Learning/Preparing for Orgo?

[Compass]

Besides my textbook, which I sort of can't buy yet because I need the custom school edition that comes with the online activities key we need to use, are there any tools I can use to help me learn orgo more effectively? I don't have a problem with the basic chemistry parts, but I'd like to prepare so that when I take orgo, I won't get flattened and chewed out. Books, websites, whatever, I'm willing to take a look at all of them, but I'd prefer if they'd have helped someone before

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[Twitch]

Besides my textbook, which I sort of can't buy yet because I need the custom school edition that comes with the online activities key we need to use, are there any tools I can use to help me learn orgo more effectively? I don't have a problem with the basic chemistry parts, but I'd like to prepare so that when I take orgo, I won't get flattened and chewed out. Books, websites, whatever, I'm willing to take a look at all of them, but I'd prefer if they'd have helped someone before

I suggest Nuts & Bolts of Organic Chemistry. It's a simple and quick read. I'd suggest it prior to getting knee deep into the class. It sets the foundation right for you to tackle the text. This is a relatively newer book than what the others that are out there. I got an A in both Organic I and II. It helped having built a strong foundation before class.

Good Luck!

 

[TinyFish]

I see everyone here freaking about orgo... and I think it amuses me that this is the class that I most hated and least cared about and least studied for. Not that this was a good thing. But I miraculously didn't suffer for it at all in the end. Boy did I not study. I have to ask myself what the heck was wrong with me.

Anyway...if you're not taking orgo currently and will be taking it next semester, I would say not to worry about it. It is necessary to stay on top of things when taking orgo, but you shouldn't worry too much about it beforehand. If you really really need something extra, ask the professor for a supplementary text or supplementary exercises. I have found this to be helpful in any class I've done it in.

Your mileage may vary, but I generally find that it is very difficult to "prepare" efficiently for a class beforehand, especially if you're not sure how the material is going to be presented.


Then again, orgo is like a totally different language, and if the previous poster likes Nuts & Bolts, knock yourself out.

Good luck!

 

[Compass]

I usually do better when I've read something before, as I found out unfortunately through psychology.

 

[modelslashactor]

there are two ways to approach this: 1) get things from people at your school because each school tailors their class differently and you will benefit from knowing that material the most, or 2) kill two birds with one stone and get an mcat organic book and work out of that.

note that i would do neither of these because i would be too busy enjoying the summer, or reading other books that i don't have time to enjoy during the year because of stupid stuff like organic chemistry. but to each his own.

 

[Darkshooter326]

Haha, people definitely care about Orgo, they just try to weed you out, if you like to beleive that. Just read the notes and highlight the book, study, and you'll be okay. SOMEONE has to pass right

 

[Compass]

Well, good things come from this thread

I got Amazon Prime 3-mo trial for ordering the Nuts and Bolts book, which means now I get 2 day shipping, which maeks textbook ordering a breeze since I don't have to do Super-Saver and watch my book arrive 3 weeks into the semester so TY, I'll start off with the Nuts and Bolts and get the textbook from school.

 

[TheFreshPrince]

Well, good things come from this thread

I got Amazon Prime 3-mo trial for ordering the Nuts and Bolts book, which means now I get 2 day shipping, which maeks textbook ordering a breeze since I don't have to do Super-Saver and watch my book arrive 3 weeks into the semester so TY, I'll start off with the Nuts and Bolts and get the textbook from school.

Just keep up with it and do problems and old tests if your professor has them. In fact, you could probably get my by simply studying old tests. This is what I did. It depends on your school. The nuts book is a good choice.

 

[MossPoh]

The preparing before tough classes seems to be a common theme. (People mention it for anatomy and stuff in the other allo room a lot). I think it is best to not go overboard before hand. If you want to skim something basic to get mentally prepared then have at it....but I've experienced a lot of profs that will teach it a completley different way than you taught yourself and just screw up your whole thought process. (Not orgo here..rather my databasing courses and what not) Use one of the books these good people recommend as a supplemental when the class starts up...that is my advice. Or go on amazon and see what people rate the highest as long as it has a solid review.

 

[Tanner82]

ORGANIC CHEMISTRY AS A SECOND LANGUAGE by David R Klein....

I went through the book the summer before I took organic 1 (in the fall)...
I'm assuming that's what you are doing. It will give you a good base to start. Then if you need to look at your orgo text it wouldn't hurt. But I guarantee at least the first test is completely in this easy to understand book. Helped me out a bunch.... A's in 1&2

oh yeah and if your school doesn't require it, which most schools at least recommend, get "The Organic Chemistry Lab survival manual" by James Zubrick... makes lab 1,000 times easier... wish I had it to start o-chem 1 lab....


organic sucks... lots of studying... but If you can actually understand the mechanisms and get a feel for it, it isn't too bad. It is the class that will answer your question about if you really want to go to med school though...

 

[MU.Redskin]

American Chemical Society puts out a comprehensive study guide over all the general topics covered in a full years worth of organic. I bought it to study for the final and later wished I would have had it throughout the course. It has short chapter summaries on all the major stuff, a section of questions with fully explained answers, and then another section of study questions.

On top of that, many schools use the ACS examination as a final exam for a years worth of O-Chem, and I also plan on referring back to it during MCAT study. Its a lot less verbose than a textbook, and I like that.

BTW only about $20 I think from ACS.org

Good Luck! Keep posting questions, I love orgo

 

[MJB]

It is the class that will answer your question about if you really want to go to med school though...

Gotta ask....why do you say this?

 

[ltrain]

ORGANIC CHEMISTRY AS A SECOND LANGUAGE by David R Klein....

i second this. very helpful. begins at the beginning. will help you out big time if you use it in advance or for the first month or so of the course. after that, you're off and running...

 

[e_phn]

Gotta ask....why do you say this?

isn't it one of the biggest obstacles?
i'm not sure about this, but a lot of ppl scare me...by saying how difficult and challenging it is.
i'm having chemophobia again.

 

[Kikaku21]

isn't it one of the biggest obstacles?
i'm not sure about this, but a lot of ppl scare me...by saying how difficult and challenging it is.
i'm having chemophobia again.

Here is the problem with organic chemistry.

Some people get it. Other people don't. Usually the people who don't get it have not been taught to think in a very particular way. O-Chem is tough first becuase there is a TON of material and 2nd becuase you have to be able to think creatively, but still be bounded by certain logic. This is especially true for mechanism and synthesis problems.

The trouble is, if you don't happen to think this way already, it is really hard to learn to START thinking like this when someone is throwing a ****ton of material at you. Also, if the orgo prof teaches a class of 200 or so, he is not likely to care that you need to think a different way and will leave you out to dry.

 

[novawildcat]

The only prep you should be doing for Ochem is hands on organic chemistry, i.e. tipping back excessive amounts of beer.

 

[bbas]

ORGANIC CHEMISTRY AS A SECOND LANGUAGE by David R Klein....

I went through the book the summer before I took organic 1 (in the fall)...
I'm assuming that's what you are doing. It will give you a good base to start. Then if you need to look at your orgo text it wouldn't hurt. But I guarantee at least the first test is completely in this easy to understand book. Helped me out a bunch.... A's in 1&2

oh yeah and if your school doesn't require it, which most schools at least recommend, get "The Organic Chemistry Lab survival manual" by James Zubrick... makes lab 1,000 times easier... wish I had it to start o-chem 1 lab....


organic sucks... lots of studying... but If you can actually understand the mechanisms and get a feel for it, it isn't too bad. It is the class that will answer your question about if you really want to go to med school though...

Uh, what? Organic Chemistry isn't even used in medical school.

 

[novawildcat]

Uh, what? Organic Chemistry isn't even used in medical school.

Neither is 99% of all the knowledge obtained by a person over their lifetime.

 

[drhouse]

Take the class and do the homework...

 

[Hopeful_Doc]

I've been going over the concepts in the dummies guide. if for nothing else it is giving a general overview of the topics to be discussed and how to do problems.

 

[Addb]

Orgo is not something you can really prepare for.

I took my usual coasting method through the first exam of orgo 1, and got a 60.

Wake up call.

Studied my ass off for the second and got a 90, top score in my class.

Ego boost.

Realized I put way too much time into it the second round, so I cut back a bit and started compartmentalizing. Got 70's the rest of the class. Rode the curve to an A.

Organic 2 I took pretty much the same style as test 3 and 4 in orgo 1. Got a B, but the curve was a lot higher. Actually I only got 5 points less of an average in orgo 2, but found myself 2 people away from a C instead of in the middle of the A's.

You can do exceptionally well, but if you have a curve, then it's more about working the system than it is mastering the material.

Of course, the MCAT is nigh unworkable so it won't hurt doing a little learning along the way lol

 

[MJB]

A curve would have been nice to have....

 

[Addb]

A curve would have been nice to have....

well yes and no. If you are at a mid-level school where there aren't a bunch of anal pre-meds, then a curve is a good thing, as you can relax a bit and still get the A. However if you are at a top tier u-grad... guess what.

 

[korndoctor]

could someone please provide me or us with the direct link as to where i can buy the american chemical society comprehensive study guide for organic chemistry. i can't find it anywhere on acs.org.

 

[MU.Redskin]

could someone please provide me or us with the direct link as to where i can buy the american chemical society comprehensive study guide for organic chemistry. i can't find it anywhere on acs.org.

here she is... (for some reason through University of Wis-Mil)

http://www3.uwm.edu/dept/chemexams/guides/index.cfm

 

[Labslave]

Threads like these crack me up, mainly because I remember how thoroughly convinced I was (some three years ago) that Organic Chemistry was the "say all, end all" pre-med class...that one class that would define whether or not I would get into medical school...

Well, guess what? That's pure BS.

Not only is that pure BS, but orgo isn't really all that difficult. Each individual concept is really quite easy to understand (for most students). It's the volume that gets most people.

I can guarantee you that if you are of moderate intelligence and you KEEP UP WITH THE WORK (yes, do those pesky little problem sets in the back of the book), you will at least get a B.

I did well in Orgo I and II (A, A), but it certainly wasn't because I'm some freak genius. I just went to lecture and kept up with the material. And that's more than half the battle.