You need to worry about many things since it is a very challenging time getting into high school. A lot is going on, and it can be an absolute nightmare, but one of your worst experiences will be the Organic chemistry classes.
Most students who learn organic chemistry complain about how tough it is. Why is this the case? Why is Organic chemistry so much more complex than all other chemistry concepts? Let us break this down and see the way out;
Why Is Organic Chemistry So Hard?
Organic chemistry has a reputation for being one of the most complex parts of education both at the college level and high school in education systems that learn it at that stage. Let us look at some reasons why this is the case.
1. Organic chemistry covers new material
You got concepts in junior high without the details in learning general chemistry.
In high school, you learned chemistry, where you covered the same ideas, except you went more profound in the details at a slow pace.
On the other hand, organic chemistry is all-new, and it comes in depth. It is a transition in the learning schedule students are accustomed to, so it is hard for most to take in all the concepts; hence it is very challenging.
Organic chemistry has many new vocabularies that students must learn to describe processes. Organic chemistry gives credit to the scientist, so you end up having to remember names and processes with complex structures you’ve never seen before.
2. Organic chemistry is conceptual
General chemistry is primarily mathematical; thus, most students treat it like Maths. The problem is that students overlook the concepts behind mathematics, and they get through general chemistry.
Organic chemistry, being conceptual, takes away the math that students use in general chemistry study.
The most effective tool students use in general chemistry is taken away in organic chemistry, so students have to develop new lines of thinking.
You need information from your first class to understand the second class, and you will need both for the third class. This dependence means that students struggle with all concepts since missing one only makes the future harder.
3. Organic chemistry requires students to remember and apply general chemistry concepts
Since students mostly covered the same concepts in General chemistry, they rarely needed to remember since it was always the same thing.
There are many concepts you need from general chemistry to understand organic chemistry. Most students treated chemistry as a math class to get answers, but they didn’t understand the concepts.
This means that good general chemistry students that depend on Maths entirely may struggle to translate the concepts they need in organic chemistry. Organic chemistry is a comprehensive course that is squeezed into a short period.
Conclusion
Organic chemistry is one of the most challenging topics for students worldwide, primarily because of its new dynamics. Creating a good foundation in general chemistry will make organic chemistry more manageable.