He's a nice man, but...

Amanda C · Apr 24, 2008

It's my chemistry teacher. I'm taking gen chem II right now, and I feel that I'm not getting much out of the course because my teacher is about 80 and would rather teach about how chemistry relates to everyday life rather than teach us how to actually use it. This worries me!!!

I have been trying to go along on my own in the text, and see if I could cover the material by myself. But I'm worried that I won't be prepared for organic next semester because of how much I'm actually getting out of my class right now.

Will I be ok in organic? How much chemistry II is used in organic, and is it anything that I can't go back and teach myself?

Thanks

DoctorRx1986 · Apr 24, 2008

Amanda C said:
It's my chemistry teacher. I'm taking gen chem II right now, and I feel that I'm not getting much out of the course because my teacher is about 80 and would rather teach about how chemistry relates to everyday life rather than teach us how to actually use it. This worries me!!!

I have been trying to go along on my own in the text, and see if I could cover the material by myself. But I'm worried that I won't be prepared for organic next semester because of how much I'm actually getting out of my class right now.

Will I be ok in organic? How much chemistry II is used in organic, and is it anything that I can't go back and teach myself?

Thanks

I believe you commended me for one of my long posts explaining to another person what organic chemistry is like. You will need almost nothing from general chemistry 2 in your study of organic chemistry. As I described in that long post of mine, organic chemistry has virtually no mathematical calculations and it involves structure, structural elucidation (determining the structure of an unknown compound using certain techniques), reactions, reaction mechanisms, or the way the electrons are rearranged in the starting materials to form the products, properties of organic molecules, and synthesis. What IS ESSENTIAL for you to know and UNDERSTAND is hybridization, basic bonding patterns, and have an understanding of electronegativity. All those equations from thermodynamics, gas laws, equilibrium, etc... are a thing of the past in organic chemistry unless your professor decides to build on a new concept by referring to an idea from general chemistry. I used to like general chemistry, but when I took organic, I fell in love with the subject and realized just how primitive gen chem and almost useless it is. Organic is what truly gave me an appreciation for the building blocks of life, which is based on carbon, and everything around me. After taking it, I just can't stop thinking about how organic is all around us...it's in the medicine cabinet, the fuel that powers our automobiles, the very cosmetics women use to enhance their beauty, the food that nourishes our bodies, the plastics and everyday items we use, and for all of you out there who are interested and love drinking, it's in the very alcohol you drink...ETHYL alcohol. So, what i would recommend is that you learn the gen chem you need for your class and to be prepared for the PCAT. But like i said, organic is a whole new ball game and is far more visual as well. PM me for more details if you'd like.

UES Girl · Apr 24, 2008

Amanda C said:
It's my chemistry teacher. I'm taking gen chem II right now, and I feel that I'm not getting much out of the course because my teacher is about 80 and would rather teach about how chemistry relates to everyday life rather than teach us how to actually use it. This worries me!!!

I have been trying to go along on my own in the text, and see if I could cover the material by myself. But I'm worried that I won't be prepared for organic next semester because of how much I'm actually getting out of my class right now.

Will I be ok in organic? How much chemistry II is used in organic, and is it anything that I can't go back and teach myself?

Thanks

Organic and general chemistry are like apples and oranges, gen chem is quantitative, organic is qualitative. So no need to worry.

BTW, from the name of the thread I thought it was going to be about your bf drama.

Amanda C · Apr 24, 2008

DoctorRx1986 said:
I believe you commended me for one of my long posts explaining to another person what organic chemistry is like. You will need almost nothing from general chemistry 2 in your study of organic chemistry. As I described in that long post of mine, organic chemistry has virtually no mathematical calculations and it involves structure, structural elucidation (determining the structure of an unknown compound using certain techniques), reactions, reaction mechanisms, or the way the electrons are rearranged in the starting materials to form the products, properties of organic molecules, and synthesis. What IS ESSENTIAL for you to know and UNDERSTAND is hybridization, basic bonding patterns, and have an understanding of electronegativity. All those equations from thermodynamics, gas laws, equilibrium, etc... are a thing of the past in organic chemistry unless your professor decides to build on a new concept by referring to an idea from general chemistry. I used to like general chemistry, but when I took organic, I fell in love with the subject and realized just how primitive gen chem and almost useless it is. Organic is what truly gave me an appreciation for the building blocks of life, which is based on carbon, and everything around me. After taking it, I just can't stop thinking about how organic is all around us...it's in the medicine cabinet, the fuel that powers our automobiles, the very cosmetics women use to enhance their beauty, the food that nourishes our bodies, the plastics and everyday items we use, and for all of you out there who are interested and love drinking, it's in the very alcohol you drink...ETHYL alcohol. So, what i would recommend is that you learn the gen chem you need for your class and to be prepared for the PCAT. But like i said, organic is a whole new ball game and is far more visual as well. PM me for more details if you'd like.

And I commend you once again, thanks

I know, the PCAT is probably more important here.

I hear that with organic either it comes easy or it doesn't. I hope I'm in with the easy crowd

Amanda C · Apr 24, 2008

cheburashka said:
Organic and general chemistry are like apples and oranges, gen chem is quantitative, organic is qualitative. So no need to worry.

BTW, from the name of the thread I thought it was going to be about your bf drama.

Haha, yeah, I figured that it might get a little attention with a title like that

UES Girl · Apr 24, 2008

Amanda C said:
Haha, yeah, I figured that it might get a little attention with a title like that

As long as you are a good critical/logical thinker organic will come to you as easy as bad publicity to Paris Hilton.

dodgingglances · Apr 24, 2008

Almost nothing alike, you could even take orgo first and then chem later, it really doesn't matter even tho i think every school requires chem before orgo.

oh you might find some relations from chem and orgo like... when i was taking orgo, i said to myself... so thats what ethanol looks like!! i didnt know that...

DoctorRx1986 · Apr 24, 2008

Amanda C said:
And I commend you once again, thanks I know, the PCAT is probably more important here.

I hear that with organic either it comes easy or it doesn't. I hope I'm in with the easy crowd

Many times it's not really about the subject coming easily to you or not. The professor's ability to teach the subject matter well has A LOT to do with how clear it will be to you and whether or not you will have a difficult time understanding it. If you take organic at a large, research intensive university, chances are you will be doomed to a lecture hall occupied with 300-400 people and the professor will be more interested in his research publication rather than actually teaching the material well....he'll just rush through organic and think everyone can simply understand it or learn it at this pace. Taking it with fewer students in the course and at an institution that does not have mostly a research focus improves the odds of having better quality teaching than having a mediocre professor at a "brand name" university where you'll feel rushed each day. My organic class had 45-60 people and the professor NEVER rushed to cram anything simply to meet a deadline or cover the entire syllabus...we made it to where we made it...he believed QUALITY is much more important than quantity. What good is it to finish ALL the topics allotted to the study of second semester organic, for example, if students will only memorize it for the exam and later forget it rather than truly learn and retain it? This is all just something to think about in regards to the profound difference a professor can make in your ability or likelihood of succeeding not only as a student of organic chemistry but of any other course as well.

ExpressMaiL · Apr 24, 2008

Just know your lewis acid/bases, bronsted and electron pair configuration/ formal charges / etc.

Sparda29 · Apr 24, 2008

Well, nothing from General Chem II that you have to know for Organic Chem.

If your General Chem II professor decides to cover Organic Chem (usually the last chapter in a General Chem book), then you have a early preview.

Just remember the octet rule!!

goldennemesis · Apr 24, 2008

At my college, Gen Chem 2 is nor a prereq for Orgo 1. I took Gen Chem 1 freshman year, then both semesters of Orgo sophomore year, then like a year later, I took Gen Chem 2. I don't think it hurt me one little bit not to have taken Gen Chem 2 before Orgo. So no worries, mate, just get a good grade in this class and cruise on through to Orgo.

Amanda C · Apr 24, 2008

DoctorRx1986 said:
Many times it's not really about the subject coming easily to you or not. The professor's ability to teach the subject matter well has A LOT to do with how clear it will be to you and whether or not you will have a difficult time understanding it. If you take organic at a large, research intensive university, chances are you will be doomed to a lecture hall occupied with 300-400 people and the professor will be more interested in his research publication rather than actually teaching the material well....he'll just rush through organic and think everyone can simply understand it or learn it at this pace. Taking it with fewer students in the course and at an institution that does not have mostly a research focus improves the odds of having better quality teaching than having a mediocre professor at a "brand name" university where you'll feel rushed each day. My organic class had 45-60 people and the professor NEVER rushed to cram anything simply to meet a deadline or cover the entire syllabus...we made it to where we made it...he believed QUALITY is much more important than quantity. What good is it to finish ALL the topics allotted to the study of second semester organic, for example, if students will only memorize it for the exam and later forget it rather than truly learn and retain it? This is all just something to think about in regards to the profound difference a professor can make in your ability or likelihood of succeeding not only as a student of organic chemistry but of any other course as well.

This is so true. I am actually going to be transferring to a new school in the fall (Lehigh University). I'm not sure as to how the chemistry courses are, but everyone who has gone there tells me about how much of a high quality education they have gotten. I'm hoping this holds true for my time there because it's my reason for leaving my current university

Amanda C · Apr 24, 2008

cheburashka said:
As long as you are a good critical/logical thinker organic will come to you as easy as bad publicity to Paris Hilton.

Haha, should be cake then :laugh:

vegasbaby · Apr 24, 2008

There is a great little paperback entitled "Pushing Electrons." I highly recommend reading it before beginning Organic Chemistry.

medicalCPA · Apr 24, 2008

What I recommend are the "Organic Chemistry as a Second Language" books. I found them really helpful.

jsp · Apr 24, 2008

DoctorRx1986 said:
If you take organic at a large, research intensive university, chances are you will be doomed...

If it never happened like that, it wouldn't be a stereotype, but luckily this isn't always the case!! I've seen both sides. My orgo one teacher was an ***. Period. (and no I'm not saying that because I failed or something, I did well).

My orgo 2 teacher is great in every aspect greatness. ESPECIALLY that he cares about his students waaay more than the average teacher. Example: one week his kids were sick so he had to cancel almost all his office hours. So he had the students that were counting on those hours email him the times that THEY could come to his office the next week, and he accommodated. And of course like all great orgo teachers he always fits some drugs and explosives into our synthesis problems to keep us motivated.

Of the professors I've had involved in research....it USUALLY made for very interesting class discussion(especially Bio and [as much as I can't believe I'm saying this] physics). Again, the lone exception was my orgo 1 teacher who would sometimes refuse to answer questions out of times sake.

IMO, its not necessarily the amount of students in a class that hampers learning ability, (you can ask questions regardless of how many ppl are sitting around you), but if you have a "good" or "bad" teacher, which in my experience has not been determined by if they were involved in research or not.

just making discussion

Amanda C · Apr 24, 2008

Oh thanks guys....I am definitely going to try and prepare over the summer. Last summer it was reading Harry Potter. This summer it will be prep for calc and chem, yey!

Sparda29 · Apr 25, 2008

jsp said:
If it never happened like that, it wouldn't be a stereotype, but luckily this isn't always the case!! I've seen both sides. My orgo one teacher was an ***. Period. (and no I'm not saying that because I failed or something, I did well).

My orgo 2 teacher is great in every aspect greatness. ESPECIALLY that he cares about his students waaay more than the average teacher. Example: one week his kids were sick so he had to cancel almost all his office hours. So he had the students that were counting on those hours email him the times that THEY could come to his office the next week, and he accommodated. And of course like all great orgo teachers he always fits some drugs and explosives into our synthesis problems to keep us motivated.

Of the professors I've had involved in research....it USUALLY made for very interesting class discussion(especially Bio and [as much as I can't believe I'm saying this] physics). Again, the lone exception was my orgo 1 teacher who would sometimes refuse to answer questions out of times sake.

IMO, its not necessarily the amount of students in a class that hampers learning ability, (you can ask questions regardless of how many ppl are sitting around you), but if you have a "good" or "bad" teacher, which in my experience has not been determined by if they were involved in research or not.

just making discussion

That's pretty cool. I had a t-shirt with the active ingredient in marijuana with a organic structure, he saw it and it took him a while to figure it out.

Then he started working with me on trying to find ways to synthesize it cheaply, AWESOME!! Probably easier to buy it on the street though.

MARIJUANA IS NOT A DRUG!!!! IT IS SAFER THAN ALCOHOL AND TOBACCO!!! WOOOO!!!!! HAROLD AND KUMAR!!!!

UES Girl · Apr 25, 2008

Sparda29 said:
That's pretty cool. I had a t-shirt with the active ingredient in marijuana with a organic structure, he saw it and it took him a while to figure it out.

Then he started working with me on trying to find ways to synthesize it cheaply, AWESOME!! Probably easier to buy it on the street though.

MARIJUANA IS NOT A DRUG!!!! IT IS SAFER THAN ALCOHOL AND TOBACCO!!! WOOOO!!!!! HAROLD AND KUMAR!!!!

That's what druggies usually say.

landakerjenna · Apr 25, 2008

Amanda C said:
It's my chemistry teacher. I'm taking gen chem II right now, and I feel that I'm not getting much out of the course because my teacher is about 80 and would rather teach about how chemistry relates to everyday life rather than teach us how to actually use it. This worries me!!!

I have been trying to go along on my own in the text, and see if I could cover the material by myself. But I'm worried that I won't be prepared for organic next semester because of how much I'm actually getting out of my class right now.

Will I be ok in organic? How much chemistry II is used in organic, and is it anything that I can't go back and teach myself?

Thanks

DO u go to PBCC?
lol jus wondering

Amanda C · Apr 25, 2008

jsp said:
If it never happened like that, it wouldn't be a stereotype, but luckily this isn't always the case!! I've seen both sides. My orgo one teacher was an ***. Period. (and no I'm not saying that because I failed or something, I did well).

My orgo 2 teacher is great in every aspect greatness. ESPECIALLY that he cares about his students waaay more than the average teacher. Example: one week his kids were sick so he had to cancel almost all his office hours. So he had the students that were counting on those hours email him the times that THEY could come to his office the next week, and he accommodated. And of course like all great orgo teachers he always fits some drugs and explosives into our synthesis problems to keep us motivated.

Of the professors I've had involved in research....it USUALLY made for very interesting class discussion(especially Bio and [as much as I can't believe I'm saying this] physics). Again, the lone exception was my orgo 1 teacher who would sometimes refuse to answer questions out of times sake.

IMO, its not necessarily the amount of students in a class that hampers learning ability, (you can ask questions regardless of how many ppl are sitting around you), but if you have a "good" or "bad" teacher, which in my experience has not been determined by if they were involved in research or not.

just making discussion

I'm hoping to encounter some professors who care this much about their students. It really makes such a difference. I hate feeling like just another name in a crowd, especially when I see so many people around me who don't even care about their education. It's discouraging.

He's a nice man, but...

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