How To Survive Organic Chemistry!

We receive many inquiries at the Office of Summer and Winter Programs. We offer many courses and a popular one is Organic Chemistry! It’s known as one of the more challenging courses we offer, however, we’ve created tips to help you succeed. 

 

Organic Chemistry is often viewed as a challenging course for several reasons:

  • The material is complex and abstract. It involves an understanding of the basic principles of chemistry and builds off concepts in Chemistry 1.
  • It requires lots of memorization: This can be seen as overwhelming for students as it will be necessary to memorize many compounds, reactions, and mechanisms. 
  • The material is cumulative: Organic Chemistry builds on itself; therefore, students are expected to have a deep understanding of the foundations of chemistry before taking this course. 
  • This course material requires a lot of practice and repetition for you to truly understand the material taught. 

 

With this in mind, we have developed a simple guide to help you survive Organic Chemistry. All it takes is the right mindset and willingness to succeed! Some tips we came up with are: 

  1. Review Chemistry Basics Before the First Class

As we stated earlier a lot of the concepts you will be learning are built off the foundation of introductory chemistry courses. Feel free to get the professors’ email and discuss with them what to go over before the course begins. This will set you up for success throughout the course (you can find professor emails in the UConn Phone Book).

  1.         Ask Questions

Don’t be afraid to be the person who asks a lot of questions! Chances are, other students have the same question as you. Whether it’s through email, in-person, or online, our university professors are there to help you. Remember there’s no such thing as a bad question. Also, be sure to ask for clarification on all your work because you’ll be sure to learn from your mistakes!

  1.         Learn From Your Mistakes

Speaking about mistakes, be sure to learn from them! The harder you are on yourself going into taking this course the more stressed you may become. When making a mistake be sure to see where you went wrong and understand why you made those choices. It’s easy to beat yourself up but give yourself some grace!

  1.         Create Study Groups

Study groups are a great way to make new friends and learn material together. It allows for accountability and the opportunity to learn concepts from a different perspective. In an online course, it may seem difficult to accomplish however, sending a message in the chat asking, “Does anyone want to create a study group?”, can be the start of a great way to learn!

  1.         Seek to Understand 

We all know the person who can attend class, not study, and ace the exam. In Organic Chemistry, you must take the time to truly understand and sit with the material! This material does not make it possible to study the night before the exam. If you feel lost or confused, office hours are a great way to sit one-on-one with the professor to take your time on the material and get those questions answered!

  1.         Reward Yourself 

After all your hard work and studying throughout the week be sure to give yourself something to look forward to. Whether it’s seeing friends, a relaxing pool day, or reading a good book, make sure you’re allowing yourself to enjoy the summer. You’re working hard, so treat yourself!