How to Ace Organic II

[KababMD]

---

Members don't see this ad.

Hey guys...just need some tips on how to ace organic chem II. Please dont tell me to study, because I put in about 10 hours a week or maybe even more during exam time like 30-35 hours, for Organic I and i got a B in it. What should I do for Organic II to ensure me an A in the class

does a B in Orgo I mean a B in orgo II??

thanks

 

[BigRedder]

A disclaimer to start: I did not ace either orgo 1 or 2, far from it. However, I did learn it all later for when I took the MCAT, and I can tell you the secret is to do lots of problems (lots), and to remember that it is all just a few principles, not a list of reactions.

 

[michigator04]

I found Orgo II to be more puzzle-like than Orgo I. By that I mean you are given a bunch of reactions and then have to be able to come up with a way to get from point A to point B, however you can manage using those reactions. You will see many multi-step synthesis problems like this, so get used to those if you want to succeed.

And by the way, it is possible to go from a B in Orgo I to an A in Orgo II; I did it.

 

[RySerr21]

I found Orgo II to be more puzzle-like than Orgo I. By that I mean you are given a bunch of reactions and then have to be able to come up with a way to get from point A to point B, however you can manage using those reactions. You will see many multi-step synthesis problems like this, so get used to those if you want to succeed.

And by the way, it is possible to go from a B in Orgo I to an A in Orgo II; I did it.

i did as well. from a B to an A-. i think what did it for me is that i realized putting in 35 hours doesn't necessarily mean anything, especially if you are getting a B with that amount of effort (how many classes can you say you spend 35 hours studying for a test and still get a B?).

like you've said, your problem isn't that you need to study, its that you need to study differently. whatever you did for 35 hours before, don't do the exact same thing b/c obviously it didn't work as well as you'd hoped (not that a B is the end of the world). but if you are trying to find the difference maker i'd say find a different way to study as opposed to adding more hours to the way that didn't get you what you wanted.

or maybe ochem II will just click and you'll be okay. good luck.

 

[MattD]

Don't just memorize the reactions. DO memorize the reactions, but think through WHY the reaction proceeds the way it does, because your test questions will not be the 'prototype' reactions you were presented with. Really hammer down the concepts of electronegativity, electrophiles, nucleophiles, resonance, and conjugated structures. This will help you understand what's going on at an atomic level, and help you conceptualize what might happen in a given new situation. Electron pushing is big.

Also, find a source of practice synthesis problems. Synthesis is key to tests, and if you can work through synthesis problems, you probably understand the reactions you're using 🙂

Good luck!

 

[BigRedder]

Don't just memorize the reactions. DO memorize the reactions, but think through WHY the reaction proceeds the way it does, because your test questions will not be the 'prototype' reactions you were presented with. Really hammer down the concepts of electronegativity, electrophiles, nucleophiles, resonance, and conjugated structures. This will help you understand what's going on at an atomic level, and help you conceptualize what might happen in a given new situation. Electron pushing is big.

Also, find a source of practice synthesis problems. Synthesis is key to tests, and if you can work through synthesis problems, you probably understand the reactions you're using 🙂

Good luck!

This is the best answer to this question.

 

[flaahless]

Don't just memorize the reactions. DO memorize the reactions, but think through WHY the reaction proceeds the way it does, because your test questions will not be the 'prototype' reactions you were presented with. Really hammer down the concepts of electronegativity, electrophiles, nucleophiles, resonance, and conjugated structures. This will help you understand what's going on at an atomic level, and help you conceptualize what might happen in a given new situation. Electron pushing is big.

Also, find a source of practice synthesis problems. Synthesis is key to tests, and if you can work through synthesis problems, you probably understand the reactions you're using 🙂

Good luck!

Word. Also, when you do the synthesis problems, give yourself a multitude of scenarios until you can effortlessly go from one compound to a completely different compound. I did synthesis problems every day, I got a separate notebook just so I could write reactions... I would do them forwards, then backwards, then change the reagent, the change the starting product, then alter the acidity etc. Also, try and trick yourself into being interested in the subject. I found that when I was pessimistic about a class, I bombed it, but when I was optimistic, I did very well. Good luck.

 

[Concordia]

Organic never made sense to me...so to do well all I did was memorize. It is not fun, and yes, you should know the mechanics of why reactions proceed the way they do. But at the end, I made mountains of flashcards to help with memorization.

 

[da8s0859q]

Don't just memorize the reactions. DO memorize the reactions, but think through WHY the reaction proceeds the way it does, because your test questions will not be the 'prototype' reactions you were presented with. Really hammer down the concepts of electronegativity, electrophiles, nucleophiles, resonance, and conjugated structures. This will help you understand what's going on at an atomic level, and help you conceptualize what might happen in a given new situation. Electron pushing is big.

Also, find a source of practice synthesis problems. Synthesis is key to tests, and if you can work through synthesis problems, you probably understand the reactions you're using 🙂

Good luck!

This is the best answer to this question.

Without a doubt.

OP: Listen to Matt. He's right. Memorize only what readily lends itself to memorization; for everything else, understand it. Understand why an aromatic with an electron-withdrawing group on one end makes a proton on the other side of the ring more acidic. Appreciate what makes reactions tick (i.e., make those mechanisms your bitch!)

Beyond general concepts, memorization should be a last resort.

Yes, it's rough. That's orgo. But short of you being a savant, it's the most time-efficient way about it.

This is a big part of how I got As in both parts of organic chem.

 

[ScienceJunkie]

this is all great advice. and i cannot stress the importance of doing problems.

there are some great websites out there, too.

university of michigan (i think, maybe it's minnesota...lol) has an EXCELLENT on-line text with examples.



...and let me just say that NMR sucks.

 

[futuredrcrawfor]

do problems focus on reagents and stuff and really work on problems

I went from a C in Orgo I to an A in Orgo II so I know it is possible!

 

[Auron]

what would you guys advise to someone who took orgo 1 a year ago?

I'm taking orgo 2, and am reviewing whatever I can from orgo 1. What are the most important things I should know from orgo 1 to be succesful in orgo 2?

 

[ARID3A]

I love chemistry and O-chem has been one of my favorite classes so far. Here are my $0.02:

1. When you study try to look at the big picture of all the reactions that you have learned. The main idea, as you probably know, is to interconvert functional groups, so focus on what functional group you start with and end with for each reaction. Also, some reactions are especially important since they provide the only means to interconvert two functional groups (like Free Radical Bromination of an Alkane to form an alkyl halide). Pay special attention to these.
2. When you are looking at mechanisms, try to pay special attention to recognizing good nucleophiles and electrophiles. You can eventually get to the point that you can predict what the next step of a mechanism is based solely on the characteristics of the nucleophile and electrophile.
3. Organic Chemistry II is mainly about the properties of complex functional groups. However, there are about five or six main themes of reactions (ex: nucleophile attack at carbonyl carbon usually produces a tetrahedral intermediate followed by transfer of a proton). If you can keep these commonly occurring themes in mind, you will be much more successful in understanding and applying o-chem.

 

[TheRealMD]

In ochem, everything happens for a reason. Understand that, and you will get your A.

 

[kedrin]

How i got an A in O chem I was by learning what is actually happening and why. AKA learn the mechanisms and why such mechanisms occur. I never worked tons of practice problems. I did however agonize over every detail of the mechanisms that cause things to occur. By doing this i was able to solve any reaction that was thrown at me.

im currently taking O chem II and i see this strategy being even more true as this semester progresses.

Cliff notes: learn the mechanisms and why they occur.

 

[ziggy793]

practice all the problems you can in the back of each chapter and make sure you know what sorts of rxns you professor likes... mine loved cyclical final products and inversions and also s/r products. Trick like that are good to be aware of. Also brush up on your basics from orgo 1 like acid base, inversion, etc.

 

[MaximusD]

Hey guys...just need some tips on how to ace organic chem II. Please dont tell me to study, because I put in about 10 hours a week or maybe even more during exam time like 30-35 hours, for Organic I and i got a B in it. What should I do for Organic II to ensure me an A in the class

does a B in Orgo I mean a B in orgo II??

thanks

Basic tips to do well in any class in undergrad:

1. Go to class and PAY ATTENTION.
2. Take good notes.
3. Study those notes and handouts.
4. Do LOTS of problems and make sure you understand before moving on.

 

[UVAbme2009]

Don't just memorize the reactions. DO memorize the reactions, but think through WHY the reaction proceeds the way it does, because your test questions will not be the 'prototype' reactions you were presented with. Really hammer down the concepts of electronegativity, electrophiles, nucleophiles, resonance, and conjugated structures. This will help you understand what's going on at an atomic level, and help you conceptualize what might happen in a given new situation. Electron pushing is big.

Also, find a source of practice synthesis problems. Synthesis is key to tests, and if you can work through synthesis problems, you probably understand the reactions you're using 🙂

Good luck!

I was going to say something along the same lines.

I had my first test last night (carbonyl, alcohols, epoxides, etc.) and it went really well. By now, you should be somewhat comfortable just looking at a set of reactants and predicting what will happen and why it will happen. So many of the mechanisms are similar because the basic principles are all the same.