The Physics Advantage // Nick Pittman

A structured 16-week online physics coaching program built specifically for high school students considering studying medicine, biological sciences, or life sciences.

Taught by a Theoretical Physics PhD candidate and award-winning college physics lecturer.

Concept-centered approach that focuses on understanding the “Why?”

Improves mathematical and physical reasoning from the foundation up, leaving students equipped for taking on college physics/math curricula, the SAT/ACT, and the MCAT.

For students and parents who want to develop skills that stand out and pay dividends for years to come.

“This was one of the best courses I have ever taken. I’m a chemistry major but I have never loved physics until this class. Nick is so kind and he teaches so well it changed my viewpoint on the subject.” -Student in Physics 2 at UMass Amherst

The Physics Advantage program specializes in cultivating uncompromising, principles-based physics skills in students bound for medicine or biological sciences.

✔ Concept-focused lessons
✔ Small-group example sessions
✔ Weekly drop-in problem-solving labs
✔ Lasting skills based on understanding, not memorization
✔ Taught by a Physics PhD candidate and college physics lecturer (see Reviews!)

Physics is a demanding class. It combines math skills, such as on-the-fly trigonometry and systems of equations, with complex problem solving in a way that few other subjects do. In many schools, it has a reputation of being one of the most difficult classes a student will encounter.

Given this difficulty, it’s no surprise that fewer and fewer people are electing to take physics in high school each year—which is exactly why being skilled in physics is more valuable than ever before. At the same time, many colleges are beginning to require dedicated physics classes for these majors that slow progress through clinical courses, and having quantitative research projects or a stellar MCAT physics score can be the factor that separates two qualified medical/graduate school applicants who are otherwise equal.

Compared with a population that is increasingly satisfied with just squeaking by in physics, being willing to meet the challenges and rewards of this class head-on is an investment that keeps paying dividends throughout your education.

I’m a Physics PhD candidate with over 10 years of experience in college physics education, including teaching Physics 1 and 2 to over 700 students at UMass and RPI, many of which were on life science and pre-med tracks. I designed this program specifically around what students in these majors need (and what they don’t need) from this class.

My teaching centers on conceptual understandings and the “WHY” behind every step of a problem. Understanding the purpose of a group of steps helps us stay oriented towards the finish line and ensures every new lesson and step automatically slots itself in as part of a bigger picture. My approach to teaching the “why” combines careful word choice, tailored analogies to prior knowledge, and working through curated example problems to diagnose and fix misconceptions and instill lasting understanding. All of these methods and principles have been developed, tested, and refined by feedback from hundreds of students. Here’s an example of one concept that has an extremely high return on investment at all levels of physics:

This program is designed to give motivated students a leg-up in a subject that may otherwise be passed over. Past students from my college teaching have gone on to be successful members of microbiology research labs, aeronautical process engineers, machine learning analysts, and even physics teachers themselves, and have explained that the analytical patterns they acquired during physics are things that they leveraged to get to those positions, and that they continue to utilize every single day.

I strive to share a genuine understanding of physics to every student, but this requires a lot of contact time and spots are limited. If this program sounds like something you’re interested in, I’d love to meet with you face-to-face over a video call and learn more about your goals and prior experiences in physics and math, and see if you’d be a good fit for the program. To get started, please fill out the application below. There is no commitment, and it provides a good opportunity to feel out the program on a more personal level, while also optionally getting some concrete physics tips to take into the start of the year.

Please note: This year’s program will begin on September 1, 2026. While students can still enroll after this time, space is limited to ~50 students nationwide so that every student receives meaningful individualized attention.

• Are preparing for a college or career path in medicine, a life/biological science, or related field
• Generally do well in school but expect physics to be challenging
• Want to succeed but aren’t sure how to study physics effectively
• Can follow examples but may struggle with unfamiliar or highly mathematical problems
• Sometimes get stuck without knowing how to begin
• Would benefit from having expert help and guidance available throughout the semester

What Students Have Said:

“Physics 2 is known for being a rather hard course, but he did an amazing job going out of his way to explain any confusing concepts. He is well-prepared when it comes to his lectures and always answers any questions students may have. He is also easily accessible. If you get the chance, take one of his courses.”

“Nick is a great professor and all around guy. He is also really good at explaining the material and understanding how the students think.”

“Despite having a class size of 300 students, he tried to personally get to know as many as possible. He wants everyone in his class to succeed and he makes that very clear in the way he teaches the class. His lectures are clear and full of examples.”

We work toward three outcome goals for our students:

We develop all three interconnected outcomes by combining concept-first problem solving approaches, careful explanation of topics, connection to familiar examples, and extensive active practice under supervision.

This program provides consistent support from a physics expert, who knows exactly where students tend to struggle and how to help them through it.

Standard academic help or tutoring is usually reactive—it responds to what has already gone wrong.

The downward slide from “this is hard, but I feel like I’m doing okay” to “I studied… how did that happen?” can happen fast, and catching up can be hard—I know this because I went through it myself. But I took that experience into my teaching, working to learn how to identify and prevent this same thing in my students. Now, my mission is to help students build good problem-solving habits before those gaps accumulate, and to help them stay grounded to core principles throughout the entire year.

By combining proactive preparation, efficient guided practice, and targeted review, the Physics Advantage program makes sure students feel fully supported and prepared at all stages of class, from homework and lecture questions until test day. Here is the exact week-to-week breakdown:

1) Concept-focused Video Lessons & Applied Math Review

A dedicated 30-40-minute lesson each week that highlights the key principles of upcoming material. This is NOT a standard lecture—it will be laser-focused on the most important concepts and how problems tend to organize around them.

We also give special attention to honing mathematical skills that get used heavily in physics: algebra, graphical reasoning, systems of equations, and trigonometry. Many students could use refreshers or re-toolings of these subjects even if they got through the math class okay. Applying them with purpose to real-world problems can be instrumental in converting them from uncertain subjects into tools that can be confidently deployed on-demand.

2) Small-group Example Sessions

We’ll meet each week in a small-group setting, working through selected examples that highlight how these concepts appear in real problems. These problems are specially curated to provide genuine exposure to problems, while also being trimmed enough to highlight specific strategies or goals without unnecessary detail.

3) Weekly Problem-Solving Labs/Office Hours

Multiple opportunities each week to get help with something you’re stuck on. This allows students to test and develop their understanding under supervision, without feeling pressured to jump to an answer they don’t understand. These are modeled after college office hours, and are a great way to tackle tough questions in a guided setting.

4) Curated Resources: Video Exam Walkthroughs & Concept Worksheets

Not all practice tests are created equal. The program gives access to video walkthroughs of sample exams with special attention to how they relate to what we work on throughout the week. Translating skills into into a test environment can be a skill in itself, and this program provides extensive resources to help students achieve full confidence.

We also provide extra weekly concept worksheets and video solution guides for any especially difficult topics, designed to reinforce common problem-solving difficulties before they become larger gaps.

5) Individual Diagnostics

A ~15 minute monthly progress review to keep students on track and generate personalized plans for what to focus on next, and inform how I can tweak my explanatory style to their needs.

If you’d like to learn a bit more about the program, the next step is to apply to join and schedule an prospective intake meeting + diagnostic screening.

This ~60 minute session will give me the chance to know you, your student, and their history in math and science classes. It’s important for both me and the students I work with to feel out each other’s style, motivation, and goals to be sure they click. Not all students will feel that I would be a good fit—and that’s totally okay!

Next, I’ll work through several problems with your student and look for specific places where their reasoning, conceptual understanding, or mathematical execution may need attention before the semester starts, in areas such as trigonometry, algebraic reasoning, and graphical understanding. There’s no need to prepare—I want to see exactly how your student approaches unfamiliar problems and see what skills they already excel at, and also identify those that could use tuning up before classes get up to speed.

Afterwards, you’ll receive a brief explanation of what I found and what I would recommend working on next, regardless of whether the program feels like a good fit. I have taught thousands of students over my career, and I have extensive experience identifying the highest-value topics for students to focus on.

Please note: there is no commitment associated with applying or scheduling a diagnostic. It is totally free and a good opportunity to feel out the program on a personal level beyond a web page. It will help both me, you, and your student see if the program is a mutually good fit.

Please note: The program will begin on September 1, 2026. While students can enroll after this time, space is limited to ~50 students nationwide for the Fall 2026 semester.