JJ asked 2 years ago
Hello! Next semester, I will be taking CHEM 215, BIO 172, a French class, a 2-credit social science class, and a FYWR. Do you have any advice on taking Orgo 2 and Bio 172? I didn’t do that well in Orgo I and I’m hoping to show some improvement. I also signed up to take the CSP session of Orgo 2 (CHEM 214). It is a 1-credit class that is meant to prove time for practice problems and is completed as credit/no credit. If anyone has taken this course, did it help you with Orgo?
Hanin Elhagehassan answered 2 years ago
In my experience, Orgo 2 and Bio 172 should not be too bad paired together (many premeds end up taking these two courses simultaneously).
I took Orgo 2 a while ago (so things may be different), but here are some things that worked for me:
- Referring to the textbook for concepts I didn’t understand during lecture, YouTube videos (Khan Academy, Professor Dave Explains), or my personal favorite supplementary text: “Organic Chemistry As a Second Language: Second Semester.”
- Made a “reaction sheet” that classified different types of reactions, reagents, mechanisms, and rationales (drive behind the reaction) as I progressed through the class. I found that this really helped me distinguish between different reactions and made studying for exams easier.
- Take good notes during lecture! This sounds like a simple piece of advice, but being able to refer back to your notes is really helpful!
- Do the coursepack and attend office hours to check your work, or discuss it with peers. In my experience, Orgo 2 coursepack solutions were not readily available as they were in Orgo 1, so attending office hours may be helpful.
- The SLC has drop-in peer tutoring (and study groups), which I’ve heard is pretty helpful.
For Bio 172, I am going to link past Q&A answers with lots of tips/advice:
Both Orgo 2 and Bio 172 require memorization, so I would definitely make sure you are staying on top of all your lectures and the material!
Hanin Elhagehassan answered 2 years ago
This seemed to have cut off, but in regards to CHEM 214: I have not taken this course personally, nor know of anyone who has, but I would imagine that taking the class can only serve to benefit you. Worst case scenario, if you find that the course is not helpful, dropping it is always an option! Hope this helped! Feel free to follow up if you have anymore questions.