Ochem study tips???

[osumc2014]

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Wondering if someones got some good studying tips for ochem? its kicking my butt

 

[Instatewaiter]

open the book

 

[mmc48]

Categorize reactions/topics based on similarity. Don't try and memorize individual reactions, categorize them based on mechanism. Actually, it workedwell for me to put things in lists, etc. So if you're trying to figure out nucleophilicity, etc., make a list of all the features of such a property.


The biggest help: work the problems in the book, and understand them!

 

[futuredrcrawfor]

I make a list of the reactions-
1- name
2- reagents
3- what it does in normal English (ie replace x with y)
4- draw mechanism

then I make a flash card for a reaction missing the reagent so you can say the reagent used and a set of cards with just the reagent so you can tell the reaction...

seems to be working-
I also work a ton of problems and make trips almost weekly to the profs office.
Also my prof ask random multiple choice problems that come from book but you might not notice if you don't read through a couple times... so I try to read each chapter 3 times!

 

[jr doctor in sd]

trends/concepts > memorization of rxns.

thats what my friend that just finished ochem advised me - he got an A in all 3 quarters of it.

so i plan on doing the same haha 👍

 

[mb11040]

Make sure you know the material taught in the first few weeks really well, if you don't then you'll be completely lost for the rest of the year

 

[ScienceJunkie]

study questions in the same format that they'll be on the test.

for instance, my orgo tests are 5-15 questions. there's no multiple choice crap (which is far easier), but simply a question that often ties in several concepts. it's all or nothing.

so, if you're tests are like mine, don't study multiple-choice -based problems. you could use the question w/o looking at the options to get used to the system of testing better.

 

[FORUM9351]

to master organic, you have to practice. Organic is very conceptual and the more you practice and apply the many rules, the better situation you're in.

 

[CSnowFoxD]

trends/concepts > memorization of rxns.

Yup, you need to know why stuff happens in the mechanisms. If you do, after a while you'll kind of get a "feel" for the reactions and you'll be able to predict what happens when/if you're asked on an exam to write the products/mech of the reaction. 👍 If you find yourself just memorizing stuff without knowing why, you're not doing it right.

Ochem=yuck 😛

 

[Adradr]

I went from being terrified of ochem to loving it - I actually teach it now - because my professor said, "Do all of the problems in every single chapter of the textbook, guys. Seriously." Apparently I was one of the few doofuses who took him at this word , but it paid off.

So: Do all of the problems in the back of every chapter. Understand all of the mechanisms and be able to draw them out, cold. And then tell me if you manage to find lots of free time to actually have fun on top of that... It was a rough few months for me before ochem BECAME my idea of fun. 😍

Best of luck...

 

[ChePibe]

Focus on the movement of electrons as most of the time they will behave in a similar manner (considering elctronegativities, electron donating/withdrawing effects)
... And also do all the problems at the back of each chapter. That is what I did and it worked out fine. But I also liked Ochem (or any chem for that matter) a lot.
Hope this helps.

 

[The Nigal]

Practice a bit each day. Draw the the mechanisms out; if you pay attention to electron flow and trends you should be able to apply the same concepts to any rxn.

I am not sure where you are in the year, but since its early you are probably studying structures, enantiomers, energy diagrams, configurations, etc. Early on it helped me a lot when I worked with models, an/or some type of 3D software. Its not as useful later on, but in the beginning it helped me to visualize what was going on atomically.

 

[da8s0859q]

OP: Keep in mind that all the advice you're getting here is generic (albeit good). Your own experience in class should govern what you look at more than other stuff; if you've got some specific topics, then you would get more useful/applicable words o' wisdom, I think.

Not to sound like I'm suggesting you study for the test rather for understanding, but ... well, hey, study for the test rather for understanding if that tickles your pickle.

So, what ARE you covering in class these days?

Signed,
guy that did well in orgo 1, currently in orgo 2.

 

[osumc2014]

well we are in very early parts of orgo 1 and the acid/bases part seems to be real difficult idk why. I do need to start practicing a lot and go to more office hours i guess. Thanks for the advise guys!

Go Bucks!

 

[Nasem]

acid bases are the smaller portion of orgo 1....
in my first exam last week, out of 50 questions, only 2 were acid / bases, so I wouldn't worry about it too much

one more thing, what helps me with orgo is to read the chapter ahead of time (before the professor starts explaining it), that will help you write better notes in class..... MAKE SURE to re-write your notes after lecture. Most people tell you to re-write your notes directly after class, I do it after I get home (works better for me).

Another thing, make sure you do alot of problems, and when I say alot of problems, I mean to do EVERY single problem at the end of each chapter (make sure you have the solutions guide with you), it will strengthen your problem solving skills and make you work the problems out faster during the exam.

 

[Nookular]

LEARN the material. DON"T MEMORIZE IT!
Ochem is just like math in that there are repeating basic concepts that if people UNDERSTAND, it all comes together. Unfortunately people try to memorize all the little examples and miss the big picture.

Memorizing examples only gets you so far, and then when you have a question that is different than the examples you already know, youre screwed. Thats when understanding WHY kicks in.

 

[da8s0859q]

Another thing, make sure you do alot of problems, and when I say alot of problems, I mean to do EVERY single problem at the end of each chapter (make sure you have the solutions guide with you), it will strengthen your problem solving skills and make you work the problems out faster during the exam.

I think I would have gone out of my damn mind if I did that in orgo 1. But it works for many, so... 👍