Extremely Nervous for Organic Section of DAT

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deezeer55

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Hey guys

Right now I am in Organic 1. I have an extremely easy professor who only teaches us the basics of organic. I got an A on both exams and our final exam is coming up. (I am pretty sure I will end up with an A or B+ in this course). I recieved an A in both gen chem 1 and 2 and I tutor it and feel extremely comfortable. I am taking the DAT next spring and have looked at some practice questions and they seem extremely hard.

First I want to know, since I have this professor now do you think I should take him for the easy way out for organic two or someone else?

I am extremely nervous for the Organic section on the DAT. I know I havent started studying for it or anything but since I have this professor I feel like I am going to be unprepared for it.

Thanks guys
 
Take the easy A's classwise. When it comes time to study for the DAT you will learn everything you ever needed to know about ochem by watching Chad's videos (I'd watch them at least twice) better than any other professor could ever prepare you for what's on the DAT.

Seriously, Chad's videos is the single most important study tool for the DAT. That and practice tests from DAT QVault, Topscore, and past DAT exams.
 
I forgot what little organic I actually learned before the DAT, and did fine after watching chad's videos. I pretty much forgot all of the content again, but memorizing it for an upcoming exam isn't too bad.

Take the easier professor.
 
Get your A, watch Chad's videos, use his outlines, take detailed notes, complete all his online quizzes, do Destroyer twice and you will almost certainly score 20+ on both GC and OC.
 
The organic on the DAT is just the basics. If you can make an A in gen chem 1 and 2, and know it well enough to tutor, then I doubt you'll have issues with orgo. I would absolutely take the easier professor and secure an A in organic 1 and 2, because not all applicants are able to accomplish this. Don't stress about the DAT; organic chemistry is by far the easiest section on the test.
 
I can second what everyone has said. I had a really good orgo teacher that was awesome and pushed me to my limits (in a good way!). I came out knowing orgo pretty dang well. However, I watched Chad's orgo videos, and I can say with certainty that he prepares you. If you have the basics down, he can fill in any random knowledge gaps.

And, like others have said, the orgo section really isn't bad. They want to make sure you know the basics, with maybe one or two nitty-gritty questions thrown in. I had one question with some sort of a random reagent that I had never seen, and there was another I was iffy on. Literally, though, I was almost positive with my answers to the other 28. It wasn't bad!
 
Orgo section was probably my favorite section of the DAT. Chad's and Bootcamp will have you more than ready
 
I say OC, GC, and QR are probably the easiest sections to prepare for. As long as you use chads + destroyer, you will guarantee get 20+ on these sections!

Don't neglect OC lab and NMR. I had 4 NMR questions out of 30 on my form.
 
QR... not the easiest to prepare for!!! 😛
 
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Pulled a 23 in OC because of chad's videos. Went through it three times! It was the section I worried about the most since it never clicked for me in undergrad. Get your A and teach yourself later on. Plus, not having to actually write out entire mechanisms makes things 10X easier.

QR did suck though.
 
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I really recommend o-chem as a 2nd language as well, mostly 1st semester topics but 2nd semester topics as well. I didn't even take o-chem 2 until after the DAT because I felt fine about it after those books + chad and a little destroyer. Having a bad teacher won't hurt you one bit.
 
Failed Organic Chemistry, got a 25 on the DAT. Got a B+ in General Chemistry, got a 23 on the DAT. CHAD CHAD CHAD. I only got to run through the videos and quizzes once. I would have spent more time on it if I didn't have less than a month to study for the DAT. I also ran through DAT Destroyer twice, but I found Chad's videos to be the most helpful. This guy helped me get into dental school.
 
I never got an A in ochem, but I managed to get a 23 on the DAT. Chads+Destroyer = 20+
 
techyguy said:
I keep recommending these, but I don't know if anybody understands how useful they are. Here are 2 skinny little books that summarize all you need to know about organic. They helped get me an A, A+ and 28 on the DAT (best review material possible, I'd say):
http://www.amazon.com/Organic-Chemistry-As-Second-Language/dp/111801040X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1396200833&sr=8-1&keywords=organic chemistry as a second language
http://www.amazon.com/Organic-Chemistry-As-Second-Language/dp/1118144341/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1396200860&sr=8-2&keywords=organic chemistry as a second language
Click to expand...

Ain't nobody got time to read ~400pg per book for one section :/

Like everyone said, get A's, watch Chad's mouth move, cruise your way to 25+
GL:luck:
 
I certainly didn't read all 400 pages, but I mostly recommend them when I see people who are still in the classes. If you form a critical understanding of the reactions now, it'll be easier to recall when you start reviewing for the DAT. Plus I know that first semester book like the back of my hand now, because my Orgo I professor was awful.
 
Couldn't agree more with techguy. I managed to score 28 in OC with the help of Organic Chemistry as a Second Language. I graduated from college 6 years ago and just finished DAT last month. I'm able to get there from nearly zero knowledge of OC. I recommend to watch Chad's first to get a whole picture of what OC section is about. Then read Second Language. Just briefly is enough. I read the two books in two days, after which I had a clear and deep understanding of Chad's words.
 
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Take the easy A class. A lot of what I learned in my Ochem class was not on the DAT. Use Chad's Videos and you will be good. He is pretty much all you need for it.


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I was also nervous for the Organic Chemistry section because I hadn't had a great foundation in the course but after doing Chad's videos, it (to my surprise) was the section I scored the highest in. So when you start studying for the DAT, make sure you buy Chad's organic chemistry videos..it's completely worth it!

And definitely take the easy class! Good luck
 
Get the A man. Take the easy professor and knock out Organic with the resources mentioned above. I haven't taken organic since 2011 and I'm doing fine. Good luck to you. (Most of us when we finish a course, we simply just forget most of it but the basics)
 
I barely knew any orgo even with the 3 part series classes. I read the kaplan blue book and a couple other sources and I was fine. They really do test you on the bare minimum
 
thebusiness said:
@sacapuntas
How risky is it to take the dat without taking ochem 2? Did anyone else do this?
Click to expand...

Well, O-chem did come easy for me, so take this with a grain of salt. I watched Chad's videos, did O-chem as a 2nd language 1st and 2nd semester topics, and dabbled in Destroyer. I made flash cards and studied more for O-chem than any other section. The day of the test, the O-chem section was my easiest section and it was mostly 1st semester topics anyways. I ended up getting none wrong. The downside was that I didn't have as much time to study other topics since I had to learn O-chem 2 independently.

What I am basically saying is that if you work hard and have a good foundation in O-chem 1, it won't matter if you take O-chem 2 before or after the DAT.

If you do decide to do the DAT before O-chem 2, I recommend you start with O-Chem as a second language 1st and 2nd semester as you need to get a little bit of background for Chad's videos to be most useful. Good luck!
 
I agree with sacapuntas. I only used O-Chem as a second language 1st and 2nd. In addition, I used DAT destroyer. Keep in mind that I took DAT before I took the O-Chem I and II. For my Organic Chem in DAT, I got 30.
 
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