Studying for Orgo and MCAT

[Served]

So I basically have 1 month left in my summer to study for organic chemistry (which I'm taking upcoming fall) and the MCAT. How should I approach studying for Orgo? I thought about using brute force to just read the textbook and do problems, but I'm not sure if this will be time efficient and productive considering that I have MCAT to study for as well.

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[jmcsolido]

Why are you studying for orgo now? When is your MCAT scheduled?

 

[487806]

So I basically have 1 month left in my summer to study for organic chemistry (which I'm taking upcoming fall) and the MCAT. How should I approach studying for Orgo? I thought about using brute force to just read the textbook and do problems, but I'm not sure if this will be time efficient and productive considering that I have MCAT to study for as well.

Are you self-studying orgo? I wouldn't advise it. When are you taking the MCAT?

 

[Served]

I'm studying for orgo because I'm taking orgo upcoming fall. It has little to do with my wanting to do well on orgo section on the MCAT.

 

[Viola05]

So I basically have 1 month left in my summer to study for organic chemistry (which I'm taking upcoming fall) and the MCAT. How should I approach studying for Orgo? I thought about using brute force to just read the textbook and do problems, but I'm not sure if this will be time efficient and productive considering that I have MCAT to study for as well.

If you get an MCAT book specifically for orgo, it'll take you through the most logical way to learn it. Most likely, it'll start out with the general orgo topics and then take you through the different mechanisms specific to each group (alcohols, ketones, etc). After awhile, it actually gets a little easier due to the repetition but It's very difficult to learn an entire subject in one month so you're going to have to buckle down.

 

[487806]

I'm studying for orgo because I'm taking orgo upcoming fall. It has little to do with my wanting to do well on orgo section on the MCAT.

Don't self-study for a future class. When you take the class, you'll learn all you need to know.

 

[Served]

Don't self-study for a future class. When you take the class, you'll learn all you need to know.

I mean, I want to prepare at least a little bit so I wouldn't be overwhelmed in fall. I also spoke to other students who took orgo in the past, and they recommended studying for orgo a bit before school starts. Is this not the case?

 

[armpitsOFmight]

uggh....I hated studying for o-chem and the mcat at the same time because both require a lot of time and a lot of problems.

 

[487806]

I mean, I want to prepare at least a little bit so I wouldn't be overwhelmed in fall. I also spoke to other students who took orgo in the past, and they recommended studying for orgo a bit before school starts. Is this not the case?

Self-studying isn't worth it. I assume you're taking Orgo I in the fall. So, you'll likely be exposed to the basics of orgo (like nomenclature, stereochemistry and basic reactions), so it really won't be hard. Gen Chem essentially gave you a good background of what you'll expect.

 

[positivityrocks]

Organic Chemistry as a Second Language and Pushing Arrows are both supposed to be good, I think.

 

[armpitsOFmight]

ochem isn't hard...but some of us only get 50 minutes to complete a 45 minute test....which means you have to do a butt load of problems on your own so you don't have to think about it when taking the exam. I know a bunch of you get 1 hour and 30 minutes for an hour exam.

 

[Served]

That's exactly what I mean. You have to do A LOT of problems for orgo, and I feel like I'd be overwhelmed during school year. I'm taking 18 credits this fall, and orgo is one of the many things that I have worry about.

 

[Josh7]

I'm currently studying for the MCAT right now and I took orgo last semester. I can't imagine having to self-teach myself the entirety or Orgo I. It's definitely possible but it's not as easy to teach yourself as biology...

Also only one month to study for the MCAT and learn Orgo? Nope, change your plans.

 

[487806]

That's exactly what I mean. You have to do A LOT of problems for orgo, and I feel like I'd be overwhelmed during school year. I'm taking 18 credits this fall, and orgo is one of the many things that I have worry about.

You won't be overwhelmed by orgo. Orgo is an integrated subject. You need to focus on the concepts instead of memorizing stuff. Self-studying won't make anything better.

I'm currently studying for the MCAT right now and I took orgo last semester. I can't imagine having to self-teach myself the entirety or Orgo I. It's definitely possible but it's not as easy to teach yourself as biology...

Also only one month to study for the MCAT and learn Orgo? Nope, change your plans.

The topics I studied in orgo are way more comprehensive than the topics covered in MCAT. So it's all good. 😎

 

[armpitsOFmight]

it's hardly even on the mcat anyway...only 2 freaking passages. Seriously, focus on bio, gen chem, physics, and verbal

 

[mcloaf]

it's hardly even on the mcat anyway...only 2 freaking passages. Seriously, focus on bio, gen chem, physics, and verbal

I don't always get MCAT advice on the Internet, but when I do I make sure it's from trolls.

 

[TriagePreMed]

If you get an MCAT book specifically for orgo, it'll take you through the most logical way to learn it. Most likely, it'll start out with the general orgo topics and then take you through the different mechanisms specific to each group (alcohols, ketones, etc). After awhile, it actually gets a little easier due to the repetition but It's very difficult to learn an entire subject in one month so you're going to have to buckle down.

LOL Have you read any MCAT book? Because I don't think you can learn O.Chem through an MCAT book.

 

[Xenops]

Organic Chemistry as a Second Language and Pushing Arrows are both supposed to be good, I think.

The bolded book helped me a lot. I worked through the first few sections during the summer, and I have a comfortable understanding of resonance. This helped me in the actual course.

My philosophy is, if you have time to get a leg-up, why not take advantage of it?😀

 

[lobo.solo]

Don't do it, it's a bad idea.

 

[sakabato93]

The bolded book helped me a lot. I worked through the first few sections during the summer, and I have a comfortable understanding of resonance. This helped me in the actual course.

My philosophy is, if you have time to get a leg-up, why not take advantage of it?😀

Agreed. There is nothing wrong with getting familiar with a class before taking it. That being said, don't get frustrated and try to learn everything in the book. You have a whole semester to do it.

 

[armpitsOFmight]

^those litte books are great for extra easy practice problems. If you have a professor who gives easy exams, they should work. However, my professor constantly made fun of Klein's problems for being too easy and made us study from Schuam's guide. Schuam's guide is a beast!!! Every single problem in that book is hard!

 

[Benedictus123]

Eh, nothing wrong with pre-studying - I did it before my freshman and sophomore year (including for orgo) and I had a 4.0 both years (of course, correlation doesn't mean causation). If it makes you feel more comfortable, go for it.