o-chem

[dds2010]

What is the best way to study for organic chemistry if you have never taken organic chemistry courses? I am taking DAT on the last week of Sept.!!! I have Kaplan materials, but that's about it. Do you really think that Topscore and the DAT Achiever are worth it? What is the best way to tackle this test one month before???

 

[Newhere]

Hey dds, I took both semesters of ochem b4 the dat, but I think you can pull it off as the dat isn't that hard. However, you must learn the basics, and to do that you have to read quite a bit as it'll seem like a new language to you. My advice, if you can take ochem b4, do it, since itll make it easier. If not, just read books like Schaem's Organic Chemistry. Its thick but I'm sure if you learnt it you would do great. Remember ochem isn't really memorizing, its applying knowledge and concepts to figure out solutions, as you'll see in synthesis questions and structure determination when you take it.

gluck

 

[kxb4777]

Actually, I think alot of ochem topics require a great deal of time to understand. If you've taken general chemistry, it does incorporate several of the concepts you learn there, but otherwise, ochem incorporates a great deal of complicated material that you shouldn't just "memorize." For example, both gchem and ochem cover molecular bonds, but ochem requires a greater and specific knowledge.

My best advice is to seek help from a tutor or someone that knows the subject well. Having someone teach you concepts allows you to understand things that are not in the realm of your understanding, while trying to understand material from a book with limited knowledge is like trying to fit a square peg into a circular hole. It just won't process in your mind.

Okay, i went off on a tangent, but within the context of what i said, keep the tutor idea in mind.

 

[dds2010]

Thank you for the replies! Can I please hear from someone who took the DAT without having taken the O-Chem classes? How did you guys do it?