How much did you study(actual study = practicing, not reading) for OCHEM 1 and 2?

[swolebrah]

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Hello.

I have been lurking for a while and noticing that a lot of people have gotten really good grades in OCHEM I and II.

I just finished taking my second ochem test and scored a 75 on it. I got a 92 on my first one. I decided to refine my studying habits and am now counting my actual study times as only when I'm doing the practice problems. Then after I do the practice problems I go back and look at the solutions to see what I missed. I then revisit those areas of weakness.

Right now we're doing about a chapter/lecture , so I spend about an hour reading ahead of the chapter . Then I go back to the previous chapter and finish all the practice problems and end of chapter problems.

So only counting time spent doing practice, I spend 2 hours/day on OCHEM. Should I be doing more? This third test is over Alkenes, Alkynes, and Alcohol reactions and mechanisms.

Thanks everyone.

tl;dr:
-OP decided to revise study habits, now using outlook calendar time blocks to manage actual time spent practicing as study time
-2 hours of practice OCHEM/day
-~40-50minutes reading ahead (pre reading)

Question:Is 2 hours/day practicing enough to get a perfect score on OCHEM TEST? I don't want to just get a 80 on the test and get an A from the curve, I want to get a perfect score. How should I approach this challenge?

 

[487806]

Hello.

I have been lurking for a while and noticing that a lot of people have gotten really good grades in OCHEM I and II.

I just finished taking my second ochem test and scored a 75 on it. I got a 92 on my first one. I decided to refine my studying habits and am now counting my actual study times as only when I'm doing the practice problems. Then after I do the practice problems I go back and look at the solutions to see what I missed. I then revisit those areas of weakness.

Right now we're doing about a chapter/lecture , so I spend about an hour reading ahead of the chapter . Then I go back to the previous chapter and finish all the practice problems and end of chapter problems.

So only counting time spent doing practice, I spend 2 hours/day on OCHEM. Should I be doing more? This third test is over Alkenes, Alkynes, and Alcohol reactions and mechanisms.

Thanks everyone.

tl;dr:
-OP decided to revise study habits, now using outlook calendar time blocks to manage actual time spent practicing as study time
-2 hours of practice OCHEM/day
-~40-50minutes reading ahead (pre reading)

Question:Is 2 hours/day practicing enough to get a perfect score on OCHEM TEST? I don't want to just get a 80 on the test and get an A from the curve, I want to get a perfect score. How should I approach this challenge?

2 hrs/day is plenty. I recommend getting the Second Language book for assistance.

I've done well in orgo so I could help you out in any weaknesses you have but generally speaking, the Second Language book helps. 2 hrs/day of practice problems is more than plenty

 

[ZeaL6]

Personally I was fortunate enough to have a great ochem professor that I took a lot away from. I would usually study a decent bit the two days up to the test (4+ hours) and I did very well (96 and 92 in ochem 1 & 2 respectively). Definitely focus on just learning the basic principles behind things and then the mechanisms should be no brainers! Good luck!

 

[13132]

I hardly ever read. I learned mainly by example by doing every problem that was assigned at least twice. Once as we came across the problems and then all of them again at the end.

By the time organic was over I had a very intuitive understanding of what was going to happen from so much practice. I will admit that I would read occasionally so that I would not struggle on questions that were more conceptual and tested my understanding of why things happened.

Overall, I don't think I did what you would call "memorization" though. It is similar to immersing yourself in a language and absorbing grammar rules through conversation so that they become second nature rather than learning how to appropriately conjugate -ar, er, or -ir verbs.

Basically, in orgo you have to get to a point where you are like "I just KNOW thats what is going to happen before even thinking about it!" Of course be able to explain why after you think about it as well... 🙂

 

[swolebrah]

Thanks for the replies.

I wish I had a good professor. Our Professor gives quizzes that are so easy its hilarious and then the tests are so hard that class averages are 40-50s , and they are nothing like the questions from the book. I am trying to get more ways to get previous tests of this professor, but its proving difficult.

 

[1TB4RKSB4CK]

I actually practiced relatively little. Once I got a particular concept down, I looked up the variables that could affect a certain reaction and applied it. I did make a huge reaction sheet (32 pgs srs) for both I and II, which included the reactions, tables, exceptions, stereochem portion was at least 6 pages lol, etc. I pretty much read the book and learned the concepts and took a decent amount of notes per chapter.
Orgo I-93% and Orgo II-98%

 

[swolebrah]

I actually practiced relatively little. Once I got a particular concept down, I looked up the variables that could affect a certain reaction and applied it. I did make a huge reaction sheet (32 pgs srs) for both I and II, which included the reactions, tables, exceptions, stereochem portion was at least 6 pages lol, etc. I pretty much read the book and learned the concepts and took a decent amount of notes per chapter.
Orgo I-93% and Orgo II-98%

Nice. Thanks for the reaction compilation tip, I have something like that in my notes. I highlight all the mechanisms and exceptions.

 

[DrEnderW]

A lot of it depends on your professor - how are those grades compared to other students?

For example, when I was taking orgo there were tests where the class average was low/mid 60s without a curve so your 75 would be looking pretty solid. Similarly, there were tests without any As. If your school has a particularly brutal grading schema you may be doing what you need to do. If you are sitting around average, I would definitely take up the helpful advice provided by others. For me, it came down to hammering out the practice problems a couple of times.

GL

 

[1TB4RKSB4CK]

Yeah, put in as much info as you can in there because usually (at least in my case) they build up on concepts and you don't want to forget a concept as yo are going along or it can really mess with your way of thinking as you approach the problems, questions etc.

 

[swolebrah]

bump for more advice!

 

[swolebrah]

Well tomorrow is the test for the OCHEM 3rd Test. So far have done 6-5 previous practice tests this week and am scoring ranging from 250-240 (total:25o). Have spent a lot of time into this and will post results here 😀.

Was actually using the MCAT Calander suggestions for reviewing practice tests and it helped a lot.

 

[Jabawocky]

Hello.


Question:Is 2 hours/day practicing enough to get a perfect score on OCHEM TEST? I don't want to just get a 80 on the test and get an A from the curve, I want to get a perfect score. How should I approach this challenge?

For the first O-chem, I did not know how to study for it and had to study 60+ hours the last two weeks before the final to get the A. For the second O-chem, I knew how to study but it was more about just sitting down and practicing every single reaction over and over again. Then I would read the rules and make myself learn "WHY" everything was happening. Finally, a friend and I got together and went through every reaction we had to know and learned where every electron/atom went during the reaction. It really helped and by the time the final was over, I was walking out thinking to myself, "This test was a joke right? That was too easy." This was before I saw everyone else crying and asking the same thing but about why it was so hard. Needless to say I got a 106% on that final after the curve. 99% without it. The lab was the same way. O-Chem is all about puzzles. First, you have to learn to notice that it IS a puzzle and not the sand script language of Satan, and then you just start putting the pieces together. Boom, you know O-chem.

 

[swolebrah]

For the first O-chem, I did not know how to study for it and had to study 60+ hours the last two weeks before the final to get the A. For the second O-chem, I knew how to study but it was more about just sitting down and practicing every single reaction over and over again. Then I would read the rules and make myself learn "WHY" everything was happening. Finally, a friend and I got together and went through every reaction we had to know and learned where every electron/atom went during the reaction. It really helped and by the time the final was over, I was walking out thinking to myself, "This test was a joke right? That was too easy." This was before I saw everyone else crying and asking the same thing but about why it was so hard. Needless to say I got a 106% on that final after the curve. 99% without it. The lab was the same way. O-Chem is all about puzzles. First, you have to learn to notice that it IS a puzzle and not the sand script language of Satan, and then you just start putting the pieces together. Boom, you know O-chem.

I have learned this through hours of practice! I read an article on understanding how all the electrons move and why something happens in ochem. Then i started doing all the practice. I spent about 40 hours of just raw practice, and about another 10 on practice tests and then 3-4 hours on post test analysis.

The 2 quizzes we have had leading up to this test I was finished in under 10 minutes and scored perfect , and it turned out the quiz averages were around 45% lmao. I have never felt so confident for an exam in my life.

You basically summed up my study plan for this exam.

Its hilarious actually. Just yesterday I was doing some deadlifts and between sets I started thinking why grignard reagents attack the least substituted carbon in epoxcide openings. Also i laugh at people who start to study ochem 2-3 days before the test. I'm so glad I took ochem , because it introduced me to real studying skills and anki (not as helpful) but still.

 

[SolarPower]

I did well (high A's) in Ochem 1 & 2 and didn't study more than 1 hr per day, and not every day. The Ochem as a Second Language book is super helpful, but what I found really helped me was drawing out everything on giant sheets of paper when it came down to figuring out how to get from molecule A to molecule B. Ochem 1 was about solidifying basic concepts, (ie pushing electrons, stereochem), and Ochem 2 was being able to put everything together. As long as you understand everything, (rather than memorize), you'll do well. The minute I didn't fully understand something, I went over it on my own until I did, and that's why I think I did well in both semesters.

 

[Laufcra]

Thanks for the replies.

I wish I had a good professor. Our Professor gives quizzes that are so easy its hilarious and then the tests are so hard that class averages are 40-50s , and they are nothing like the questions from the book. I am trying to get more ways to get previous tests of this professor, but its proving difficult.

Hi,

I'm usually just a lurker myself, but I do have something to say this time. I've been a Supplemental Instruction Leader for 2 years at my undergrad university (basically a glorified tutor, except the sessions are capped at 20 students at once instead of 5. I do tutoring as well for gchem/physics/ochem. Also I have had to attend every lecture for 4 semesters. but I get paid for it so it's cool.) I got the highest scores in both Orgo I and 2, but the method by which I did this was specific to the 2 different professors I had. When I give students advice on how to study, I usually tailor it to how I know their professor lectures/gives tests. Is your professor a powerpoint user or a whiteboard user? The general advice I can give you is to figure out the professor. Since you've had 2 exams, you have a good idea of how they test. Also when it comes to organic, the line between memorization and understanding tends to be blurred a bit. The professor may give you mechanisms for some reactions, while others they just tell you the product that a certain reagent will yield (for instance, only 1 out of the professors I have tutored for gave the mechanism for the carbene insertion with chloroform/base. The rest just expected that you memorize a product.)

As for time spent studying, if you were taking the professor I tutor for right now, 2 hours would not be enough to get a perfect score, but you would at least get an 80. He is however, the most difficult organic teacher we have here. I think for the rest of them 2 hours a day would be enough to be above 90%.

My last bit of advice is that you could see a tutor, even if you are a badass. I consulted with the tutor when I took the class, not because I was struggling but because she could offer insight into what problems might be potentially asked based off of what she has seen previously.

 

[swolebrah]

Hi,

I'm usually just a lurker myself, but I do have something to say this time. I've been a Supplemental Instruction Leader for 2 years at my undergrad university (basically a glorified tutor, except the sessions are capped at 20 students at once instead of 5. I do tutoring as well for gchem/physics/ochem. Also I have had to attend every lecture for 4 semesters. but I get paid for it so it's cool.) I got the highest scores in both Orgo I and 2, but the method by which I did this was specific to the 2 different professors I had. When I give students advice on how to study, I usually tailor it to how I know their professor lectures/gives tests. Is your professor a powerpoint user or a whiteboard user? The general advice I can give you is to figure out the professor. Since you've had 2 exams, you have a good idea of how they test. Also when it comes to organic, the line between memorization and understanding tends to be blurred a bit. The professor may give you mechanisms for some reactions, while others they just tell you the product that a certain reagent will yield (for instance, only 1 out of the professors I have tutored for gave the mechanism for the carbene insertion with chloroform/base. The rest just expected that you memorize a product.)

As for time spent studying, if you were taking the professor I tutor for right now, 2 hours would not be enough to get a perfect score, but you would at least get an 80. He is however, the most difficult organic teacher we have here. I think for the rest of them 2 hours a day would be enough to be above 90%.

My last bit of advice is that you could see a tutor, even if you are a badass. I consulted with the tutor when I took the class, not because I was struggling but because she could offer insight into what problems might be potentially asked based off of what she has seen previously.

I appreciate the advice. Hoping I can be a SI for OCHEM 1 or 2 if I end up with an A+ in the class. I definitely have realized that study habits are tailored to class type, professor, and how you can benefit the most and efficiently from it.

 

[frosted_flake]

I did well (high A's) in Ochem 1 & 2 and didn't study more than 1 hr per day, and not every day. The Ochem as a Second Language book is super helpful, but what I found really helped me was drawing out everything on giant sheets of paper when it came down to figuring out how to get from molecule A to molecule B. Ochem 1 was about solidifying basic concepts, (ie pushing electrons, stereochem), and Ochem 2 was being able to put everything together. As long as you understand everything, (rather than memorize), you'll do well. The minute I didn't fully understand something, I went over it on my own until I did, and that's why I think I did well in both semesters.

Which edition of second language did you use?

 

[Laufcra]

I have learned this through hours of practice! I read an article on understanding how all the electrons move and why something happens in ochem. Then i started doing all the practice. I spent about 40 hours of just raw practice, and about another 10 on practice tests and then 3-4 hours on post test analysis.

The 2 quizzes we have had leading up to this test I was finished in under 10 minutes and scored perfect , and it turned out the quiz averages were around 45% lmao. I have never felt so confident for an exam in my life.

You basically summed up my study plan for this exam.

Its hilarious actually. Just yesterday I was doing some deadlifts and between sets I started thinking why grignard reagents attack the least substituted carbon in epoxcide openings. Also i laugh at people who start to study ochem 2-3 days before the test. I'm so glad I took ochem , because it introduced me to real studying skills and anki (not as helpful) but still.

Wow that's crazy yesterday I also thought of epoxide openings in basic conditions randomly while I was exercising. Today I was thinking about the various SN1-like reactions while I was at the urinal. yeee science

 

[swolebrah]

Wow that's crazy yesterday I also thought of epoxide openings in basic conditions randomly while I was exercising. Today I was thinking about the various SN1-like reactions while I was at the urinal. yeee science

hahahhahahaa, I thinking your just mocking me 😉 but if your for real then hey whatever works man! To me, I'm obsessing over this class because I love challenges. Ever since middleschool I have heard of Ochem being the weed out course and so "challenging" . I always heard "stories" if the guys who got perfect scores, to me that's awesome. So why not do that?

 

[Laufcra]

hahahhahahaa, I thinking your just mocking me 😉 but if your for real then hey whatever works man! To me, I'm obsessing over this class because I love challenges. Ever since middleschool I have heard of Ochem being the weed out course and so "challenging" . I always heard "stories" if the guys who got perfect scores, to me that's awesome. So why not do that?

No I wasn't mocking you I am being for real I actually thought of that while I was shadowboxing. I also tutor it so I am always trying to think of really hard synthesis questions while I'm supposed to be studying other things...

 

[SolarPower]

Which edition of second language did you use?

Hmm, I don't remember what edition, (since I took Ochem 2yrs ago), but I do remember the cover was green and yellow if that helps! I only used the 1st book, but I've heard the 2nd one is helpful too.

 

[rolliespring]

I think it really depends on how your professor teaches and what your study habits are. For mine his lecture slides are directly from the book (he wrote the book himself) so pre-reading helps a lot. I always read ahead of him and take notes from the book, then I go to class for clarifications on what I didn't understand from the reading. Ochem 1 didn't take me as much time as Ochem 2 because Ochem 2 I had to do a lot of reaction problems.
Generally I spend 2hrs/day for Ochem but I don't study every day. Sometimes I can study up to 6hrs straight. For Ochem 2 I think understanding the mechanisms of reactions are really important. Do as many reaction problems as possible until you hit the point like "ah, this again?" Then you're golden.
Some people think Ochem 1 is easier and some think Ochem 2. I'm the second one. Although it takes me more time to study but I think in terms of how to study it's easier. Just do problems. If you have practice tests, do them as well. Don't feel like you're spending too much time. Do what works for you to get a good grade.

 

[Laufcra]

Hey everyone who reads this try and do this synthesis using only Ochem1 reactions (alkenes, alkynes, Aromatic, etc.).
2 equivalents of benzene
2 equivalents of ethanoyl chloride
with the product being 1, 4 - diphenyl butane

I stumped all my students today with this one so if you get it much respect. There is likely more than one acceptable answer.

 

[Laufcra]

Hey everyone who reads this try and do this synthesis using only Ochem1 reactions (alkenes, alkynes, Aromatic, etc.).
2 equivalents of benzene
2 equivalents of ethanoyl chloride
with the product being 1, 4 - diphenyl butane

I stumped all my students today with this one so if you get it much respect. There is likely more than one acceptable answer.

Also did I even just name that product right? I hate naming.

 

[Jabawocky]

Also did I even just name that product right? I hate naming.

Ha well I hope you named it right or we are barking up the wrong tree in terms of final products. Ok, 1 question. Any catalysts, solvents, or heat?

 

[swolebrah]

Also did I even just name that product right? I hate naming.

i attempted it, gonna pm you the image I took of it. I just rushed it, have to finish this physics hw.

 

[Laufcra]

Ha well I hope you named it right or we are barking up the wrong tree in terms of final products. Ok, 1 question. Any catalysts, solvents, or heat?

Well yeah you need a catalyst for a Friedel Craft Acylation

 

[Laufcra]

Well yeah you need a catalyst for a Friedel Craft Acylation

Also I did name it in a way that you would be able to draw it correctly, I just don't know that it's the best way to name it.

 

[swolebrah]

Well yeah you need a catalyst for a Friedel Craft Acylation

damn haven't learned that yet

 

[Laufcra]

Ha well I hope you named it right or we are barking up the wrong tree in terms of final products. Ok, 1 question. Any catalysts, solvents, or heat?

And there is a step where a polar, aprotic solvent will work well. Otherwise I don't care about solvents just the reagents

 

[Jabawocky]

damn haven't learned that yet

Haha. Its actually one of the funner reactions you learn in Ochem II. It can work for a Ton of things and is relatively simple to understand and work.

 

[Laufcra]

Haha. Its actually one of the funner reactions you learn in Ochem II. It can work for a Ton of things and is relatively simple to understand and work.

The students where I tutor learn this one in ochem 1, sorry my directions were misleading then.

 

[Jabawocky]

Not a problem. You're just bringing me back down memory lane.

 

[Laufcra]

1. Friedel Craft Acylation with {ethanoyl chloride with aluminum trichloride}
2. Reduce away the carbonyl oxygen with {H2/Pd} Note that this will only work in benzyllic positions with this reagent. You could have also used {1. Iron/acid 2. hydroxide}
3. Use {N-bromosuccinimide} to brominate in the benzyllic position. You could have also said Br2/heat for free radical.
4. Dehydrohalogenation (an E2 mechanism) with {KOH} to make styrene.
5. Use {HBr} with a peroxy species to do an anti-markovnikov halogenation to make a primary alkyl halide. This is your electrophile. You could have also used hydroboration and then subsequently PBr3 to do this.

Now start in another flask with another benzene and ethanoyl Chloride, and get all the way to styrene again.

6. On styrene, use {Br2}. This is an anti addition of halides.
7. Use 2 equivalents of {NaNH2}. This is an E2, but to make an alkyne you need the stronger nitrogen anion base.
8. Deprotonate this Alkyne with {NaNH2}.
9. Mix the electrophile you made before in, the primary alkyl halide will be SN2ed by the alkyne carbanion. This would be good in something like acetone or HMPA/DMSO/DMF.
10. Use {H2/Pd} to reduce to an alkane, leaving 1, 4 - diphenyl butane.

Yay

 

[Zelda840]

*twitch* yikes. I do not miss that junk.

 

[frosted_flake]

Hmm, I don't remember what edition, (since I took Ochem 2yrs ago), but I do remember the cover was green and yellow if that helps! I only used the 1st book, but I've heard the 2nd one is helpful too.

Thanks!
🙂

 

[piuyui]

I would usually study a decent bit the two days up to the test

 

[Vans42]

Personally, I never read chapters, then again, I had an amazing professor. I ONLY did practice problems, and I did a lot and I did very well in Orgo I and II. It is also about learning how the professor crafts his/her exams/quizzes. We had a quiz every week, but it was cumulative. I loved that, and it kept me familiar with the material throughout the entire semester. This was probably the one class that I studied with a group as well as solo. We would give each other problems on a white board and try and solve them. Orgo is one big puzzle, and the more practice you have the quicker and more efficient you become at the puzzle.

 

[GC1000]

Hello.

I have been lurking for a while and noticing that a lot of people have gotten really good grades in OCHEM I and II.

I just finished taking my second ochem test and scored a 75 on it. I got a 92 on my first one. I decided to refine my studying habits and am now counting my actual study times as only when I'm doing the practice problems. Then after I do the practice problems I go back and look at the solutions to see what I missed. I then revisit those areas of weakness.

Right now we're doing about a chapter/lecture , so I spend about an hour reading ahead of the chapter . Then I go back to the previous chapter and finish all the practice problems and end of chapter problems.

So only counting time spent doing practice, I spend 2 hours/day on OCHEM. Should I be doing more? This third test is over Alkenes, Alkynes, and Alcohol reactions and mechanisms.

Thanks everyone.

tl;dr:
-OP decided to revise study habits, now using outlook calendar time blocks to manage actual time spent practicing as study time
-2 hours of practice OCHEM/day
-~40-50minutes reading ahead (pre reading)

Question:Is 2 hours/day practicing enough to get a perfect score on OCHEM TEST? I don't want to just get a 80 on the test and get an A from the curve, I want to get a perfect score. How should I approach this challenge?

I think much of the amount of time studying is dependent on how your course is designed. The university where I live gives only multiple choice questions and the local community college has no multiple choice on the tests and required us to memorize every single detail of all mechanisms. Forgetting a charge or anything small like that usually results in over half the points lost for that particular problem. If I was at the university I could have studied half as much as I did and got the same grade.