For help, refer to the textbook, your class notes, and your classmates. There are many ways to express any particular idea. If you understand the idea, you will be able to explain it clearly in your own words. As each exam comes along, you can use your journal for the bulk of your studying. But the main value of the journal is that simply writing the ideas down will clarify them.
Physics often sounds simpler than it really is.
You might believe that you understand the teacher's explanation of an idea, when actually all you have done is heard the words. Your mind must be actively engaged. Keep questioning your understanding, keep asking yourself questions, especially during your daily journal writing. As a test of your understanding of an idea, see if you can express it two or three different ways. Studying For Exams Keep up daily.