What worked for you

[runstorm]

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I am taking Organic Chem this summer and can anyone give me any advice on how to study for this class or what worked for you to make that A grade (considering from what I've heard that this is a hard class). 😳

 

[HermeytheElf]

For me, Organic was all about taking the time to do lots of practice problems. I made A's both semesters because I put in lots of time before every test memorizing mechanisms, working out reactions, etc. In many ways its the ideal class for a pre-dent because it requires lots of memorization and also incorporates the perceptual aspect that is so important for dentists. Also, good decision to take it during the summer when you can really focus all your time on it. Many people say that the ball and stick model kits helped them to visual the molecules and I definitely suggest you get one, but I didn't end up using mine all that much simply because I didn't feel I really needed it. Bottomline is, if you're willing to put in the time and effort, you're going to do well in organic. Good luck.

 

[coral2005]

When learning mechanisms, draw them out until you truly understand and can keep track of every single electron in a reaction. Don't just look at your textbook and notes.

 

[wlee009]

Memorize all of the reactions, then do a lot of problems, especially multistep synthesis problems. I finished 2/3 of my o'chem during summer and it sure was painful.. 3 hrs of lecture and 4 hrs of lab every day, and a quiz & a midterm every week.

 

[leia05]

heh...good ole O-chem... i HATED that class... the semesters i had part 1 and part 2 of it i was taking 18 hours (with physics, genetics, embryology, and then some) plus working ~16 hours/week plus tennis team and other obligations... yeah...hopefully you're not as busy as i was! working through as many practice problems as you can will help a lot...i know a couple people who got tutors for it. don't be afraid to ask for help, whether it be friends or the professor (part of maturity is knowing when to admit something is beyond your capability on your own) i ended up making a B in it...i knew i could make A's in my other classes so i focused more on them since all the dentists i've talked to said they've never really used organic since undergrad...i dunno if you should try that route or not though hehe... oh yeah...another thing that will help is getting some of those study guide books. like someone else suggested, i think it would be easier to take it in summer so you don't have other obligations to hinder you. and remember...ALWAYS protonate the hydroxyl! i do remember that one thing...

 

[mochafreak]

Learn the basics and the concepts VERY well and then practice them by doing problems. I always recommend "Organic Chemistry as a Second Language" by Klein too...awesome book that helped me get A's both semesters.

 

[lifeisgood]

I am taking Organic Chem this summer and can anyone give me any advice on how to study for this class or what worked for you to make that A grade (considering from what I've heard that this is a hard class). 😳

Runstorm,
I took ochem probably 4 years ago and tutored it for 2 years after. It's true what people say about memorization to a degree, but like any subject (except bio) if you understand core concepts you can simply figure problems out without having to memorize them. I know it helped me a lot to understand how certain functional groups reacted (i.e. carbonyls, alcohols, etc.) There will always be curveballs on tests where rote memorization won't help you.

Try to get a copy of the Ochem textbook by Wade...any edition. I used the 4th, but I hear there are international paperback editions that are cheaper.

I had the highest grade in my class both semesters, then graded tests the next year for the same teacher. If you need help with anything let me know.