As stated at the beginning of this Guide, many before you have survived the dreaded O-Chem. Some former students (all of whom survived!) have graciously offered their advice to you who now begin the journey, and I reproduce it in this Guide, unabridged:

Tips for surviving O-Chem

First off ask for help when you get lost. Go to a classmate, someone who has passed O-Chem or what I would suggest talk to the teacher. Do not think that you can just get it on your own by struggling through it.  You might be able to get somewhere but more than likely you will just get more frustrated. I’m not saying don’t try you need to put effort in to understanding it but O-Chem has a lot of concepts that are new and take some work to get used to them.

Second stay caught up with everything, do not become an O-Chem chipmunk. What I mean is don’t horde it all like a chipmunk does with his nuts. Because what will happen is you’ll go to class with your brain full and you will not understand it because you didn’t digest the things from last class. It will just all build up and then you’ll just want to give up because you’ll be so lost.  So how do you avoid this? You do your work but not all at once, take it in chunks. If you try and take it all in one sitting, you will get frustrated. You need to take O-Chem in small chunks. Try and make it a goal to spend half an hour a day on O-Chem. Along with doing the reading do the problems. In fact I would say working through problems is more important because they are a good way to tell you if you understand it or not. Also don’t use the study guide as a crutch. You should only look at the study guide once you think you have the right answer.  That means if you don’t know how to do a problem you ask someone instead of looking at the answer in the study guide. Doing problems in groups is useful too because you can help each other out.

Third, review old tests. It can be painful to go though old tests and look at what mistakes you made, but would you rather learn from your mistakes or would you rather get that some concept wrong again on the next test. O-Chem just builds on itself like math -- if you don’t understand addition you’re not going to understand multiplications.

- Meredith Lorig (Class of 2008)

WARNING: The sentences following this disclaimer may actually help you survive Organic Chemistry. Taking Organic Chemistry may lead to anxiety attacks, sleep apnea, constipation…(My first advice for you is to RELAX! :) )

You hear the phrase used all the time…everyone is in the same boat. So let’s close our eyes and imagine that Organic Chemistry is a ship sailing across the sea. (Just bear with me.)

1. Oh, No! Your ship is lost at sea… (aka The lectures make no sense and you are totally lost).

Treat your textbook and notes like a map, they have all the directions that you will need to make it to the final destination. However, youhave to be able to interpret, understand, and follow the maps for them to help. COME TO CLASS PREPARED (even if you only have 5 mins. to skim the chapter). READ THE TEXTBOOK and YOUR NOTES (it may help to re-copy your notes after class) GET INTO a ROUTINE (make organic chemistry a habit that you do every day.)

2. Oh, No! You fell overboard… (aka You get behind or you just bombed an O-chem test.)

If you find yourself struggling, confused, frustrated, or BEHIND…. DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT!  You have to be willing to tread a little water and look for help if you plan on keeping your head above the water. Don’t panic. If you take the time to look around you will realize that you are not the only one treading water (drowning). It is easier to tread water in groups than alone. STUDY IN GROUPS AND QUIZ EACH OTHER. Remember there are people all around you reaching out a hand to help. ASK FOR HELP WHEN YOU NEED IT!!!!

3. Oh, No! There is a big storm and you want to turn the boat around…(aka you stink at O-chem and want to drop out.)

The end is closer than you think. Don’t give up. The professor will not give up on you!!! Learn from your mistakes. If you don’t understand something don’t just skip it and tell yourself you will figure it out later. You need to struggle through the problems to the very end and then USE THE ANSWER BOOK WITH EXTREME CAUTION. Learn from your mistakes and keep at it! “When you get to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on.” ~Franklin D. Roosevelt

Just remember that everyone is in the same boat (or in the water trying not to drown)…you are not alone. Good Luck and :) Happy Sailing!

An O-chem survivor,

– Julie Fox (Class of 2008)

1. Don't get behind on the reading. Everything you learn builds on stuff you already know. Learning everything the night before the test doesn't work.
2. If you have questions, ask. Ask different people the same question. If you don't understand how one person explains the concept, someone else might make sense.
3. The profs are there to help. They're usually pretty good about it, too. Use them.
4. Labs always look intimidating. The instructors and TAs are really good about helping. Don't sweat it, just be sure to read the procedure beforehand.

• First of all, read the material before the lecture. It may not make sense when you read it, but after some explanation and a little artwork(!!), it will eventually make sense.
• Second, if you find youself just not getting it, ASK SOMEONE! Ask the prof, ask another prof that may know, ask a TA, ask a classmate. Ther more people you ask, the better, and the sooner you'll find an answer. Also, work the problems that are suggested. Even if they are not collected or graded, they can help you learn the material and also help you to see what you understand and what you need to work on.
• Another very important thing to remember is don't spend hours on end studying O-chem, especially right before a test. You'll drive yourself crazy- trust me, I know! The best thing to do is take a little new material each day and review your notes after every lecture. Who knows you may find a mistake that the prof made in their lecture, and before you know it, you'll be correcting the prof while they're lecturing! That always makes you feel smart!
• Last of all, you need to realize that O-chem is one subject that builds on itself as you learn it. It may seem overwhelming at first, but don't get excited and think that you have to put everything else on hold while you do the work for O-chem. It isn't any more important than your other classes. Time management is the key. If you divide up your time between O-chem and your other classes, you'll be fine.

• Read everynight before class so students know what you are going to talk about.
• Take notes even if you don't study off them because then you won't fall asleep in class and you pay attention more.
• Find a group of students to study with and do problem sets with, you get done faster, understand more and make good friends.
• Most importantly visit Nancy in her office if you have questions, it helps.

Electrophile Nucleophile NMR GC
I love thin layer chromatography
Beilstein Diels-Alder Carpenter and her crew
They are the chemists that are out to get you
You got a pair of goggles and a lab notebook
Now get your CRC and go swim in a brook (??)
Though you may think this is one big game
After this year you'll never be the same
Just one word of caution, just one final thing
This here is Ege, I'll see you in the spring.

O.K. I'm a pretty smart kid (all of us here at UMM and in o-chem are pretty smart kids). I've always just been able to balance school and sports and fun social gatherings, and I've even gotten super grades without feeling like I've made huge sacrifices. Then I took o-chem. It's different. I knew this before the class began and so was rightfully scared (as you should be too); but I handled my fear in a rather self-destructive way.

First, I figured if I was to be successful in o-chem I'd have to devote all my precious time locked in a room sweating out solutions to monster problems. I didn't want to do that (as any college student driven by immediate gratification). As a result of my attitude, a second problem arose, I got behind. Then I became a bit overwhelmed. Then I got more behind and more overwhelmed. Pretty soon I had so much work to do I just didn't know where to start. So I didn't. Thus I lived in a downward spiral.

Fortunately, I not only ended this downward spiral, but somehow turned it in the opposite direction, eventually leading upward. I'm proud to say I had a relatively strong finish and that qualifies me to give you a few pointers.

First, don't get behind. Oh? You've heard that already? Fine, but you have to alter your thinking too, if you're like me. Staying caught up doesn't mean every second devoted to o-chem. You can employ 20 minutes a day to be caught up. This is unlike history, where you can read the chapters the night before the exam; and unlike english, where 20 minutes gets you next to nowhere. Plus, o-chem itself is a social activity. There's a very strange bond between o-chem students.

Now, I'd like to be arrogant enough to think you all will follow my advice and never encounter my second problem of landing in the o-chem hole, but inevitably, a few of you will. I've got some stuff to say to you. First, being overwhelmed and scared is fine, except fear is an enemy. Fortunately, action cures fear. Do something, anything to chisel away at the mound in front of you and simply believe you can climb out of the hole. That's key. Don't give up on yourself and Nancy won't give up on you either. She is a super resource. Oh, and don't fall asleep during class....

Tip #1: When a new reaction is introduced in the text, there is usually a mechanism drawn for the reaction. Take the time to fully understand the mechanism before you continue reading the chapter. Oftentimes the subsequent reactions in the chapter are very similar to the preceding reactions. Thus, don't continue to build confusion on top of confusion, understand the reaction before you continue reading. I found it very useful to read the chapter with a pencil in hand, doing the "arrow pushing" for the mechanism myself, justifying to myself why that mechanism is the "most correct mechanism" (i.e., has the most stable intermediates). After fully understanding the mechanism of the reactions, I would make note cards to help myself memorize the reactions. This is done for the sake of the limited time available to take exams.

Tip #2: I know Nancy has told you this and you all laugh and think she's insane but, she is right. Learn to work synthesis problems backwards, (i.e., product ---> reactants) it will help you immensely in the future. By the way, I would be willing to entertain conversations with any of you regarding Nancy's sanity. As I know, many of you are beginning to seriously wonder about someone who would choose Organic Chemistry for a career. Seriously, learning to work synthesis problems backwards will not simply be a good idea. Rather, it will become a necessity when you start working larger synthesis problems. Developing good habits early on in the course can make Organic Chemistry much easier and yes, dare I say, even enjoyable. Believe me, I was the last person in the world who would ever think they would enjoy Organic Chemistry.

I hope you survive and (God forbid!) maybe even enjoy your journey through O-chem. Hard as it may be to see, there is an awful lot of what you will learn in O-chem all around you, and I don't just mean organic chemistry, either.

If you find that you are just having a horrendous time with this course, think you are flunking,* or are thinking about dropping -- hey, for whatever reason, even if you want to talk about the Cubs (!) -- come see me in Sci 2085. I am here to help you survive O-chem. Please, don't hesitate to come by and give me a chance to do what I can.