How much harder does OChem 1 get?

[jagibbs07]

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how much harder does ochem I get over the semester? just got back first exam and made an A easily. it covered resonance, quantum mechanics, R/S, stereochemistry, and alkane nomenclature.

 

[Nymphicus]

I got an A on the first test and for that first semester it only went downhill from there.

 

[sliceofbread136]

Man, you must be some sort of alkane naming genius....

 

[BABSstudent]

You will start to learn reactions and those can be tough.

My first ochem test, I got a 95%. The second test I got a 40%. The final I ended with a 75%. I got a C or C+ in the class, I don't remember.

The class is easy if you study. If you don't, it can be really tough (I didn't study until the final which was a big mistake).

 

[Josh7]

You will start to learn reactions and those can be tough.

My first ochem test, I got a 95%. The second test I got a 40%. The final I ended with a 75%. I got a C or C+ in the class, I don't remember.

The class is easy if you study. If you don't, it can be really tough (I didn't study until the final which was a big mistake).

I think chemistry is one of those topics where you either like it or you don't. And if you like it you'll study and do well but if you don't like it... well you're going to have a bad time.

 

[kpcrew]

how much harder does ochem I get over the semester? just got back first exam and made an A easily. it covered resonance, quantum mechanics, R/S, stereochemistry, and alkane nomenclature.

"quantum mechanics" lol
No it didn't.

 

[TheShaker]

The first test in ochem is always easy. Once you reach reactions, study hard because it catches most people off guard and makes them fail hard. Ochem 2 is where things get rough though.

 

[Bangersandmash]

Ochem 1 usually goes:

1st test: Wow this is great! I got an A
2nd test: Oh boy this **** is hard! I got a C (if you're lucky)
3rd test: More of the same. I got a B

Your next test will be the hardest, just because its an almost completely new set of material to master (memorize AND understand conceptually).

After that, it becomes just like studying for anything else.

 

[OCDOCDOCD]

Typically the first exam in orgo is one that everyone does well on because you haven't gotten into actual organic chemistry yet, you're just learning the basic concepts that are necessary to have any hope of understanding what's going on for the rest of the year. Things get a lot harder as the semester wears on, and even then second semester orgo makes first semester look like a joke.

I think chemistry is one of those topics where you either like it or you don't. And if you like it you'll study and do well but if you don't like it... well you're going to have a bad time.

This is definitely true. I found gen chem interesting and had an easy time in that course. Orgo, on the other hand, was so boring to me that I barely took notes and couldn't bring myself to study for more than 3-5 days before a test which, needless to say, isn't exactly a formula for great success in that class (got B- both semesters).

 

[MDforMee]

"quantum mechanics" lol
No it didn't.

Bwahahaha

You are a funny little sob sometimes, kpcrew.

 

[wjs010]

I dont get it. I'm taking intro to org, and I just had my first test on the same stuff...everything was easy except R/S..I couldn't quite get that down. I was hoping only nomenclature would be on there. lol

 

[mzarrowsmith]

 

[kpcrew]

I dont get it. I'm taking intro to org, and I just had my first test on the same stuff...everything was easy except R/S..I couldn't quite get that down. I was hoping only nomenclature would be on there. lol

Look for the lowest atomic number atom (usually hydrogen) and that's the back of your clock. Then rank the other three from lowest to highest. If it goes clockwise, then it's R. If it's counterclockwise, then it's S. If you have a tie, go down one more atom and compare those.

 

[kdavidlee25]

This is some good advice all around on this thread. I got an A too on the first Orgo Test as did a lot of my classmates. About 10% failed the test, which means they have no business being in the class. It's easy to take a class for granted after getting an A; but this reminds me to stay humble and keep up the good work.

 

[circulus vitios]

Even after two years, I still remember my first organic chemistry test. It was the only o-chem test where I scored an A. Everything else ranged from a 35 to a 80, with the average being somewhere in the low 70s.

 

[moneytree]

how much harder does ochem I get over the semester? just got back first exam and made an A easily. it covered resonance, quantum mechanics, R/S, stereochemistry, and alkane nomenclature.

If you didn't have to do retrosynthesis on your exam, you haven't gotten to the real stuff yet. Come back when you have to memorize all the cbx acid derivative chemistry.

 

[sliceofbread136]

If you didn't have to do retrosynthesis on your exam, you haven't gotten to the real stuff yet. Come back when you have to memorize all the cbx acid derivative chemistry.

Oh ya so hard and you're so smart...

 

[Dianyla]

Lots.

 

[Bangersandmash]

I dont get it. I'm taking intro to org, and I just had my first test on the same stuff...everything was easy except R/S..I couldn't quite get that down. I was hoping only nomenclature would be on there. lol

Make sure you get a handle on that now. It comes back over and over again.

 

[wjs010]

Look for the lowest atomic number atom (usually hydrogen) and that's the back of your clock. Then rank the other three from lowest to highest. If it goes clockwise, then it's R. If it's counterclockwise, then it's S. If you have a tie, go down one more atom and compare those.

I understood everything about it except comparing the carbons. I couldn't tell how to compare ch3 with a c that was already saturated. If it was other atoms like br and cl, it would have been so easy lol. Thanks for the info

 

[allcle4r]

Our first test was pretty hard, only 3 people got 90+'s. It covered some basic reactions of alkenes, alkene nomenclature, energy diagrams, Newman projections, some other stuff in addition to OP described was covered in his exam. I did above average but I'm fully prepared to get a C in this class.

 

[music2doc]

how much harder does ochem I get over the semester? just got back first exam and made an A easily. it covered resonance, quantum mechanics, R/S, stereochemistry, and alkane nomenclature.

It'll get tougher but there's a lot of undue whining on this thread about how "hard" ochem is. It's a reasonably tough course b/c a lot of people take it as one of their first upper division courses (sophomore yr). I found it to be comparable to, say, a second year music theory course. People b*tch and moan all day about how hard it is and how irrelevant it is and how much they have to learn/memorize but, really, it all makes sense (and requires little memorization) if you step back and look at the big picture every once in awhile. These first few weeks are all about learning the background (i.e., the SETTING for the "big picture"), so it's good that you got an A. Keep working hard and don't forget to apply those "big picture" concepts to the individual rxns you'll be learning. Ochem is really a lot more bark than bite and it WILL keep coming back in medical school (to many people's chagrin.)

"quantum mechanics" lol
No it didn't.

LOL.... true, indubitably true, but funny nonetheless.

 

[Doctor Strange]

I remember getting an A on my first orgo test and a C+ on my second. Rough times.

 

[TheMightySmiter]

I don't seem to remember the first exam being noticeably more or less difficult than the second or third exams, but I also took organic I over the summer and the schedule was probably different. I think the trick with things like mechanisms and synthesis problems is to just spend some time understanding why the electrons go where they do. That way if you get an unfamiliar problem on the test, you can figure it out based on the most likely electron movement patterns instead of having a meltdown because you forgot it.

 

[kpcrew]

I understood everything about it except comparing the carbons. I couldn't tell how to compare ch3 with a c that was already saturated. If it was other atoms like br and cl, it would have been so easy lol. Thanks for the info

Let's say you have a -CH3 and a -CH2OH (hydroxy group) coming off the same carbon .
If you look at it, one carbon is connected to three hydrogens (score = 1*3 = 3) while the other carbon is directly connected to two hydrogens and an oxygen (score = 1*2 + 16 = 18).

So the CH2OH carbon is heavier and that would be counted before the CH3 group when ranking the three groups to get the S or R configuration.

 

[Praefectus]

My worst exam over both semesters was the first one. I did much better on the other ones because I was motivated to actually study. The funny thing is that it's been two years since I took that exam and I could ace it right now (or one of similar difficulty). Just keep up the good work cause you're ahead of the curve.

 

[attixx]

I'll echo everyone's experience:

First test: 85.
Second test: 32.

Orgo's so rough because it's a MASSIVE jump in necessary time, effort, and thinking required than anything you probably had before. I got A's in inorganic, A's in physics, and spent probably half the time studying in those classes than I did in Orgo. I still got a C in Orgo 2.

There were, however, plenty of people I knew that got As. There will be people saying they breezed through it, but that's a minority (and usually based on who their teacher was).

To do well just requires a lot of work, time and dedication which, now looking back, I didn't really put in.

 

[wjs010]

Let's say you have a -CH3 and a -CH2OH (hydroxy group) coming off the same carbon .
If you look at it, one carbon is connected to three hydrogens (score = 1*3 = 3) while the other carbon is directly connected to two hydrogens and an oxygen (score = 1*2 + 16 = 18).

So the CH2OH carbon is heavier and that would be counted before the CH3 group when ranking the three groups to get the S or R configuration.

God that is so easy. I must have drawn an anxiety blank. I do that sometimes. Thanks a lot for explaining. Now I am nervous to find out my grade. With only 3 exams in intro, every grade can break you

 

[music2doc]

I'll echo everyone's experience:

First test: 85.
Second test: 32.

Orgo's so rough because it's a MASSIVE jump in necessary time, effort, and thinking required than anything you probably had before. I got A's in inorganic, A's in physics, and spent probably half the time studying in those classes than I did in Orgo. I still got a C in Orgo 2.

There were, however, plenty of people I knew that got As. There will be people saying they breezed through it, but that's a minority (and usually based on who their teacher was).

To do well just requires a lot of work, time and dedication which, now looking back, I didn't really put in.

It's a moderate jump in difficulty from gen chem but plenty of people do well. OP, you'll be fine. You got an A going in. Expect to continue getting As and then work toward that goal. Practice problems are helpful but never forget the underlying principles are what matter most. If you understand WHY the example rxns go the way they do, you'll be able to predict what other (similar) rxns are likely to do as well and that is when success happens in ochem and you get a free weekend!

 

[shinbeats]

Ochem is not that bad lmaooo you're going to feel like you got hit by a bus when you take biochem if you think ochem is bad.

 

[music2doc]

Ochem is not that bad lmaooo you're going to feel like you got hit by a bus when you take biochem if you think ochem is bad.

While true, I would have said Physiology or Anatomy. Med school Biochem wasn't really hard (and UG Biochem wasn't bad either), but UG Physio at my school was FAR tougher to get my A in than either of those courses. What difficult ochem did possess was in that it was an adjustment. I found that adjustment pretty easy but I know some do struggle w/ it initially.

 

[Bangersandmash]

While true, I would have said Physiology or Anatomy. Med school Biochem wasn't really hard (and UG Biochem wasn't bad either), but UG Physio at my school was FAR tougher to get my A in than either of those courses. What difficult ochem did possess was in that it was an adjustment. I found that adjustment pretty easy but I know some do struggle w/ it initially.

I second this statement. The sheer amount of things to know in anatomy and physiology trumps biochem in my opinion. I imagine it will be the same in medical school.

 

[HipChick]

Wait for the true live of mechanisms... That's when things get dicey

 

[MedPR]

how much harder does ochem I get over the semester? just got back first exam and made an A easily. it covered resonance, quantum mechanics, R/S, stereochemistry, and alkane nomenclature.

Imo stereochemistry is the hardest part of both semesters of organic.

 

[Stumpyman]

Well, I'm officially scared for the rest of Ochem now.


I also had an A on the first exam; (suspiciously) I thought it wasn't too hard.

 

[MedPR]

Well, I'm officially scared for the rest of Ochem now.


I also had an A on the first exam; (suspiciously) I thought it wasn't too hard.

First exam of my orgo class was pretty much all gen chem 😕

 

[Stumpyman]

First exam of my orgo class was pretty much all gen chem 😕

The first chapter definitely was a brush-up of gen chem, but the rest of the chapters on the exam were completely new to me (another 4 chapters I believe).

 

[Mehd School]

First test: A
Second test: B+
Third and fourth test: 40ish%

Ended up with a B in the class, thanks to rocking the final. 2nd semester is a whole new beast.

However, the class is only as hard as the professor. I had an easy 1st semester teacher, and a horrific 2nd semester.

 

[kpcrew]

I second this statement. The sheer amount of things to know in anatomy and physiology trumps biochem in my opinion. I imagine it will be the same in medical school.

Sounds about right so far.

 

[jagibbs07]

looks like i scored the highest in the class with a perfect score of 103. so at least i have some breathing room

 

[music2doc]

Sounds about right so far.

Half the trouble with the med school versions, IMO, is the clinical correlations and remembering all the specific diseases, medications, etc. At least here, a lot of that is woven directly into the coursework and can make questions quite a bit tougher (esp. when they add in stuff from outside resources you are expected to look at but that are not actually covered in class -- e.g., MedMaps).

 

[911 Turbo]

looks like i scored the highest in the class with a perfect score of 103. so at least i have some breathing room

Goodie, maybe you can tell future patients about this? Just Kidding

 

[music2doc]

Goodie, maybe you can tell future patients about this? Just Kidding

It will surely make them more confident. I can tell you that whenever I see patients, my opening line is, "Hi, Mr./Ms. ABC. my name is music2doc and I am a medical student at XYZSOM. I am working with Dr. Mnop today, but you can be confident with my ability to care of you since I was the top student in both semesters of Gen Chem, Gen Bio, Ochem, and Biochem. I only got a 98% in Physics, but that's why I have to consult with the Attending before giving you any medications today." Gets 'em every time.

 

[911 Turbo]

It will surely make them more confident. I can tell you that whenever I see patients, my opening line is, "Hi, Mr./Ms. ABC. my name is music2doc and I am a medical student at XYZSOM. I am working with Dr. Mnop today, but you can be confident with my ability to care of you since I was the top student in both semesters of Gen Chem, Gen Bio, Ochem, and Biochem. I only got a 98% in Physics, but that's why I have to consult with the Attending before giving you any medications today." Gets 'em every time.

lolz

 

[Mehd School]

Goodie, maybe you can tell future patients about this? Just Kidding

A+, would laugh again.

 

[Mjolner]

First exam of my orgo class was pretty much all gen chem 😕

Same for me.

 

[kpcrew]

God that is so easy. I must have drawn an anxiety blank. I do that sometimes. Thanks a lot for explaining. Now I am nervous to find out my grade. With only 3 exams in intro, every grade can break you

Yeah, no problem. If you have any questions, you should either go into office hours and ask the professor or spend some time with the TA. It's better to understand things going into the test, especially now since the final will probably not emphasize the material you're learning now which is basically the foundation for what you will cover later.

 

[clothcut]

The difficulty of O-Chem is very overstated. I think there's a prevailing trend amongst pre-med's to be douchebags and instill fear to quell potential competition. Mechanisms, structure, and nomenclature... period. Above all, rote memorization. It's not that hard. Pushing arrows and predicting products... it's almost like a puzzle or game. I'd say the stereochemistry aspect of the course is something that either comes to you naturally or does not.

 

[Catman21]

I wouldn't worry too much about Ochem1 in terms of difficulty. Its different than any other chemistry class you've ever taken (probably) but its really not an overwhelming amount of information. Ochem2 is like night and day from ochem 1. The second semester is where you will truly find out if you like organic. Odds are you probably wont, and odds are you will want to kill yourself. Those were dark days for me.. goodlucky 😉

 

[Nuel]

Keys to organic chemistry (1 and 2):

1) Memorize and understand rules and principles behind specific reactions and structure determination.

2) Do lots of problems.

Organic chemistry is actually a fun course. Just work hard.