Day in the Life of an Organic Chemistry Student

Like many students who are thinking of pursuing a career in the health/medical field, I was frightened by the horror stories I had heard regarding organic chemistry in a college setting, let alone on the block plan where I would need to learn the material in three and a half weeks. Although I am not planning to take the MCAT, I am pursuing a career in physical therapy and my molecular biology major requires that students complete both organic chemistry I and II (CH250 and CH251).

To my surprise, organic chemistry proved to be one of my favorite topics to learn in college. I took these courses in the spring of my sophomore year, which thankfully was before the school transitioned into its online format. I also took an organic chemistry half block course in January that helped prepare me for the two full blocks. I would highly recommend taking that half block course (CH204) to help prepare yourself for the starting material in organic chemistry I. Furthermore, if you are thinking of taking the first two organic chemistry courses (CH250 and CH251), I would recommend taking them one after another in third and fourth block with fall break in between, fourth and fifth block with winter break in between, or sixth and seventh block with spring break in between.

One of the great advantages of the block plan is that it fosters close relationships between classmates since you spend every day with each other for three and a half weeks and in many science classes, the time commitment spans beyond the daily three-hour morning class. I spent many hours working on assignments and studying for tests with my peers and I was able to meet many new and fun people. Although the idea of spending a significant amount of time studying may sound intimidating, from personal experience, having study buddies makes the whole process way more fun and entertaining and creates a sense of camaraderie and teamwork. While I was completing these two courses, I felt like I was the most productive I had ever been as a student. Make sure that you find time to relax and take your mind off of chemistry as well!

In the first organic chemistry course, I learned many of the basic concepts required for understanding chemical reactions including the nomenclature, structure, physical properties, and spectroscopy of organic molecules. We also completed multiple labs to help us understand the material more in depth. I personally am not as successful in lab as I am in the classroom, but the chemistry professors at CC helped me feel confident with the material each day before leaving lab, which allowed me to stay on track and not fall behind.

The picture above illustrates some examples of the basic structures that you learn how to draw.

You also learn the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) system for chemical nomenclature and terminology. The table above summarizes some of the simpler formulas for carbon compounds and their names. I will not go into more detail about the naming formulas beyond the idea that the number of carbons helps to determine the prefix of its name. I do not want to scare you off from taking this class because trust me, you will learn everything you need to know to understand the material including the picture and table above.

After taking organic chemistry at CC, I truly embraced the idea of a “growth mindset” where I believed that my academic abilities can be developed through dedication and hard work rather than believing that these abilities are simply fixed traits. These classes opened my eyes to science on the block plan. I understand that the block plan is not for everyone, but I believe that if you dedicate yourself toward a time intensive class and honestly believe that you can succeed, you will accomplish your goals. I would highly recommend taking these courses even if they are not a requirement.

You will never regret working hard because hard work always pays off.

Sincerely,

Katie H. '21