Chemical Forums
Specialty Chemistry Forums => Chemical Education and Careers => Topic started by: TuesdayWater on December 08, 2014, 10:04:26 PM
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Long story short I have ORGO I next semester with 0 chemistry knowledge to back me up. Anything I should try to learn before starting the course?
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By orgo do you mean organic chemistry?
If so, I've heard from people who've taken the coarse that you hardly see any chem 1&2 in organic chemistry.
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If so, I've heard from people who've taken the coarse that you hardly see any chem 1&2 in organic chemistry.
Which either means they are blind and they don't see connections, or they know their chem101 so well they don't even understand they are using it. Organic chemistry quite often uses kinetics and equilibrium to explain what is happening, if you don't understand these concepts you won't be able to understand why reactions behave the way they do. You may not use skills like equilibrium calculations, but you will still need to understand how the equilibrium shifts and why.
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I suggest that you look at Khan Academy if you have time over winter break. There's an organic chemistry section, which has a sub section called "General chemistry review." It's certainly not comprehensive, but at least you can get a feel for some of the basic skills you will need.
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If so, I've heard from people who've taken the coarse that you hardly see any chem 1&2 in organic chemistry.
To add to Borek's comments, how about Lewis dot structures and valence bond theory? I cannot understand how one can take organic without having had general chemistry.
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So review gen chem through books and khan academy over winter break. thanks!
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That is if you have no other option but to take it this semester.
Just to be completely honest, most people in my current class are struggling with the material. That includes other chem majors, so it will definitely be difficult even if you do study hard for the next month.
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I definitely have the option to take it next winter (after having done gen chem in the fall) but I figure should try it anyways - can always drop it if I don't think it's worth taking without gen chem knowledge.
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This sounds like a mistake. Whoever approved this is doing you a disservice.
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I am scratching my head at how you were allowed into organic without ANY chemistry knowledge. This isn't a CHEM 101 class... it's a class which will ASSUME you have the skills you would have developed in earlier chemistry courses. I suggest you complete organic in a year after meeting the prerequisites.
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I definitely have the option to take it next winter (after having done gen chem in the fall) but I figure should try it anyways - can always drop it if I don't think it's worth taking without gen chem knowledge.
I think your time would be much better spent on something else. You will struggle with it and that will impact your other studies negatively