Draw it: words plus diagrams
Physics is full of stuff you can draw: circuits, field lines, rays, particles, forces. A diagram plus a quick explanation gives your memory two ways in instead of one. Teachers call this dual coding.
Why it works
Your brain stores words and pictures a bit differently. Link them together and the memory gets stronger. Forget the words? You can often rebuild them from the picture. And no, this isn’t about being a “visual learner”. That’s a myth. It works for everyone.
How to do it
- Turn notes into a diagram. Read a page, then draw it with labels and arrows.
- Explain it. Say it out loud or write two sentences underneath.
- Redraw it from memory a few days later. Now you’re testing yourself too.
💡 Useful, not pretty. Bubble writing and doodles just waste time. Every bit of your diagram should mean something.
Things to draw
- Particle model: solid, liquid, gas boxes with arrows for melting, boiling and condensing.
- Energy: a Sankey diagram for a light bulb, widths to scale.
- Forces: a free-body diagram with the arrows the right lengths.
Use these on the site
- 100 key diagrams to draw
- Fill the gaps and mind maps
- Physics Comics: whole topics in pictures
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