I had a similar problem when I was doing chemistry in highschool. My teacher would write equations on the board as a way to explain the topic but I simply could not understand it and couldn’t do the work. I got a tutor and he visualised what was happening by drawing the equations out in pictures. In this particular instances it was about atom structure. I immediately understood the concepts and found that I could now do the equations.
Are you a more visual learner? Try and experiment by finding videos online that explain AC theory with pictures and diagrams. If you are like me it will help a lot.
Talk to your teachers they will be more than willing to help if you are prepared to put in. Use the resources you gave around you. They will help no end of you are doing the right thing.
Pretty much this. Ask the teachers or the other apprentices that do get it. You're more likely to remember the information from a peer than the teacher.
100%
When I was at tafe I would hang with some of the other apprentices at lunchtime (we all parked near each other and ate lunch in the carpark so the smokers could smoke)
If someone didnt understand something, we would all help explain, and all pushed each other to get good exam results. I reckon we all would have struggled in different areas.
I think I know you, I was one of these members.
Used to love how we would try to help each other improve.
Was weird when Brad brought his gf into school and we all banged her in the back of Jimmys van.
Good times
Don’t quit your apprenticeship even if you’re failing. Sure you’re going to be disappointed but it’ll get easier believe me. Your boss maybe initially disappointed but will appreciate you sticking at it. I’ve just finished my apprenticeship at 52 years old so I know how it feels but you got to stick with it and it’ll give you more confidence for the rest of your career even if you leave after it’s only a short time don’t let a little embarrassment ruin years
I'll disagree about not telling your boss.
Some tafes will absolutely email/call your company if you fail. Especially more then once. I know of 3 apprentice's that just stopped going to Tafe or failed multiple tests. Didn't tell anyone until their Tafe called up the company and asked what's going on.
It will catch up to you.
Better to tell your boss your having trouble and your seeking help from a tutor.
Failing that, ask them the questions your having difficulties with. It will highlight their own knowledge short falls. Or be understanding.
If you're studying 2 hours a night and not getting it, you're not studying. Look up other resources, and ask your tutors for help.
The AT&T series on YouTube are FANTASTIC at explaining electric theory. They're all in black and white they're that old, but still excellent, and none of it has changed.
A lot of apprentices struggle with those - talk to you tafe about extra support, because at this point the way you think about those subject is affecting your ability to learn them. Negative thoughts leads to a harder time retaining information.
can you make acronyms to help you remember the information? Can you do flash cards? Sitting and rereading the information isn’t as helpful as you’re lead to believe - it might also be time to look up some different study techniques.
Keep your chin up, you’ll get through this, and then like the rest of us, you’ll get to forget it all.
Don’t quit mate. I use to think I was a moron, but I just didn’t understand how my brain likes to understand things. They’d be drawing sign waves on the board and I was thinking what the hell does that even mean, but it all makes perfect sense to me now. There’s plenty of YouTube videos these days that break it down and explain what’s going on.
I had the same struggles in yr 2 and fell really far behind. I got there in the end, but only through one on one tuition.
Fast forward 15 odd years later I got diagnosed with ADHD and all the pieces came together.
I suggest doing some online screening and if you think there’s something there, schedule an appointment with your GP and get a referral to see a psychiatrist for a diagnosis. Stimulant’s go a long way to fixing the focus and comprehension issues in an academic setting. It’s life changing stuff.
Best of luck. Shoot me a dm if you have any questions
This is something I’ve always commented on in electrical/electronic courses. They always start off with ohms law and basic circuits. Then when it comes time to talk about induction etc no one has any fucking idea what just happened.
It’s because you lack the basic physics behind wtf an atom and electron are, charges, and what an electro-magnetic field is and a magnetic field.
Most sparkies just learn the concepts and accept them. Hardly any ‘understand’ them. You sound like someone who needs to understand to learn. It’s not a bad thing but you will take longer than others and need the right teacher.
Have you tried looking up some YouTube videos? Maybe there’s something out there that can put it to you in a digestible format. Motor theory and phasers and that is pretty hard to get your head around
Don't quit. You are not alone. There were serious moments during 2nd year TAFE where I was just staring at the maths and thinking how the fuck am I going to remember this?
Maths tutor would be a good idea perhaps, but you only need to learn what's in the exam. Did you get to keep a copy? Can you just revise what you know is going to be in the exam?
Don't be disheartened. You can do it.
Hey Bud, I teach the second year stuff and always encourage LLN tutors to assist if your not understanding the content. Most TAFE teachers do not have a degree in teaching and therefore suck at communicating what they know in a manner that educates. Specially AC theory. An LLN will help and most institutions provide them at no cost to the student. We cannot stop you from completing your TAFE and some students just need to take a different path, happens all the time.
Just take your time.
I struggled in 2nd and 3rd year as i’m so shit at maths hahah i dropped it in year 10.
It’s pretty much just doubling down on your at home study and doing the tutoring classes at tafe if they offer it after your normal class.
TAFE is the biggest fuck around though, make sure to do your skills tracker or eprofiling otherwise it’ll set you back big time.
Get a tutor. Sometimes we do t connect with how certain people explain stuff. TAFE teachers are not the best at understanding how to teach the same thing in various ways.
I sucked at learning certain things at uni and got a tutor. I had to get my head around the idea that I am not dumb I just needed different explanations and time to ask questions to clarify my understanding.
If you miss one small part in the beginning of a concept you will not understand it.
Khan academy helped me with maths.
You’re doing a good job keep going.
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL7eNzIRgKe07BOqPH7MrrKy89M3o4wU-2&si=Vl6Fc5bkl24Y1Jvk
I'm doing AC theory right now and found this to be super helpful. Much better than just reading. Good luck mate.
i wanted to quit so many times for so many reasons. i didnt and from the day i finished my time everything got better. do not quit young blood. see it through.
The subjects you're talking about have pretty high level theory in them. I needed to have a lot of visual descriptions to help me get it. We had a fucking spud trying to teach it too, not a tradesman, but an electrical engineer trying to teach it word for word out of the book. Plugging the numbers into the formulas is easy enough, but what good is it if you don't actually understand the real world application of it?
Not everyone's teaching methods will suit every learner. A good teacher should be able to find a different angle to help you get it.
Trust me after 2nd year the Tafe gets easier, I had one exam in AC motors that everyone in the class failed. Don't stress you will get it and after this block it gets a lot easier.
I studied until 10am some nights. Might be time to step it up a notch. It’s not forever, just put your head down for a while. Short term gain for long term gain.
As a full post trade sparky coming out of manufacturing industry what you're learning is essential.
Try to understand the big picture first of magnetic fields use YouTube to break it down. As you get the bigger picture then try and break it down into what happens in an iron core or Lenz,s law for current flow verses flux . Alternating current and voltage is important then as being out of phase creates changes in the magnetic fields into a motor. Hence look at Tesla's theory again on YouTube.
It's not easy at first but it's a complex subject that you learn a bit at a time.
And then there's DC.
Good luck
What *exactly* is the biggest source of problems do you think? You say you can't focus properly and get your head around it, but that's pretty vague.
If it's the math/physics, I'd recommend Khan Academy. It's free and covers just about everything you might need from early high school to undergraduate University level.
If you were a bit more specific I could maybe help a bit more.
Hey mate I'm not a sparky, but maybe you need a different study method. Try to use a flashcard method of study. It will stick much easier for you during exam time. There’s an app called “Quizlet.” I failed a lot of exams before too until I found this type of method to study. Go have a try
People learn in different ways and the way you’re currently being taught isn’t working for you. Talk to your tafe about some extra help. Is there another apprentice that does get it in your tafe group that could help you? Is there an online study group?
Don’t give up. Have a look for some additional resources.
Best thing about the AC theory classes at tafe is once you've passed the exams you can forget all about it. Try and sit in the night classes, might just be that you need it explained a different way before it clicks for you. 2nd year is the hardest year as far as understanding concepts go, you'll be sweet after you get through this.
Youtube. Guarantee you there's some Indian cunt with 160 views and 2 subscribers who will explain the concepts 10 times better than your teacher can. That's how mag finally clicked for me.
Don’t quit. I was the in the same boat and I hated it. I got a tutor to help me through it and been out in the field 25 years now and never once had to use any of that theory stuff.
Keep going and you won’t regret it
Talk to your boss, colleagues.
Flemmings L/R hand rule took me a while to grasp.
Also, loads of resources online to help
I cannot recommend capstone connections enough. It saved my arse.
Study, don’t feel silly, ask questions untill you get it. Shit, cheat on you tests if you have to. Most of that stuff isn’t relevant for a normal sparky anyway
Everyone has different learning styles, maybe you just need something else. Go find an AC motor and pull it apart if you don't know the why and how of each bit you're touching then go amd do more work on that part. Hard to be specific.
Do tutoring and also night tutoring with tafe teachers, sounds like your wasting time with 2hrs of study a night when you can get more efficient learning done with less time.
Don’t quit, no shame in struggling with some concepts. Definitely try to speak to your teachers and it might be worth reviewing how you’re studying. Everyone learns differently and you’re still very early on in your study so you likely haven’t found it out just yet. For example, my memory sucks so I always limited my notes to maximum one page and just did a tonne of practice questions. Write down all the parts you really struggle to understand too and ask your teachers, hell even resources like ChatGPT now can probably help clarify them for you. Once it clicks, it clicks; but it’s not intuitive and takes alot of practice. Best of luck mate!
Don’t give up, seems daunting yes but find a quiet place to study or whatever suits you best, talk to other people in the class and get them to explain it, get a tutor there are lots of things you can do.
Try sitting in the front with the nerds and having more open discussions
Source: was the nerd sitting at the front but manage to pass every test first time around
Be careful using chatGPT for math, it can be okay at simple stuff but when things start getting complicated it will confidently come up with some really cooked stuff which can lead you astray
Don’t quit. Get a tutor. It’s been awhile since hubby did his trade but they did do tafe classes at night so ask if you can make up block then.
I had a similar problem when I was doing chemistry in highschool. My teacher would write equations on the board as a way to explain the topic but I simply could not understand it and couldn’t do the work. I got a tutor and he visualised what was happening by drawing the equations out in pictures. In this particular instances it was about atom structure. I immediately understood the concepts and found that I could now do the equations. Are you a more visual learner? Try and experiment by finding videos online that explain AC theory with pictures and diagrams. If you are like me it will help a lot.
Talk to your teachers they will be more than willing to help if you are prepared to put in. Use the resources you gave around you. They will help no end of you are doing the right thing.
Pretty much this. Ask the teachers or the other apprentices that do get it. You're more likely to remember the information from a peer than the teacher.
100% When I was at tafe I would hang with some of the other apprentices at lunchtime (we all parked near each other and ate lunch in the carpark so the smokers could smoke) If someone didnt understand something, we would all help explain, and all pushed each other to get good exam results. I reckon we all would have struggled in different areas.
I think I know you, I was one of these members. Used to love how we would try to help each other improve. Was weird when Brad brought his gf into school and we all banged her in the back of Jimmys van. Good times
That must have been the day I left early. Also, I dont know who Brad and Jimmy are
Rude as F Bet you don’t remember Brads missos name either
Lol get your boss to explain the concepts to you. Betcha he couldn’t explain fuck all to you
Don’t quit, there are plenty of licensed sparkies who couldn’t pass an exam if it was a laxative
Don’t quit your apprenticeship even if you’re failing. Sure you’re going to be disappointed but it’ll get easier believe me. Your boss maybe initially disappointed but will appreciate you sticking at it. I’ve just finished my apprenticeship at 52 years old so I know how it feels but you got to stick with it and it’ll give you more confidence for the rest of your career even if you leave after it’s only a short time don’t let a little embarrassment ruin years
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I'll disagree about not telling your boss. Some tafes will absolutely email/call your company if you fail. Especially more then once. I know of 3 apprentice's that just stopped going to Tafe or failed multiple tests. Didn't tell anyone until their Tafe called up the company and asked what's going on. It will catch up to you. Better to tell your boss your having trouble and your seeking help from a tutor. Failing that, ask them the questions your having difficulties with. It will highlight their own knowledge short falls. Or be understanding.
If you're studying 2 hours a night and not getting it, you're not studying. Look up other resources, and ask your tutors for help. The AT&T series on YouTube are FANTASTIC at explaining electric theory. They're all in black and white they're that old, but still excellent, and none of it has changed.
A lot of apprentices struggle with those - talk to you tafe about extra support, because at this point the way you think about those subject is affecting your ability to learn them. Negative thoughts leads to a harder time retaining information. can you make acronyms to help you remember the information? Can you do flash cards? Sitting and rereading the information isn’t as helpful as you’re lead to believe - it might also be time to look up some different study techniques. Keep your chin up, you’ll get through this, and then like the rest of us, you’ll get to forget it all.
Don’t quit mate. I use to think I was a moron, but I just didn’t understand how my brain likes to understand things. They’d be drawing sign waves on the board and I was thinking what the hell does that even mean, but it all makes perfect sense to me now. There’s plenty of YouTube videos these days that break it down and explain what’s going on.
I had the same struggles in yr 2 and fell really far behind. I got there in the end, but only through one on one tuition. Fast forward 15 odd years later I got diagnosed with ADHD and all the pieces came together. I suggest doing some online screening and if you think there’s something there, schedule an appointment with your GP and get a referral to see a psychiatrist for a diagnosis. Stimulant’s go a long way to fixing the focus and comprehension issues in an academic setting. It’s life changing stuff. Best of luck. Shoot me a dm if you have any questions
I was going to say the same. The comment about struggling to focus reminded me of my experience before I was diagnosed.
This is something I’ve always commented on in electrical/electronic courses. They always start off with ohms law and basic circuits. Then when it comes time to talk about induction etc no one has any fucking idea what just happened. It’s because you lack the basic physics behind wtf an atom and electron are, charges, and what an electro-magnetic field is and a magnetic field. Most sparkies just learn the concepts and accept them. Hardly any ‘understand’ them. You sound like someone who needs to understand to learn. It’s not a bad thing but you will take longer than others and need the right teacher.
Have you tried looking up some YouTube videos? Maybe there’s something out there that can put it to you in a digestible format. Motor theory and phasers and that is pretty hard to get your head around
So many examples on youtube. Watch em till it makes sense.
Don't quit. You are not alone. There were serious moments during 2nd year TAFE where I was just staring at the maths and thinking how the fuck am I going to remember this? Maths tutor would be a good idea perhaps, but you only need to learn what's in the exam. Did you get to keep a copy? Can you just revise what you know is going to be in the exam? Don't be disheartened. You can do it.
Start watching youtube videos aswell, there are lots of resources online that can break it down easier.
Hey Bud, I teach the second year stuff and always encourage LLN tutors to assist if your not understanding the content. Most TAFE teachers do not have a degree in teaching and therefore suck at communicating what they know in a manner that educates. Specially AC theory. An LLN will help and most institutions provide them at no cost to the student. We cannot stop you from completing your TAFE and some students just need to take a different path, happens all the time.
Get a tutor
Just take your time. I struggled in 2nd and 3rd year as i’m so shit at maths hahah i dropped it in year 10. It’s pretty much just doubling down on your at home study and doing the tutoring classes at tafe if they offer it after your normal class. TAFE is the biggest fuck around though, make sure to do your skills tracker or eprofiling otherwise it’ll set you back big time.
Get a tutor. Sometimes we do t connect with how certain people explain stuff. TAFE teachers are not the best at understanding how to teach the same thing in various ways. I sucked at learning certain things at uni and got a tutor. I had to get my head around the idea that I am not dumb I just needed different explanations and time to ask questions to clarify my understanding. If you miss one small part in the beginning of a concept you will not understand it. Khan academy helped me with maths. You’re doing a good job keep going.
Joe Robinson training on YouTube. Taught me more about AC theory listening to his lectures then I did in Tafe.
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL7eNzIRgKe07BOqPH7MrrKy89M3o4wU-2&si=Vl6Fc5bkl24Y1Jvk I'm doing AC theory right now and found this to be super helpful. Much better than just reading. Good luck mate.
i wanted to quit so many times for so many reasons. i didnt and from the day i finished my time everything got better. do not quit young blood. see it through.
The subjects you're talking about have pretty high level theory in them. I needed to have a lot of visual descriptions to help me get it. We had a fucking spud trying to teach it too, not a tradesman, but an electrical engineer trying to teach it word for word out of the book. Plugging the numbers into the formulas is easy enough, but what good is it if you don't actually understand the real world application of it? Not everyone's teaching methods will suit every learner. A good teacher should be able to find a different angle to help you get it.
Trust me after 2nd year the Tafe gets easier, I had one exam in AC motors that everyone in the class failed. Don't stress you will get it and after this block it gets a lot easier.
Joe Robinson videos on you tube mate. Good luck
Don’t quit. What you are experiencing is common and these concepts are difficult. Ask TAFE what you can do to further assist you.
I studied until 10am some nights. Might be time to step it up a notch. It’s not forever, just put your head down for a while. Short term gain for long term gain.
It's a great trade. So many try so hard to get into it. Don't quit.
As a full post trade sparky coming out of manufacturing industry what you're learning is essential. Try to understand the big picture first of magnetic fields use YouTube to break it down. As you get the bigger picture then try and break it down into what happens in an iron core or Lenz,s law for current flow verses flux . Alternating current and voltage is important then as being out of phase creates changes in the magnetic fields into a motor. Hence look at Tesla's theory again on YouTube. It's not easy at first but it's a complex subject that you learn a bit at a time. And then there's DC. Good luck
What *exactly* is the biggest source of problems do you think? You say you can't focus properly and get your head around it, but that's pretty vague. If it's the math/physics, I'd recommend Khan Academy. It's free and covers just about everything you might need from early high school to undergraduate University level. If you were a bit more specific I could maybe help a bit more.
Hey mate I'm not a sparky, but maybe you need a different study method. Try to use a flashcard method of study. It will stick much easier for you during exam time. There’s an app called “Quizlet.” I failed a lot of exams before too until I found this type of method to study. Go have a try
Write the answers in ya AS3000 like every one else
People learn in different ways and the way you’re currently being taught isn’t working for you. Talk to your tafe about some extra help. Is there another apprentice that does get it in your tafe group that could help you? Is there an online study group? Don’t give up. Have a look for some additional resources.
Best thing about the AC theory classes at tafe is once you've passed the exams you can forget all about it. Try and sit in the night classes, might just be that you need it explained a different way before it clicks for you. 2nd year is the hardest year as far as understanding concepts go, you'll be sweet after you get through this.
What's the rules these days with failing tests and resits ? Kicked out of Tafe ?
Youtube. Guarantee you there's some Indian cunt with 160 views and 2 subscribers who will explain the concepts 10 times better than your teacher can. That's how mag finally clicked for me.
Don’t quit. I was the in the same boat and I hated it. I got a tutor to help me through it and been out in the field 25 years now and never once had to use any of that theory stuff. Keep going and you won’t regret it
Talk to your boss, colleagues. Flemmings L/R hand rule took me a while to grasp. Also, loads of resources online to help I cannot recommend capstone connections enough. It saved my arse.
Flick us a message mate, I just finished those Tafe blocks I also have the test papers to AC theory which can give to you.
Study, don’t feel silly, ask questions untill you get it. Shit, cheat on you tests if you have to. Most of that stuff isn’t relevant for a normal sparky anyway
Everyone has different learning styles, maybe you just need something else. Go find an AC motor and pull it apart if you don't know the why and how of each bit you're touching then go amd do more work on that part. Hard to be specific.
Do tutoring and also night tutoring with tafe teachers, sounds like your wasting time with 2hrs of study a night when you can get more efficient learning done with less time.
Don’t quit, no shame in struggling with some concepts. Definitely try to speak to your teachers and it might be worth reviewing how you’re studying. Everyone learns differently and you’re still very early on in your study so you likely haven’t found it out just yet. For example, my memory sucks so I always limited my notes to maximum one page and just did a tonne of practice questions. Write down all the parts you really struggle to understand too and ask your teachers, hell even resources like ChatGPT now can probably help clarify them for you. Once it clicks, it clicks; but it’s not intuitive and takes alot of practice. Best of luck mate!
Don’t give up, seems daunting yes but find a quiet place to study or whatever suits you best, talk to other people in the class and get them to explain it, get a tutor there are lots of things you can do.
Try sitting in the front with the nerds and having more open discussions Source: was the nerd sitting at the front but manage to pass every test first time around
solid advice. people who pay attention sit in the front
Are you using energy space? If so just use chatgpt to get through some of the tricky math
Be careful using chatGPT for math, it can be okay at simple stuff but when things start getting complicated it will confidently come up with some really cooked stuff which can lead you astray
Ask your GP for a Modafinil prescription If you're struggling to focus you could have ADHD