How do you Prepare organic chemistry?

Answer 1

by studying alot and being really smart I aced orgo at UF by finding out what kinds of questions the professor likes to ask on the tests (through looking at his old tests) and ensuring I was comfortable with that format. You also have to memorize all of the mechanisms; BUT, be sure you UNDERSTAND how they work and not just memorize things like Ch3CH2BR + NaOH --> Ch3Ch2OH + NaBr via an Sn2 reaction. If you have a lot of time, be sure to do problems regularly and spend an hour or so a day on them. If you don't have time (like me) then just be prepared to spend about 1 or 2 entire days before each midterm in the library and 3 or 4 entire days before the final exam constantly studying. Good luck. "It is disconcerting to reflect on the number of students we have flunked in chemistry for not knowing what we later found to be untrue." --Weber

Answer 2

I'm assuming you mean how to prepare for organic chemistry. You can prepare for it by studying on bondings(especially covalent), electronegative and atomic theories, and molecular shapes and how it affects charge.

Answer 3

I received an A in Chemistry 101 and 102. Typically, you are graded by lab reports and exams. They are different in nature, so I think we will speak to getting good grades in those two separately. Also note that you will get much better grades if you seek to understand the material, rather than if you seek only to pass the course. Here are some tips from my personal experience. In each case, having a study partner and taking peer tutoring can really help, as you get individualized help from people who have been there, or are there right now.

Exams:

I. Listen Critically.

The lectures are the key. Pay critical attention during lectures, and you will be able to pass the tests. Paying critical attention is much more than paying good attention. Not only must you understand the material, you must process it and connect it to other ideas of yours. Ask questions to yourself constantly, like "so then what if..." Ask the instructor if you're not sure about the answer that you come up with to these questions. Yes, ask, ask ask! This Q&A stores the information much better in your memory, allowing you to recall it for the test. If you're not able to keep up with the instructor, prepare ahead of time so that you can. You want to able to ask him/her questions during the lecture, so you need to be able to think critically about it. If the instructor goes to fast for you to take good notes on his/her power points or such, print out the slides or lecture notes before the class and take notes there. If the instructor proceeds too quick for you to follow, pre-read the material in the course text so that you're ready to think critically.

II. Take Copious Notes.

Something about writing allows for critical thinking and gets our brains working. Writers know that the best way to overcome writer's block is to just write. Writing also helps us remember. If you're a kinesthetic learner, the simple act of writing will help. If you learn visually, seeing the words and graphs you make will allow you to recall during the exam. Even if you are an auditory learner, you still learn by doing and seeing, so try it out! At the very least take notes for terms, formulas, key things your instructor mentions as being important or essential, etc., and even derivations.

III. Read Text Before and/or After Lecture.

Reading the text makes a big difference. Read before the lecture if you tend to have trouble keeping up with your instructor. Read afterward whenever there is something that you didn't understand that the instructor didn't have time to clear up. Also, skim over the chapters afterwards just in case the instructor didn't cover something that might be on the exam. It might be a good idea to ask your instructor what you don't need to read since you probably have a busy schedule.

IV. Memorize Terms and Formulas.

This is obvious. You need to know your terms to understand the exam language, and memorizing the formulas will make the calculations possible. I would stress, however, understanding the purpose of the equation to be much more important than memorizing the equations. Many times on exams, I have been able to derive the formula from my basic knowledge and understanding of its purpose when I couldn't even begin to remember the formula.

V. Review Terms and Formulas Before Exam.

Recalling things you may have forgotten is key.

VI. Skim Over Notes Before Exam.

The same thing, you may have forgotten about a really helpful visual or turn of words you made...

VII. Write Down Formulas First Thing.

When you take the exam, the first thing you should do is write down all the formulas you memorized. I have heard from the head of my college's tutoring center (where I work) that when you don't do this and just jump into the first problem, you forget all the formulas that you don't need for the first problem. So write them down as a reference first thing.

Lab Reports:

I. Understand the Reason for the Experiment

Why are you doing the experiment? The answer to this will allow you to really do well on post-labs. So, that means you should put some effort into your pre-labs.

II. Understand the Reasons For Error.

If you make an error, explain possible reasons. Don't just explain possible reasons, but explain likely ones to, based on what happened in lab. For example, the error might be due to a dilution mistake, or an over titration. You are pretty sure you got the dilution right since you used pipets, but you had an ambiguous color change in your titration.

III. Use Correct Grammar and Write Well.

Chemistry instructors can write. They did that for a living when they were in college. So, they know their English grammar. They also read innumerable post-labs a week, so they will grade easier on something that is easier to understand. My lab partner and I turned lab reports with identical content, but his grammar was better, his style was less choppy, and he varied his sentence structure a good deal. I got high B's, and he got high A's. He also got comments like "I really enjoyed reading your lab!"

IV. Study With Your Lab Partner

You can work things out together with another student under the same instructor in the same period, because you guys are on the same page. Also, if you study together, you can go over your lab reports together. This is invaluable, as one may understand a particular lab better than the other, and you need to understand the lab to write the report. As well, you may find that there is an error, and instead of saying, "...my lab partner may have over diluted the solution," you can say "we did (not) over dilute the solution, and so we know the problem was the titration." This kind of certainty makes for a better grade, as it is much more akin to the ideal scientific process.