O-chem help!!

[wander]

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I just started my first semester of ochem and I was just wandering what's the best way to study for this class?

 

[johnstoner]

the models are useful for the first semester...to look at R and S configurations...maybe even the Fischer projections. Especially important if you are looking at boat and chair configurations...

other things I did was a lot of practice problems...to tackle ochem...its not about memorization but more about how many practice problems that you do. (well there is also some memorization needed i guess)

anyway...good luck

 

[Firebird]

I agree. Practice a lot. Get old exams from your professor if that's possible. Organic is about getting familiar with the way questions might be asked.

Also, I am going to tell you the most important thing you'll ever hear regarding organic: negative charges go to positive charges (that includes partial charges). That will solve all your problems...and not just in organic chem but it will solve every social, moral, ethical and personal problem you ever have.

 

[Jacobim]

The class is cool, so just enjoy it. Don't think "I need to get an A to get into med school" the whole time or you probably won't do as well...

 

[lola]

become goggle czar of your chemistry club sorry... just couldn't resist. i will stop now!

whatever you do... don't wait until the night before the exam to study. give yourself at least 2 days 😉

 

[Nanon]

I suggest rote memorization of nomenclature, models for configurations, what ever it takes to understand reaction rates perfectly, and metaphore for reactions. Here's an example of what I mean. But most of all, study you @ss off, do all of the problems at the end of the chapter, read and make flash cards and go over them until your brain bleeds. 😀 And good luck!

Nanon

 

[Jacobim]

You can wait until the night before to study, actually, and still do well. I have the data...

 

[lola]

Originally posted by Jacobim
You can wait until the night before to study, actually, and still do well. I have the data...

hmmm.. maybe so, but i wouldn't try it for the first exam. i waited until the night before and was sh*tting bricks around 2am. don't do it to yourself!

 

[Firebird]

Originally posted by lola
become goggle czar of your chemistry club sorry... just couldn't resist. i will stop now!

It's not a club. It's a frat and there's a huge difference. But the goggle czar thing was created to sound stupid and goofy and they were pretty successful at that. It's just a title for someone who orders goggles to be sold to the freshmen students.

 

[lola]

oops, my bad 😳

another tip for the op: don't just memorize! you need to really understand the concepts to do well in ochem (as you do with most classes, but instead of pulling b's and c's you might pull d's and f's in ochem if you don't get the concepts). if you're not understanding them get some help. it may take some getting used to, but most concepts are really not that difficult once you get the hang of things. also, while it's a good idea to do practice problems, make sure you are doing problems that are relevant to the material you learned in class. so many people in my ochem class struggled b/c they wasted precious hours trying to do problems in the back of the chapter that we didn't have the knowledge to answer.

 

[MissionaryGirl]

What really helped me in o chem was practice. I just kept practicing writing out reactions over and over again until I could do them blindfolded. This took a lot of time so I would suggest saving a lot of time for this course.

Another thing I found to be helpful and I was fortunate at that time, but I had a really great study partner. We would get together once or twice a week and go over material and that helped alot. But not everyone clicks so I would say if you are on your own, do alot of practice problems and that will definitely benefit you.

 

[All-Star14]

Don't become part of a ceremonious panic attack when trying to study for this class. Do the best you can do. If a bunch of people come at you with the "OMG! This is so hard" routine (especially before exams), kindly tell them to f*** off 😛 (not really, but don't listen). KEY: Do not buy into the negatives; work hard and approach the course with a positive outlook.

 

[Macken]

Firebird is totally right.

The most important thing about OChem (I wish somebody would have sat me down and told me this on the first day!!) is focusing on what's negative/partial negative and what's positive/partial positive. Remember to draw the annoying little arrows from negative to positive and you can't go wrong.

The other 2 concepts you need to have a good grasp on are electronegativity (again, this just helps you focus on what's going to be negative and positive) and acid/base (watch where those protons are going). Oxidation/reduction doesn't hurt either (but for OChem, just remember that oxidation is decreasing the electron density on carbon and reduction is increasing the electron density on carbon)

Don't focus on memorizing each reaction...that's how I blew it the first time around! Grasp the basics and you'll do fine.

DON'T let your professors/TAs/whoever make it more complicated than it really is.

OK, I got way more carried away with this than I intended. Good luck!!!!

 

[UCLAstudent]

Lots of practice problems. If you could get old copies of your prof's exams, that would really help. My prof had an "exam bank" online, which was great. She sometimes even recycled molecules from old exams! 🙂

 

[OnyxGaia]

Originally posted by Nanon
I suggest rote memorization of nomenclature, models for configurations, what ever it takes to understand reaction rates perfectly, and metaphore for reactions. Here's an example of what I mean. But most of all, study you @ss off, do all of the problems at the end of the chapter, read and make flash cards and go over them until your brain bleeds. 😀 And good luck!

Nanon

What's up with this sexist memorization method?

Slut? Bad and Good girl?

Jeez!

Onyx