Studying for an Orgo exam in 4 days?

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AsianThunder88

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Alright, I'm in a bit of a jam right now.. I have a physics exam this Thursday, and an Organic Chem exam the following Tuesday. I guess I fell behind a bit in orgo, but then again, my physics exam is this week.

I'm just basically asking if, in your guys' opinion, if a few days is enough to memorize reactions/mechanisms, and all that jazz. I know I definitely have my work cut out for me, but is there still hope..? I debated whether I should study a bit this week already for orgo, but I feel like I need to devote time to physics.

I really don't even know what I'm asking.. but any input? personal experiences?

Thanks guys.. I feel like crap right now in the semester.
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I never studied more than the night before for orgo and got an A in both I and II, lol. It is definitely possible 🙂
 
Make the miniature white board your best friend, and you'll be fine.
 
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My advice: find a private study room with a chalkboard and lock yourself away.

Physics and O-Chem both made me sick until I started studying in a room with a chalkboard. Then it became kind of fun to pretend to be a professor and draw reactions or circuits up on the board. Put one hand behind your back while you're writing and you'll feel like a goddamn genius.

And O-Chem is actually pretty easy once you understand the language and how things move around, where things like to go.
 
Buckle up and get it done. Step one would be to get yourself away from the computer. My laptop is procrastination central for me. It's not gonna be easy and you probably won't end up with high grades but at this point, you don't really have a choice...cram as much as you can and don't waste any time.
 
yeah 4 days is very doable, if done the right way.

i suggest studying about 1-2 hours per day this week on organic anyways. don't do new problems; just continue to review notes, review finished problems, and get the concepts down. then pick up the pace so you are not starting cold on thursday or whatever.
 
haha... i think it depends which school you're at! My advice is focus on Physics, but leave an hour or two a day for orgo. Then, the 4 days after - do orgo like your life depends on it
 
I think you should be fine. I study about 4ish days before and do okay as well.
Just remember that when you do study, put 100% in. And go over those reactions until you can do them in your sleep.
 
Thanks guys -
Yeah, I hope things go well. I'll probably start doing a couple of hours of orgo each day this week, just to stay on top of the material, (like a couple of people suggested) then really hit it hard this weekend.
 
amph119 said:
I never studied more than the night before for orgo and got an A in both I and II, lol. It is definitely possible 🙂
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+1
Except now I'm in Orgo II and its taking me 3 or so days.
I like the chalkboard idea...
 
I don't even want to hear it.

Let me tell you about my past four days.

Friday--O chem test, diversity of life test, spanish composition due
Monday--Cell bio test, spanish test

Cell bio test--slept through first 45 minutes of the class 😱 because i was up until 4:15 studying (9 am class) and my professor is a hard ass and I had to complete it in the 15 minutes remaining in class.
FML.

But I do agree...the mini white boad is essential to o chem studying....and my roommate and i studied 3 days before and studied even harder the night before.

I win. My life sucks more. 😛
 
Are u serious? Your complaining about 4 days?? LOL I wish I can plan that far ahead for my exams... I ended up doing the night before studies and ended up doing all nighters..which ended up doin well for me.
 
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WOW, FOUR DAYS? 😴

I study at most 2 days in advance for every final. And I still do fine. I'm very impressed by your concerned-ness for your grades! God bless you.
 
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gosh, i didn't know there were so many ochem experts floating around sdn! so all you guys n gals could crush any ochem test at any school by only studying 1-2 nights before? :Wink:
 
ch0sen1 said:
Are u serious? Your complaining about 4 days?? LOL I wish I can plan that far ahead for my exams... I ended up doing the night before studies and ended up doing all nighters..which ended up doin well for me.
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:laugh: I don't like to do all nighters, but 4 days you should able to ace both tests or ochem at least. Have fun.
 
4 days should be fine if you feel comfortable with the basic concepts and can really focus on doing practice problems... I found that I only did really well on the exams if I had really done the problems at the end of the chapters
 
don't study for organic like everyone else has said.

and if on the test you get in a jam draw a smiley face using a benzene ring and other structures and you might just get a good grade, or at least make the prof or TA laugh at you in their office.
 
get out of SDN and start studying!🙂
Also, it's OChem, not Orgo.
 
Lot of geniuses in here. Wish I went to those schools or maybe I'm just dumb 😕. You definitely don't want to wait until last minute but 4 days is definitely sufficient time to do well if you dedicate yourself to it. I'd say spend your time now studying for physics. Relax after the exam and then the next day get to work on reviewing everything from organic and you'll be fine.
 
Tip: in the future, memorizing reactions is fine and all, but you'll forget ALL of it after the exam. Instead, learn why reactions happen the way they do. What substituents make this carbon more electrophilic than the next? More nucleophilic? Acidic or basic? If you can make why and not always what click in your mind, you'll be golden 🙂

EDIT: using this, I only spent about 4 hours the night before studying, and I tend to over study things. It makes learning new reactions easier, since OChem builds on itself like math does.
 
AsianThunder88 said:
Thanks guys -
Yeah, I hope things go well. I'll probably start doing a couple of hours of orgo each day this week, just to stay on top of the material, (like a couple of people suggested) then really hit it hard this weekend.
Click to expand...

that's what she said.

(sorry, i'm leaving this thread now :meanie:)
 
i wish i had the motivation and commitment like the thread starter. I always tell myself I'm going to start studying for a test a week before it, then it shifts to 5 days, then 3. Pretty soon its the night before the test, I'm trying to find all my ochem notes which are squashed at the bottom of my bag, along with notes from subjects I took last semester, and I just remembered that I left my ochem book in my gym locker.

In short, 4 days out is more than enough time.
 
I TA Ochem and just owned UCSD's 143ah. Did good on the MCAT Ochem too (damn biology mixed in with ochem). This has been the best method for people who haven't put in enough time doing the HW and want to get a low A.

1. Make flashcards of important reactions. Keep them basic. R and R' and all that jazz

2. Memorize the flashcards. Know the names of reactions (It will help you associate reactant/prodcuts). Know how to go from Product to reactant (just what not how). Know reagents if they were emphasized in class.

3. Try to BS your way through mechanism for each flashcard. Check to make sure you are right. You would be surprised how many mechanisms you know

4. Write out the examples in the book (Aldol, dehydration, add/elimination, etc). Look at tough questions and their answers. (Get familiar with interesting questions)

5. CRAM for at least an hour before the test if possible (Look at key reactions, read main points, etc). If not, make a cheat sheet earlier and CRAM whenever you can before the test

TEST TIME

6. Trust thy-self. Chances are you will not know the answer to the questions immediately. Work them out. Try, cross out, re-try...etc. Remember, if a ring seems even remotely possible, try to make one.

7. Proofread. Check formal charges. Check protonation (don't protonate in base...duh). If you were grading this test, do you agree with what you have?

...I write this a mere 15 hours before a math test that...along with every final it seems...is integral to my success in getting into med school. I am hoping karma for helping other people will pass the test...because I don't want to study.
 
i'm not too familiar w/ #6 (the rings part).. but maybe that's cuz we haven't made carbon rings yet..? i think the only rings we've made are cyclic & crown ethers.
 
i mean intramolecular. i dont know if you are on quarter or semester (ochem 1,2,3 or just ochem 1,2)...but regardless, anything that does intramolecular reactions is a favorite for every teacher....ever. I had K.C Nicolaou for one of my classes. Google him.

"Ochem is an art, and ring formation belongs in the louvre...the rest is just finger painting." - Me
 
AsianThunder88 said:
Alright, I'm in a bit of a jam right now.. I have a physics exam this Thursday, and an Organic Chem exam the following Tuesday. I guess I fell behind a bit in orgo, but then again, my physics exam is this week.

I'm just basically asking if, in your guys' opinion, if a few days is enough to memorize reactions/mechanisms, and all that jazz. I know I definitely have my work cut out for me, but is there still hope..? I debated whether I should study a bit this week already for orgo, but I feel like I need to devote time to physics.

I really don't even know what I'm asking.. but any input? personal experiences?

Thanks guys.. I feel like crap right now in the semester.
Click to expand...

Are you actually serious? Dude, thats more than enough time ASSUMING you dont procrastinate in the time that's left. I've studied in two and got an A, so yeah, its possible.
 
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