Tips on MCAT Organic

[tcar18]

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Anyone have any good advice on organic?

I studying EK organic for the material and doing practice tests but am really struggling. Is there a better way to approach this or at least a few topics to REALLY key in on?

 

[threeeyedfrog]

Anyone have any good advice on organic?

I studying EK organic for the material and doing practice tests but am really struggling. Is there a better way to approach this or at least a few topics to REALLY key in on?

My "strategy" is to get them mostly wrong and hope the bio questions go really well!

orgo sucks...but knowing Sn1, Sn2, and E1, E2 is a definite plus...good luck...

 

[RayhanS1282]

Anyone have any good advice on organic?

I studying EK organic for the material and doing practice tests but am really struggling. Is there a better way to approach this or at least a few topics to REALLY key in on?

Focus on the functional groups and the types of reactions they are likely to undergo, i.e. Carbonyl group undergo nucleophilic addition (for the most part), double bonds and triple bonds undergo electrophilic addition etc. Knowing the characteristics of functional groups are an easy way to figure out complicated looking reactions. Know SN1, SN2, E1 and E2...they say no elimination but trust me it's implicitly there.

 

[jintonic5]

memorize mechanisms and understand sn1sn2e1e2... memorize spectroscopy values... keep in mind orgo is made to look complicated but most of what they ask are rooted in fundamentals. don't panic, just look for general concepts that they may be asking for.

 

[yalla22]

How do you all keep the reactions straight in your head?

I can review them a billion times and they seem to just go out the other ear.

Anyone have any techniques or good ways to categorize?

 

[el.harpo]

How do you all keep the reactions straight in your head?

I can review them a billion times and they seem to just go out the other ear.

Anyone have any techniques or good ways to categorize?

If you understand it then you can get away without memorizing/categorizing it. Understand the basics and try to bring down the "advanced" MCAT problems to a basic level.

 

[dsh]

Know SN1, SN2, E1 and E2...they say no elimination but trust me it's implicitly there.

I don't understand what you mean by no elimination. I just took 6R today and E2 was one of my correct answer choices?? Could you explain in more detail?

 

[scooter31]

lab techniques. Know them, love them. I keep hearing lab tech questions are bound to be on the real thing, and its easy points if you know your stuff...