Did anyone here have a tutor for Organic Chem? I never took it before and I really don't know what to expect. It has such a reputation of being a "make or break" class that I am contemplating getting a tutor. Is this necessary?
Tutor for Organic Chem?
- Thread starter mjg713
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Whether or not you need a tutor will vary vastly based on the individual. I found reading Organic Chemistry as a 2nd language along with my lecture was sufficient to not need a tutor. If your school has program where you get free tutors though, sign up for one.
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I read organic as a 2nd the summer before and it helped me have a huge headstart before even starting. I still actually have it sitting in my bookcase if you want to pm me we can work out sending it to you.
I definitely dont think you need a private paid tutor, usually most schools have help rooms, as well as school paid tutors / tutoring hours for organic chemistry. Secondly, i think if you read the textbook, and review the notes & pay attention in class (the thing youre supposed to do, which the majority of people NEVER do) you will be fine. Most people who go to tutoring use it as a substitute for actually learning & studying on their own.
Everything seems to be built on a few fundamental concepts, so really try to learn everything from the getgo and you will have a very solid foundation for the rest of organic 1, and organic 2.
OChem is one of those classes. Some people are cut out to be dentists and some aren't. That's the nature of the beast... All you can do is take it and see how it goes. I found it to very difficult but hey I got through it, got accepted to one of my top schools, and life is good. Plenty of people have done it, you can too! Good luck!
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I am taking o-chem one now. You should read the book and do all of the in/end of the chapter problems. Also there are websites like http://www2.chemistry.msu.edu/faculty/reusch/VirtTxtJml/Questions/problems.htm which will give you harder problems to give you a better understanding. I currently have a cushioned A by following those studying habits.
I have heard that ochem for dummies and also the second language will help, but i have not personally used them. You can download both of these from utorrent.
I dont think its crazy hard it just requires more studying time than the prerequisites to get into ochem. Youll be fine its not that bad.
I have heard that ochem for dummies and also the second language will help, but i have not personally used them. You can download both of these from utorrent.
I dont think its crazy hard it just requires more studying time than the prerequisites to get into ochem. Youll be fine its not that bad.
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Like you, I started freaking out at the prospect of taking O-chem since I've heard so many horror stories of it being a GPA killer (and I was taking the honors series, even worse). I bought the "O-chem for dummies" book but didn't even end up using it at all. I didn't do too well in the course (getting 3.5-3.6, AKA AB to A-), but it wasn't as bad as people made it out to be.
Honestly, I hated the course while taking it, but looking back now, I think I had a love-hate relationship with O-chem.
So I really don't think you need a paid tutor. All you need is the determination and drive.
Honestly, I hated the course while taking it, but looking back now, I think I had a love-hate relationship with O-chem.
So I really don't think you need a paid tutor. All you need is the determination and drive.
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I almost crapped myself at the idea of taking organic..
now I am in my 3rd quarter of organic and I am breezin by....
It's not as difficult as most people made it out to be.. I'm confident you can do it!!!!!!!!
now I am in my 3rd quarter of organic and I am breezin by....
It's not as difficult as most people made it out to be.. I'm confident you can do it!!!!!!!!
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Don't hire a tutor. Go to the chemistry tutoring center or work in groups with classmates, etc. I remember our organic chem class had a website where we could upload drawings and equations and videos. It was pretty neat, we all solved the homework together.
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Ochem us super easy, BUT read the text, don't be lazy and DON'T fall behind. Organic is basically logic if you put in the work.
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I loved orgo! it was a lot more interesting than gen chem and more useful for subjects like Biochem and even understanding general interactions.
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I have had a completely different experience than the other posters. I'm a good student but I'm struggling with Organic. I'm taking 3 sciences and one other class and I spend as much time on Organic as I do my other classes combined. If you don't feel like you're grasping the material early on, then try a tutor. If it helps you understand the concepts I think a tutor would be well worth it.
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I agree with you to a point. I spent a ton of time in O-Chem 1 and then studying O-Chem for the DAT and got killer grades/scores because of it. However, in O-Chem 2 I am being really lazy and it is starting to show on my quiz scores. I am going to have to put a lot of time into it over the last month to get an A. That said, it is nowhere near the amount of time I put into anatomy lecture/lab. That is a real time-suck.
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I personally find Orgo much easier than gen chem 2. I think it just depends on the person. I am taking 3 other courses and Orgo is my best grade so far. Chad's videos help too!
Edit: Ecology is giving me a run for my money! Go figure.
Edit: Ecology is giving me a run for my money! Go figure.
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M
mitrieD
In my opinion there is a direct relationship between how many problems you do and how you do on the test. For this class, you will probably do more problems than any other class you've had before to keep up.
When I was in undergrad, I used to tutor ochem for the tutoring center. I also did private tutoring on the side. Having said that, how you approach the material will have a lot to do with your performance in the class. Don't just blindly memorize synthetic pathways. Understand what's going on: why the electrons go where, which bonds formed/broken are legal and why... trust me, it's all about the arrows, man!
For synthesis problems, try employing the retrosynthetic approach. (start w/product, work backwards to starting materials.) Once you get the hang of it, it gets a lot easier.
Also, practice problems. A lot. Make them fun and interesting. (because, yes, they are!) This is the only way to prepare for the exams. Come finals time, you should be able to do reaction mechanisms in your sleep... 🙂
For synthesis problems, try employing the retrosynthetic approach. (start w/product, work backwards to starting materials.) Once you get the hang of it, it gets a lot easier.
Also, practice problems. A lot. Make them fun and interesting. (because, yes, they are!) This is the only way to prepare for the exams. Come finals time, you should be able to do reaction mechanisms in your sleep... 🙂
As far a course load with Orgo what would you recommend? I am post-bacc so I could take it by itself if I really wanted to, but have been thinking of taking a Bio 2 Class with it, is this okay? (keep in mind I work around 4-5 days a week)
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I am also non-trad and working (though not 5 days a week, just about 20 hours per week). With O-Chem 1 I took the lab for O-Chem 1, Bio 2 w/ Lab, and Physics 1 w/ lab.
If anything, I would cut the lab out for it because that took me as much time as the class.
Yes, the lab is time consuming and at my school I HAVE to take it with the lecture so separating them is not an option. I can always cut down to like 3 days a week. So I guess Orgo 1 and Bio 2 together should not be a problem.
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About 1/3 of my OC class was being tutored by Romano . They were getting instructor specific tutoring from day 1. Found out right before my first exam when a entire group of kids that never came to lecture showed up.
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I don't remember how much it was back when I was a student, but I found this on his website. http://www.orgoman.com/2012-schedule.pdf
It was such a weird class because of the tutoring. It was lecture kids vs Romano kids vs cheats. Really nasty learning environment
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The best tutor you will find, especially for DAT will be CHAD. He is the man.
I was struggling with O-Chem, so I ended up getting tutoring from a company in Dallas that one of my friends referred me to. My tutor had a Ph.D in O-Chem with 20+ years of teaching experience. Hands down I have never learned a subject so well, and I owe it all to my tutor. O-chem was a breeze once I started tutoring with him, and he geared me up for the DAT.
The company name is: Elements to Success Tutoring Services
www.etstutoring.com
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I had a private tutor for O chem. I am glad I did. The more help the better. Can't hurt. Money is relative. So is your grade. Your grade is permanent however, your money situation is not.😱
In an ideal world you'd have the resources in terms of money and time for all the tutors, extra books (like o chem as a seond language which I have heard good things about and would likely get if I did it again), and study groups etc. Shoot for the ideal as closely as possible.
Chads videos are awesome. His approach is powerful and provides much leverage towards understanding the big picture. Wish I had known about Chad before O chem courses and not just prior to prepping for the DAT.
In an ideal world you'd have the resources in terms of money and time for all the tutors, extra books (like o chem as a seond language which I have heard good things about and would likely get if I did it again), and study groups etc. Shoot for the ideal as closely as possible.
Chads videos are awesome. His approach is powerful and provides much leverage towards understanding the big picture. Wish I had known about Chad before O chem courses and not just prior to prepping for the DAT.
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The difficulty of organic chemistry is overrated. I personally just did organic chemistry as a second language before class and was fine. I despised general chemistry and loved organic chemistry.
Speaking as an organic chemistry tutor, students often perceive the subject as difficult and unbearable because of the horror stories they heard and believing over subject other people's skewed reviews on the subject. For example, I had students who would have literal BREAKDOWNS two weeks before an organic chemistry exam because they felt as though the subject was too difficult and did not even open the book to see what the exam is on! Trust me, this was not them talking, but their friend's experience talking for them.
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I agree with these sentiments. It astounded me how many people would complain about how hard the subject was, without ever actually looking at the material or attempting to understand it. These were smart people who seemed to take a "biology" approach to it, which flatly doesn't work.
I also bought "as a second language" and used it, but I didn't find it any more useful than my textbook, which I always read in detail.
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Agreed. Success in organic chemistry, like in any other subject, depends on the person's OWN perception on the subject at hand and how they PERSONALLY approach it. Going into the class with the mind set that you are doomed to fail is a game-breaker from the start - hence why people should listen less to the horror stories and rumors that crowd the hallway, make their way to the book, and study! If you do this, you are bound to do well.
D
DenTony11235
Jeez, Orgo was not that bad at all. Honestly, its one of those classes that anyone can master given enough time. You don't need a special brain or be "smart" to master it, it's a straightforward class with straightforward concepts. Nothing bad about it. It was most definitely easier than Gen. Chem 2.
And if you want evidence for what i tell you here, just look at peoples DAT scores, there are more people who kill Orgo than kill Bio.
And if you want evidence for what i tell you here, just look at peoples DAT scores, there are more people who kill Orgo than kill Bio.
It's important to realize that the integrity and intensity of a course in organic chemistry varies from university to university, and even within universities, from instructor to instructor. That being said, some medical school admissions programs have gotten wise to the popular practice of "grade shopping." They know students will seek out the easiest of professors.
You're much better off going with a moderate to challenging professor for O-Chem. Should you go this route, you will likely not need the $3000 MCAT course that some people charge. When you genuinely learn something the first time around, you can EASILY refresh yourself on the material. I prepared on my own for the GRE and scored in the 96th percentile. The exam was a piece of cake for me.
The biggest problem for pre-meds when it comes to O-Chem is clinging onto the "comfortable glove" of memorization. For moderate to challenging professors, this won't work. WARNING: The most important O-Chem class you take is the first one. It sets the foundation for everything to follow. A weak foundation will result in less than optimal results.
With respect to tutors, it's best to do your homework prior to taking the class you believe you may have trouble with. You'll be in a calm, not desperate, mindset when doing this. Should you need that person, you will already have their number.
These days, there is such a thing as the "Mentor of Organic Chemistry." These are organic chemistry teaching professionals who know every trick in the book. They have Ph.D.s in the subject, and their primary interest is teaching. This is the kind of person you may want to consider if you won't settle for anything less than an "A grade," and are willing to do whatever work necessary to earn that grade. Google "mentoring organic chemistry" for more information on what's available to you.
Good luck!
