Practical solutions for learning Organic Chemistry
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It’s different to General Chemistry, it’s more conceptual than mathematical, it requires better critical thinking skills, and it comes at a difficult time in the second year. Issues are traced back to the first semester where the foundational material is introduced and developed. The images below show how most of the key material tracks back to five first semester sections. Not knowing the basics makes it very difficult to do well.
Topics over 2 semesters
How they relate to Organic 1
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Establish the basics early on in Organic 1 - See Preparation & Organic 1 pages
Revisit the basics each time a new concept or reaction is introduced
Remind students that only so many things can happen in a chemical system
Offer students alternative ways of considering material - video, audio, animations
Throughout the site you wqill find text-based explanations, videos, and more that will make studying Organic Chemistry from the ground up more manageable and interesting.
