Why Is Organic Chemistry So Hard

Something else that makes it difficult is the math. To really understand chemistry you’ll need to be comfortable with equations, basic calculus and making calculations.

Is Organic Chemistry Hard? (Beginner Tips!)

Organic chemistry is one of the hardest science subjects. Its failure and retake rates are high, and its class grade average is low. It’s also very time-consuming, difficult to apply, and heavy on theoretical detail. If you haven’t done a general chemistry course first, you could really struggle.

Still, just because it’s hard doesn’t mean you should avoid organic chemistry (O-Chem). Plenty of students tackle and learn how to do well in it every year. I’ll talk about how later in this article.

Here’s what else we’ll cover:

• Useful things to know before starting O-Chem
• The hardest/easiest things about the subject
• How much time you should dedicate to it
• Tips on the best ways to prepare

As a med student myself; who’s had to pick up credit in two separate organic chemistry courses, I know what makes the subject so intimidating!

But I got through it and so can you.

Ready to learn more? Let’s go.

Why is organic chemistry so hard?

Here’s a brief rundown of why organic chemistry is so hard:

1. It’s very different to any other basic science course
2. It’s dependent mainly on symbols and visualizations (rather than language)
3. It’s conceptually challenging (with many reaction mechanisms similar and challenging to differentiate)
4. There’s very little guess work involved (most tests are not multiple choice in format)

That said, let’s move on to what you can do to help take the sting out of all the above…

Useful Things To Know Before Beginning An Organic Chemistry Course

First up, if you haven’t taken an organic chemistry course or chemistry assignment helper before, expect to find it confusing. O-Chem has something of its own visual language, where molecules and compounds etc. are represented by symbols and drawings. Priming yourself on how this all works (even if briefly) beforehand, can go a long way to helping you feel more comfortable in class.

I’d strongly recommend any newcomers check out Khan Academy’s introductory series first. Specifically this video…

This helped me tremendously starting out, explaining super simplistically what the visuals all mean.

Aside from this, here’s what else I feel you should know about before heading into an organic chemistry course:

1. Don’t get psyched out early. There are many ways to learn organic chemistry.
2. Take time to casually check out different learning resources (YouTube channels, books, etc.) first. Find something that speaks to you and stick to it.
3. Expect to make mistakes and struggle to understand things. Don’t give up on the concept though. Search for a better explanation!
4. Familiarize yourself with some of the core concepts of general chemistry (Lewis structures, bonding, Ka and pKa values, pH and atomic orbitals, etc) beforehand. You’ll be using a lot of that knowledge.

Overcoming all of organic chemistry’s difficulties is easily done with the right mindset.

The more resilient, persistent, and consistent you are with your studies you are, the easier you’ll find it. And that applies to any course level; high school, college, and beyond!

What To Expect From An Organic Chemistry Class

Probably the biggest thing to expect from organic chemistry, besides the visual representations, is the use of nomenclature (O-Chem’s specific language).

For a new student, this is can sound both confusing and intimidating. But it really needn’t be.

Spending a little time learning how it works, right before you begin, will show you this is nothing to be feared. Early practice with it (even if you just listen and watch) can help you pick it up first.

YouTube’s Crash Course series does a great job of explaining the nomenclature below…

But aside from these intricacies, you probably want to know what’s unique to organic chemistry that may not be in other subjects.

So here’s what I feel you should expect:

• Problem-based questions that can’t be answered by brute-force memorization
• Visualization: both in 2D and 3D (yes, modelling can help!)
• Getting super familiar with mechanisms (how reactions occur)
• Spending a ton of time with practice questions

Of course, every organic chemistry is going to be different and taught in varied styles, but the vast majority of its content (think 80-90%) is going to be the same.

Personally, compared to general chemistry, I found O-Chem a lot more fun.

Even with my hands getting constantly sore from drawing out skeletal structures while I worked through practice problems, it made a nice change from the hard calculations of general chem and physics!

What Do You Learn In Organic Chemistry?

Organic chemistry requires you to learn a lot of reactions and mechanisms. You’ll be drawing these out, recognizing the patterns, and applying them to practice problems. Repeatedly.

A typical 101 (or introductory course), will look something like this…

• General chemistry review
  • Atomic structures
  • Periodic table
  • Orbitals and electrons
  • Lewis-Dot diagram
  • Learning to draw skeletal structures
  • Bonding, charges and geometry
  • Functional groups
  • Structures and naming (nomenclature)
  • Acids and bases
  • Stereochemistry and molecular analysis
  • Mechanisms and reactions
  • Synthesis

  More advanced courses can also cover things like spectroscopy, redox reactions, and protecting groups.

  Something that can make your course easier is obtaining a copy of the syllabus or curriculum beforehand.

  Having just a little extra time to Google some of these weird-sounding topics (and watch a couple of videos on them), can do huge things for your confidence.

  You’ll see even advanced things can be broken down slowly and explained step-by-step.

  What’s Hard About Organic Chemistry

  1. Rules

  There are lots of rules and many exceptions (you’ll have to memorize a solid amount of them first before you can start recognizing patterns).

  2. Language

  You have to learn the “language” of the subject first (both nomenclature and visual representations). You can’t just dive in and expect to know what’s going on!

  3. Sequential

  It’s iterative. You can get easily frustrated learning all the possible reactions first before they make more intuitive sense later (after you begin learning mechanisms).

  4. Logic not memorization

  It involves reasoning and logic. Rote-memorization will only get you so far, you’ll need to always be asking why things happen the way they happen.

  You can’t learn organic chemistry in the same way you would biology, for example. Any questions you get are far more dependent on applied logic rather than factual recall.

  What’s Easy About Organic Chemistry

  1. Pattern recognition

  Once you start learning reactions you’ll notice you can apply similar ones to varying scenarios (reducing the amount of memorization required).

  2. Minimal math

  There are almost no calculations, equations, or calculus math required. Organic chemistry is much more “visual” than other areas of the subject.

  Personally, I feel there are fewer things that make O-Chem easy than it does hard. The fact it doesn’t have much “typical math” can be misleading. It’s hugely dependent on problem-solving and applied knowledge.

  You’ll need to be persistent working through exercises!

  How Much Time Will You Need To Successfully Pass Organic Chemistry?

  You’re going to need at least 5-10 additional hours a week, on top of your class and teaching time, to really make progress in organic chemistry.

  That’s a couple of hours dedicated to reviewing, one for pre-reading/topic preparation and the rest for working through practice problems.

  Your priority should always be on attempting as many questions/exercises as you can.

  That way you’ll identify areas you need to work on, topics you’re already familiar with, and benefit from the recall of concepts and facts.

  Getting questions wrong (and learning why your attempt failed) is probably one of the best ways to make good progress in organic chem (something evidenced in this paper).

  Organic Chemistry Failure Rate

  O-Chem has a notoriously high failure rate compared to many other undergrad courses.

  A dependency on rote memorization (strategies that worked in high school), won’t cut it in O-Chem, according to the academics.

  To overcome the failure rate it’s advised you visit professors, show your working of problems, and get as much feedback as possible on where you’re going wrong.

  Dedicated practice (and constant exposure), re-reading, is absolutely crucial.

  And if you do have to retake O-Chem, don’t worry too much. Adcoms for health degrees (med school included), won’t hold resits too much against you as long as you show a willingness to adjust your strategy and come out better the next time.

  What’s The Best Way To Prepare (And Make Organic Chemistry Easier)?

  Besides being disciplined in your study, putting in the hours, and focusing on attempting as many practice problems as you can, choosing good resources is going to help succeeding in organic chemistry all the easier.

  Because of the popularity of the subject, there are a lot of good ones out there and something destined to fit your preferred learning style.

  I’ll run through some of (what I feel) are the best ones here…

  YouTube Channels

  Along with Khan Academy and Crash Course that I already mentioned, here are some other fantastic channels for learning organic chemistry via YouTube.

  The Organic Chemistry Tutor

  One of the most comprehensive organic chemistry learning resources out there (182 videos in the O-Chem playlist alone), this channel is very similar to Khan Academy in style but has a lot more content.

  Eliot Rintoul

  Eliot Rintoul is an organic chemistry tutor specializing in teaching British students the subject. I got a huge amount of value from the practice problem explainers and exam question tutorials while preparing for my chemistry A-level.

  Leah4sci

  Leah tutors pre-med students planning on taking the MCAT. The playlists on her channel are very neatly organized, separated into individual topics (and reactions), as well as Orgo 1 and 2 structured courses.

  Websites

  These websites are especially great for tutorials and practice questions:

  And of course, I fully recommend the exceptional, free Khan Academy Organic Chemistry course. The integrated articles and quiz questions between videos are superb for solidifying the major concepts and getting the maximum efficiency from your study sessions. If that doesn’t strike your fancy, Online Courses Library has compiled this list of the best online organic chemistry courses available today too.

  Is Organic Chemistry Hard in High School?

  Organic Chemistry is sometimes offered as a single or double semester in high school. At this level, it’s fairly basic and designed for keen science students (or those considering pre-med) who are already getting good grades.

  Expect more memorization than problem-solving at this level, something that can make it a little easier.

  A lot like AP Biology.

  Is Organic Chemistry Harder than Medical School?

  O-Chem is certainly a tough subject but compared to medical school, and the quantity of information you’re expected to learn and master at that level, it could be a little easier.

  Med school certainly involves more memorization however and your typical exam questions are centered on clinical cases rather than chemistry-based problem-solving.

  There’s more room for error on your typical med school exam than there would be a dedicated organic chemistry test. You can also infer many of the answers via a process of elimination.

  Organic chemistry doesn’t work like that.

  Is organic chemistry harder than general chemistry?

  You really need to have studied general chemistry before you begin organic chemistry. Without it, O-Chem will seem much harder.

  General chemistry, especially with its early topics, is easier to grasp than organic chemistry. The concepts you learn, specifically on topics relating to atomic structure, electrons, and orbitals, etc., are super important to understanding many of the mechanisms and reactions in organic chem.

  Is inorganic chemistry hard?

  Inorganic chemistry is tough. For people who’ve never studied it before, some of the concepts can be hard to understand.

  Something else that makes it difficult is the math. To really understand chemistry you’ll need to be comfortable with equations, basic calculus and making calculations.

  Is organic chemistry harder than biochemistry?

  Yes, organic chemistry is harder than biochemistry. Most biochemistry courses require minimal problem solving and more factual recall. There are also fewer mechanisms you need to learn in biochem and more cycles.

  Having a good grounding in organic chemistry can really help you in biochem. You’ll be able to think about what happens in the cycles (reactions-wise) and be better equipped to “visualize” what’s happening to these molecules in the body.

  Is organic chemistry harder than physics?

  Both are difficult subjects. Physics is more dependent on math, however, so could pose problems to students uncomfortable with manipulating formulas and making calculations.

  Organic chemistry possibly involves more memorization but a similar level of problem-solving.

  Final Thoughts

  Organic Chemistry is definitely not easy and calls for time, discipline, and persistence to master.

  Unlike many other science subjects, it’s something of an anomaly. There’s isn’t much math and you can’t rely on memorization, but you do have to think logically and attempt a lot of practice problems to make progress.

  Yes, the failure rates are high so don’t make the mistake of thinking you can simply memorize solutions to answers and the thousands of different reactions and mechanisms.

  There’s no better substitution than seeking to ask why and applying that to every question you face.

  Work hard and you can definitely get there!

  If you found this article useful, you may find the following interesting:

  Is Organic Chemistry Hard?

  If you are contemplating medical school, you have probably asked yourself is organic chemistry hard. Not surprisingly, you have answered in the affirmative. One survey ranks organic chemistry as the hardest class in college. By some studies, nearly one in every two organic chemistry students fail or drop the class. For those who fall in this category, the dreams of a medical career come to a crashing halt.

  To be sure, organic chemistry is difficult. However, it does not have to strike fear nor quell your aspirations of becoming a doctor or other type of healthcare professional. Success in organic chemistry requires that you embrace different ways of learning and greater time commitments to practice and study.

  The Subject of Organic Chemistry

  To understand why is organic chemistry hard (or at least seems that way), you must consider the element of carbon — its presence, structure, properties, and uses. This sixth element lies at the heart of this branch of chemistry. The products of carbon find themselves in soap, shampoo, alcohol, plastic cups, pharmaceuticals, pencils, and other products on store shelves. Your vehicle’s engine runs thanks to oils and fuels produced by carbon. (After all, carbon comes from the “Carbo.” In Latin, that means “coal.”)

  Carbon accounts for 18 percent of human bodies. Many of the building blocks of life –carbohydrates, sugars, DNA, RNA, proteins, amino acids, vitamins, and proteins — owe their existence to carbon. While carbon is essential to life, it can wreak death. When carbon monoxide binds to hemoglobin, it deprives your body of oxygen and places your heart, brain, and your life in serious jeopardy.

  Carbon is such a creator because of its bonding capabilities. It can attach to atoms of other elements and to other carbon atoms. With a carbon’s small atom size comes its ability to stabilize when attaching to other atoms. The chains and configurations of carbon-bonded molecules and substances can run straight, in cycles, or in branches.

  Thanks to the bonding capabilities and types of chains, carbon-based molecules and compounds number roughly 20 million. This fact alone can render rote memorization of compounds impractical in organic chemistry.

  How You Learn Organic Chemistry vs. Other Subjects

  To understand why is organic chemistry hard, contrast it with how you learn other science subjects and arrive at answers. Biology is very fact-intensive. If you memorize and understand the concepts, you will find most of the answers to most questions and problems. In physics, astronomy, and general chemistry, math formulas supply much of the solutions to test problems. These classes allow you to succeed in good measure through memorization.

  The method of teaching organic chemistry does not allow for rote memorization. You get only a handful of formulas. Instead, students and organic chemists primarily express chemical reactions through letters, dashes, lines, and arrows. These diagrams represent the atoms that interact with carbon and the directions from which the bonding or other processes take place. With the many types of chains involved, the possibilities can seem endless.

  In addition, you must contend with the various factors involved in organic chemical reactions. These include the physical states and temperatures of the reacting atoms, concentrations and catalysts.

  Organic Chemistry Plows New Ground

  Many of your college-level prerequisites for medical school admissions are taught in high school. You have likely taken biology, chemistry, and physics in high school. Formulas you find in many types of college courses appeared in your high school textbooks. For many college premeds, the theories, processes, and diagrams involved in organic chemistry do not hit them until either the second-semester freshman or even sophomore year.

  Grasp the Foundations

  Critical thinking skills, rather than mere rote learning, are key to succeeding in organic chemistry. This starts with learning and grasping the essential rules and types of organic chemical reactions

  As a start, grasp the vocabulary. Disciplines such as engineering, health, medicine, and chemistry rely upon highly technical words and meanings. In organic chemistry, you have likely come across molecules, atoms, and elements (including carbon). Draw upon those definitions, as you will encounter them in the organic version of chemistry. As such, make sure you have a strong command of the basics of chemistry.

  Your professors often classify reactions based on whether the process involves adding, subtracting, substituting, or moving around atoms. Acidic substances (lemons, stomach acid, oranges) behave differently from bases (soaps, detergents, sea or ocean water, and drain pipe dissolvent). You may find functional groups of particular compounds. By functional, organic chemists mean that the molecules bond in the same way. Examples include alcohol and alkene. From the latter group come compounds found in plastic bags and antifreeze.

  Organic Chemistry and Admissions

  Despite its reputation, organic chemistry does not necessarily have to be the barrier to medical school admission.

  To be sure, you must take organic chemistry as a prerequisite to getting into medical school. However, medical schools and admissions testing have somewhat de-emphasized the importance of this brand of chemistry in admissions decisions. For example, most Ivy league medical schools require only one semester of organic chemistry. At some schools, courses such as biochemistry replace the requirement of multiple semesters of organic chemistry. Our medical school admissions consulting services include guiding you through the admissions requirements of medical schools in which you are interested.

  Further, the reputation of organic chemistry may mask its actual emphasis on the Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT). Among other subjects, the exam has a section on the “Biological and Biochemical Foundations of Living Systems.” Roughly five percent of this section is devoted to organic chemistry. This means you’ll likely not encounter many questions about it on your MCAT.

  Beyond Organic Chemistry

  High marks in organic chemistry help demonstrate to medical schools your ability in critical thinking and problem solving. These skills prove essential in a medical career. Yet, grades in organic chemistry alone do not guarantee you a spot in medical school nor necessarily end your dreams. Your academic portfolio should include courses in biology, biochemistry, psychology, other social sciences, and math. These subjects also appear on the MCAT and touch upon things you will encounter in the medical field.

  Medical schools look beyond just your grades, classes, and the MCAT. Pre-med school internships and experiences in the healthcare field allow you to witness what happens in the examination and treatment of patients. These opportunities help you demonstrate to a medical school that you understand the culture, demands and obligations of practicing medicine.

  At International Medical Aid (IMA), we provide opportunities for you to shadow physicians providing healthcare to many remote and fairly undeveloped parts of the world. In the places we serve in areas of Africa, South America, and the Caribbean, our patients often lack access to high-tech scanners, monitors, treatments, and other aspects of medical care common in Western and developed nations. Medical schools see your exposure to some of the most challenging aspects of delivering medical care and commitment to serving the underprivileged and underserved.

  Allow us to broaden and reinforce your passion for science, medicine, health, and helping others. Apply with us for one of our internships. We also provide medical school admissions consulting, including reviewing applications and essays and guidance on the admissions requirements of medical schools. Contact us to start your journey of making a difference.

  About IMA

  International Medical Aid provides global internship opportunities for students and clinicians who are looking to broaden their horizons and experience healthcare on an international level. These program participants have the unique opportunity to shadow healthcare providers as they treat individuals who live in remote and underserved areas and who don’t have easy access to medical attention. International Medical Aid also provides medical school admissions consulting to individuals applying to medical school and PA school programs. We review primary and secondary applications, offer guidance for personal statements and essays, and conduct mock interviews to prepare you for the admissions committees that will interview you before accepting you into their programs. IMA is here to provide the tools you need to help further your career and expand your opportunities in healthcare.