Tips on o-chem?

[Quester]

Hey guys,

What's the best way of rocking o-chem during summer? I've heard some people say that it's more understanding and doing practice problems, but others say it's pure memorization.

Does making cue cards of the reactions help retain the info better? I just want to hear your strategies.

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[RevivedPreMed]

Depends on your professor. Some professors you can just memorize everything but a lot of professors require a deeper understanding.

You're better off taking the time understanding why reactions happen the way they happen than memorizing reactions. If you do that, you'll be much better off if you come across something you don't recognize on a test.

 

[175961]

you can memorize all the rx's you want, but when the prof throws out something totally whacked that requires understanding of how a rx occurs you will wish you had learned concepts rather than memorize. If you learn how a certain rx occurs you only have to learn it once, every rx that proceeds according to that set of rules will always do so no matter what the starting reactants.

 

[Danlee07]

Practice...Plus, when you understand, you won't have to memorize (Stuff like axial vs. equatorial). However, the reactions for alkenes and alkynes, alkyl halides, and all that, you pretty much have to memorize everything.

Esp when you get to the later chapters, when you have to start drawing every single detail of a chain, you have to get every single detail of the chain exactly the same as the answer key or you get red -1s flooding your pages.

 

[RevivedPreMed]

Also, my class wasn't focused on knowing the detailed reaction mechanisms but I still did these practice problems from our book. It really helped to know how much I truly understand about how A + B ----> C

 

[Tin Man]

Depends on your professor. Some professors you can just memorize everything but a lot of professors require a deeper understanding.

You're better off taking the time understanding why reactions happen the way they happen than memorizing reactions. If you do that, you'll be much better off if you come across something you don't recognize on a test.

This post is good.

There are a few basic tips with ochem. It's all about the electrons, so get used to drawing bonds, understanding valence, recognizing differences in electronegativity, and mastering resonance completely. You get these down, and the rest is just variation and application of moving electrons.

Also, there is very little in ochem you have to just memorize, especially with mechanisms. For instance, you may just have to recognize that LDA is a base whenever you see those letters in an equation, but there was almost no mechanism I was given that I just had to take on faith.

It is always a better idea to try to understand how and why the electrons are moving the way they are, even if the professor doesn't say you have to. As the poster above said, all but the easiest of ochem professors are going to give you a problem that requires the application of multiple pieces of knowledge that when memorized will be useless. For instance, you can memorize the addition of alcohols to a benzene ring all you want, but if your professor gives you a benzene ring with a nitro group sitting on it, you had better know how that changes things. Memorizing won't help you here.

Get a head start on diagnosic ochem, which is mass and IR spectroscopy and NMR spectrometry. This seems to be the stuff that maims students worse than anything. You don't need to have it mastered before school starts, but at least have an understanding of what you're going to be looking at. This is not the type of thing you want to try to learn "cold".

If nothing else, don't let anyone else scare you about ochem. It takes work, especially for math people who usually struggle when they realize there are no calculations in almost the whole year. But it's only hard if you spend hours tying to memorize everything instead of just understanding reason for each reaction and using logic to work through each problem. Since the MCAT is going to be testing your ability to apply concepts rather than spew out memorized information, this is going to be better for you in the long run anyway.

Good luck.

 

[anonymousername]

it's really not that hard....half the class fails because they don't understand how to study it. find the best way for you to understand (not memorize) the concepts and there's no reason you can't get an A.

Best of luck.

 

[Rayhaan]

negative goes to positive, the golden rule for organic reactions

 

[Drrrrrr. Celty]

My chem dept. head said to spend a while reviewing chem 1. So lewis dot structures, electron shell's and orbitals.

 

[Perth Domer]

Do every suggested practice problem. You have to do some memorizing, but you can't memorize your way to an A. It uses a very different skill set than Gen Chem so don't think oh gen chem was a breeze and take it lightly like I did.

 

[n4pher]

Memorizing ochem is the worst think you can do. Sometimes you need to apply 621894321 different rules in order to do the reaction right. So, yeah, just learn to understand it. Actually, if you do that, ochem is not really that bad.

 

[rxlea]

This post is good.

There are a few basic tips with ochem. It's all about the electrons, so get used to drawing bonds, understanding valence, recognizing differences in electronegativity, and mastering resonance completely. You get these down, and the rest is just variation and application of moving electrons.

Also, there is very little in ochem you have to just memorize, especially with mechanisms. For instance, you may just have to recognize that LDA is a base whenever you see those letters in an equation, but there was almost no mechanism I was given that I just had to take on faith.

It is always a better idea to try to understand how and why the electrons are moving the way they are, even if the professor doesn't say you have to. As the poster above said, all but the easiest of ochem professors are going to give you a problem that requires the application of multiple pieces of knowledge that when memorized will be useless. For instance, you can memorize the addition of alcohols to a benzene ring all you want, but if your professor gives you a benzene ring with a nitro group sitting on it, you had better know how that changes things. Memorizing won't help you here.

Get a head start on diagnosic ochem, which is mass and IR spectroscopy and NMR spectrometry. This seems to be the stuff that maims students worse than anything. You don't need to have it mastered before school starts, but at least have an understanding of what you're going to be looking at. This is not the type of thing you want to try to learn "cold".

If nothing else, don't let anyone else scare you about ochem. It takes work, especially for math people who usually struggle when they realize there are no calculations in almost the whole year. But it's only hard if you spend hours tying to memorize everything instead of just understanding reason for each reaction and using logic to work through each problem. Since the MCAT is going to be testing your ability to apply concepts rather than spew out memorized information, this is going to be better for you in the long run anyway.

Good luck.

This. I always thought of it like learning a language. And you have to practice speaking to become fluent. Therefore, you need to practice ochem problems, not to memorize, but to become familiar with the patterns so that they become almost second nature. Eventually, when you see certain functional groups, like a carbonyl, you'll have an idea of the chemistry of what can happen to it (if it will be reduced or attacked, etc). Oh, and remember your strong bases, strong acids.

 

[IH8ColdWeath3r]

take it from me....as I've been helping students who struggle with Ochem all the time. I've seen it first hand. Here are some tips in sequential order(based on priority) on what I believe from my experience to be important:

(1) DO NOT ATTEMPT TO MEMORIZE OCHEM; I can't express this enough, as most bio majors who are used to memorizing think that they can do the same with the subject; you can try....but you'll be very sorry.

(2) Read Each chapter before your professor goes over it in lecture; This is Definitely essential to making an A. If you don't do this, you will leave lecture feeling flustered

(3) Take the Time to thoroughly review each chapter, make your own notes, and do EVERY SINGLE PROBLEM IN THE BACK OF THE BOOK

(4) When you get to reactions, make notecards--but wit that being said, understand why the reaction occurs the way it does. Again, don't try to memorize the reactions

for instance, know that the reason a double bond reacts with Br2 to results in a trans product is because the intermediate in a bromonium ion intermediate, which is cycle and the only way it can be opened up is from the opposite face of the ring, which is why the product has trans stereochemistry.

(5) Try to brush up on Orbitals, Resonance, Lewis Structures

It is difficult to do well in Ochem during the summer, because it is alot of material in a short amount of time...but nonetheless, it can be done if you work hard. You get what you put in. So study hard and take the time to really learn the concepts, especially bc it will make things alot easier for OCHEM II. Goodluck

 

[anonymousername]

If you want to get a jump start that's not too strenuous, learn what functional groups there are and a the nomenclature associated with each one. This is relatively straightforward and you can find do it by going through the first section of every chapter about f-groups in your textbook.

 

[anonymousername]

for instance, know that the reason a double bond reacts with Br2 to results in a trans product is because the intermediate in a bromonium ion intermediate, which is cycle and the only way it can be opened up is from the opposite face of the ring, which is why the product has trans stereochemistry.

....or you could think that Br2 is like two fat kids sitting right next to each other in a movie theater and they need to sit in different isles to fit their popcorn, nachos, and soda pop.

(5) Try to brush up on Orbitals, Resonance, Lewis Structures

yup yup

 

[phonyreal98]

Go out and buy Organic Chemistry as a Second Language (Parts I and II). I used this book as a supplement to my textbook and it was, at times, a godsend!

 

[ArkansasRanger]

I haven't had organic chemistry. (wish I never had to take it) What's all this about understanding concepts and why reactions happen?

What reactions? What are you talking about? Example please.

 

[anonymousername]

I haven't had organic chemistry. (wish I never had to take it) What's all this about understanding concepts and why reactions happen?

What reactions? What are you talking about? Example please.

Sn2 is probably the first one you'll learn (b/c it's the easiest) about 1/3 the way into your term, there's a little more that goes into it but it's not really that complicated.


[YOUTUBE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_BwKXc2nMwY[/YOUTUBE]

atom coming in = electrophile
center atom on stationary molecule = nucleophile
leaving group = leaving group

pretty much what you need to know is that stereochemistry is inverted. See how the whites were pointing out before, now their pointing in the opposite direction.

 

[Quester]

Thanks a lot guys!

First class is tomorrow and apparently my prof is some douche that doesn't give **** about students. Looks like I have a lot of o-cheming to do for 3 months

 

[anonymousername]

Thanks a lot guys!

First class is tomorrow and apparently my prof is some douche that doesn't give **** about students. Looks like I have a lot of o-cheming to do for 3 months

don't worry it's really not that hard. solving complicated mechanisms or finding the right product to a multistep synthesis can be pretty fulfilling.

 

[Quester]

don't worry it's really not that hard. solving complicated mechanisms or finding the right product to a multistep synthesis can be pretty fulfilling.

Haha we'll see...

 

[docelh]

don't worry it's really not that hard. solving complicated mechanisms or finding the right product to a multistep synthesis can be pretty fulfilling.

would you say it's orgasmic fulfilling, life fulfilling, or just regular fulfilling?

 

[anonymousername]

would you say it's orgasmic fulfilling, life fulfilling, or just regular fulfilling?

somewhere between orgasmic and regular...

 

[YouNeverKnow22]

I love me some Sn2 Rxn's

 

[ArkansasRanger]

Well, some electrons moved around I guess, but that was about it.

 

[rxlea]

We need a video of HOMO and LUMO

 

[akuarys]

The secret lies in the mechanisms. If you understand them, you shouldn't have any trouble when faced with new molecules. It's like driving; whether the car is red or blue shouldn't make a difference.

Piece of advice: Do not f' with benzene!

 

[ArkansasRanger]

We need a video of HOMO and LUMO

Ummm

we're talking about chemistry here













lol

 

[IH8ColdWeath3r]

Sn2 is probably the first one you'll learn (b/c it's the easiest) about 1/3 the way into your term, there's a little more that goes into it but it's not really that complicated.


[YOUTUBE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_BwKXc2nMwY[/YOUTUBE]

atom coming in = electrophile
center atom on stationary molecule = nucleophile
leaving group = leaving group

pretty much what you need to know is that stereochemistry is inverted. See how the whites were pointing out before, now their pointing in the opposite direction.

Actually the atom coming in(attacking) is the nucleophile. Nucleophiles attack electrophiles, not the other way around.

 

[anonymousername]

Actually the atom coming in(attacking) is the nucleophile. Nucleophiles attack electrophiles, not the other way around.

lol!!

i could make up an excuse like I was multitasking....but I don't have one

 

[pooghe]

Something I was told that made life a lot easier was to always keep track of charge. Sometimes the mechanisms can be confusing and there are too many steps to remember what happens next. In those situations the best way out is to find the nucleophile and electrophile. Connect the two. Done.

 

[Im that guy]

I haven't taken organic chemistry yet, but I can guarantee that by doing all the practice questions, reading the text, being engaged in lecture, searching for helpful online tools (berkeley and MIT have great stuff up on youtube), you will be able to "rock" orgo.

As with other classes, keep up with the material so that you can really learn as much as possible which might not be stuff that will be tested but is awesome outside knowledge. Keeping up with the stuff will help you remember it for the MCAT.

 

[Danlee07]

Oh yeah and the basics you HAVE to master by the time the beginning of O chem (beginning meaning about a month into the semester) rolls around is:

Lewis structures, electron orbitals, resonance and you're solid

 

[Tin Man]

Thanks a lot guys!

First class is tomorrow and apparently my prof is some douche that doesn't give **** about students. Looks like I have a lot of o-cheming to do for 3 months

Luckily, if you have a good textbook, ochem is easier to teach yourself than probably any other premed class. I didn't go to class at all for ochem 2, and I skated with an A just because I'm a pretty good reader.

Besides, I had to make up for the sleep I was losing to my 7:30AM Saturday ochem labs...

 

[FirefighterDoc]

Luckily, if you have a good textbook, ochem is easier to teach yourself than probably any other premed class. I didn't go to class at all for ochem 2, and I skated with an A just because I'm a pretty good reader.

Besides, I had to make up for the sleep I was losing to my 7:30AM Saturday ochem labs...

Ouch.

 

[Poliscidoc]

Thanks a lot guys!

First class is tomorrow and apparently my prof is some douche that doesn't give **** about students. Looks like I have a lot of o-cheming to do for 3 months

DAMN!! My O-Chem summer course doesn't start until June 7th..