organic chemistry

[ttran01]

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hey, i would like some opinions on this. i plan on taking organic chemistry 1 during the spring semester of '07 at my CC instead of taking it this coming fall semester. the college im planning to transfer to next year doesnt offer organic chem 2 for fall, only during spring semesters. so i was wondering if it would be a bad idea to have a semester of no ochem between ochem 1 and ochem 2. so, ochem 1 for spring, then semester without ochem, then ochem 2 for the following spring. does this make sense?

 

[ForcedEntry]

hey, i would like some opinions on this. i plan on taking organic chemistry 1 during the spring semester of '07 at my CC instead of taking it this coming fall semester. the college im planning to transfer to next year doesnt offer organic chem 2 for fall, only during spring semesters. so i was wondering if it would be a bad idea to have a semester of no ochem between ochem 1 and ochem 2. so, ochem 1 for spring, then semester without ochem, then ochem 2 for the following spring. does this make sense?

Ochem is easy. You should be fine.

 

[pharmd4me@510]

Ochem is easy. You should be fine.

Ochem is definitely not "easy". Even the author that wrote the Ochem text book that I used admits that he got a C in Ochem in college. This is coming from a guy that wrote the textbook. Ok, back to your question, I think it would be better to take Ochem 1 and 2 back to back. The longer you wait the more you forget and Ochem is based on mainly memorization.

 

[anfhockey10]

Ochem is easy. You should be fine.

I dont know where you took ochem at but its not that easy. You will need to understand the concepts in ochem one and the basic reactions to be able to do well in ochem II. I would advise against having a semester off because you will probably forget most of the ochem I stuff and then having to relearn the principles by yourself before taking ochem II. Hope this helps...

 

[ForcedEntry]

Ochem is based on mainly memorization.

Thanks for supporting my position.

The three major facets of Ochem are moving electrons (mechanisms), NMR, and naming. No matter what functional group or reaction is presented, the basic prinicples apply and are reinforced over and over and over again.

Just take good notes at the beginning and take your semester off.

OChem is not as hard as everyone makes it out to be. They see this invisible OChem wall and become defeated before they even try.

 

[imkim01]

Thanks for supporting my position.

The three major facets of Ochem are moving electrons (mechanisms), NMR, and naming. No matter what functional group or reaction is presented, the basic prinicples apply and are reinforced over and over and over again.

Just take good notes at the beginning and take your semester off.

OChem is not as hard as everyone makes it out to be. They see this invisible OChem wall and become defeated before they even try.

May be you are correct that Ochem is not as hard and/or scary as people think, but Ochem was still the hardest requirement for me.

I encourage everyone not to have any gap between OChem 1&2 in that you will need OChem1 to do well in Ochem2.

 

[TennisBoy78]

Organic is the make or break class for students in health professions. Period. Is it possible to skip semesters between both? Yes. Advisable? NO

I am one of the few students who did better in Organic II (got a B in Orgo I, A in Orgo II). But let me tell you, I just finished Orgo II this past May, and I dont think I can remember any rxn to save my life. Why? Because Orgo only makes sense to the .000001% of the population (like the dude with the picture of the guy with drumsticks).

I would be afraid to forget concepts and have to relearn them. You can do it, but you would just be making it harder for yourself. BTW, why are you not taking Orgo I this fall? This is the most important class to focus on, no class should come before Organic. Let me put it in lamen terms, you can "wing" most classes, but not Organic. Period.

 

[Lurkerkat]

Unless you have great retention and can recall in detail classes you took last year don't do it.

 

[Hosstheboss]

If you keep your notebooks and the material is similiar between the two schools then you will probably be okay. However, different schools may have different circulums. Orgo isn't difficult but it's alot of work. By the way I've never seen Orgo I offered in the Spring, it's usually a one sequence of Orgo I and II.

 

[Bananay]

hey, i would like some opinions on this. i plan on taking organic chemistry 1 during the spring semester of '07 at my CC instead of taking it this coming fall semester. the college im planning to transfer to next year doesnt offer organic chem 2 for fall, only during spring semesters. so i was wondering if it would be a bad idea to have a semester of no ochem between ochem 1 and ochem 2. so, ochem 1 for spring, then semester without ochem, then ochem 2 for the following spring. does this make sense?

I am taking Ochem I this fall and i intend on taking them back to back. that way i may learn more and be well prepare for PCAT. I think you will retain more info if you take them back to back then the opposite. 🙂 This is just one opinion among many i hope this helps.

 

[mechanistic]

IT depends on where you take it and who teaches the class. I took Ochem I in Fall 2004 and Ochem II Summer of 2005. The last chapter of the first semester I had to learn really fast, Diels Alder, etc. , but overall I picked it back up fast.

Probably wise to take them back to back though.

 

[Requiem]

To the people who've done organic chem:

Has your school offered the lecture and lab part separately? I.e you could register for one or the other.

Or, like at my school was the lab component required?

thanks.

 

[cycloketocaine]

To the people who've done organic chem:

Has your school offered the lecture and lab part separately? I.e you could register for one or the other.

Or, like at my school was the lab component required?

thanks.

At my school, the lab is offered seperate and counts by itself for 2 hours while the lecture counts for 3 hours. It's possible to take them seperate, but you have to be or have been enrolled in O chem. Say you go to class the first day and dont like it, you can drop lecture and keep lab. 🙂

 

[ZpackSux]

I concur, O-chem is easy. Basically all memorization.

 

[ForcedEntry]

I concur, O-chem is easy. Basically all memorization.

What do those dashed lines mean? 😱

 

[ZpackSux]

What do those dashed lines mean? 😱

electrons being shared to form a bond.. I guess. SP-SP2

 

[WVUPharm2007]

My teacher made it memorization AND critical thought. On her final a question worth 25 points was a synthesis, which was, simply:

Given ethanol and any inorganic reagents, make phenol.

It was about 20+ steps given the reactions she taught us. Kinda like solving an elaborate jigsaw puzzle. I got it, too. I just remember you had to do a Diels-Alder somewhere in there and a whole bunch of free radical carbon chain extending doohickies.

 

[ZpackSux]

My teacher made it memorization AND critical thought. On her final a question worth 25 points was a synthesis, which was, simply:

Given ethanol and any inorganic reagents, make phenol.

It was about 20+ steps given the reactions she taught us. Kinda like solving an elaborate jigsaw puzzle. I got it, too. I just remember you had to do a Diels-Alder somewhere in there and a whole bunch of free radical carbon chain extending doohickies.

That still doesn't change the fact you're from WV.

 

[ForcedEntry]

That still doesn't change the fact you're from WV.

That's where they make doohickies...right?

 

[WVUPharm2007]

And pepperoni rolls.

 

[PharmMnM]

That still doesn't change the fact you're from WV.

almost every synthesis begins with alcohol. Keep that in mind and you will be fine.

Just like in calculus; when in doubt, just take the derivitive. 😀

 

[PharmMnM]

oops i quoted the wrong person.

 

[All4MyDaughter]

To the people who've done organic chem:

Has your school offered the lecture and lab part separately? I.e you could register for one or the other.

Or, like at my school was the lab component required?

thanks.

Separate. Lecture, 3 hrs.
Lab, 1 hour.

Must enroll concurrently, or take the lecture first with the lab later. Can't take the lab first.

 

[ForcedEntry]

And pepperoni rolls.

<homer voice> mmmmmmmmm pepperoni rolls.

 

[ttran01]

thanks for all the responses.

Organic is the make or break class for students in health professions. Period. Is it possible to skip semesters between both? Yes. Advisable? NO

I am one of the few students who did better in Organic II (got a B in Orgo I, A in Orgo II). But let me tell you, I just finished Orgo II this past May, and I dont think I can remember any rxn to save my life. Why? Because Orgo only makes sense to the .000001% of the population (like the dude with the picture of the guy with drumsticks).

I would be afraid to forget concepts and have to relearn them. You can do it, but you would just be making it harder for yourself. BTW, why are you not taking Orgo I this fall? This is the most important class to focus on, no class should come before Organic. Let me put it in lamen terms, you can "wing" most classes, but not Organic. Period.

well i wasnt going to take it in the fall becasue the plan was for the fall to take botany, gen physics 1, english, art history, and philosophy. then in the spring take gen physics 2, o-chem and maybe another science. this will be the end of my sophomore year. i think im just worried that im not ready to take 3 sciences in a semester and if i do not being able to maintain a high grade in these classes.

someone earlier mentioned different schools might have a different cirriculum for ochem. and its better to take it back to back. so now im probably going to take o-chem 1, physics 1 and botany. that should be doable, right?

 

[TennisBoy78]

thanks for all the responses.





well i wasnt going to take it in the fall becasue the plan was for the fall to take botany, gen physics 1, english, art history, and philosophy. then in the spring take gen physics 2, o-chem and maybe another science. this will be the end of my sophomore year. i think im just worried that im not ready to take 3 sciences in a semester and if i do not being able to maintain a high grade in these classes.

someone earlier mentioned different schools might have a different cirriculum for ochem. and its better to take it back to back. so now im probably going to take o-chem 1, physics 1 and botany. that should be doable, right?

Smart plan. Recommended plans/routes in college catalogs should never, never, never influence your decision to take those classes at the recommended semesters. You are in charge. Physics will be engaging as well as OChem, but botany should be a piece of cake (I never took botany but I'm sure it will not nearly be as difficult as these other two sciences).

One more note: Taking OChem as soon as you can not only makes you get it over with more quickly, but helps to put your chosen profession into prospective. I have always said that although OChem is hard, it woke me up to the importance of my career choice. Those that really want it will try hard, those that dont will give up. After taking OChem, you will view all other classes as a breath of fresh air.

 

[acetyl]

I thought the only chemistry involved in West Virginia was producing massive amounts of white smoke, I suppose phenol makes this color smoke when burned?

 

[phoebaly]

I was an OChem TA for two years and I don't think there was a single person who had a gap between the two classes that passed OChem II with a grade decent enough for med school. I'm not saying it can't be done, but it would require some serious review beforehand. When you get down to it OChem is really about pushing electrons around and isn't too bad. But I would say make it as easy on yourself as you can and take the two classes back to back. Good luck with whatever you decide to do 🙂

 

[NuclearFission]

I do not believe anyone here can give you the answer to your question unless they attended your school and took the professors you are going to take. Every single Univeristy and professor has their own guidelines on what you need to know and what you should already know.

At my University, we did not have to remember anything from Ochem I when taking Ochem II. If anything, the only things we needed were how to draw a basic structure, none of that steriochemistry stuff was every used on our exams or the R and S spins of a molecule. It was all new stuff.

Basically, find out from other students that have already taking the course at your School. Asking a question like this on these forms will get you mixed and wrong answers.

 

[WVUPharm2007]

I thought the only chemistry involved in West Virginia was producing massive amounts of white smoke, I suppose phenol makes this color smoke when burned?

There was one dude in an Organic Chem class a few years before me at WVUP that was arrested for synthesizing meth from a bunch of ephedra he snuck in from Mexico.

 

[pharmd4me@510]

There was one dude in an Organic Chem class a few years before me at WVUP that was arrested for synthesizing meth from a bunch of ephedra he snuck in from Mexico.

Meth is really easy to synthesize with the glassware available in ochem lab. I bought this book entitled "Total synthesis II" when I was taking ochem. This book shows you step by step synthesis of both meth and "Ecstacy". The two drugs are similar. Dont get the wrong idea now. I only bought this book for my research project on "Ecstacy". 😉

 

[ad1585]

Ochem is easy. You should be fine.

umm yea OCHEM is definately not easy like you make it sound.

 

[acetyl]

umm yea OCHEM is definately not easy like you make it sound.

It is after you've taken it, but not while you're taking it, unless you put in a crazy bunch amount of time.

 

[aboveliquidice]

Its def. do-able (that's a "do" single bonded to a "able") Organic chem is normally offered as a different class from the lab. At UF, O chem is 3 hours, O chem II is 3 hours, and the O lab is 2. You can take O chem I w/o the lab, but you cant take the lab w/o O Chem I. At most florida CC, O chem I is 4 hours, O chem II is 4 - both with an included 1 hour lab.

I am going to have a semester break between I and II. The only professors teaching O chem II in the Fall suck... so I am going to wait it out - I dont have any time for professors with an ego trip. I gots my GPA to worry about.

Good luck to ya, let us know how it works out.

~above~

 

[ttran01]

at my CC ochem is 5 units with lab as 0 units. and you have to take ochem with lab. yeah so im deciding to go ahead and take ochem. im just scared because the teacher i heard is very difficult because her tests are sort of critical thinking type (i guess to prepare those damn pre-meds for the MCAT) lol but i heard she teaches very well. i was gonna wait for spring because theres supposed to be an easier ochem teacher. ahhh, now im having second thoughts and i start school next week 👎 im scared for next semester..ive already started reading through my physics book.

 

[PharmMnM]

i'm just glad I took ochem before I found out about this site. Cuz I woud've totally freakened (is that a word?)out reading about how horrible and difficult ochem is.

To me ochem aint that bad. It doesn't involve lots of math and word problems like general chem so I didn't have much to worry about. But I have a good "short term" memory so I was good to go on test day and was able to ace all my exams.


Ochem and GChem is analogous to algebra and geometry in HS. You're either good at one or the other, most of the time not both. I was good at geometry and im more of a spatial visual learner, so I enjoyed ochem.

Oh and I was lucky I had an awsome teacher who handed out notes for us so we didn't have to fuss over the irrelevant stuff in the huge textbook.


good luck to those taking OChem!!! I don't advise taking PHysics with Ochem though. That was major suicide to my GPA.

 

[PRINCESS_IJ]

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