The following information is very important and should be carefully noted
by each student.
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1. | Class Meetings:
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July 8 to Aug 10 (Monday to Friday (9:00 AM-11:30 PM) in Room 278 (Chemistry)
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2. | Basis for Grading:
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| Two, Two (2) Hour exams |
50% |
| Eight, ten minute quizzes (two will be dropped) |
20% |
| One, three-hour, in-class scheduled exam |
30% |
| 100% |
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3. | Scheduled exam dates:
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| Exam 1: |
Tuesday, July 23, 2013 (self-scheduled, in afternoon or evening) |
| Exam 2: |
Monday, August 5, 2013 (self-scheduled, in afternoon) |
| Quizzes: |
(each fifteen minutes)-7/10, 7/12, 7/17, 7/19, 7/26, 7/30, 8/1 |
| Final: |
Friday, August 10, 2013, 9 AM to 12 PM |
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Topics to be Covered |
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| Topics |
Reference Chapter (section) |
Date
(tentative) |
| I. |
Oxidation Reactions |
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Oxidation Reactions, Epoxidation and Opening Ozonolysis Oxidation of dihydroquinone |
Chapter 11 and 20 |
(a week) |
| II. |
More Spectroscopy: |
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Mass Spectroscopy |
13.1-13.6 |
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Complex Splitting |
14.12-14.14 |
mostly covered in lab |
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13C NMR |
14.19-14.20 |
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| III. |
Chemistry of
Conjugated Systems |
| - |
General Information about Conjugated systems |
Chapter 7 |
( a week ) |
| - | Diels Alder |
Chapter 7, 30.1-30.3 |
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- | Additon to Conjugated Dienes |
Chapter 7 |
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| - |
Aromatic Compounds |
Chapter 7, Chapter 15 |
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- | Chemistry of
Aromatics: EAS NAS,
Elimination/Addition |
Chapter 15, Chapter 16
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- | allylic/benzylic chemistry |
Chapter 17
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IV. |
Carbonyl Chemistry |
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(half a week) |
| - | General Principles | handout |
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| - | Aldehydes and Ketones |
Chapter 18
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(half a week) |
| - | Carboxylic Acids |
Chapter 17
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(half a week) |
| - | Carboxylic Acid Derivatives |
Chapter 17
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(half a week) |
| - |
Enolates/Enols/alpha, beta-unsaturated
systems |
Chapter 19
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(half a week) |
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IV. |
Carbohydrates and Nucleic Acids |
Chapter 22 |
(half a week) |
V. | Amino Acids, Peptides and Proteins |
Chapter 23
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(half a week) |
| VI. |
Catalysis |
Chapter 24 |
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| General Good Practice. Do every other problem at the end of each chapter for practice in addition to flash cards. |
| 5. | Policies regarding extensions, make-up exams and extra help. |
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Extensions and make-up exams will be allowed only in extreme
situations. The student must have an appropriate written excuse from
his/her dean. |
| 6. | Honor Code: |
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Unless directed otherwise by the instructor, all written work is to be done independently without the aid of humans, textbooks, notebooks or other written materials. When time is called you are obligated to immediately turn in quizzes and exams. |
| 7. | e-mail: |
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All students must have an email account because vital messages are routinely sent out via email. If you are new to the course, please send the instructor an email at mnerzsto@brynmawr.edu.
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Study Tips for
Organic Chemistry
Organic chemistry is considered to be a very difficult course for most undergraduate students. The course material will be covered rapidly and the subject matter will at times be quite abstract. Your best academic effort will be required in order to do well. You cannot "cram" organic chemistry. Except for the rare individual, cramming results in short memory retention and high frustration. Since the comprehension of each new topic in this course relies heavily on what was learned previously, cramming can also result in plummeting grades as the semester progresses. In order to avoid these problems, the following approach to the course is suggested.
- Try not to miss class.
- Study the textbook on a given topic just before it is covered in the lecture, thus clearing up any misconceptions in your notes.
- Do in-chapter problems as you read the text. Write out the answers in detail, i.e., as you would like to while taking an exam. Try not to look up the answers until you have given them your best shot. Your problem solving abilities won't improve if you do not think the problems out thoroughly.
- Try to work through your notes every day.
- Upon completion of a chapter in class, study it a second time and then do the end-chapter problems and supplemental problems as a test.
- Regularly attend office hours. Don't let questions pile up, since it will be difficult to answer them all the day before the exam.
- VERY IMPORTANT! Writing and verbalization are essential to learning. I find that I learn new material much faster and more thoroughly if I "talk it or write it" out. For example, I can "talk" a lecture through once and know it, whereas if I read my lecture notes 20 times I will give a garbled, disorganized presentation. I have been very careful in the above suggestions never to use the word read. It is not good enough to simple read and understand your textbook and notes. Whether studying your notes or text, you must engage in a dynamic exercise. After observing a structure in the book, reproduce it from memory on scrap paper to see if you have absorbed all the relevant details. When you read the name of an organic compound, translate that name into a structure so you will understand its significance. When a reaction is written in your notes, try to work out the most likely products using your knowledge of mechanism. Additionally, you could form study groups and act as a teacher to one another. I can assure you these approaches work. I use them all the time and I have a horrible memory!
- Look up the correct answers to problems from exams and quizzes while the material is fresh in your mind. It will help you with the final.
- ASK QUESTIONS!!!!!!!!!!
I realize it is impossible to be completely organized (at least for me). I also realize that all the above suggestions won't help everyone, but do try to have an orderly approach to the course. It really can be a lot of fun if everything is not left to the last minute. Yes! It says FUN. Good luck!!
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