Orgo, memorizing reaction

[joonkimdds]

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Hi, I am about to start studying for organic chemistry.

When I was taking the class, my professor told us to memorize the mechanisms. some of them had more than 10 steps.

I was wondering if it's ok to just skip all the mechanism and just memorize the reactants and products.

I am sure that DAT won't ask for mechanism but would it be necessary for conceptual questions of OCHEm DAT?

 

[Albuterol]

just memorize the reactants, and see how it affects the functional groups.
just know the general mechanism for example nucleophilic substitution and u should be fine...if you're using destroyer the o-chem in there is really all u need along w/roadmaps.

 

[Maygyver]

Hi, I am about to start studying for organic chemistry.

When I was taking the class, my professor told us to memorize the mechanisms. some of them had more than 10 steps.

I was wondering if it's ok to just skip all the mechanism and just memorize the reactants and products.

I am sure that DAT won't ask for mechanism but would it be necessary for conceptual questions of OCHEm DAT?

I find that the easiest way to learn organic is to understand the mechanisms because most of the reactions are easy to figure out once you understand the underlying mechanism behind them. Just my philosophy though.

 

[sunshine222]

Also you should memorize the intermediates of some of the more important mechanisms - for example bromination, which has a cyclic intermediate. But as long as you understand the basics of how nucleophilic/electrophilic reactions happen, you should be ok.

 

[Sea of ASH]

I find that the easiest way to learn organic is to understand the mechanisms because most of the reactions are easy to figure out once you understand the underlying mechanism behind them. Just my philosophy though.

mine also👍

 

[keliao]

you should review evvery chapter summary from your orgo book. are usually 3 pages per chapters...so ~20 chapters... 60 pages.?? might take you few hrs...do that the next day again but going backwards from chap20 down 1.

 

[heatwheat]

Try buying Organic Chemistry as a Second Language. It breaks down mechanisms really well, and is an easy read.

 

[klutzy1987]

I didnt have a single mechanism on my actual DAT, as long as you knew all of the reactions and end products you were just fine.

 

[Dmitry Malayev]

I would focus more on mechanisms and how SN1/2 & E1/2 type of reactions work. I only had about 2 reactions on my test and they were very easy. If you memorize all of the reactions it may not be enough to know for Organic Chemistry.