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Regardless of where Organic Chemistry is taught, regardless of the genius and/or talent of the professor, and regardless of any variable that can be conceived, there is a percentage of students who will fail. The average midterm grade in Organic Chemistry ranges between 25-50%, hovering around 38% for classes having professors who challenge their students. Typically the first midterm includes concepts of acid-base chemistry, pKa, valence bond theory, Lewis structures, resonance, hybridization, alkane nomenclature, Newman projections and radical chain reactions. As the material is introduced, students study in a manner identical to that which sufficed them since high school. Some periodically review their notes, and convince themselves they know the material. It's not until 4 days prior to the first midterm that they begin working the problems.
The first midterm is incredibly easy, although there are ways to make it far more challenging than you might imagine. At least two professors I know do this. If a student obtains an A or B grade on the first midterm, a certain false sense of security sets in. All of a sudden the course their upperclassmen said was the "killer" is simple... deceptively simple. The deceptively simple feeling is part of what leads students to fail Organic Chemistry.
The next midterm focuses upon application of the principles learned in the first four weeks, covering cyclohexane conformations, principles of conformational analysis, haloalkanes, stereochemistry, basicity vs. nucleophilicity, and finally SN1 and SN2 reactions. The principles learned for the first exam are considered long departed and irrelevant to the second exam. This couldn't be further from the truth. All of nucleophilic substitution is Lewis acid-base chemistry with a particular emphasis upon solvent effects. This midterm has a different feel to it, however the same behavior is exercised in preparation for it, with most students working the problems as late as 4 days prior to the exam. This is a major factor leading students to fail the course.
Suddenly the students with A and B-grades have scored B and C-grades. There's a feeling of shock when that exam comes back with the results. Each and every student feels as though s/he knew the material, however the grade doesn't lie. Suddenly, there's a commitment to "try harder" on the next exam. Material includes E1 and E2 reactions, conformational analysis, NMR and IR spectroscopy, and fundamental electrophilic addition reactions introducing the rearranging carbocations. Albeit the student may focus more for this exam, the study habits still have not changed. Come time for the next midterm, C and D-grades become manifest.
Material for the final exam covers electrophilic additions to alkenes in great detail, builds further upon reaction mechanisms, introduces fundamental carbonyl compounds, oxidation and reduction chemistry, utilizes organometallics such as Grignard reagents and alkyllithiums, and finally stresses synthetic Organic Chemistry, heavily focusing on retrosynthetic analysis. Each student is determined to get an A on the final to have a shot at a B or better. Still students fail, and immense frustration ensues.
Why do students fail Organic Chemistry?
The highest contributing factor leading students to fail is sporadic studying, focusing on the work immediately prior to the exam. In essence, it's choosing not to master time management. Furthermore, many students will invest equal time in reading the textbook as in working the problems. It's very common for students to spend far more time on the easier problems than on the challenging problems. The next highest contributing factor leading students to fail Organic Chemistry is clinging to the "skill" of memorization for dear life. Students who fail know it's better to learn to rationalize the problems and use logic, however the memorization approach is very comfortable, just like a comfortable glove.
This "comfortable glove syndrome" is what leads students to fail Organic Chemistry. It happens every semester, in every city, and in every school. Students fail Organic Chemistry because they cling to memorization for dear life. If Organic Chemistry is a "killer," then memorization is the gun firing the bullets. Repeat this to yourself three times.
You don't have to fail Organic Chemistry. If you have any faith in my words, or in the words of your professors, you'll realize we're all saying the same thing to you. Memorization is worthless and will cost you your grade. It will lead you to fail the subject. Building your logical and deductive reasoning skills will lead to you ace it.
It becomes rather simple. Memorize and fail Organic Chemistry, rationalize and ace Organic Chemistry. Unfortunately many students don't come to this realization until the course is over. Why? One single three syllable word...
de-ni-al [dih-nay-uhl] noun:
refusal to believe a doctrine, theory or the like;
disbelief in the existence or reality of a thing;
the refusal to recognize or acknowledge.
Denial is the most dangerous of all defense mechanisms because it leads us deeper and deeper into deficit, sometimes becoming so deep that it feels like a great chasm from which there is no escape.
This isn't my typical upbeat and positive writing style. I'm not sugar coating anything in this article because I want you to get the point without any possibility for bargaining or denial. As a matter of fact, when confronted with the realization that memorization will not work in Organic Chemistry, the student will proceed through 5 stages:
Denial;
Anger;
Bargaining;
Depression; and
Acceptance
These stages, popularly known by the acronym DABDA, were observed by Dr. Elisabeth Kübler-Ross when working with people experiencing catastrophic loss.
Organic Chemistry is unlike any science course you will ever take. It's the only course that brings chemistry majors to me in tears. Learn to excel - you can do it! Build your logical and deductive reasoning abilities. Study 20 hours per week. Reading the book doesn't count as study. The only thing counting as study is the diligent working and reworking of problems. When working the problems, ask yourself, "What would happen if I changed this variable?" Become inquisitive, get creative.
When my students ask me to give them the key for success, I always respond with the same line I've been using for the past 25 years. "Become comfortable with being uncomfortable." Dependence upon memorization is a behavior that you've built for 15+ years. A deeply seated behavior like that, especially one that has brought rewards, will not be countered easily. You must become the master of your own behavioral modification.
When extremely focused, it takes 90 days to modify a persistent behavior. I'm challenging you right now to transition from memorization to deductive reasoning.
This challenge will make you feel like the guy free climbing the mountain. This is where an exceptional tutor is of most use. Contrary to popular belief, exceptional Organic Chemistry tutors are not for digging you out of a hole. They do their best work when coaching or mentoring you as a Master Trainer would mentor a budding Olympic athlete. Exceptional Organic Chemistry tutors facilitate the behavioral modification process though guided learning.
Aspire, Achieve, Master, Succeed! Failure runs away from this attitude. Do yourself a favor, build some attitude, the right one. Ace that Organic Chemistry class!