How to Pass Organic Chemistry
You may have heard that organic chemistry is one of the most legendarily difficult courses an undergraduate student can take. Although the folklore surrounding the trials associated with this class can be a bit far-fetched, it is not a complete breeze either. In the process of passing both the first and second organic chemistry courses at San Diego State University, I acquired specific study habits unlike those I had used before in my biology-based courses. In this post, I would like to share the resources and study tactics I used to pass organic chemistry.
The first crucial step is believing that you are capable and intelligent enough to be taking the class. My professor for OChem 2 frequently told us that “anyone can take organic chemistry, but in order to do well you must be willing to work towards understanding it”. These motivational talks were more influential than I would have presumed prior to taking the class. Believing that I belonged in the class and had the capacity to understand the content was a strong motivation for me to persevere through intimidating synthesis and mechanism problems until they made sense to me. This is because I knew that they eventually would. This also coincides with allowing yourself to move past receiving poor quiz or test grades in order to regroup and refocus on what changes you need to implement on the next exam or assignment. You won’t know the answer to every problem, and that is okay!
Befriending the textbook was the next important step I took in order to understand the material. I highlighted rules, summaries, and conditions that certain reactions required in order to get more holistic pictures of reactions. I spent the majority of my time learning about the rules and conditions of the reactions, and only near the end of studying would I actually get to solving problems. This proved to be useful because once you understand the topics conceptually, you are able to solve the majority of the problems within the book. I also took my own notes from the book and re-worded complex descriptions in my own words in order to remember them in the long term.
Purchasing a large hanging whiteboard was absolutely crucial in motivating me to solve problems. This not only allowed me to stand up and work (this kept me awake and attentive), but it also was an easy way to erase mistakes quickly and try new configurations. This type of arrangement sets the stage for each problem to be viewed as if it were a puzzle to solve, not a question that should yield the correct answer on the first shot (like it usually feels if you were to do it on paper).
Lastly, the following YouTube channels closely mirrored the content covered in my classes and taught me tactics to approach problems, not just solutions to specific problems:
The Organic Chemistry Tutor: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL0o_zxa4K1BXP7TUO7656wg0uF1xYnwgm
Professor Dave Explains: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLybg94GvOJ9GtvOUYLW601u1Oiaoat2UF
Leah 4 Sci: https://www.youtube.com/c/Leah4sci/videos
Every person has their own strategies to do well in a specific class, and my strategies may or may not be as effective for you. However, the main takeaway from this post is that you can pass this class, you will figure out a study rhythm to follow, and you will see favorable results if you are inclined to put the work forth in order to succeed. Good luck and happy studying!
