Getting the Most Out of Ideas For Physics Yearly
I've been using Ideas For Physics Yearly for about four years now, mostly as a supplementary resource for my A-level and first-year university physics prep. It's not a textbook replacement by any means, but it fills the gaps that standard syllabus material leaves behind. Here's how to actually use it without wasting time. The resource is organized by topic area rather than exam board, which is both a strength and a weakness. Each section breaks down core concepts with worked examples, common misconceptions, and longer-form explanations of the underlying theory. The quantum mechanics and thermodynamics sections are noticeably better than the mechanics ones — I don't know why, but the depth in those areas is genuinely useful. If you're targeting IB or AP Physics, the content aligns reasonably well, though you'll still need your own syllabus checklist to cross-reference. One thing I wish was clearer from the start: Ideas For Physics Yearly assumes you already know the basic maths. There's no chapter teaching you how to use calculus in physics contexts. If you're struggling with differentiation or vector notation, this resource will frustrate you. I wasted about three weeks trying to push through the electromagnetism section before I backed off and did a separate calculus refresher. That would have saved me a lot of headaches.
How to approach the material
Don't read it cover to cover. That's the biggest mistake I see people make. Pick the topics you're currently studying in class or that are coming up in your exam timetable, work through those sections, and treat the rest as a reference. Each topic module runs roughly 20 to 40 pages depending on complexity. A typical study session — reading the explanation, working through the examples yourself, then checking against the solutions — takes about 45 minutes to an hour per topic. The worked examples are where this resource earns its keep. They don't just show the final answer. They walk through the reasoning step by step, including the moments where students typically make errors. I kept a notebook alongside the material and wrote out each example before looking at the solution. That practice alone doubled my retention compared to just reading passively. The problems get progressively harder within each section, which is helpful for building confidence before exams.
Common problems and what works
The file formatting on the PDF version is inconsistent. Some sections use clean double-column layout, others are single-column with cramped spacing that makes diagrams hard to follow. I found it easier to work from the web version on a tablet with a stylus so I could zoom into the figures without straining. If you're printing pages, use double-sided and a larger paper size. Attempting to read the physics diagrams at A4 scale is painful. Another issue: the index at the back is incomplete. Topics are listed, but sub-topics aren't cross-referenced well. When I needed to find material on simple harmonic motion linked back to energy conservation, I had to search across two different sections manually. I ended up building my own index in a separate document, which took about 20 minutes but has been invaluable since then. I'd recommend doing the same from the start rather than trying to navigate the built-in one. The download link for the full resource is on the official Ideas For Physics Yearly website. Make sure you grab the latest edition — the 2024 release corrected several typo errors in the momentum conservation examples from the previous version. Those typos in the older edition were causing incorrect final values in three of the practice problems, which threw off my self-testing until I spotted the discrepancy.
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What it doesn't do well
Ideas For Physics Yearly isn't designed for exam-specific preparation. If you're three weeks from your physics exam and need past paper practice with marking schemes, this isn't the right tool. It's a conceptual understanding resource. The practice problems are educational rather than exam-style. You'll still need separate past papers and your school's revision materials for that. The coverage of modern physics applications is thin. Things like semiconductor physics, nuclear decay calculations, and particle physics are treated briefly, almost as an afterthought. If your course requires depth in those areas, supplement with dedicated textbooks or lecture notes. The optics section is similarly surface-level compared to the mechanics and thermodynamics content. There's also no video component. I know some people prefer visual explanations for topics like wave interference and magnetic fields. For those, I'd recommend pairing this with selected YouTube lectures from channels like Professor Dave Explains or Michel van Biezen. The written explanations here are solid, but they can't replace a visual demonstration of field lines or interference patterns.
My recommendation
Use Ideas For Physics Yearly alongside your main textbook and class notes, not instead of them. Work through it topic by topic as you cover material in class. Keep your own supplementary notes and index. Save the full resource for when you need deeper conceptual clarity on a topic that your textbook explains too briefly. It's a B-plus resource at best — useful, reliable, but with enough gaps that you shouldn't rely on it alone. For the price, it's reasonable value if you know how to use it.
