After completing their introductory studies on thermodynamics at the university level, typically in a second-year university course, most students show a number of misconceptions. In this work, we identify some of those erroneous ideas and try to explain their origins. We also give a suggestion to attack the problem through a systematic and detailed study of various thermodynamic cycles. In the meantime, we derive some useful relations. (Contains 12 figures and 26 footnotes.)