physics and ochem prep?

[Virgie]

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Hi All, this is my first post! I'd like to know if anyone has answers for me. I am taking ochem and physics this fall and planning to take the mcat in April. I want to start preparing for ochem and physics, do any of you know a good/great program, cd-roms, or books that I can start using to help me get A's in those classes? Maybe mcat courses like mcat-prep.com? I was thinking about getting that so I can start preparing for my classes but I don't know if it will help since I haven't taken the classes yet. Thanks!!!

 

[PittMD911]

As far as Ochem goes, I would recommend picking up a book called Guidebook to Mechanisms in Organic Chemestry, by Peter Sykes. I just got a copy and it seems pretty clear, a good resource to have for that wonderful class.

 

[Firebird]

My advice: buy the textbooks early and read through them thoroughly three times this summer and then once each week you're in the class. Do all the problems in the book, not just the ones relevant to the class. Also, purchase other school's textbooks and read through those, too. Recopy your notes three times and tape the lectures and listen to them every waking moment and also while you're sleeping at night. Then, right before the final, dissolve one set of your notes in HCl, neutralize it with KOH, then stick your head in it hoping that the information from the notes will osmotically enter your brain.

All kidding aside, here is my serious 10 step plan to doing well in Organic. Don't worry about Physics...study hard and it's not that difficult--it's just like your high school physics class except a faster pace.

QUOTE]
Firebird's Top Ten Things To Do To Get an A in Organic Chemistry

• Study a little every day and read the pertinent parts of the chapters.
• Study all day three days up until the test.
• Don't let terms confuse you. Get INCREDIBLY comfortable with terms like nucleophile, electrophile, nucleophilic attack, etc.
• The single most important thing: Partial or full negative charges attack partial or full positive charges. Remember this!!!
• Do every single practice problem at least twice.
• Find a test from the professor's previous class. This will give you not only more practice problems, but also it will aquaint you with the level of difficulty of an exam.
• Organic is not about either memorizing or understanding the material. It's about doing both and being able to apply them to novel situations. Try to think of different synthetic schemes a professor might use.
• If there's an attached -R group to a molecule(e.g. like a six membered ring), it probably means nothing about reactivity (only specificity or conformations).
• Think from the professor's perspective. What will be worth putting on an exam? There's not enough time to cover everything on an hour exam, so figure out yourself (this will take a couple of tests to figure out) what kind of questions s/he likes and what type of material s/he will put on there.
• Don't freak out during the test.

Do this, and I am sure you will do well in the class. [/QUOTE

 

[sunqueen]

That really helped me as well. I will be taking the MCAT prior to taking any ochem. Will a thorough MCAT prep help me in this or ...?

 

[Firebird]

No offense...but you don't have a prayer on the MCAT questions that deal with Organic Chemistry if you haven't had Organic I yet. You might be able to figure out a few very basic things from just Gen Chem. I hope for your sake that there's very little Organic on your MCAT. That seems to be the case, more and more, so that's at least some good news for you. My exam had very very little physics on it, and that was good news for me! So maybe you'll luck out like I did.

I would suggest getting some kind of workbook designed specifically for Organic students. I suspect that the MCAT books that focus on biological science (and hence organic) assume that you have had the class. Find some kind of review book like Cliff's Notes for Organic I and II. Read them then do your MCAT practice stuff.

Fair warning: Cliff's notes or some other type of comprehensive quick learning guide can not compare to the info you'll learn in the class. So study hard!

 

[Virgie]

Thanks! I will use all of your suggestions, I need an A (as do we all). Thanks to everyone who responded

 

[sunqueen]

I have the option of taking ochem I and II the summer before the MCAT, but it will reduce the time I can study for the MCAT. Do you think it is worth taking ochem I or II or both and a prep course as well during the summer?

 

[Firebird]

Depends on if you want a life during the summer. Just out of curiosity, why has everyone put off taking Organic? I took it my sophomore year and that gave me plenty of time to study for the MCAT later.

And you don't necessarily need an A in Organic to get into med school. Tons of people do poorly in it, but still get accepted. True, it's not a good thing to fail it three times (as many people do at my school), but if you get a B (or even a C) and you've done well in everything else, the committees won't shoot you down for that.

 

[sunqueen]

I didn't put it off, I changed my major from communications to biology half way through my junior year. Now I am playing catch up and want to get through as fast as possible, but without jepordizing my GPA. Most people I know say that ochem is actually easier than many other pre-med courses, just more work.

 

[Firebird]

Those people are weird.

 

[dhageremtp]

I still need Ochem and Physics..why...........I started school as a bio major, finished a year, went to paramedic school, worked for a year and am now back to school. I have my AAS degree in Paramedic Technology, and my current major is Business Management. Never put them off (Ochem and Physics) just never got that far in school.

 

[UCLAstudent]

I'm weird, then. 😀 😉

I agree with Firebird... there is way too much information in organic to just teach it to yourself before the MCAT. I think you should take those classes this summer. They can only help. Organic can be tricky, and it can help SO much if you have a good professor who explains it well.