How to prepare for exam problems that don't come from hw or lecture

[brianbellau]

This semester I have an extremely difficult Orgo teacher. Her tests have a section that is super hard, and I feel like no matter how many practice problems I do, I cannot ace any of the exams.

The way her tests are set up is: A portion of the test (probably 70%) is closely related to the homework and example problems in lecture, so if you understand the homework, you will ace that. The other 30% are total curveball questions that she says tests your aptitude and your ability to synthesize outside what you have been practicing in your homework. She says it makes you need to think more, twist your brain, and this section separates the students who get B's on the exam, and the student's who gets A's.

Only problem is, I suck at anything I can't prepare for or haven't done on a practice problem, I hate surprises. I try to read the textbook and really master the concepts, but I still am not getting these extremely difficult questions right, and it pisses me off because I would be getting perfect 100s on the test if it weren't for them, instead I'm getting low B's

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[justAstudent]

More practice problems from other sources might help.

 

[mehc012]

This semester I have an extremely difficult Orgo teacher. Her tests have a section that is super hard, and I feel like no matter how many practice problems I do, I cannot ace any of the exams.

The way her tests are set up is: A portion of the test (probably 70%) is closely related to the homework and example problems in lecture, so if you understand the homework, you will ace that. The other 30% are total curveball questions that she says tests your aptitude and your ability to synthesize outside what you have been practicing in your homework. She says it makes you need to think more, twist your brain, and this section separates the students who get B's on the exam, and the student's who gets A's.

Only problem is, I suck at anything I can't prepare for or haven't done on a practice problem, I hate surprises. I try to read the textbook and really master the concepts, but I still am not getting these extremely difficult questions right, and it pisses me off because I would be getting perfect 100s on the test if it weren't for them, instead I'm getting low B's

Sounds like an awesome prof!

As difficult as it is, what she is doing truly is how you assess whether you've learned how to repeat what you've done or whether you have truly mastered the materials.

Personally, whenever I learn a concept I try to come up with multiple questions and curveballs of my own related to that question. If I can't figure out my own hare-brained questions, I google more and more details about the subject until I understand enough of the concept to answer them. Now that I Anki things, I make a ton of flashcards - more than most people - all with short, concise answers, but with lots of trick questions. Forcing yourself to think of the questions makes you start picking things apart and seeing where people will trip up...and it also makes it much easier, when encountered with similar questions on tests, to recognize what they're getting at - which concept they're really trying to test you on with that Q, and which traps they're setting.

 

[hoihaie]

Which part of the orgo series?
Master the synthesis parts by doing alot of practice problems, not just from ur textbook, but from any sources you can find. WHile you're doing the synthesis problems, draw out the mechanism for each reaction.

If you understand mechanism and how the electrons flow, nucleophile and electrophile behaviors, then you will understand ochem in general.

 

[brianbellau]

Which part of the orgo series?
Master the synthesis parts by doing alot of practice problems, not just from ur textbook, but from any sources you can find. WHile you're doing the synthesis problems, draw out the mechanism for each reaction.

If you understand mechanism and how the electrons flow, nucleophile and electrophile behaviors, then you will understand ochem in general.

This is Orgo II, and I do every single practice problem I can get my hands on. Go to Freelance, Chad's videos, look at other textbooks. But they don't prepare me for the conceptually hard questions that my teacher gives on exams. Solving things backwards, needing to apply multiple concepts together, things I had never seen before. There was a question about identifying a freakin' steroid that wasn't even in the book.

 

[mehc012]

This is Orgo II, and I do every single practice problem I can get my hands on. Go to Freelance, Chad's videos, look at other textbooks. But they don't prepare me for the conceptually hard questions that my teacher gives on exams. Solving things backwards, needing to apply multiple concepts together, things I had never seen before. There was a question about identifying a freakin' steroid that wasn't even in the book.

Then make your own questions and practice combining multiple concepts.

 

[CollegeGirl94]

That doesn't sound too bad, my Orgo professor did that for about 1/2 the exam. Looking back, I wish I did more problems and even looked up resources at other universities (Yale has a great website).

 

[dpmd]

One thing you can do is look at thse question you got wrong and see if you can related them to what you have learned. In theory everything she tests is something she feels you could have answered (maybe not but hopefully) so if you can identify the leap you needed to have taken perhaps you can take it in the future. That said I got c's in ochem until the last quarter so at least you are doing better than average.

 

[Lya]

Have you went to her office hour to discuss how to prepare yourself better? Or TA or any classmates who aced the tests?