Organic Chemistry Survival Tips

Organic chemistry is often considered the hardest chemistry class. Its not that its impossibly complicated, but there is a lot to absorb, in both the lab and classroom, plus you can expect to do some memorization to succeed at exam time. If youre taking o-chem, dont stress! Here are survival tips to help you learn the material and succeed in the class. 1) Choose How To Take Organic Chemistry Are you more of a mental sprinter or is distance running your style? Most school offer organic chemistry one of two ways. You can take the year-long course, broken into Organic I and Organic II. This is a good choice if you need time to digest and learn material or master lab protocols. Its a good choice if you tend to ask a lot of questions, because your instructor will be able to take the time to answer them. Your other option is to take organic over the summer. You get the whole shebang in 6-7 weeks, sometimes with a break in the middle and sometimes straight through, start to finish. If youre more of a cramming, run-to-the-finish type of student, this may be the way to go. You know your study style and level of self-discipline better than anyone else. Choose the learning method that works for you. 2) Make Organic Chemistry a Priority Your social life may take a hit while youre taking organic. It wont be your first chemistry class, so you already expect that. Try to avoid taking other challenging courses at the same time. There are only so many hours in the day to work problems, write lab reports, and study. If you load your schedule with sciences, youre going to get pressed for time. Plan to give time to organic. Set aside time to read the material, do the homework, and study. Youll also need some downtime to relax. Getting away from it for a while really helps the material click. Do not expect to just go to class and lab and call it a day. One of the biggest survival tips is to plan your time. (3) Review Before and After Class I know... I know... its a pain to review general chemistry before taking organic and to review notes before the next class. Reading the textbook? Agony. Yet, these steps truly help because they reinforce material. Also, when you review the subject, you may identify questions to ask at the beginning of class. Its important to understand each part of organic because topics build on those you have already mastered. Reviewing builds familiarity with the subject, which builds confidence. If you believe you can succeed at organic chemistry, you will. If youre scared of it, youll probably avoid it, which wont help you learn. After class -- not necessarily right away, but before the next class -- study! Review your notes, read, and work problems. (4) Understand, Dont Just Memorize There is some memorization in organic chemistry, but a large part of the class is understanding how reactions work, not just what structures look like. If you understand the why of a process, youll know how to approach new questions and problems. If you simply memorize information, youll suffer when its time for tests and you wont be able to apply the knowledge to other chemistry classes very well. You need to understand how organic chemistry works in everyday life. (5) Work Lots of Problems Really, this is part of understanding. You need to work problems to understand how to solve unknown problems. Even if homework isnt picked up or graded, do it. If you dont have a firm grasp of how to solve problems, ask for help and then work more problems. (6) Dont Be Shy in Lab Learning techniques is an important part of organic chemistry. If you are unsure what to do, speak up. Ask lab partners, watch what other groups are doing, or find your instructor. Its okay to make mistakes, so dont beat yourself up if an experiment doesnt go as planned. Youre learning. Just try to learn from your mistakes and youll be fine. (7) Work With Others Any modern science career involves working as part of a team. Start honing your teamwork skills to survive organic chemistry. Study groups are helpful because different people may understand (and be able to explain) different concepts. Working together on assignments will probably get them completed more quickly. You may have gotten through general chemistry on your own, but theres no reason to go it alone in organic. Wondering why you should care about organic chemistry? Consider these examples of organic in everyday life. Learn Organic Chemistry Online