Most of the time when I'm studying physics and chemistry, I'm rote learning most of the content (if not all) and I can't get into the habit of understanding something. Could someone please give me some advice on how to understand physics and chemistry (and when I mean understand I mean have it stuck to your head so then you don't have to spend too long studying every week)
Thanks in advance
Another thing that might help is applying the knowledge that you have learned to real-life. Eg. when we started learning about vectors and the forces acting upon objects in different situations in physics, I would then apply that while traveling to school each morning, such as when going around the corner, what forces were acting upon the passengers in the car (momentum, direction, seatbelt, all that jazz)? And, hypothetically, what would happen if something changed, such as not wearing a seatbelt or hitting an object? Chem is the same, especially after doing biochem and what happens to food and the energy within when we eat and during exercise and that. Not everyone does this, but I find it really helpful as means that not only am I going over the things that we're learning in class, but I'm remembering it as well because I'm finding interesting applications for it that also explain what's going on in the world around me (why I love science haha), and it's ingrained enough now that I do it subconsciously aha.
Another thing that might help is basically what ragingcurry said, but re-teaching it to yourself in a way that you understand and learn well with. Personally, that's just re-teaching (the only reason why I understand, albeit partially, biochem) and going over content. But definitely going over your notes and other peoples, because everyone has a different way of taking notes and absorbing information, some will help you others won't (eg. I take lots of detailed notes and then pull them apart to make minimal ones, a friend takes dot-points basically and understands it all).
Hope that helps =)