Organic is ruining my life

[nightowl]

I'm going to get a C in organic chem. It is the devil. This means that I'm not going to get into med school because some stupid course that I hate .

I HATE ORGANIC CHEMISTRY!!!!

It is stupid and boring and pre-med students should not have to take an organic test that is ALL mf n synthesis problems, zero partial credit, 20 points a pop. That is f n insane.

Goodbye, medical school. I'm going to go climb into a dark hole and drink a bottle of cheap wine now.

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[DrBowtie]

Why waste money on a bottle?
Go for a box of cheap wine.

 

[TicAL]

Wait till you take Physics...

 

[DrMike24]

Dont worry about it. I am sure there are plenty people that have gotten in with a C. And I thought physics was way harder as well. And, I second the box of wine.

 

[NicP2010]

tplenty of people get c's in ochem, the best thing to do is retake it. med schools will appreciate that you realized you needed to do better and tried again.

 

[Helicon2]

Hey man, don't give up. I know how you feel, I got a C+ in Orgo. I'm applying now, so we'll see what happens.

I think that as long as you bring up the bcpm gpa w/ some upper level science courses you should be fine. At least I friggin hope so! If you're really that worried about it, then retake it--just make sure you ace it if you do. Good luck!

P.S. Screw the vino, go straight for the hard stuff.

 

[silas2642]

I'm going to get a C in organic chem. It is the devil. This means that I'm not going to get into med school because some stupid course that I hate .

I HATE ORGANIC CHEMISTRY!!!!

It is stupid and boring and pre-med students should not have to take an organic test that is ALL mf n synthesis problems, zero partial credit, 20 points a pop. That is f n insane.

Goodbye, medical school. I'm going to go climb into a dark hole and drink a bottle of cheap wine now.

It's okay... your dreams aren't dashed because of one little C. I'd just retake it again, and make sure you do well on it this time. Get a tutor if you have to. Whatever you do, though, make sure you don't blow of taking a course the second time around-- the same problems you had the first time you're going to have again. I know way too many classmates who took organic chem three times because of that philosophy... taking ochem once is more than enough. by the way, i wouldn't take physics and ochem at the same time.

 

[nev]

does organic chem have a lot to do with medicine?

 

[Shredder]

I'm going to get a C in organic chem. It is the devil. This means that I'm not going to get into med school because some stupid course that I hate .

I HATE ORGANIC CHEMISTRY!!!!

It is stupid and boring and pre-med students should not have to take an organic test that is ALL mf n synthesis problems, zero partial credit, 20 points a pop. That is f n insane.

Goodbye, medical school. I'm going to go climb into a dark hole and drink a bottle of cheap wine now.

hey i got a C in orgo 1, there was a point when i thought i might do worse and have to quit premed . but i studied for the final and ended up with a C, C in the first lab too.

then in the 2nd orgo somehow i turned it around and got like the highest grade in class and lab, plus a rec letter. the 2nd class was a lot more interesting i thought too, i agree the first one was hell and sucked. plus you might be able to prove yourself on the bio section of the mcat, i got 14. even if you get a C, theres the 2nd course and mcat to redeem yourself and you shouldnt quit just yet.

 

[Shredder]

does organic chem have a lot to do with medicine?

i dont know about medicine per se, but it has a lot to do with drug synthesis and drug action. and it helped me understand biochem reactions better. i dont see why people think orgo should be removed as a premed prerec, i thought it was pretty important to have a solid understanding of chemistry and the sciences in general. plus its tested on the mcat, but of course they could modify that as well. then again, people also say physics shouldnt be a premed prerec. when does it end?

 

[ambernikel]

does organic chem have a lot to do with medicine?

I think it may, but 'tis my personal opinion.

 

[Ron Mexico]

does organic chem have a lot to do with medicine?

nothing at all. i asked my pops about it and he said that while he enjoyed it and liked learning about it, there is actually no use on it in medicine per say

 

[BigRedPremed]

I was reading a book about med school and it blatantly said that you will not use much orgo in med school. However, orgo requires a lot of memorization and med school requires a lot of memorization so med schools want to see that you can handle it.

 

[MikePlayingDoc]

I thought O-Chem was a lot easier and more understandable than Gen Chem or for that matter A-Chem. I am taking A-Chem now and crave for O-Chem like problems without so much damn math.

I really think O-Chem is a class that measures how much time you are willing to put into a class. It isnt that hard but it takes a lot of time.

I did homework out of three different O-Chem books. That helped a lot.

I also know a guy who got into med school with two C++ both O-Chem semesters.

 

[radioh3ad]

orgo is notorious for grades. it's pretty well known that if you got a C at princeton for orgo, that's like a B+/A- at some other school. or i might be wrong.

i loved that course. umich orgo with coppola (double H anyone?) was the tits!

 

[RaaMD]

hang in there bro

 

[Learfan]

I'm going to get a C in organic chem. It is the devil. This means that I'm not going to get into med school because some stupid course that I hate .

I HATE ORGANIC CHEMISTRY!!!!

It is stupid and boring and pre-med students should not have to take an organic test that is ALL mf n synthesis problems, zero partial credit, 20 points a pop. That is f n insane.

Goodbye, medical school. I'm going to go climb into a dark hole and drink a bottle of cheap wine now.

I am sorry to hear of your frustration and dislike for o-chem. It is a very challenging class for many. I only got two B grades in the lecture portions of undergrad o-chem but later went on to get a PhD in the subject. Guess I am a late bloomer.

Take a deep breath, try to put aside your frustration for a moment and work on a positive plan designed to change the situation. Start spending all of your time reading the assigned chapters and working problem after problem. Leisure time will just have to take a back seat to solving this problem. Go through the problem sets several times until you have the principles down cold. Get a grad student to tutor you if that will help. You must devote yourself night and day to turning things around and succeeding in this class. Do not throw away a promissing future based on one difficult situation. Success is within reach if you give it all you have. Good luck.

 

[Sanctuary]

I'm going to get a C in organic chem. It is the devil. This means that I'm not going to get into med school because some stupid course that I hate .

I HATE ORGANIC CHEMISTRY!!!!

It is stupid and boring and pre-med students should not have to take an organic test that is ALL mf n synthesis problems, zero partial credit, 20 points a pop. That is f n insane.

Goodbye, medical school. I'm going to go climb into a dark hole and drink a bottle of cheap wine now.

My best advice to you is not learn to love it. You cannot do very good in a class that you 'hate'. When looking back at my undergrad, the classes that were the 'hardest' were the ones I hated. Thats what makes the class hard - you can't engage the material and synthesize it (no pun intended). It is my personal experience that learning science will become much easier by submersing yourself in it. I surrounded myself with ochem flashcards, ochem study guides, and various other tricks and trinkets. In the end, I was helping other students in the class barely stay afloat!

At the very least, give this a try - learn to have a love-hate relationship with it, you'll find it much easier to learn.

Oh yeah, take the class again!

 

[inflamesdjk02]

one 'C' is not the end of the world!!! keep your head up and you'll do fine!

 

[ltk2011]

don't worry about it man. i got a B in ochem 1 and in ochem 2 i pulled through and got an A. so there is still hope.

 

[PrincetonRocks]

I know O-Chem can be frustrating at times, but so is life as a pre-med. It could be worst though...you could be taking P-Chem. Hang in there! It's part of the rite of passage into med school. THe good news is that my friend got into all of the top 5 med schools with two B's in O-Chem. Don't slack off for O-Chem though, you'll need it for the MCAT..then after that you can forget about it.

 

[ksuther]

I'm going to get a C in organic chem. It is the devil. This means that I'm not going to get into med school because some stupid course that I hate .

I HATE ORGANIC CHEMISTRY!!!!

It is stupid and boring and pre-med students should not have to take an organic test that is ALL mf n synthesis problems, zero partial credit, 20 points a pop. That is f n insane.

Goodbye, medical school. I'm going to go climb into a dark hole and drink a bottle of cheap wine now.

Hi! You are talking to someone who also got a C in Organic Chemistry (II.) I don't know wether they divide O - Chem into I and II at your school, but they do at mine (Colo. State! Go Rams!! )

Anyhoo, yeah, I didn't much enjoy the mechanisms part but the biomolecules part gets interesting. Plus it will probably come in handy later in your pharmocology class in MEDICAL SCHOOL! <-- and yes, you still probably have a shot at medical school!

But seriously, don't let one class get you down. I also got a C in physics II but my GPA is steady at 3.6. I'm going to re - take my MCAT next April and possibly take a year off to get more experiance, but I think medical school admission people look more than just at wether you got a C in O - Chem or not. They want <i>doctors</i> not organic chemists. Plus I believe that if you're meant to go to medical school, you'll go no matter what.


Hope this helps!
Keep up the hope and keep up the arrow pushing!

 

[CD]

However, orgo requires a lot of memorization and med school requires a lot of memorization so med schools want to see that you can handle it.

Hmmm.....I think this might be the problem! Organic is NOT about memorization, it's about PROCESSES. It is ALL about understanding why electrons do what they do. I had a wonderful O chem instructor who pretty much demanded that we NOT learn reactions. Her first test on a subject would be those "why does this happen" sort of question. We were "pushing electrons" until we thought we'd die. However, when we then entered third term organic I understood why she had approached it this way. Suddently I didn't NEED to memorize reactions because I could PREDICT what would happen. At the end of our three terms we took the ACS organic exam and although there were quite a few reactions that I had never seen before, I was able to predict the correct answers because I had been taught how to think...not how to memorize. This is the key!

It is interesting to me that of the four students who took the course (long story) ALL of us ended up going to to pursue graduate degrees in chemistry! This occured because we had learned HOW to think...... rather than memorize. I would HIGHLY recommend that you start back with the basics and attempt to learn the "whys" associated with each reaction. (not to mention the "whys" associated with configurations etc) They are ALL very logical and systematic......if you know the rules!

All is NOT lost! You can learn it!

 

[Shaz]

Cliche's are cliche's for a reason: they're usually true. And none is truer than "it builds character."

Don't worry, you'll make it.

 

[stookie]

I hate o-chem also, I took my ACS final yesterday and I am praying for a C so I can graduate. I'm going to my professor's office on monday to suck up.

 

[nycpizza]

I think people need to realize that a C is really not that big a deal. Well, sure an A would have been super nice, but a C is not going to kill your chances of getting into med school. As long as you show some sort of improvement, you'll be just fine.

STop it. Just stop it with these self-pitying "I'm doomed" shenanigans.

 

[novawildcat]

does organic chem have a lot to do with medicine?

that depends on how broadly you define "medicine". pretty much 99.9% of all drugs are organic. i recently read an article about vancomycin (which is pretty much the last resort antibiotic for infections) and how some bacteria have become drug resistant to it. Some researchers were able to change a carbonyl group to a methylene that was buried deep inside the molecule and the result? That new molecule is now 100x's more potent against vancomycin resistant bacteria. So yes, i definitely say organic chemistry is pretty goddamn important to medicine.

 

[OSUdoc08]

I'm going to get a C in organic chem. It is the devil. This means that I'm not going to get into med school because some stupid course that I hate .

I HATE ORGANIC CHEMISTRY!!!!

It is stupid and boring and pre-med students should not have to take an organic test that is ALL mf n synthesis problems, zero partial credit, 20 points a pop. That is f n insane.

Goodbye, medical school. I'm going to go climb into a dark hole and drink a bottle of cheap wine now.

If you don't get into medical school, it won't be because you earned a C in a course.

Give me a break.

 

[Slide]

Hmmm.....I think this might be the problem! Organic is NOT about memorization, it's about PROCESSES. It is ALL about understanding why electrons do what they do. I had a wonderful O chem instructor who pretty much demanded that we NOT learn reactions. Her first test on a subject would be those "why does this happen" sort of question. We were "pushing electrons" until we thought we'd die. However, when we then entered third term organic I understood why she had approached it this way. Suddently I didn't NEED to memorize reactions because I could PREDICT what would happen. At the end of our three terms we took the ACS organic exam and although there were quite a few reactions that I had never seen before, I was able to predict the correct answers because I had been taught how to think...not how to memorize. This is the key!

It is interesting to me that of the four students who took the course (long story) ALL of us ended up going to to pursue graduate degrees in chemistry! This occured because we had learned HOW to think...... rather than memorize. I would HIGHLY recommend that you start back with the basics and attempt to learn the "whys" associated with each reaction. (not to mention the "whys" associated with configurations etc) They are ALL very logical and systematic......if you know the rules!

All is NOT lost! You can learn it!

There are two ways to learn orgo. If you memorize it, you may be able to call up reactions at hand, but if you encounter a new situation or an application problem, all is lost. If you learn to think and analyze orgo, then you will be able to solve almost anything they throw at you. Study smarter, not harder.

 

[Rafa]

Don't waste time reading the book. Spend all your study time doing or reviewing professor-prepared practice problems (with solutions, of course). The stuff she says will be on the test will usually be close to what appears on the test. I wasted half the semester looking through the book or trying to "absorb" material from lecture before I figured out that the only thing that mattered was working through problems and memorizing/learning/whatever the solutions afterward. Now I think I'll get a B in the class, as long as I get a B in the final.

 

[Blade28]

I hated o-chem too. Was brutalized in all 3 quarters. (Also took it as a freshman, so was distracted by everything else college had to offer!)

 

[Sarg's kid]

I really think O-Chem is a class that measures how much time you are willing to put into a class. It isnt that hard but it takes a lot of time.

I also know a guy who got into med school with two C++ both O-Chem semesters.

Hell's yeah. I hated Ochem more than anything in my entire life! It's been more than a year since I took it and I still have an active hate for that course. As Mike pointed out about, Ochem is a hoop that measures how much you are willing to torture yourself for the sake of med school.

I got a C in Ochem, and took Biochem instead of the second semester. I got A's in Physics, and A's in all my other sciences. I just don't do Ochem. I'm not in yet, so I can't tell you that it didn't hurt me, but I don't think it will keep me out of medschool.

I know your pain though.

 

[ChymeChancellor]

Has anyone realized this thread was started back in August. I wonder what grade that guy got that was complaining about getting a C.

 

[QofQuimica]

Has anyone realized this thread was started back in August.

Yeah, I was noticing that too.

 

[Chris127]

*gulp*


<-----Taking Ochem over the summer...

 

[biggoron42]

Hmmm.....I think this might be the problem! Organic is NOT about memorization, it's about PROCESSES. It is ALL about understanding why electrons do what they do. I had a wonderful O chem instructor who pretty much demanded that we NOT learn reactions. Her first test on a subject would be those "why does this happen" sort of question. We were "pushing electrons" until we thought we'd die. However, when we then entered third term organic I understood why she had approached it this way. Suddently I didn't NEED to memorize reactions because I could PREDICT what would happen. At the end of our three terms we took the ACS organic exam and although there were quite a few reactions that I had never seen before, I was able to predict the correct answers because I had been taught how to think...not how to memorize. This is the key!

It is interesting to me that of the four students who took the course (long story) ALL of us ended up going to to pursue graduate degrees in chemistry! This occured because we had learned HOW to think...... rather than memorize. I would HIGHLY recommend that you start back with the basics and attempt to learn the "whys" associated with each reaction. (not to mention the "whys" associated with configurations etc) They are ALL very logical and systematic......if you know the rules!

All is NOT lost! You can learn it!

absolutely, 100% true. sure there was memorization in my orgo class (you can't always reason out why some complicated catalyst does what it does). but for the bulk of the reactions we studied, thoroughly learning a very small set of governing principles was enough to reason our way through anything. all of our tests were like having to draw out five or six mechanisms (of coures i was in the smaller honors section). i found orgo to be one of the most entertaining classes in college because it focused on problem solving, something you dont get much of as a bio major.

 

[Dr. Pepper]

Has anyone realized this thread was started back in August. I wonder what grade that guy got that was complaining about getting a C.

Haha, good point.

Reminds me of another Mitch Hedberg joke:

"When you go to a restaurant on the weekends and it's busy they start a waiting list. They start calling out names, they say "Dufresne, party of two. Dufresne, party of two." And if no one answers they'll say their name again. "Dufresne, party of two, Dufresne, party of two." But then if no one answers they'll just go right on to the next name. "Bush, party of three." Yeah, but what happened to the Dufresnes? No one seems to give a ____. Who can eat at a time like this - people are missing. You ______ are selfish... the Dufresnes are in someone's trunk right now, with duct tape over their mouths. And they're hungry! That's a double whammy. We need help. Bush, search party of three! You can eat when you find the Dufresnes."

(I cut out profanities)

Man, you guys have no idea how long it took me to find that specific joke verbatim.

Christ, I forgot what this post was even about.

You people should laugh out of courtesy for all the hard work I went through to find this quote to make a joke about a subject that I forgot about.

-Dr. P.

 

[lytesnsyrens]

Yeah, Ochem wasn't all that fun, but I thought it was easier to understand than Gen Chem for some reason. I dunno, I took GenChem twice before I got through it with a C, Ochem only once. And Physics was fun, I actually liked that class, I got a B in it and was ecstatic. I've had my share of C's and I'm still going to apply to med school. If I don't make it this time around, I'll just go back and do a post bacc or something to raise up my gpa. It's not the end of the world.

 

[Zoom-Zoom]

Yeah, Ochem wasn't all that fun, but I thought it was easier to understand than Gen Chem for some reason. I dunno, I took GenChem twice before I got through it with a C, Ochem only once. And Physics was fun, I actually liked that class, I got a B in it and was ecstatic. I've had my share of C's and I'm still going to apply to med school. If I don't make it this time around, I'll just go back and do a post bacc or something to raise up my gpa. It's not the end of the world.

Wow, it's good to hear someone who liked ochem more than g chem. Everyone I ask says it is pretty much horrible. I did well in G chem, but I hated every minute of it. I'm hoping carbon structures might suit me better than equilibrium equations ad nauseum. Any relationship between physics and organic, btw?

Chris127, I'm about to start summer ochem in 1 week! Yikes

 

[lytesnsyrens]

Wow, it's good to hear someone who liked ochem more than g chem. Everyone I ask says it is pretty much horrible. I did well in G chem, but I hated every minute of it. I'm hoping carbon structures might suit me better than equilibrium equations ad nauseum. Any relationship between physics and organic, btw?

Chris127, I'm about to start summer ochem in 1 week! Yikes

Yeah, I hated G Chem, hence the reason I had to take it more than once. It just never made much sense to me, ya know? O Chem seemed more concrete, like physics. I think that's why I enjoyed physics more, I could actually see where it could be useful. I find it difficult to learn something that isn't concrete. Ochem just made more sense. But I've met a lot of people who have said if you hated Gchem, you'll probably like Ochem and vice versa. It proved true for me.

 

[dbhvt]

Hmmm.....I think this might be the problem! Organic is NOT about memorization, it's about PROCESSES. It is ALL about understanding why electrons do what they do. I had a wonderful O chem instructor who pretty much demanded that we NOT learn reactions. Her first test on a subject would be those "why does this happen" sort of question. We were "pushing electrons" until we thought we'd die. However, when we then entered third term organic I understood why she had approached it this way. Suddently I didn't NEED to memorize reactions because I could PREDICT what would happen. At the end of our three terms we took the ACS organic exam and although there were quite a few reactions that I had never seen before, I was able to predict the correct answers because I had been taught how to think...not how to memorize. This is the key!

It is interesting to me that of the four students who took the course (long story) ALL of us ended up going to to pursue graduate degrees in chemistry! This occured because we had learned HOW to think...... rather than memorize. I would HIGHLY recommend that you start back with the basics and attempt to learn the "whys" associated with each reaction. (not to mention the "whys" associated with configurations etc) They are ALL very logical and systematic......if you know the rules!

All is NOT lost! You can learn it!

The dichotomy between process learning and memorization is false. This one always bugged me. We memorized ochem much easier because we understood the process.

And to the OP, a snythesis exam with no partial credit is sadistic. I am sorry. Let's go knock over his mailbox or something.

 

[dbhvt]

Has anyone realized this thread was started back in August. I wonder what grade that guy got that was complaining about getting a C.

doh

 

[Dov]

You thing orgo is bad? Wait till its MCAT time...

 

[cuyegs]

PHYSICS.....its the WORST> OCHEM can't compare.

 

[OSUdoc08]

PHYSICS.....its the WORST> OCHEM can't compare.

This is the most accurate statment on this entire thread. Actual mathematical calculations must be made on exams in physics, which on contigent upon both having memorized the equations AND being able to use them.

O-chem is purely memory recall. In my opinion, they are easier to remember, since there are less greek letters and numbers.

I wrote all of the O-chem reactions on a couple of sheets of paper as a "high-yield" review sheet, to look over and over many times right before the exam.

I found this study technique to be extremely useful in medical school as well.

 

[nycpizza]

Everyone's different for crying out loud.

I aced Physics and did poorly in OChem. It depends on what type of person you are. Physics is so much easier for me and I have no idea why.

 

[nightowl]

Has anyone realized this thread was started back in August. I wonder what grade that guy got that was complaining about getting a C.

I can't believe this thread has been resurrected
So I ended up with a B in lecture, A in lab, and did get into med school. So no cheap boxed wine for me after all. And I'm actually a chick

 

[Zoom-Zoom]

I can't believe this thread has been resurrected
So I ended up with a B in lecture, A in lab, and did get into med school. So no cheap boxed wine for me after all. And I'm actually a chick

Sweet We need to resurrect more threads...it's kind of cool to fast forward a year and see if the worries were legit or not

 

[nmnrraven]

What do you do when you fall down? You get back up again....

What do you do when you fall down a second time? You give up and become a hobo... (hopefully a singing hobo and not a stabbing hobo)

 

[jbone]

What do you do when you fall down? You get back up again....

What do you do when you fall down a second time? You give up and become a hobo... (hopefully a singing hobo and not a stabbing hobo)

WTF??? Have another beer.

BTW, there is no way in hell I would ever "re-take" O-chem. I remember a saying concerning a weiner and a meatgrinder.