<p>I just got my MT1 back and I did horribly...
I am wondering how's the course curved. Is each test curved individually and given a grade, or in the end the total score (out of 400) is curved?</p>
<p>I might have a chance to still get a good grade if it's the whole curse that's curved....</p>
<p>im pretty sure the whole course is curved. oh man, i dont want to get mine back haha</p>
<p>For Frechet, the entire course is curved. Don't screw up on the final.</p>
<p>Yeah, it's curved.</p>
<p>I did so horribly... I am not even kidding. </p>
<p>I will have to score really well on the mt 2 and final to get good grade in the class.</p>
<p>If you study hard, you should do fine, don't worry. But watch out for his second midterm. When I took the class last year, if I remember correctly, the average for the first midterm was around 60% while the average for the second one was little over 45%. I ended up doing better in the second one, though.</p>
<p>the firs midterm this year was 55% average and I scored really really bad (below average....)
It might be in my favor if people tend to do worse on the second one since I would have a chance to pull up the grade if i study hard enough to the second one... I was so stupid that I didn't even bother to read the book for MT1 and then all the big problems just came straight from the book</p>
<p>"But watch out for his second midterm. When I took the class last year, if I remember correctly, the average for the first midterm was around 60% while the average for the second one was little over 45%."</p>
<p>True that. First midterm is more concept based while the second one has more synthesis type questions with fill in the blanks and whatnot.</p>
<p>There's no getting around it, you have to just keep doing practice problems for the second midterm.</p>
<p>The whole class is curved. Just study hard for the second midterm. In general second midterms are more difficult, but you have a better grasp of the exams' layout so you can study more efficiently.</p>
<p>oh noes 55%? i have mine on friday. he was pretty tricky. 'all you need to know is electron configuration and um naming compounds, very easy... its so easy'</p>
<p>anyone here got the high score, out of curiosity?</p>
<p>Can anyone who have taken this class give some advice about preparing for the MT2? </p>
<p>Right now, I am basically just try to read everyday about whatever he went over in the lecture. I am doing the P-set that's posted on bspace and also problems in the book......... is there anything else that I can do to prepare myself better?</p>
<p>Does more "synthesis" mean more memorization?</p>
<p>gosh... I really did bad on the first midterm. I wish what Frechet said about he has seen many people who were in the lower end for the MT1 end up in the top end was true....</p>
<p>"Does more "synthesis" mean more memorization?"</p>
<p>Definitely. But it also means knowing how to apply these new mechanisms in different situations. What you're going to find the most annoying on the second midterm is the phrase "the best synthetic route." There are many ways to get from point B from point A, but there's only one that is "the best." So, often times, you'll choose to do a retrosynthesis in one way (which is completely right in terms of chemistry rules), but find that you get points taken off because it's not the best route. Usually, the best route will be the one that gives you the highest yield of desired final product and least yield of side products.</p>
<p>In retrospect, what would have helped a lot for the midterms is a checklist of all the reactions and the best conditions for these reactions. It's important to understand why these reactions work best under certain conditions while others don't. You should make such a list and get it checked over by a GSI. It will help tremendously for this class.</p>
<p>"find that you get points taken off because it's not the best route."</p>
<p>Really? When I took both Chem 3A and 3B, I found that any route that gave the final compound at the end garnered me full credit. Both Frechet and Viernes allowed flexibility in choosing which route to take in their synthesis problems.</p>
<p>"Does more "synthesis" mean more memorization?"</p>
<p>Yeah, you basically need to memorize all the reactions and mechanisms that he gives you. However, that is not enough. O-Chem was hard because not only did I have to spend hours memorizing all those reactions, but I had to know how to apply them in different problems. I think these two points are what makes organic chemistry so hard. You need to memorize and learn how to apply them to completely new situations, much like a puzzle.
So emiko, make sure you go to those weekly review sessions that the head GSI gives, I found those dead useful. Also, if you need more help, I suggest you join a study group given by the SLC and make sure you try to do all the problems that are assigned by Frechet and read the book!</p>
<p>"Really? When I took both Chem 3A and 3B, I found that any route that gave the final compound at the end garnered me full credit. Both Frechet and Viernes allowed flexibility in choosing which route to take in their synthesis problems."</p>
<p>I think I took them at the same time you did. I'd always get one or two points taken off because I did not have the best route, either because there would be side products or I did not have a more concise synthesis. For example, on Viernes' second midterm, I chose to use an extra step in one of the addition elimination retrosynthesis questions and I got 2 points taken off. He wouldn't budge on it either, he stated that his solution was "the simpler and more efficient route since it saves reagents," even though the GSI's I asked said my route was completely correct.</p>
<p>ah, i see, but since it was couple points it was no big deal. And I think Frechet is little bit more lenient in that area. Nice that you still remember stuff from 3B, as for me, I promptly forgot everything the minute after the final.</p>
<p>yeah.. I think I am going to start going to the study groups.</p>
<p>I am pretty stressed out for this class. I really hope it will end up alright...</p>
<p>o btw, Frechet mentioned in the class that in the past, the final average came down to around 50% of total score. So.. what would the percentage be for A? (not A-)</p>
<p>pickaprof.com shows Frechet giving 29% of the class an A of some sort. So I would look at the upper quintile as something reasonable to shoot for if you want a flat A.</p>
<p>Dang. We are all in the same boat. That first MT was very very bad...
anyway, I heard that last year, the cutoff for B (I am guessing B-) was 65% in the class.... >.< I must study really hard....and do extremely well on MT 2 and final... Good luck everyone... But don't stress too much since the whole class is on a "very generous" curve...</p>
<p>Old thread, but just wondering, do Frechet’s Midterm#1’s usually have averages around 70%? It seems really high…</p>