of an immensely vast and enormously empty universe. Not only that, studying physics has shown me just how incredible our Creator is. Every single detail he poured into his creation, every buzzing electron in every one of the 118 different elements that work together to form every possible constituent of matter that we touch and feel and hear and taste smell and breathe in every single day shows just how brilliantly designed our universe is.
    My reason for giving this year a 5/5 is because I learned more about myself and about life than I have in any other class. Throughout our time here on Earth, things will happen that we cannot control. A person’s character is defined largely not just by how they act, but by how they react as well. Anyone can hold it together when eleven out of twelve steps on their Rube Goldberg project consistently work together, but what about when only two of them do and the project is due the next morning? Anyone can keep their cool when they have an A in a class and they haven’t had to study for anything all year, but what about when you’re barely holding on to a B and you just bombed a test? Life is all about how we react to various struggles because that’s how we are defined, that’s how we truly find out what we are made of. Physics taught me this because I was stretched in ways that I never anticipated I’d be stretched in. I was forced to apply multiple types of knowledge to solve a problem when I had no clue on where to even begin. Physics was fascinating, it even was fun, but it certainly was difficult as well. I learned that if I think outside the box and accept the challenges that undoubtedly lie ahead then that’s when I succeed. When I allow myself to fail multiple times, that’s when I succeed. Success comes not from making zero mistakes-it comes from learning from your past ones.
    If I was gifted the opportunity to have a fresh shot at my senior year, I would do quite a few things differently. First and foremost, I would enter physics with the certainty that I know that I am going to fail. When you accept that you’re going to fail before it happens then it makes getting back up much, much easier. Second, I would apply myself in ways that I never had considered before entering this class. What I mean by that is that I would attempt to solve problems not by using a certain formula or looking up the answer in a textbook, but try to think of a solution conceptually in a way that makes sense to me. Once a concept makes sense to you, once you can explain your solution to someone else is the moment you know you finally understand it. Finally, I would tell myself to work hard but also to take it easy on yourself. Senior year is difficult, but it’s also the last year you have to have fun in high school, the last year you have to make memories with those closest to you, and the last year you have to take whatever opportunities presented to you before they are lost. Don’t lose this gift of senior year; make the most of it and leave nothing to regret.
    I don’t think there is anything you could have done differently to make me learn physics any better. The lectures were taught with a perfect amount of notes, labs, real-life experience, discussions, problem-solving, and working together with peers. Nothing was handed to us, but everything was offered to us for us as students to take and then make what we wished out of it. If we wanted to learn something, we had to do the work and conceptualize it to where we understood it. If we wanted to succeed, we had to be willing ti fail first. Learning is not up to the teacher; it’s up to the student.
    Ms. Skinner: thank you for everything you have done to help me grow as a student, as a person, and as a Christian. I hope that you know that you have made an enormous impact on my life through how much compassion and love you show every single one of your students every single day. It is evident that Christ’s love shines through you by how you treat people and how they treat you in return. As I leave Northpoint, I will greatly miss being in your class everyday and growing both in knowledge as well as in my faith. You are a teacher whom I have very, very much respect for, and I thank you again for everything you have done for me and for all other students who learn from you.
    The last thing I would like to say before leaving physics and leaving Northpoint would simply be to not be afraid of what God has in store for you. It is sometimes difficult to see, but God has a path for each and every student. There were many moments in high school where I tried vigorously to wrestle the wheel away from God and take my life for myself, but that always ended up causing know disappointment and pain for myself. God wants what’s best for everyone, and he will allow you to fail so that you may grow later. Live out His will with confidence, display his light to everyone, and remember that at the end of the day, all that matters is that you’re living for Jesus. We were put on Earth with the purpose of building relationships with all people in order to spread the Word of God, and high school is one of the greatest places to do so. Show love to everyone you have the chance to minister to, even if they don’t show you the same love in return. Don’t squander the opportunity to accomplish His will, because it soon will be taken from you.
    ✌️
    C McCoy P5

  4. Well here we are, last ever high school assignment. Physics grew me this year in ways I never believed possible. Firstly, and probably the most superficial way, I became much more outgoing. I love this group of people with all my heart, and this year has been awesome. More importantly though, I grew as a student. My one goal for the year was to make an A on a test… aaaaand I did not meet that goal. But I got really close. And I’m proud of that. I had never taken honors math or science before, and I was thrown into a world of confusion this year. At the beginning of the year, it would literally take me hours to do each homework assignment because just simply didn’t have the problem solving skills needed to do the math well. It confused me and stressed me and I wanted to quit on more than one occasion. But the more I failed the more I grew. Okay, so I did make a 73 on my last test. I’m not PROUD of that. But I’m proud of the fact that I conceptually understand everything we learned this year. I DEFINITELY need to work on reducing my dumb math mistakes before college… but I went from being the slowest person in the class to more often then not being the first person to conceptually grasp new concepts. And that’s awesome. A test doesn’t always accurately show what someone has learned, and in this case I may do bad on tests but I sure can explain the entire concept of sound and circular motion to you if you want to listen to me talk for 30 minutes. I’ve grown this year in my learning and in my knowledge. My mindset with things, especially math, transitioned from a rigid and unmoving standard to an open and fluid area in which I can solve problems quickly and efficiently…just maybe not always with the right sig figs.
    My advice for next year’s students is to enjoy the ride. Too often it’s easy to get caught up in the mistakes you’ve made or the grades you get back on tests, but those things aren’t forever. Plus, without failing you can never grow. This class has been such a fun adventure, and I think if I had given in to all the stress I had I would’ve missed some of the best moments of my life. You only get one senior year of high school, and you can either use it to its fullest or squander it in worry. Moreover, I would also encourage every senior who is even a little interested to take this class. Whenever anyone younger asks if it’s hard, I tell them that yes it is in fact extremely difficult and it will definitely lose you some sleep. But despite that, it is the most rewarding thing you can do at Northpoint, and that there is not a single other class that compares to honors physics.
    I absolutely loved physics this year, but I definitely wish I had been more caught up with everyone else in the beginning of the year. That isn’t to say that regulars math people shouldn’t be let into the class, but I think that it would be exceptionally beneficial for there to be a week or so at the beginning of the year in which the students are taught (or at least given a review of) basic problem solving skills along with some of the harder math concepts. And also rearranging formulas because THAT was a doozy to get the hang of. All in all, I finished this year at the same level as everyone else, but I definitely think I would’ve done better in the class had I not needed to take a whole semester trying to get to the same height as the others.
    Thank for you everything you’ve done for us Ms. Skinner. It means the world to me and I’m so thankful we got to be taught by you this year. I hope your summer is awesome.

    -L Frank P5 out

  5. No emotions, just raw truth
    1. Physics taught me everything I know about myself that I didn’t learn from honors chemistry. I knew that it was OK to fail but I have never truly experienced it like I have in this class. The growing that I went through this year was astronomical, only in the sense of it’s OK to go backwards at times. Not just in physics but very much so in physics, I learned it is perfectly fine to fail so long as you give it your 100%. I also learned that resilience and perseverance are key to incredible students. If you do not give you 100% and if you do not persevere through the hard times in anything you do not deserve to be nor should you be in that program or class.
    2. My advice for future physics students is not to expect to be exempt. Expect failure. Expect hardship. Expect the absolute worst in grades, time management, time to go out with friends, free time as a whole, and sleep. This class is not for the week and this is my warning, however, this class will teach you so much in so little time you won’t have enough time to digest it all but you learn a lot. You will be so thankful for your Ms Skinner and everything she does, and you will learn to appreciate Ms Jackie as well. You will truly learn a lot and it is a great, fun experience.
    3. In my opinion, which doesn’t mean much, I don’t think there is a better way to teach physics other than the way you have taught me. The true hardship and failure I experience this year has taught me so much about myself and physics, that I wouldn’t have done it any other way. In fact, if you were to do it another way, I don’t think I would’ve taken this class.

    And just like that it’s over. Farewell, y Vaya con Dios.
    – J Flores P5 is sailing away

  6. ok ms. skinner, this one is going to be a hard one.
    How did physics grow me?
    At the beginning of this year, I was already dreading physics. I walked in thinking I was going to fail. I have never liked physics, and after a year of anatomy I was not prepared to switch back into a physical science. Science has always been where I excel, and it is sort of the subject I can always count on being my favorite. Like I said, I did not anticipate that being the case this year. I remember the beginning of the year was extremely rough. I had many moments where I found myself feeling completely hopeless. I could not accept the fact that I was struggling. When we got to projectile motion, I literally had never felt so confused regarding any school subject before. It was really scary to me, because in my head if I could not understand it I was just an idiot. I could not let myself be confused because that meant that I was failing. If I was not good at science, the one subject I could always count on being my best, then what the heck was I even doing? I do not like disappointing those around me, and I always feared that if I messed up people around me would finally start to realize I am not as smart as people think. You guys all know me, and you know the type of student I am. But, sometimes I do not think you guys understand how much I struggle with perfectionism, because I do not really voice it that much. The mental struggle I faced this year was real, and it was something that scared me more than anything. However, as the year went on, I learned that it was not only okay to fail and be confused- it was necessary. As each day went by, I slowly became less harsh with myself and allowed myself to mess up (because everyone messes up). I realized that no one is going to be good at everything- it is unrealistic and unfair to expect yourself to understand new/difficult concepts instantaneously. I finally learned to just work my hardest and be okay with the outcome, no matter the grade I received. I learned to do my best in everything, accepting the struggles that I faced and the outcomes that occurred. I also learned that I may actually enjoy physics, which feels like a scam to me but what can I say?
    What advice to future physics students?
    Please do not be too hard on yourselves. Senior year is a rough enough time as it is, so do not add any unnecessary pressures to yourself. It is understandable to want to do well and succeed, but sometimes your best on a certain day will only be a 68 on a test. That is okay and you need to learn how to be gentle with yourself. Also- you will not be good at everything instantly. Physics takes a while to get the hang of, especially if you are not a huge physics fan. Try not to hate it too much, because you will definitely miss it once it is over.
    What could have been done differently?
    Honestly, I cannot think of anything that would have helped me learn more. The only thing I could think of is more labs (but I am not a big lab write up fan). I think maybe more labs where it is more of an activity or visual presentation were extremely beneficial to me. I feel like if we did more of those I maybe could have grasped certain concepts quicker. But if i am being honest- you gave us everything we needed to be able to succeed. All the resources were there, we just had to seek them out and utilize them.

    Ms. Skinner- You are one of the most special people in my life. I can say with confidence that you have made the greatest impact on me- not only as a student, but as a person. I am constantly inspired by your grace, your compassion, and your genuine love for the subject and students you teach. You are one of the only teachers I would ever do this much work for without a single complaint because I know that everything you do has a purpose. You never wasted any of our time- and for that I am so grateful. I seriously cannot express how much my time in your class has affected me. You have taught me more than just chemistry or physics. You taught me how to navigate challenges with hope and optimism which is something that I have always struggled with. As I reflect on my time at Northpoint, I can say with confidence that I will never forget you and all you have done for your students. Thank you for being a constant encourager and never letting us doubt our own abilities. Thank you for teaching me how to fail without thinking of myself as a failure. Thank you, Ms. Skinner.
    i love you so much!
    signing off, E Wadsworth P5

  7. Last web post 🙁

    How did physics grow me?

    At face value, this physics class is the summit of the honors science curriculum mountain- the Big Class you spend three years deciding whether or not to take it and wondering if you’re good enough. Being in the class taught me it’s so much more than that. First this class taught me physics. Duh. I loved anatomy last year because classes about the natural world are fun to learn about and I dreaded physics because I thought it was all math. I came into this class in August ready to hate every consecutive day because of how bad I was doing, but my kind changed immediately. On the first day I learned that every idea I had about physics was completely false- it’s not a second math class that will make or break your college career. Its the ultimate way to learn the perfect world our Father designed with every perfect detail of every perfect process working perfectly together. Not only was I able to learn more about the universe that surrounds us, I learned more about my peers and from you Ms. Skinner. Every time I was down on myself (for good reason) you showed me compassion and taught me how to accept my failure. Thanks to you I learned how to apply myself in situations I had given up on the day before. Every bad test grade or late homework you seemed angry at me but looking back I realized it was disappointment that I didn’t even give myself a chance. You never expected me to do as good on the fluids test as Bernoulli himself would have done, you expected me to do as good as Liam Allen can do. I wanted to enter this class and make a 100 without studying but I learned it’s better to fail and learn more than the material than breeze through every problem or question. I plan to take this class and what I’ve learned to the rest of my academic life and beyond. This class has changed how I see my own abilities and the world around me. I can’t even take a sharp turn and feel myself get pushed against the door without thinking of the physics behind it!!!

    What advice do I have for future physics students?

    First- do it. Don’t be scared of any class especially this one. You think it will suck occasionally and it will, nothing never sucks a little at least (except the Six Flags trip). Be prepared to fail miserably. Real crash and burn type failure, like painful failure, scared that your parents might check PowerSchool on the second day of school. Be prepared for that but don’t be prepared to give up. If you give up the disappointment from Ms. Skinner will make you feel 1000x worse than being grounded for a bad grade. Trust me I know. Enter physics with confidence but humility, excitement but caution and a calculator in degrees not radians.

    What could have been done differently?

    Nothing we did as a class could have prepared me better. All my shortcoming in this class could only be blamed on myself and a lack of preparedness. Not doing the physics classroom and homework was my greatest regret this year. I never realized how they prepared me for tests until too late I’m the year. I always blamed bad grades on class time and notes not preparing me enough but making something besides myself the scapegoat was unfair and I’m sorry I ever did.

    Ms. Skinner,
    I’m sorry that I’m leaving without ever having gotten to show you what I can do in this class at 100%. I never gave this class a shot and that is my greatest regret I’m my academic career. I mean it. You taught me not only how to find the final velocity of a projectile motion device, you taught me that our ability to learn is a divine gift from God and we need to appreciate it. Seeing how much you care about us and your class is inspiring. If I can end up in a career that I am only half as passionate about as you I’d be the second happiest person going to work every day. You helped me out when my personal life got too hectic or overwhelming and you showed compassion and understanding to me when I needed it and when I was being myself you showed me how to better myself with love and genuine care. No words in a web post could ever come close to expressing how grateful to you and this class I am but they sure can give an idea. I will never forget this last year of 5th Period, and I’ll be back anyway. This isn’t a goodbye web post its really just a see you later.

    Still shaking while typing this tho

    Thank you for everything, I couldn’t forget if I tried,
    L Allen P5

  8. 1. although I have felt as though physics has grown me in numerous ways this year, I believe that the main thing I have learned is that failure is a part of life. Not everything is going to work out perfectly every time. I won’t always be able to achieve As on every assignment, I won’t always be able to build a perfect project, or come up with a perfect design. Throughly this year, I have come to understand that failure is as big a part in life as success is. If we are never to fail, would we ever be able to grow? Failure is what creates innovation and grow in the desire to succeed. Failure is what makes the success that more meaningful. Overcoming failures and obstacles and achieving success can be some of the most influential aspects of life. Physics has helped me to understand that life and school is more than a grade. Although I may not achieve As on every assignment or test, it doesn’t mean I’m a complete failure or am not intelligent enough for this class, it just means that maybe not everything comes easily to me. Maybe I just need to work harder in some aspects, and even accept these grades.
    2. Although there can be a lot of advice I would give to future physics students, I believe that my overall message would revert back to this: failure is alright. Sometimes your efforts will not translate to success as they have often done in the past. I know most of the students who take physics are fairly similar in this aspect in the fact that many of us are harder on ourselves than any teacher or parent can be. We expect more from ourselves than anyone else, and we try and push ourselves further than we should at times just to obtain a grade. Failure is a part of life and a part of physics. Don’t get caught up in the struggles and forget yo enjoy the present. I know physics isn’t easy, and is certainly challenging, and sometimes you just wish that day or week could be skipped. But let me tell you. Those days of struggle that you wish to skip may be some of the most important time this year for you. For instance, the week where Abby and I had to come up early every morning to finish the book lab. Although at the time I was frustrated and wish I could have just skipped that week, now I look back and am able to see how much we had worked and how we have improved. Another instance that was recent was our rube project. Although we spent countless hours working on it, one of our steps would always fail, no matter what we did or tried to change it. We eventually had to cumulatively accept failure and move on rather then keep persisting. Forcing yourself to accept failure is a very difficult thing, especially after you have just worked numerous hours on something just for it to not work properly.
    3. Hmm, I didn’t have a near immediate answer to this one when I first read this question like the first two. I would say that I am not sure there is much that could have been changed for me to understand physics better. You did an incredible job teaching, and whatever left would be up to us. Sometimes I did feel as though that seeing a problem worked for me may have been more helpful in my brain, but I know that that isn’t the goal. You are teaching us how to think through working it and not just showing us how to work it, but for some reason I felt as though that may have messed me up a few times this year. However, I knew the goal and I knew that you were teaching us to think through a problem rather than just telling us how to do a problem.

    Ms. Skinner, I can’t begin to thank you for the impact you have had on my life and my schooling at Northpoint. You have been an incredible teacher and role model for me and I can’t even express my gratitude towards you. Your genuine love and interest in your students and the subjects you teach are easily recognizable and it shows. Thank you for everything Ms. skinner. Love you!
    ✌️ S Giamportone P5 and HC1

  9. 1. This year the biggest thing that physics taught me was how to fail. In every class that I’ve taken up until what we have learned has come fairly naturally and I could do well in them with not much effort. This year, however, physics was a different beast and I had to learn that making an A in every test wasn’t attainable. This was hard at first but I eventually grew from it and am better in the long run for it.
    2. The one thing that I would tell younger physics students is don’t stress about the little things that don’t have a big impact on things. I am the best at stressing over minute details and can say from experience that it isn’t worth it. The next thing I would say is have fun with all the labs, design challenges and projects.
    3. If there was one thing that I could go back and do later it would be not procrastinating on many of the assignments that I turned in late or waited until the last minute to do.

  10. Thank you so much for entering Ms. Skinner. Your class has grown me in so many ways and I cannot express how incredible of a teacher and person you are. I am so grateful for every moment I was able to spend learning under you.
    Signing off N Carpenter P5

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