LogFAQs > #982321038

Hospy posted...

I have, and don't think that it is specifically more difficult than other subjects, but it's just different. The major hang up that people who have difficulty with it is that there is very little that prepares you for it. You have your math prerequisites, you have your chemistry prerequisites, you have your biology prerequisites, but organic chemistry is just a fundamentally different subject from what you've been studying prior to it.

That describes it pretty well honestly. It's difficult sure, but a lot of it is because it is almost entirely brand new information learned relatively late in someone's academic career. People can get by in general chemistry with decent math skills and following unit conversions, but Organic has a lot of new nomenclature to learn from the start before even getting into reaction mechanisms. It's also rough on people who aren't able to visualize chemical structures and their conformations in their mind.

It's very manageable if you're willing to dedicate the time to it because there is a LOT to learn and understand.