General chemistry is harder than organic?

[Qwe55]

I remember back in high school when I was taking general chemistry, my teacher said that general chemistry(what he was teaching/HS chem) is harder than organic(I'm assuming he meant first year uni organic). Thoughts?

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[TFS]

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[NYR56]

I absolutely disagree, in fact I specifically remember by AP Chem teacher saying wait until you guys get to orgo, it's so much harder. I tutor people in gen chem but would never think about tutoring orgo. I've never met anyone who thought orgo was easier, it's a joke compared to it, IMO.

 

[VivaLaVida]

I understand the point. I thought organic was more difficult (I prefer working with formulas a la gen chem and physics), but it's true that organic can really be broken down into a few concepts that drive all the mechanisms. If you just understand nucleophilicity, it will get you a long farther in the organic course than just understanding acid/base in gen chem.

Does that make any sense?

 

[LostInStudy]

I have to agree that I thought G. Chem was harder. I did well in both and found both enjoyable and not TOO hard but I do think G. Chem was harder simply for the fact that you have to know more and none of it is really related such as say acids/bases and thermochem. In orgo, everything builds on itself and you just have to know the Spectroscopy numbers and a few exceptions. Other than that it's just looking at who has and who needs electrons. I would MUCH MUCH rather have a hard orgo question compared to a hard G. Chem question because orgo at least has some logic behind it but the thinking some G. Chem questions require is all over the place.

Just my opinion,

-LIS