Organic Chem... Scary???

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c5212

c5212

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So I've seen a lot of not-so-good-rather-scary stuff about how organic chem is the "pre-med killer." What makes it so difficult compared to the other science/math/physics courses required for med school?
 
If you like puzzles, chess, etc, you'll love organic. I did.
 
Lol, I don't even know what O-Chem is. It sounds pretty scary though... :scared:
 
Don't believe the hype. O-chem is fun and I thought it easier than the other pre-reqs.
 
I really didn't think it was that bad...

I think just the "weirdness" of it, it's nothing like any other class.

Like the other guy says, lots of puzzles, thinking about "how" things work, and conceptualizing them in a way that not many people are used to. It takes some practice for most, but I found it somewhat interesting.
 
Everyone over-dramatizes it. I was scared of it but it was 1000X better than Gen Chem.

You'll be fine. Just study and if you don't understand something, office hours is a huge help in this course.
 
I think Organic Chem is alot easier than Physics. (I'm a conceptual learner, and hate math)
 
Unfortunately, I don't feel like I got "real" Ochem. I got a class that could be aced by memorization. While I did end up learning some about ochem, I don't think I know as much as the people above who mention a lot of problem solving style ochem.

I suspect that the difficulty of ochem really depends on the professor.

(note, I did get a 14 on BS, so I must've done something right?)
 
Don't believe the hype. I found O Chem to be the easiest course of all the pre-reqs simply because I enjoyed it the most. However, also keep in mind that my O Chem series wiped out a large number of pre-meds, thus keep its reputation of "pre-med killer".

Study Hard. Keep up. Do well. 👍
 
Organic was my favorite part of Pre-Med pre-reqs. At Minnesota-Twin Cities everyone talked about getting anxiety attacks because of O-Chem and the 4 credit separate O-Chem lab.

Organic>>>>>>>Gen Chem, for me anyway
 
The lab sucks though. Borefest '09.

I melted a blue whey boat into the table on my first day when my stopcock didn't actually stop anything and my liquid went everywhere. 👍
 
Zona Pellucida said:
The lab sucks though. Borefest '09.

I melted a blue whey boat into the table on my first day when my stopcock didn't actually stop anything and my liquid went everywhere. 👍
Click to expand...

That sounds more exciting than the lab usually is :xf:


You know, I think the key to this class is putting in the time to learn the stuff. That's why it's a "pre-med killer," the serious students get through by putting the time in, and the wanna-be's go to art history.
 
The people who fail are the ones who don't memorize the basic concepts and do practice problems. It's actually quite simple. Same thing over and over again within the same concept. The funnest part is making meth in lab.
 
Zona Pellucida said:
I melted a blue whey boat into the table on my first day when my stopcock didn't actually stop anything and my liquid went everywhere. 👍
Click to expand...
All this talk of stopcocks and unruly liquids is making me uncomfortable..... :meanie:
 
I beg to differ. Orgo was HARD. Study more than you think you should, and you'll be fine.
 
it really depends on the class. some ochem classes are based heavily on memorization because you learn a ton of really abstract reaction mechanisms that you have to reproduce on exam day. my class was more interesting because we learned a good number of important reactions in detail, and then had to apply that info to new situations on the test. so it was more like a puzzle (like other posters have related). all in all, ochem is just like any other class ive taken. if you put in the effort, you'll likely get the results you want. it's not impossible to do well (again this is dependent on what school you're at and which professor you're taking) and the material definitely is not impossible to learn.
 
I enjoy OChem way more then I ever liked Gen Chem. As long as you keep up and I mean REALLY keep up (dedicate at LEAST an hour a day) you'll be fine.
 
I'm not going to lie. I think Orgo is hard for me, personally. I think each person in life will find there own strengths and weaknesses in different areas. What is "easier" for some will be more difficult for others, and vise versa.

Personally, my orgo teacher was the teacher from HELL. Over half of our class dropped it already. It was horrendous. He would purposefully schedule exams on days where there was another Genetics exam (the absolute hardest bio course with the most work/most wicked curving system combined) the same day just to laugh and watch people get so nervous/stressed out. He wouldn't explain the mechanisms behind reactions, wouldn't explain any concepts, wouldn't explain ANYTHING barely. He'd just scribble a bunch of terms and reactions on the board (which he would FREQUENTLY draw wrong, might I add, which even made it even more confusing, and he'd barely ever catch himself)

I will tell you how it is next year if my opinions change with a new teacher. 🙂
 
Zona Pellucida said:
The lab sucks though. Borefest '09.

I melted a blue whey boat into the table on my first day when my stopcock didn't actually stop anything and my liquid went everywhere. 👍
Click to expand...

haha. The most exciting O-Chem got was the ether fire (under the hood sadly), most of the time waiting for crystals to form was definitely boring but at least my TA was cute.
 
c5212 said:
So I've seen a lot of not-so-good-rather-scary stuff about how organic chem is the "pre-med killer." What makes it so difficult compared to the other science/math/physics courses required for med school?
Click to expand...

To be honest: nothing. It's just another class.
 
I loved it.

But it mostly just because no one has any background material on it. Everything is completely new and conceptual.
 
think Rubik's cube mixed with Lego's

i feel like a big kid every time I open my molecular model set...
 
One way that organic chemistry is probably different from the other sciences is that, for the most part, people haven't seen organic chemistry before college (whereas they've probably been exposed to/know how to think about physics/biology/chemistry).

That being said, based off the kids I've tutored in organic chemistry, I'd say students have problems with it for three main reasons:

1) They go in thinking it's impossible. It's very difficult to tackle a course if you've set up a mental wall before you've even started the course. I think the combination of hearing that a professor is difficult, constantly being told that ochem is "really hard," and being confused when you first hit a concept you don't immediately "get" can be really frustrating (and at times, crippling) to students.

You can do it. Yes, there are tricky parts and yes, there are difficult problems. But you can do it.

2) They don't stop to understand the basics before moving on to reactions. You have to know your nomenclature. You have to know why certain things are attracted to other things. You have to know how to push electrons. As my organic chemistry TA told us, "You can't put together sentences if you don't know the words or grammar"

3) They don't do practice problems/don't take practice problems seriously. Do lots of problems. And no...looking at a problem, thinking you know how to do it, looking up the answer in the back of the book and saying "Oh, yeah, that's basically what I would have written down" does not count.
 
I hate math and am more of a conceptual learner, so hopefully I ll fall in love with Ochem 😀
 
Was it hard? Yes, the amount of studying entailed was a little overwhelming. Was it the HARDEST CLASS EVER ?!?!?!? No. For me, physics 2 will always win that prize. Just study a lot and don't abandon all hope if you mess up 1 test. It may come out in the wash in terms of your final grade for the class.
 
Why does everyone always post that OCHEM is hard?? I got As in both ochems just by studying class notes, working homeworks, making sure I understood the fundamentals.

A really awesome supplement that helped me out with various mechanisms were these books:

http://www.amazon.com/Organic-Chemi...=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1257255347&sr=8-3

http://www.amazon.com/Organic-Chemi...=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1257255347&sr=8-7

these books help you learn the arrow pushing (electron pushing) business that enables you to learn the mechanisms intuitively rather than by rote memorization. Follow these books along with your class notes and put in like 8-10 hrs of studying a week and I guarantee you will get an A. By the end of the class, Ochem was easy and my most easiest subject on the MCAT. Unfortunately, I only had 1 ochem passage🙁

Good luck! 👍
 
the reason ochem is considered hard, is not because it is hard... it is because it is SSOO different from anything you have ever seen.... thats why I strongly believe that students who have had even some type of prior exposure to OCHEM (like in high school) will do better... even if it doesnt help for college ochem, having previous experience with ochem is a confidence booster because you know how to study for the class..... i think learning how to study for the class is the biggest thing


Oh yeah, make sure you get Organic Chemistry as a Second Language ... it will clarify a lot of concepts... it is a valuable investment
 
alohakaoha said:
haha. The most exciting O-Chem got was the ether fire (under the hood sadly), most of the time waiting for crystals to form was definitely boring but at least my TA was cute.
Click to expand...

Ahahaha we had a few people in lab last week apparently set diethyl ether on fire when they tried to evaporate by heating instead of letting it stand. 😀

I have really enjoyed Ochem so far. OCHEM > GCHEM
I have liked Ochem lab more too, though writing labs reports sucks more.

and Organic Chemistry As a Second Language is AWESOME. 👍
 
c5212 said:
So I've seen a lot of not-so-good-rather-scary stuff about how organic chem is the "pre-med killer." What makes it so difficult compared to the other science/math/physics courses required for med school?
Click to expand...
OChem is like anything else. Keep up with the material and its fine. I have found it to be really interesting and fun compared to a few other classes I have had to take as pre-reqs.
 
If you are good at math and memorizing formulas (like gen chem stuff)..but suck at abstract thinking o chem will be more difficult for you. If you can think outside the box, have good "mental spatial abilities" you will love organic. It isnt a premed killer at all....it may weed out the "weaker ones" but if you have the brainpower to succeed in medical school you will kill organic most likely.
 
anonymousername said:
think Rubik's cube mixed with Lego's

i feel like a big kid every time I open my molecular model set...
Click to expand...
Wait...does everyone get one of those model sets? Lol, I saw some chick doing her O-chem HW and putting together molecules at the train station. I was like WTF!?!?
 
I love ochem!!! I don't think ochem is that scary 😀
 
Chops369 said:
Wait...does everyone get one of those model sets? Lol, I saw some chick doing her O-chem HW and putting together molecules at the train station. I was like WTF!?!?
Click to expand...

Everyone in my class had to have a molecular model set. We were allowed to use them on the midterm(very helpful) and a few points on the midterm were for measuring the distance from one atom to another on the model. Needless to say it was the measuring question that I got wrong 😳
 
It varies a lot. A lot of people on here are truly VERY smart. Look at all the 3.8+ / 35+ MCATs on here.

I think I'm smart, maybe a little more so than the average person, and I'm fighting for a B in o-chem. Our class average of over 80 people is a 49%, or a D by his curve. I got a 76% on our last test, which is just barely a B, and people were envious of me.

I'm not trying to scare you. I just want to make it clear.. most of the people saying it's easy or fun are smart! Either that, or they study an incredible amount. O-chem isn't too bad to tackle if you actually put in in the time. Unfortunately for me, I'm taking two other bio's, each with their own lab, an english class that is drowning me in tons of books and papers, and a physics class with lab. Every o-chem test I've had so far has been on the same day as my Genetics test and Physics test. I suck at studying for multiple tests 👎
 
Ochem is purely conceptual. You have think spatially and logically, and that's hard for some people. I kind of had a "eureka" moment in first semester and after that it was easy for me.

The way to approach it is to first understand the concepts then do tons and tons of problems. I'm talking more problems than you think should do. That just hammers it in your brain so you can work like a well-oiled machine on the tests. Make it so that predicting the outcomes of reactions is second-nature.
 
vin5cent0 said:
It varies a lot. A lot of people on here are truly VERY smart. Look at all the 3.8+ / 35+ MCATs on here.

I think I'm smart, maybe a little more so than the average person, and I'm fighting for a B in o-chem. Our class average of over 80 people is a 49%, or a D by his curve. I got a 76% on our last test, which is just barely a B, and people were envious of me.

I'm not trying to scare you. I just want to make it clear.. most of the people saying it's easy or fun are smart! Either that, or they study an incredible amount. O-chem isn't too bad to tackle if you actually put in in the time. Unfortunately for me, I'm taking two other bio's, each with their own lab, an english class that is drowning me in tons of books and papers, and a physics class with lab. Every o-chem test I've had so far has been on the same day as my Genetics test and Physics test. I suck at studying for multiple tests 👎
Click to expand...

That sounds to me, not an issue with your intelligence, but rather you being overworked. I got A's in 3 quarters of O Chem, but I don't think I could have done it if I had your schedule. I realize that I am of average intelligence and therefore must work extra hard w/ a smaller load. Needless to say however, every O chem exam was on the same day as Physics exams.
 
Nearly everyone on here has posted that they LOVE ochem and not to believe the hype. Well, if ochem is so easy, why do so many of the students that encounter it abandon their medical school dreams?

I find ochem to be like any subject- some people are aces at it, and some people are horrible at it. Some people can't write papers to save their life while others find writing simple, some people struggle all day with math while others love the stuff...and I can't understand ochem while all these other SDNers laud it as easy, logical stuff.
 
I think what made organic so difficult was how obviously useless it is for anyone not doing chemistry professionally. The first two weeks of organic 1 are more than enough for med school. Everything after that is just garbage you have to learn if you want credit for the class.
 
Verloren said:
I find ochem to be like any subject- some people are aces at it, and some people are horrible at it. Some people can't write papers to save their life while others find writing simple, some people struggle all day with math while others love the stuff...and I can't understand ochem while all these other SDNers laud it as easy, logical stuff.
Click to expand...

I think for me hearing that "O-Chem is a weed out course" made me work harder to prove it wasn't actually everything it was hyped up to be, so maybe my success was attributed to wanting to stick it to everyone who said "the odds are against you" :laugh:
 
Organic isn't a hard subject, it just requires a little bit more effort than other prereqs. Master the concepts, and you will have mastered the class.
 
not as hard as pre-meds make it sound..

im doing better in ochem then my cell bio
 
Ochem was loads of fun! You do well by practicing problems! The way my teacher taught it, there was minimal memorization. You have to understand the concepts and basis and apply them to new reactions/problems. Awesome class!
 
c5212 said:
So I've seen a lot of not-so-good-rather-scary stuff about how organic chem is the "pre-med killer." What makes it so difficult compared to the other science/math/physics courses required for med school?
Click to expand...

i agree with msb 1190

for me, its like an art class... a lot of drawings 🙂
 
I feel like some people don't even bother putting in the effort because they think they'll do terrible in the class anyway, so why try. As a former TA for orgo, I saw the craziest stuff: carbons coming out of nowhere, curved arrows starting from empty space...even towards the end of the first semester this was still happening. Don't fall behind: I know a girl who raised her grade an entire letter grade from the final exam just by changing her study strategies.
 
eez said:
i agree with msb 1190

for me, its like an art class... a lot of drawings 🙂
Click to expand...

lol yeah, I couldn't even draw a hexagon properly before I took this class. Now chair cyclohexane ain't not thang...
chemistryjoke.jpg
 
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