Posted on behalf of Materials Girl
Freshman year passed in [what is now] a blur. I mostly recall slaving over o-chem labs, studying relentlessly, and pondering a major in chemistry. Adaptation to university life was immediate and painless, apart from coping with the much heightened level of academics.
For instance, semi-brainless writing was an A+ in community college (during high school), while just scratching an A- at the university level. It went from simply using proper grammar and sounding vaguely intelligent, to really having to analyze and think things through to create new ideas. Science and math also seem to follow that route – going from primarily plug & chug on multiple-hour exams to 50 minutes of where-the-hell-did-this-come-from?!
So, returning from the tangent of academic discrepancies, I struggled during the first year of university, but never despaired for longer than a day. If anything, it was always o-chem causing stress…
Speaking of which, upper-division lab begins next quarter and I haven’t dealt with o-chem for over two years – it’s all been inorganic and physical since freshman year. My labwork has barely involved chemicals or spectroscopy, and even less of hot plates, TLC, separatory funnels*, etc… In essence, my doom is waiting around the corner and I’ll be re-studying like a madwoman. What do you consider the main tenets of o-chem book-knowledge and laboratory technique? What should I focus on?
*Granted, after hearing a good number of professors recount horror stories on the misuse of sep funnels, it’s hard to forget, say, shaking one without holding it closed. Still, it sounds terribly amusing to see someone else’s reaction propel a stopper across the room…
I mostly recall slaving over o-chem labs
Organic synthesis is life, everything else is waiting. Know your LCAO approximation and the synthon approach. See form not substance. Substance will follow. Without understanding information is only data. (When in doubt, palladium.)
9,9’bianthracene and benzyne to
https://www.mazepath.com/uncleal/bitrypta.png
then FeCl3/MeNO2 to
https://www.mazepath.com/uncleal/
how much happy can you stand?
https://www.mazepath.com/uncleal/bitrypt2a.png
https://www.mazepath.com/uncleal/bitrypt2b.png
(append some solubilization)
Flat molecules are sooo pre-Enlightenment.
Studying doesn’t help for labs—you have to be able to think on your feet, since the unexpected can and does happen. Experience is key, but taking only the required labs isn’t enough for a lot of people (in terms of building practical competence). From what I’ve seen, undergrads who lab tech their way through college, or at least do a little research on the side, fare much better. Two of my labmates are TAing an advanced organic lab this semester…it’s shocking (and, um, actually kinda hilarious) to hear some of their stories.
As far as sep funnel horror stories…one DCM shower is all you ever need, and after that you will remember to vent very quickly for the rest of your life. Ouch.
Especially if the DCM layer has your product in it…
I feel your pain…really. I’ve got the same scenario going for me right now!
To brush up on o-chem, I picked up “Organic Chemistry as a Second Language” by David Klein (there’s two books: one for each semester of the course). They allow you to study the most important o-chem topics, with each topic as a chapter. Most helpful to me were the study questions and practice problems that were spread out through the text as well as at the end of each chapter.
You can get these books on amazon.com or maybe even a university bookstore.
Good luck on reviewing o-chem! It hasn’t been easy for me, but without these books I would be doomed!