ArtsAutosBooksBusinessEducationEntertainmentFamilyFashionFoodGamesGenderHealthHolidaysHomeHubPagesPersonal FinancePetsPoliticsReligionSportsTechnologyTravel

How to Study For Organic Chemistry

Updated on November 10, 2010

Organic chemistry is not an easy subject. Although it was my favorite subject in school, it was the hardest one I ever took. The problems that arise from organic chemistry are that the course really takes everything up a notch. I am hoping to give you some insights on how you can make organic chemistry slightly easier for you.

1. Organic chemistry is a new language. You are not simply learning reactions, or where to draw electrons, you are going to be learning a whole new language, with new concepts and terms. You need to always keep this in mind. Use the new terms you learn in all of your writings.

2. When you are trying to memorize reactions, you will want to make flash cards. These are cards you want to review on a daily basis. Organic chemistry constantly builds on things you previously learned so, you will always want to refer back to things you learned at the beginning of your course because, the information will keep coming up again and again.

3. For mechanisms, you will want to make flash cards for them as well. Be sure to make special note of why electrons move where they do. You need to not just memorize the mechanism but, know why it works the way it does. This is going to take time so, you need to devote your time to learning it.

4. In lab, make sure you do a thorough review of the lab. Know exactly what equipment you need, make a chart or a list of some kind that will allow you to keep everything organized. You want to make sure you have everything in front of you so, you aren't hunting for it last minute. Labs usually take a lot of time to complete and, you will only be allotted so much time so, you need to make sure that you are organizing your time well. The more you can prepare, the better off you will be.

5. Work carefully. Yes, it will seem that you may need to rush things but, try not to do this. It's much better to work methodically at a calm pace and complete your experiment correctly, then it is to try and rush something, mess it up, and have to start over again. There's nothing more frustrating than to have this happen. Then, you end up getting far behind. Again, work carefully.

6. Make flash cards to learn nomenclature. Depending on what your instructor asks, you may have to just memorize the common names but, with the others, there is logic to the naming. Once you figure it out, it will be very easy so, try not to stress over it. Just understand the overall rules to naming.

7. Ask questions. Make sure that if you do not understand, you write it down and, ask your instructor. Be specific. Try to focus on what it is about the concept that you do not understand.

8. Do your homework. You may need to do problems several times. Practice, practice, practice, and practice. Organic chemistry is not going to come easy. There are a few people that do understand it rather quickly but, some the smartest people I knew spent hours upon hours devoting themselves to studying. That's just the way it is. It's hard work but, once you have the material "click" for you, it will become easier.

Remember, also to have some passion with organic chemistry. It can actually be quite fun! You just have to look at it like a big logic problem. You will learn a lot of interesting things and concepts. Stay positive and remember to focus on the tasks at hand.

working

This website uses cookies

As a user in the EEA, your approval is needed on a few things. To provide a better website experience, hubpages.com uses cookies (and other similar technologies) and may collect, process, and share personal data. Please choose which areas of our service you consent to our doing so.

For more information on managing or withdrawing consents and how we handle data, visit our Privacy Policy at: https://corp.maven.io/privacy-policy

Show Details
Necessary
HubPages Device IDThis is used to identify particular browsers or devices when the access the service, and is used for security reasons.
LoginThis is necessary to sign in to the HubPages Service.
Google RecaptchaThis is used to prevent bots and spam. (Privacy Policy)
AkismetThis is used to detect comment spam. (Privacy Policy)
HubPages Google AnalyticsThis is used to provide data on traffic to our website, all personally identifyable data is anonymized. (Privacy Policy)
HubPages Traffic PixelThis is used to collect data on traffic to articles and other pages on our site. Unless you are signed in to a HubPages account, all personally identifiable information is anonymized.
Amazon Web ServicesThis is a cloud services platform that we used to host our service. (Privacy Policy)
CloudflareThis is a cloud CDN service that we use to efficiently deliver files required for our service to operate such as javascript, cascading style sheets, images, and videos. (Privacy Policy)
Google Hosted LibrariesJavascript software libraries such as jQuery are loaded at endpoints on the googleapis.com or gstatic.com domains, for performance and efficiency reasons. (Privacy Policy)
Features
Google Custom SearchThis is feature allows you to search the site. (Privacy Policy)
Google MapsSome articles have Google Maps embedded in them. (Privacy Policy)
Google ChartsThis is used to display charts and graphs on articles and the author center. (Privacy Policy)
Google AdSense Host APIThis service allows you to sign up for or associate a Google AdSense account with HubPages, so that you can earn money from ads on your articles. No data is shared unless you engage with this feature. (Privacy Policy)
Google YouTubeSome articles have YouTube videos embedded in them. (Privacy Policy)
VimeoSome articles have Vimeo videos embedded in them. (Privacy Policy)
PaypalThis is used for a registered author who enrolls in the HubPages Earnings program and requests to be paid via PayPal. No data is shared with Paypal unless you engage with this feature. (Privacy Policy)
Facebook LoginYou can use this to streamline signing up for, or signing in to your Hubpages account. No data is shared with Facebook unless you engage with this feature. (Privacy Policy)
MavenThis supports the Maven widget and search functionality. (Privacy Policy)
Marketing
Google AdSenseThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Google DoubleClickGoogle provides ad serving technology and runs an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Index ExchangeThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
SovrnThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Facebook AdsThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Amazon Unified Ad MarketplaceThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
AppNexusThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
OpenxThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Rubicon ProjectThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
TripleLiftThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Say MediaWe partner with Say Media to deliver ad campaigns on our sites. (Privacy Policy)
Remarketing PixelsWe may use remarketing pixels from advertising networks such as Google AdWords, Bing Ads, and Facebook in order to advertise the HubPages Service to people that have visited our sites.
Conversion Tracking PixelsWe may use conversion tracking pixels from advertising networks such as Google AdWords, Bing Ads, and Facebook in order to identify when an advertisement has successfully resulted in the desired action, such as signing up for the HubPages Service or publishing an article on the HubPages Service.
Statistics
Author Google AnalyticsThis is used to provide traffic data and reports to the authors of articles on the HubPages Service. (Privacy Policy)
ComscoreComScore is a media measurement and analytics company providing marketing data and analytics to enterprises, media and advertising agencies, and publishers. Non-consent will result in ComScore only processing obfuscated personal data. (Privacy Policy)
Amazon Tracking PixelSome articles display amazon products as part of the Amazon Affiliate program, this pixel provides traffic statistics for those products (Privacy Policy)
ClickscoThis is a data management platform studying reader behavior (Privacy Policy)