Sara Engstrom

ft9150

Honors 3000

Self-Reflection of My Time Volunteering in the Physics Resource Center

For my service learning requirement, I decided to volunteer for Wayne State Universitys

Department of Physics and Astronomy in the Physics Resource Center. Throughout the semester

I spent several hours a week tutoring other physics students in general physics and in biomedical

physics. I assisted students in Physics 2130 and 2170 as well as Physics 4700. We discussed

topics such as drift velocity, angular momentum, and basic quantum physics, which are all

covered in PHY 4700. The breadth of topics that I have covered with my peers over the last 3

months were unsurprisingly reviewed or introduced in my PHY 4700 class. Tutoring other

students in these topics has broadened my background of introductory physics and has helped me

to become a better physics student.

Throughout the course of the semester, I helped explain basic physics equations to

students. I have also helped students understand the approach you need to take in order to

accurately solve physics problems, while understanding the mechanics of the problem. I have

additionally used my time as a tutor to help my fellow peers in my PHY 4700 class by

proofreading their midterm papers. The combination of all of the assistance that I've provided to

my peers has helped me grow as a student and as a physicist because the review of basic topics,

which I haven't covered in a year, helped me expand my understanding of physics. When I was

assisting the student who needed help with understanding his equation sheet, I was able to review

my own knowledge of general physics. While I was helping the students with angular
momentum and quantum physics, I was able to refine my own knowledge and understanding of

Physics 4700 and the work that we are doing in my own class throughout the semester.

While reviewing the equations and word problems that were proposed to me during

tutoring hours with my peers, I would have them teach me. In other words, I would ask the

students I was tutoring to tell me how they would solve their problems, and from that point on, I

would explain to them the steps that they would need to take in order to accurately solve the

problem.

The work that I have done as a volunteer in a Physics Resource Center has made me

more confident in my own abilities. Before I began volunteering in the Physics Resource Center

this semester, I was not as comfortable with introductory physics as I am now. My service

learning and the volunteering I have done is accredited for the advancements in my own

understanding. Now I feel as confident in my introductory physics knowledge as I did

immediately after taking General Physics 1 and General Physics 2. For physics 4700, it is

essential that you have a strong background in introductory physics in order to do well in the

class. My own work in the Physics Resource Center has strengthened the framework of my

physical background, and I feel that I would not have done as well in this class if it weren't for

my service learning.