Well, I am three days into my organic chemistry hell! I am enrolled in an intensive program that gives credit for the entire year of organic chemistry in 8 weeks. Fool that I am, I am also enrolled in the lab courses. First quiz was today, first test is tomorrow (over three chapters), lab report and a prelab for the next lab due tomorrow . . . Next test is on Wednesday!
Needless to say, I am living, eating, breathing, and sleeping orgo. I dreamed (or had nightmares) about functional groups last night. Fortunately for me, I just finished gen chem, and many of the concepts discussed so far are familiar to me from that. Many of my classmates who took gen chem two or three years ago are really struggling.
Despite the fast pace, though, I really do feel like I am learning a lot.
And I thought I was busy with gen chem, bio, physics and calculus last quarter . . . . HA!
Amy
Amy,
A whole years worth in 8 weeks, huh? Girl, you are a masochist!!! Good luck to you. I usually like the fast paced classes (like summer school) because I don’t get bored.
Kathy
Well, first quiz was yesterday (25/25). First exam was today (over three chapters) I didn’t think it was too bad, but I don’t know how much partial credit he’ll give on the 6 10 point questions.
We got our first pre-lab back today as well. They really ripped some people HARD. I did pretty well though (51.5/55).
Right now (at 8pm) I’m trying to decide if I want to take a nap before I read the chapter we are doing tomorrow!! Next test is Wednesday!
Amy
Amy,
I am right here with you. Got my second exam back today. Took it Wednesday. I am already studying for next wednesdays exam. Our book is by Bruice, which one are you using. I’m feeling fortunate cause my prof is excellent and he provides notes so we don’t have to draw furiously during lecture (2hrs a day). My lab is 10 hours a week. And then of course there is the MCAT in August and my 5 year old daughter. I won’t whine too much… It will probably get harder in med school. Anyway, I’m liking orgo and getting a low A so far.
Good luck to you… and now I’m going to get back to chapter 5, Stereochemistry.
Jill
Your week sounds like mine. I’m not doing Orgo I and II in 8 weeks but I am doing Biochem I in 4 weeks and Orgo II + lab in 8 weeks. We had our first Biochem exam on Tues, our first orgo assignment due Wed, a 200 pt Biochem project due Thurs, and our first prelab and expt Thurs. I’m living, eating, breathing, and sleeping Orgo too since Biochem is a ton of orgo as well lol. We have our first quiz in orgo on Monday, our second Biochem exam on Thurs, 2 orgo homeworks, 1 lab report and 1 prelab all next week lol.
Plus I just agreed to officially tutor one of my friends in her summer Orgo I class ($12/hr 
).
It’s a good thing I actually like the classes 
–Jessica, UCCS
Jill,
We are using Organic Chemistry, 3rd edition by Brown and Foote. It’s not too bad. It has an accompanying study guide and solutions manual, which is actually pretty helpful as they give explanations and answers for ALL of the problems.
We start stereochemistry tomorrow. After staying up studying and doing lab reports until after midnight the past two days, I’m having a hard time convincing myself to read the chapter tonight.
We have lecture 9 - 12, Monday through Friday, and lab 1:30 - 5:30 T,W,R.
Amy
Wow Amy… and I thought a 5 week course was fast. I didn’t read the chapter before the lecture. For me, it wouldn’t have been productive. I’m reading it now because it is making more sense after the class. The 3D stuff needs visuals. I’ll be working on the problems later tonight. I’ve got a solutions manual too. It is amazing how they can charge $120 for a textbook without answers and then charge another 80 for the solutions.
Yep - don’t you love the “Bundles” that they come up with to make the extra buck off of the student? I didn’t buy the bundle for this class because I foolishly assumed that the study guide would not be that helpful (like the ones that have come bundles with other courses). Too late, I find out that it is a solutions manual as well. (After buying my book online for much less money). Fortunately, the director of the program agreed to sell me an extra copy of the solutions manual that he had for $25!! ($65 on Amazon).
My big pet peeve with the bundles is that once you open the bundle, you can’t return them. So, if a week into the class you decide to drop, you are out the bucks. For me, that’s not an issue because I HAVE to have every class I’ve enrolled in, but I feel bad for those who decide that maybe the class is not for them and just lost $$$ on books.
On another note, I got a 96 on the first test. It was a 94, but I convinced him that a question was very poorly worded and he decided to throw it out and give everyone 2 extra points.
I’m taking the evening off from Organic, and will be back studying it tomorrow.
Amy
the thing that gets me about the bundled books is that in some cases they’re giving you the same thing twice - in one of my chem classes I got the textbook, which had the end of chapter answers (at least the odd-numbered ones) in appendix 5 or something. Then in the bundle was the “solution manual” that had the odd numbered answers in it - not the solutions, or any explanation of how to solve the problems, just the SAME STUFF that I’d already paid for.
Last semester I paid almost $700 for textbooks. I sold them back and got $140 in return. BTW, the books were returned in very, very good condition, CD’s (which generally are useless, imho) included, neatly highlighted or underlined, etc.
From now on, I buy the books on line. For my current Anatomy class I had the choice of buying the book new from the school bookstore for $140, used for $90 (and without the ability to look for a good copy, they just grab one and bring it to you), or online, I was able to get the complete bundle (text, applications manual and atlas), brand new in the box, for $70 including shipping.
Oh, I was also able to find the $75 (used) paperback lab manual for $10 on ebay - I just lucked out there, when I was ordering the books (2 months ago for a class this summer) I logged onto ebay and found the lab manual being sold, for $7.00 (less than $10 with shipping).
It pays to shop around, and the publishers (who have an amazing amount of control over the school bookstores, and the departments choice of textbooks) are not nice people.