Whats the best way of preparing for Organic Chem?

[combatmedic]

I'm taking Organic Chem along with lab and unfortunately I'm stuck with a nutty professor who falls asleep while lecturing......Forgets wut he was talking about,slow as hell, so preety much I'll be getting zero help from my prof!!

Now my question is does any of you know any good sites or recommend any books or tricks(sites) as to how I can learn and succeed in this course on my own!!

Will appreciate ya'lls suggestions!!

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[DulcimerDude]

Sorry to hear about your difficulty. Prof's can make a huge difference. I've been lucky to have good ones thus far. I don't know how things work at your school, but one thing you might try is finding a good GA (or TA) who would be willing to tutor you a little. The GA's at my school are really good about that at least. Buying a molecular model kit wouldn't hurt either.

As far as books go, "Organic Chemistry" by Francis Carey (6th Ed) is really good and there's a solutions manual you can buy with it. It's fantastic and explains the "why's" to the answers. However, you're probably looking at $300 bucks to get those if you don't have them already.

End of the day, regardless of the professor though, the key to OChem is just putting in TIME. There is no substitute to working problems every night and putting in many hours per week with your book. If you do that, you'll probably be ahead of a lot of your classmates.

Good luck and all the best to you!

 

[49912]

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[Zoom-Zoom]

There are some other threads with similar topics. Like this one.

First of all, you can totally learn o.chem on your own. The downside to having a bad professor is not that you won't learn the material, it's that he'll still be writing your tests. Try to make the best of it and figure out how he's going to test. I also wouldn't recommend a whole lot of supplementary texts or the commonly-suggested MCAT prep books. Specific o.chem reagents change from text to text and the best, most time efficient method is to learn your assigned text very, very well. If there is a discrepency between your assigned text and the professor, you can always argue about it. If it's between your prof and Joe-Blow's "O.Chem-Made-Simple," you're going to have a much harder time. Here was the rest of my generic o.chem advice from the other thread:


-If your text has practice problems spaced throughout the chapter, read the whole thing first, then go back and do the problems. This way, you'll pretty much do the reading twice.

-O.Chem A is much more conceptual than O.Chem B. Your model kit is your best friend. I made it my mission to sit down and play with it for every chapter, even when it seemed like it was overkill. It will really help you understand stereochemistry, learn chair conformations, etc.

-As much as everyone says not to memorize reactions, the vast majority of studying in O.Chem B will be memorization. Learn to memorize seemingly useless material.

-Making flashcards will really help you keep a record of the material. This will make your final exam a million times easier if you have a set a flashcards made for each chapter. In Ochem B, most of the chapters will be only mechanisms/reactions and thus going back to re-read them after having your flashcards made is completely useless. Again, this will save you 700 pages of review each semester for the Final.

-The other good thing about flashcards is they force you to have a superior knowledge of the material. Simply, you can shuffle them up. If you need a page that says "The twelve ways to make an aldehyde" in order to remember them all, you're going to have a very tough time with synthesis problems where you have to link like 5 or 6 reactions in a row (ie: Kind of like seeing a chessboard before and after a game and being able to "see" all the steps in between). Flashcards help you study for recal and not recognition, which is good. This does not mean it is a waste to make flowcharts and stuff too, I just wouldn't use this as my only study method.

-Mechanisms are important to understand, but again, if you have to stop and think about a mechanism to get the product of a reaction, you'll never have time to finish a test (I had like 3 or 4 pages of "give just the product" type questions on every test). "Lasso" chemistry- knowing that X and Y come together to make Z, is just as important as the mechanism itself.

-Only study the mechanisms that are gone over in class. Mechanisms are so specific, especially when you start getting into debates over which steps are concerted or not, that it is very doubtful any professor will test your knowledge of a full-page mechanism without having shown you the answer at least once in class. Thus, use your notes to study mechanisms. Not only will it eliminate un-needed studying, but sometimes/often the professor's ideas will differ slightly/not-so-slightly from the book.


Good luck

 

[Zoom-Zoom]

6. Get a good mechanical pencil (the ones that have the pressing part near the finger and not at the top) and eraser. These little things will save precious exam time and let you focus on deciphering the question.

I definitely re-kindled my love for mechanical pencils during o.chem.


It might be overkill to study 2 chapters ahead, re-write notes, do problems from other texts, etc. However, the moral is, work hard and do whatever it takes for you to really learn it well (and make flashcards)

 

[killinsound]

I honestly don't know what the big fuss is over organic chemistry. Treat it like any other science course and you will do fine. Know the concepts behind the mechanisms.

Making flashcards doesn't work for me, and it might not for you. Everyone has a different way of learning and I'm sure you have found an effective way to study for yourself by now. Again, treat it like any other science course and you will be fine.

 

[Zoom-Zoom]

I honestly don't know what the big fuss is over organic chemistry. Treat it like any other science course and you will do fine. Know the concepts behind the mechanisms.

Making flashcards doesn't work for me, and it might not for you. Everyone has a different way of learning and I'm sure you have found an effective way to study for yourself by now. Again, treat it like any other science course and you will be fine.

like you said, that's true for some, but the vast majority of my class found o.chem to be much more challenging than past bio coursework.

P.s. Have you taken second semester yet? I would think B would be almost impossible without flashcards. At least, the way it was taught here...

 

[JohnnyOU]

Buy the book
ORGANIC CHEMISTRY AS A SECOND LANGUAGE

 

[theothernguyen]

For me, I would skim the reading before lecture and make an outline if the teacher has their powerpoint slides up and then fill them in with more info as the professor lectures, and I would visit office hours regularly. Worked well for me!

 

[christian15213]

I honestly don't know what the big fuss is over organic chemistry. Treat it like any other science course and you will do fine. Know the concepts behind the mechanisms.

Making flashcards doesn't work for me, and it might not for you. Everyone has a different way of learning and I'm sure you have found an effective way to study for yourself by now. Again, treat it like any other science course and you will be fine.

LOL, the big deal is... the smartest of the smart... and here is exactly what happens... They take chem 1 and 2 and it is concept / heavy math based especially 2 and they do well, A's right? Ok then they do physics and again Math based they do well, right? Then they do bio and it is all memorization and they do well right? Ok, then here comes ORGO... THE MED SCHOOL CRUshER!!! why? because it isn't math based at ALL... and It is very conceptual and is almost like learning a new language. The mechanisms can be memory but if you don't keep up on your studies and take the course seriously then YOU will SCREW YOURSELF RIGHT OUTTA MED SCHOOL... I watch it happen and I LAUGHHHHHHHHHH LAUGHHHHHHHH LAUGHHHHHHHH... I am an ORGO TA and I GO ABOVE AND BEYOND to help my students learn and stay after and give free tutoring all that stuff... But it is amazing the students who just don't put the proper effort into it and for some reason think they're going to medschool...

I tell my kids from day 1... This class is hard but is totally doable JUST READ THE BOOK... I say, "There aren't bad questions or STUPID questions but there ARE DID YOU READ THE BOOK QUESTIONS..." Questions you could only of asked if you read nothing from that chapter and have no idea what it is I am talking about. That ticks me off because it means you don't care and expect me to spoon feed it into your mouth. NOOOO...

To put ORGO into perspective....

for my school

900 for CHEM 1... about 600 for CHEM 2...

254 for ORG 1 about 164 for ORG 2....

that is for the normal fall to spring semester which means there are more kids who take off classes for different times but i.e. spring or summer for ORG 1 but the numbers are usually lower than the latter...

With that said Org is the MED SCHOOL CRUSHER but it doesn't have to be.

For me it is Physics, which for this semester I have an A in physics II thus far and am fighting like hello to keep it.

READ THE BOOK...

 

[foofish]

Buy the book
ORGANIC CHEMISTRY AS A SECOND LANGUAGE

YES! I'll second that!

There's also now a version for second semester orgo for when the time comes (many people know about the Orgo I version, but the Orgo II version is new and lesser known....and definitely helped me ace my final after ignoring Orgo all semester for the MCAT....). Good luck!

 

[RedSHIFT]

OC is super easy as long as you practice. And remember, paper chemistry was invented only to explain experimental data. So don't take things personally when some compounds don't react on paper the way you would normally predict one would.

 

[Merissa87]

www.ochem.com and www.chemhelper.com they have tutorials on different topics that explain things in detail. They also have practice tests, I found this website very helpful. I'm taking O-Chem this semester too and this has helped me alot.

 

[Kardizzle]

LOL, the big deal is... the smartest of the smart... and here is exactly what happens... They take chem 1 and 2 and it is concept / heavy math based especially 2 and they do well, A's right? Ok then they do physics and again Math based they do well, right? Then they do bio and it is all memorization and they do well right? Ok, then here comes ORGO... THE MED SCHOOL CRUshER!!! why? because it isn't math based at ALL... and It is very conceptual and is almost like learning a new language. The mechanisms can be memory but if you don't keep up on your studies and take the course seriously then YOU will SCREW YOURSELF RIGHT OUTTA MED SCHOOL... I watch it happen and I LAUGHHHHHHHHHH LAUGHHHHHHHH LAUGHHHHHHHH... I am an ORGO TA and I GO ABOVE AND BEYOND to help my students learn and stay after and give free tutoring all that stuff... But it is amazing the students who just don't put the proper effort into it and for some reason think they're going to medschool...

I tell my kids from day 1... This class is hard but is totally doable JUST READ THE BOOK... I say, "There aren't bad questions or STUPID questions but there ARE DID YOU READ THE BOOK QUESTIONS..." Questions you could only of asked if you read nothing from that chapter and have no idea what it is I am talking about. That ticks me off because it means you don't care and expect me to spoon feed it into your mouth. NOOOO...

To put ORGO into perspective....

for my school

900 for CHEM 1... about 600 for CHEM 2...

254 for ORG 1 about 164 for ORG 2....

that is for the normal fall to spring semester which means there are more kids who take off classes for different times but i.e. spring or summer for ORG 1 but the numbers are usually lower than the latter...

With that said Org is the MED SCHOOL CRUSHER but it doesn't have to be.

For me it is Physics, which for this semester I have an A in physics II thus far and am fighting like hello to keep it.

READ THE BOOK...

Orgo isn't a med school crusher; I know plenty of people who didnt ace it and got into good schools. Also, if you learn to write and communicate like a civilized and educated person, it will be easier for us to believe that you're more intelligent than a peanut.

 

[ADeadLois]

Ochem.... I love that subject Ask all my friends....I smile in lecture and am the happiest gal in the room!

1. Read the chapter before lecture and actually do the problem sets (at the end of the chapter and throughout the chapter) before the lecture. I cannot emphasize that enough.

2. Re-do those problem sets after lecture. I did my problems at least a few times before exams. Before the final/cumulative exam, I re-did all the problems....from the very first chapter to the last.

3. OChem like Biology (at least for me) is to study on a regular basis....devote around 2-3 hours/day. More if you need it or/and if you like the subject.

4. Get a hold of old exams (don't memorize the answer), but it will give your a glimpse of what your teacher emphasizes. Believe me: every teacher is different.

5. Go to google.com and type in "exam I ochem I" or similar phases. You should be able to find old exams (from other universities) on line. If you see overlapping questions/synthesis/mechanism......most likely it will appear one way or the other on your exam.

6. Get a good mechanical pencil (the ones that have the pressing part near the finger and not at the top) and eraser. These little things will save precious exam time and let you focus on deciphering the question.

7. Make flash cards or else write down the reactions on white paper. Somehow, writing on white paper works much better than loose leaf paper.

8. If you do the problems many time, you will find a pattern amongst these similar looking mechanism. I think it was finding patterns that helped me out a lot.....especially in epoixide.

9. Re-write classnotes.

10. When you take down classnotes, do so in two different color pens. I did mine in traditional blue and hot pink. This gives life to your notes and should allow for contrast/compare of important concepts.

11. There should be a section in your old library that has old ochem textbooks. Look for those and do additional problems. My ochem professor told me that this was how he use to study for his exams.

12. Even if the professor tells you that exam I will cover chaper 12-15, I would do the problems in those chapters as well as chapter 16-18. OChem is an accumulation of previous topics. If you find chapter 12-15 material in chaper 16-18, it is most likely a very important concept.

13. Don't be afraid to talk to yourself when you do those problems, such as "nucleophile attacks electrophile," etc.

14. Be sure not to take too many challenging courses when you take ochem classes. Most people that I know people who took three challenging science classes (ochem included) ended up getting less than what they would have otherwise.

15. Get help early if you need it.

Ochem is not a topic that can be crammed a few nights before the test....it takes hard work and sacrifice.

These were the tips I used when I took Ochem II. I wish I came up with these strategies when I took Ochem I.

Good luck. I will post additional ideas when they come to me

This is good advice but a tad excessive. Part of the challenge of orgo is maintaing your sanity. Re-writing your notes or reading the book before class over-works you in my opinion. The key to doing well is Orgo is knowing HOW to study, not studying excessively. Doing practice problems is the single best thing you can do. From there, getting the mechanisms and synthetic pathways down in whatever strategy you want to use. Orgo is tough, but you don't need to devote your entire life to it to do well.

 

[stealthopts17]

jhw16... my god

Fortunately, the professors I had while taking o-chem were not too difficult. That doesn't mean that they were easy, but they were fair when it came to grading exams. What helped me get through o-chem was looking over lecture notes and having flash cards with generic reactions and any mechanisms that were presented in class. I also found old exams that professors have written in the past and studied based on the types of questions that were on the exams. In retrospect, o-chem wasn't THAT bad. As long as your exam scores are above the class mean, you should be fine. I hope this helped and good luck!

 

[49912]

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[MinnyGophers]

This is good advice but a tad excessive. Part of the challenge of orgo is maintaing your sanity. Re-writing your notes or reading the book before class over-works you in my opinion. The key to doing well is Orgo is knowing HOW to study, not studying excessively. Doing practice problems is the single best thing you can do. From there, getting the mechanisms and synthetic pathways down in whatever strategy you want to use. Orgo is tough, but you don't need to devote your entire life to it to do well.

I agree. Orgo would be a piece of cake if everyone had the time to do all the extra work. The only problem is that we don't.
Practice, practice, practice. That's really all you can do when you also have other difficult classes to worry about.

 

[CTtarheel]

everytime you learn a new type of reaction write out the following:

1. what functional groups your transforming (eg. alkene to haloalkane)
2. the reaction facts (stereochemistry, solvents, etc.)
3. pick an example starting material and draw out the mechanism and understand why the electrons want to move that way

then make a list of reactions to study for a test, and starting with a blank sheet of paper, write out 1-3 for each reaction, and keep doing it until you get them all right.

and a quick trick on faking a mechanism you don't remember
always start with the catalyst doing something (typicall donating or taking a proton), then work through it pushing electrons from areas of high electron density to low electron density. Finally, remember to regenerate the catalyst in your last step. (this won't be quite right all the time, but should generally send you on the right track).

DON'T MAKE FLASH CARDS AND MINDLESSLY STARE AT THEM!

 

[stealthopts17]

and a quick trick on faking a mechanism you don't remember
always start with the catalyst doing something (typicall donating or taking a proton), then work through it pushing electrons from areas of high electron density to low electron density. Finally, remember to regenerate the catalyst in your last step. (this won't be quite right all the time, but should generally send you on the right track).

Very good advice.

A friend of mine who was taking o-chem with me was horrible at synthesis problems and he used a similar strategy to this one during an exam. Although he was going nowhere with the reaction as a whole, he ended up getting half credit because he used the correct reagents, even though they were out of order.

 

[Chuckwalla]

I read a book called The Nuts and Bolts of Organic Chemistry. Really made it so I understand reaction mechanisms.