Organic chemistry

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The professors also all hate organic so you often don’t get the best instruction.
My kid is at a top 10 school and getting bs and cs in orgo — her chem advisor says she’s doing fine with those grades. Her other classes are all super easy for her—this is the only slog. But it really depends a lot on the school — it’s hard everywhere but in some schools, it’s really hard and C is considered a pretty good grade. Some other top schools grade inflate a little more and do like a B curve instead of a C curve.

I’ll never forget an orgo test with the top score setting the curve from a 36/100.

What is the point of an exam where the best student only gets 36%

I've always wondered that. Had one bad calc prof in college (it was known they were terrible but had to take the course that semester). The average one midterm was ~18 with a high score of 39, with another 3 people getting 37/32/30 (in a class of ~40). I had the 37, but it was challenging studying for that class, because it really didn't matter---you looked at the exam and thought, WTH, and did your best. I get not having an average of 95, but there should be somewhere in between

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The professors also all hate organic so you often don’t get the best instruction.
My kid is at a top 10 school and getting bs and cs in orgo — her chem advisor says she’s doing fine with those grades. Her other classes are all super easy for her—this is the only slog. But it really depends a lot on the school — it’s hard everywhere but in some schools, it’s really hard and C is considered a pretty good grade. Some other top schools grade inflate a little more and do like a B curve instead of a C curve.

I’ll never forget an orgo test with the top score setting the curve from a 36/100.

What is the point of an exam where the best student only gets 36%

I've always wondered that. Had one bad calc prof in college (it was known they were terrible but had to take the course that semester). The average one midterm was ~18 with a high score of 39, with another 3 people getting 37/32/30 (in a class of ~40). I had the 37, but it was challenging studying for that class, because it really didn't matter---you looked at the exam and thought, WTH, and did your best. I get not having an average of 95, but there should be somewhere in between

On the other hand I once had an advanced math class where they graded on a strict thirds curve so a 95 ended up being a B. I was on the fence about my math minor anyway and decided not to go further.

They keep harping on about having more kids in STEM but then they haze potential STEM students like crazy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A trend now is to take OChem in the summer at a community college and then repeat it at your 4-year. You aren't using the CC class for credit, but to prepare you to get a good grade in the one that matters.

you have to submit the CC grade to med school apps. NOT a good look, at all.

How would you be forced? How would medical school even know you did?

. It is called integrity. No one who has to audit orgo and lie about it should be a doctor. Most likely those who do will not be able to get a good mcat score anyway. Reading the text in advance, doing extra problems, going to office hours and putting a lot of study time in is plenty to at least get a B-, a below average grade, in orgo, for anyone who has the level of thinking needed to become a physician.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A trend now is to take OChem in the summer at a community college and then repeat it at your 4-year. You aren't using the CC class for credit, but to prepare you to get a good grade in the one that matters.

you have to submit the CC grade to med school apps. NOT a good look, at all.

How would you be forced? How would medical school even know you did?

. It is called integrity. No one who has to audit orgo and lie about it should be a doctor. Most likely those who do will not be able to get a good mcat score anyway. Reading the text in advance, doing extra problems, going to office hours and putting a lot of study time in is plenty to at least get a B-, a below average grade, in orgo, for anyone who has the level of thinking needed to become a physician.

How is a B- a “below average grade”? By definition, a C is average and orgo is most often graded on a curve.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A trend now is to take OChem in the summer at a community college and then repeat it at your 4-year. You aren't using the CC class for credit, but to prepare you to get a good grade in the one that matters.

you have to submit the CC grade to med school apps. NOT a good look, at all.

How would you be forced? How would medical school even know you did?

. It is called integrity. No one who has to audit orgo and lie about it should be a doctor. Most likely those who do will not be able to get a good mcat score anyway. Reading the text in advance, doing extra problems, going to office hours and putting a lot of study time in is plenty to at least get a B-, a below average grade, in orgo, for anyone who has the level of thinking needed to become a physician.

How is a B- a “below average grade”? By definition, a C is average and orgo is most often graded on a curve.

No school curves orgo to a 2.0. None. Mine was very anti-grade inflation and curved to a 2.6 GPA. Most top schools curve to a 3.2 or even a 3.3, so above a B.

[Anonymous]

With organic chem, you either get it or you don’t. For some reason, some perfectly smart kids just find it incomprehensible

[Anonymous]

I think you really have to be able to visualize and understand it. If you try to brute force memorize your way through, that typically does not work. I have a friend with a PhD in orgo and this is what he said.