<p>There is a class that I would like to take during the time of the oasis chem 140a workshop at oasis. I’m wondering if I should just take the class and just do without the workshop for o chem. Is Ochem something you just have to sit down and make yourself study (like biology) or is it something you have to really understand (like math)? Is the thinking you do more mathy like physics and math, more biology (memorization), or in the middle (like gen chem- a combination of both memorization and math problems)?</p>
<p>I do think Ochem is something you need to… practice. While there is understanding involved it’s not like physics or math where you can just understand a concept and then apply it to many problems. Ochem is very visual and it’s about drawing and seeing reactions happen, and just understanding won’t help you when you get to more complex molecules. You need to practice thinking in 3D. There is memorization involved but it’s definitely not gen chem or biology… Not saying oasis won’t be able to help you though because they might. But it’s pointless to expect people from oasis to teach you if you won’t put in the required time to practice on your own.</p>
<p>i think the path to success in ochem is work hard + memorize everything first, understand later. at least that’s how i went about it – i had to see common mechanisms a few [dozen] times before the patterns really made sense to me, and even after they “make sense,” it doesn’t mean that you’ll be able to propose a correct rxn mechanism in its entirety after that. i took a few graduate-level ochem electives, and even in those classes we would study for our exams by drawing out the mechanisms over and over, effectively committing them to memory. </p>
<p>ochem’s kinda like driving from one city to another – you’re taught little steps along the way (learning how to turn on the car, how to turn, etc) but it isn’t until you put everything together and repeat it ad nauseam that you can get results.</p>
<p>contrary to subtle_overlord, i never thought (too) much in 3D…I did try that for determining S&R rotations, but after i went to various discussions (sometimes more than one in a week, sometimes none) and learned a trick. I skipped a total of 3 lectures throughout 140A-C (one in each, for terrible reasons in retrospect…like sleeping in) and I strongly recommend going to lecture, especially for B & C since that’s when my professors deviated from the book and started teaching whatever they felt like teaching, skipping out portions of the book.</p>
<p>Do practice problems. Two, four, eight times if necessary. It is about memorization at first but once you get the ‘patterns’ down, you can predict the reactions. Very important to keep writing rxn mechanisms on paper, over and over, or think about them in your mind as you walk to class, haha…</p>
<p>That said, I found that my TAs helped for A & C (I didn’t go to B) so if you have the discipline to make a commitment and go to their sections/OH, it might be well-worth it to go to that rather than oasis, if you have to take that other class.</p>
<p>if you have the time and discipline to do oasis, then by all means go. heard they have a lot of good practice material. some of my friends found it useful.
BUT, i’d rather take practice questions than simply sitting there listening to other people talk. So, all depends on how much time you have on your hands (and how much you are willing to study)</p>