My course load will include taking Biochemistry and Organic Chem 2 in the same semester next year (not this year but the year after that, so 4 semesters from now). I know I am think super ahead but this is why. I have to decide if I want to do summer school next year. I have to give a good reason to my parents as to why I should NOT do it. So I was thinking that a lot of people were telling me that Biochemistry is a lot of memorization. Therefore, it should be easy to self study. Should I buy a Biochemistry textbook and start studying by myself throughout next summer? Will that do ANYTHING significant to lessen the course load? Considering that I memorize about 70 percent of what I do over the summer.
Self studying Biochemistry: Time saving strategy or neurotic-gunner type thing to do?
- Thread starter JoyKim456
- Start date
- Joined
- Apr 21, 2012
- Messages
- 3,226
- Reaction score
- 2,490
Biochemistry is only a lot of memorization if you approach it that way. It can definitely be understood and reasoned out with only moderate memorization. If nothing can change your mind, glucose pathways will be high yield for you to understand. What happens to glucose in glycolysis all the way to oxygen being the final acceptor in the ETC.
- Joined
- Jul 20, 2014
- Messages
- 1,799
- Reaction score
- 1,582
What type of biochemistry is it?
300 level or 400 level.
My 400 level biochemistry was the hardest course I ever took. Makes ochem and my upper division bio courses look like a cakewalk.
I had to memorize a 4 ft x 4 ft long chart . . . It looked sort of like this: http://berglondon.com/talks-data/scope/slides/slides/scope.026.jpg
300 level or 400 level.
My 400 level biochemistry was the hardest course I ever took. Makes ochem and my upper division bio courses look like a cakewalk.
I had to memorize a 4 ft x 4 ft long chart . . . It looked sort of like this: http://berglondon.com/talks-data/scope/slides/slides/scope.026.jpg
- Joined
- Jul 20, 2014
- Messages
- 1,799
- Reaction score
- 1,582
Well I heard medical school is just as bad, as my professor got his PhD at one.
- Joined
- Jun 17, 2014
- Messages
- 63,099
- Reaction score
- 154,759
I remember that chart back in high school. Luckily i got a copy of one! Great stuff and good reference
- Joined
- Jun 11, 2014
- Messages
- 186
- Reaction score
- 180
So you want to self study over the summer to make it easier over the school year? If that's the case I don't really think it's useful, I did the same thing with ochem 2 before my sophomore year and it didn't really help much--but who knows maybe you're better at picking out important info.
- Joined
- Apr 4, 2009
- Messages
- 17,237
- Reaction score
- 13,034
Bc you don't want to destroy your GPA>
@DermViser What's your point?
- Joined
- Apr 4, 2009
- Messages
- 17,237
- Reaction score
- 13,034
No need to be mean. Take a non-science in the summer to lighten up your course load, if you're going to take Organic and Biochem in the same semester (which I don't recommend you do - esp. as Organic is usually a prereq for Biochem for reason).
- Joined
- Jul 31, 2014
- Messages
- 53
- Reaction score
- 18
Can you take biochem or ochem2 in the summer?
I feel like self studying in advance for biochem is not useful since there's so much info and everyone teaches it differently so it would be really hard to figure out what to study. This was the only class in undergrad where I had to memorize a lot of info and definitely for the most part was only able to commit it to my short term memory, so studying in advance would not have been useful for me.
I feel like self studying in advance for biochem is not useful since there's so much info and everyone teaches it differently so it would be really hard to figure out what to study. This was the only class in undergrad where I had to memorize a lot of info and definitely for the most part was only able to commit it to my short term memory, so studying in advance would not have been useful for me.
@DermViser Sorry about that mate, I really didn't know what you were trying to say. It was a legitimate question, no harm intended.
I have to take Organic2 and Biochem the same semester because that is how my major is structured. So may I could try to make sense out of a few chapters, and review them during the semester when I take Organic 1?
I have to take Organic2 and Biochem the same semester because that is how my major is structured. So may I could try to make sense out of a few chapters, and review them during the semester when I take Organic 1?
- Joined
- Apr 4, 2009
- Messages
- 17,237
- Reaction score
- 13,034
I guess you could read the Biochem textbook over the summer on your own and just get the syllabus beforehand.
N
NP545
There's a reason Biochem is sometimes called OChem 3...
Self study organic chemistry then?
While we are on the topic, what other pre med subjects can I self study? The pre med bio at my school is genetics and molecular biology. Any luck with self studying those? At that point I will have done introductory biology (pre req to genetics and molecular biology) and the entire length of general chemistry
While we are on the topic, what other pre med subjects can I self study? The pre med bio at my school is genetics and molecular biology. Any luck with self studying those? At that point I will have done introductory biology (pre req to genetics and molecular biology) and the entire length of general chemistry
- Joined
- Apr 11, 2013
- Messages
- 439
- Reaction score
- 597
I would say your best bet would be to focus on Ochem.
Ochem 1 and 2 were pre-reqs for biochem at my school. It is assumed that you understand all of the Ochem mechanisms prior to learning how they specifically apply in biochem. Furthermore, biochem was the MOST difficult course I took as an undergrad, I agree with @Holmwood there.
If it were me, I would make sure I have a good understanding after OChem 1, then focus on self-studying Ochem 2 because those concepts just build on what you learn in OChem 1. I would wait to tackle Biochem and not self-study for it. Hopefully your self-study of Ochem 2 at that point would allow you to spend more time focusing on Biochem during that semester.
Ochem 1 and 2 were pre-reqs for biochem at my school. It is assumed that you understand all of the Ochem mechanisms prior to learning how they specifically apply in biochem. Furthermore, biochem was the MOST difficult course I took as an undergrad, I agree with @Holmwood there.
If it were me, I would make sure I have a good understanding after OChem 1, then focus on self-studying Ochem 2 because those concepts just build on what you learn in OChem 1. I would wait to tackle Biochem and not self-study for it. Hopefully your self-study of Ochem 2 at that point would allow you to spend more time focusing on Biochem during that semester.
