Why is organic chemistry so difficult?

[Dr Wannabee]

I'm starting to get worried. Is it really that difficult or is it like most subjucts in that the more you study the easier it is and vice versa. The o chemistry horror sound terrible.

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[OnMyWayThere]

Once you get past a certain test and look back, you will always think the stuff before what you're doing was so much easier.

It's not a hard subject. I think it's just a challenge for most of you Bio majors because it is a totally different animal. Although it was very time consuming, they were fun classes. It's not an easy class, but it has potential to be enjoyed so try and find that way.
I'd rather know why a positive charge would rather be on a tertiary carbon than a primary ALOT MORE than deltaH=(deltaT)-(deltaH)(S) (gchem) or however that formula went. 👍

 

[iamgoaloriented]

A lot of people actually find o chem easier than gen chem (at least gen chem 2) believe it or not. It really requires a different type of thinking, so whether or not it is harder depends on the kind of thinker/learner/studier you are.

I think that the biggest mistake people make when studying o chem is that they try to memorize it like they do in biology and in other classes (simply memorizing tends to be a mistake in any case anyway if you ask me). You have to have an understanding of basic principles (e.g. reactivity of different functional groups under certain conditions) and be able to apply it to the particular situation you are presented. If you only memorize, without understanding what it is you are doing, the only way you will surely do well is if you have memorized every situation that you can possibly encounter, and there is a good chance you will be screwed (to make an analogy, how well would you do in geometry if you simply memorized every geometric proof you saw without an understanding of what was actually going on, you are not gonna get the same proof on the test, there are almost unlimited problems they can throw at you). If you are able to understand what is going on and practice a lot of problems to get the hang of applying it, you will be much better of and perhaps even find that you are studying less.

 

[eralza]

As a non-trad, I went back and took the second semester of organic 14 years after completing the first. With the theoretical wisdom of age, I noticed a big difference came from studying consistently throughout the term. Unlike my entire undergrad years, where studying a day or two before the test pulled me through, organic needs to be learned a bit each day. Once you have a good foundation in the basics of acid-base chemistry and nomenclature, and the substitution vs. elimination reactions, the rest will fall into place much easier. Treat it like a foreign language. When you first hear it, everything is intimidating, but as you gain familiarity with the rhythm and vocabulary, it becomes much more poetic.
Bottom line is to study a little bit every day.

 

[bkmonkey]

it's all about pushing electrons...

 

[sistahnik]

is it that bad that it can't be taken with any other science classes? I want to take org I with gen chem II but some people say that doing so will be difficult. so I don't really understand the problem. some people take chem physics and bio together so what is the difference? thanks.

 

[MsEvolution]

1st time I took it I thought it was really weird. I had a hard time grasping. Well, 8 years later, I'm retaking and it seems so much easier... I guess its because this time I can really listen to the prof and almost anticipate what he's going to lecture on. I understand more than 1/2 of the concepts to begin with, so I can really focus on the ones that were weaker.

 

[sistahnik]

MsEvolution, is that the only class you have right now?

 

[Luke]

Organic Chemistry as a Second Language is a fantastic book to help you through. I also think Organic Edge by Kaplan is quite good.

 

[SailCrazy]

is it that bad that it can't be taken with any other science classes? I want to take org I with gen chem II but some people say that doing so will be difficult. so I don't really understand the problem. some people take chem physics and bio together so what is the difference? thanks.

I'm currently taking Organic along with Physics II (non-calc), Genetics w/ Lab & Human Anatomy (lecture, no lab.)

It is a lot of work, but if you're focused (and, as another poster mentioned, committed to keeping up with your work as the semester progresses - not cramming two days before the exam) then it is definitely managable.

Disclaimer: I'm a nontraditional student, so I have some additional experience and focus working to my advantage.

 

[sistahnik]

well thanks sailcrazy!! actually I just found out that org I isn't even offered in the winter semester so I can't take it anyway. I think I'll do physics instead.

 

[secretasianman]

it's all about pushing electrons...

yeah if you can understand this, and you can memorize certain things, you're set. the whole 'ochem is hard and is meant for weeding premeds' thing is just to scare you anyways. it's really not too bad and fun 8).

 

[MsEvolution]

MsEvolution, is that the only class you have right now?

Yeah... I'd take more but I work full time and I'm a single mom. I *really* want to take Biochem and Anatomy... but I can't find those classes available in the evenings! *sigh*

 

[Medikit]

I think once you learn to speak the language it comes pretty easy

 

[sistahnik]

well I'm sorry to hear that Msevolution. I'm sure you will find the classes somewhere, but you gotta keep looking. good luck to ya! 🙂

 

[fahimaz7]

Just wait until you reach the top bio/bcmb classes. O-chem seems like a walk in the park compared to the complex physiology classes.

Scott

 

[vikaskoth]

my take on why organic is viewed as so hard is because of the timing with which most students take it. I took it my sophmore year and i know many pre-meds do, I got a B- and C+ (was doin well, bombed the 3rd of 4 tests) During my freshman year most classes i took did not differ too much from high school, i would go to class pay attention somewhat and then study and cram 1-3 days before the test. These seem like typical study habits for high schoolers and early college students (i know there are a few study freaks out there) Organic is a class that requires you to work as you go along and keep up with the material and even if you do this you can get confused. I look back now (as a senior) and i think i couldve done a lot better but thats because my study habits and ability to handle a heavy course load has changed and for this reason i think most students see it as a wake up call to a tough course and people do poorly and it for that reason it is the "weed out" course for pre-meds

 

[bewitched1081]

dont let the "horror stories" of ochem stress you out. pre-med students just like to complain a lot about their courses. well at least that's what i've found at my school. i think the best thing that you can do to prepare is to do well in the courses that you're taking now and if you find ochem difficult then step up you're studying. some schools offer free dept tutoring and exam reviews as well.

 

[susan96]

I know this sounds really nerdy, but I liked o-chem. It was easier than g-chem for me, and I think the key was really to do practice problems over and over. Maybe I just liked drawing all those fun molecules 😛 Anyways, it's not as much of a nightmare as everyone always makes it seem, just depends on how you think.

 

[bjackrian]

Most people who've posted seem to be of the opinion that o-chem isn't as hard as we often make it out to be. I disagree. For me, o-chem is by far the hardest class I've ever taken. It was also one of the least enjoyable--I didn't feel like I was learning things that would be relevant in the real world. There weren't applications to medicine (or anything else I particularly cared about--who cares how to synthesize 3-methoxy-4-tert-butyl-5-chloro-cyclohexane??).

That's not to say it's not doable--it is. It was, though, a miserable experience that I'm thankful I'll never have to repeat.

 

[eralza]

Most people who've posted seem to be of the opinion that o-chem isn't as hard as we often make it out to be. I disagree. For me, o-chem is by far the hardest class I've ever taken. It was also one of the least enjoyable--I didn't feel like I was learning things that would be relevant in the real world. There weren't applications to medicine (or anything else I particularly cared about--who cares how to synthesize 3-methoxy-4-tert-butyl-5-chloro-cyclohexane??).

That's not to say it's not doable--it is. It was, though, a miserable experience that I'm thankful I'll never have to repeat.

I agree that it was the hardest class I've ever taken. The only thing that motivated me during the times it got rough was the relationship it had to medical diagnosis. With the unknowns, you would start with a bunch of information and deduce what the molecule was. Kind of like symptoms! "Organic Chemistry as a Second Language" was a savior for me as well as the poster above. Read it before the class.

 

[Angel88]

I agree that it was the hardest class I've ever taken. The only thing that motivated me during the times it got rough was the relationship it had to medical diagnosis. With the unknowns, you would start with a bunch of information and deduce what the molecule was. Kind of like symptoms! "Organic Chemistry as a Second Language" was a savior for me as well as the poster above. Read it before the class.

I agree too. It was definitely the hardest class for me as well. Understanding reactions is a key to making it thru...