Need OChem Advice

[BiomajorPreDent]

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Ok so as some of you may know from my other posts..I did bad on the DAT, and although I know the stuff I need to improve for Bio and Chem..OChem bothered me alot

Now I always found OChem to be straightforward..the DAT tests alot eaiser than my ACS as many of you are aware

Looking back..the first time i took the DAT, I used only kaplan, and I really was not prepared much for organic..I got an 18

the second time I learned alot of reactions and organized my stuff..I knew alot more, and I got a 19.

Now. The third time, I studied alot more, I learned more reactions and I think I was the most prepared..yet I somehow got a 15

I am still in shock

So how is it possible to get a 15 knowing my stuff, while I got an 18 knowing nothing and a 19 with just a little more studying?

Fluke tests? freak guessing? I did NOT panic, I know that

Although I noticed that I did not recognize some reagents in synthesis questions and for some reason I could just not figure out what was going on in some reactions...but at the time I thought I did alot better.

I have high confidence in my knowledge. I mean I got 19s on my topscore practice tests and (even my lowest Ochem score was 16 on achiever)

I havent gotten a 15 since my diagnostic on kaplan...

So now im kinda stuck. I already used topscore, kaplan and achiever...I have destroyer for OChem, and Ill do those problems after i finish with this OChem as a 2nd language book, but thats all I have left.

I just dont see how I could be so much more prepared this time and do so much worse, it was like getting blindsided

Im not trying to bitch here, but I am just in disbelief, I know my stuff and I have no idea what happened. Theres not even anyway to review the exam and see what it was I did wrong, which is so frustrating.

 

[azar87]

Sorry to hear that man i know its frustrating to get a low score especially after you study a lot....i felt the same way when i took the DAT in march......all my questions were random not many reactions infact i think i only had one complete the products....a lot depends on what version of the test you get.....try doing the destroyer again and again.......topscore i beleive isn't all that its made out to be....i was in the same position as you and am re-taken in July hopen to do much better and im usen kaplan, destroyer....topscore is good just for basic review....make flashcards all else make yourself a notebook full of organic chem notes from your textbook you gotta do whatever it takes to get that score. Best of luck

 

[4thMolar]

The best thing you can probably do now is to go through your ochem textbook, make flashcards of all the reactions, and practice the problems at the end of each chapter over and over. I know it's a lot of work, and you'll be going over things that will probably not even show up on the DAT, but you have to do what's best for you, and I think this is definitely the best option to raise that score. You have 3 months until you take the DAT again right, so use all that time in going through your textbook.

 

[zoralsurgeon]

I second this...you can review all the dat prep materials you want, but I felt that my textbook was the best source...and as they said, you will probably be learning a lot of information you wont see on the dat, but remember...knowledge is power! the more you learn can't hurt ya!

The best thing you can probably do now is to go through your ochem textbook, make flashcards of all the reactions, and practice the problems at the end of each chapter over and over. I know it's a lot of work, and you'll be going over things that will probably not even show up on the DAT, but you have to do what's best for you, and I think this is definitely the best option to raise that score. You have 3 months until you take the DAT again right, so use all that time in going through your textbook.

 

[Sublimation]

What i would recommend is that you review the BASICS. Meaning the first 6 or 7 chapters know them cold. Everything else will only build off of that. To be honest i never memorized a reaction. All i do is look at the mechanism, understand why it occurs in the sequence in which it does and thats it. Dont just memorize for orgo. I remember when i started organic in the fall everyone told me to memorize everything. I ended up just understanding it not memorizing it. My instructor always told us to understand why something happens not to just know what happens. Gluck and i would recommend that you use examkrackers organic for the MCAT. It does a really good job. Gluck.