Chemistry 171/172

collegestu816 · May 25, 2011, 1:15pm

For those you who are interested, you can compare some of Soria and Weinschenk’s past exams and see for urself before u decide who to take…

bernie12 · May 25, 2011, 1:44pm

collegestu: If you’d like I can you send you some of the 222-Z material from the past year.

Yeah, if people pay attention, they would realize that it is more so the style of testing and exam format that differs, much moreso than the actually difficulty (Soria’s looks more simplistic, but the problems are hardly pleasant). Also, people should notice the “jump” between Soria’s exams. 1 is very easy, 2 is a little harder, and 3 is somewhat challenging. Also, CollegeStu: Did you take Soria?: If so, you could elaborate on the final, which you know is very hard. Both give tough exams and emphasize different things.

Is there anyway to add to this? I don’t have solutions, I have blanks unfortunately. I could add Weinschenk 222 and Soria 222 if you’d like. He also had an exam 2 (221, Soria) the past year with a fairly difficult “hard section” (there was some question telling them to properly place a molecule in an active site). and then he once again slammed them with the 3rd exam and final. I could send those (Actually, I can send only the "hard section of 221 exam 2, I have the whole thing in like 2 different piles, and they won’t be compiled by Adobe properly, the pages come out to be different sizes). Again, I think W. wins first semester, and Soria second semester. Also, the 2nd and 3rd exams my year for 171 were harder, same with the past year. However, their 172 (Spring 10’) was pretty tough. I think the general concensus for Soria is: It’ll go reasonable first semester, at least until the final (which he doesn’t release) and then leave it because you know what’s in store next semester. Without 222 stuff (or a Soria final), one can’t put this in perspective. However, I’ll try. You’ll find that Soria and Weinschenk cover different material at different times. For example, it is best to compare 222-Z exam 2 with W’s 221 exam 3 because they cover similar material. And again, don’t just say well, “this looks harder than X”. Actually look at the actually questions being asked. Some of the W stuff looks hard b/c it’s wordy (Same w/Soria sometimes), but in reality, it is very basic if you studied. Like that exam three had very basic questions for the “hard section”.

Actually, you folks, I’ll set it up myself, and then make a post for your viewing. I don’t have the first exam from Soria and it’s not worth viewing anyway, it’s a “trick exam” to boost student confidence before crashing it down.

ilikepizza · May 25, 2011, 2:04pm

oh my god I never learned those stuff in my AP chem class. is it smart to to use my AP chem credit? I’m so scared right now. non of those drawing stuff even makes sense. does weinschenk tend to do bonus points on every test?

bernie12 · May 25, 2011, 2:17pm

Soria 222-Z exam 2 Spring 2011: <a href=“https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=explorer&chrome=true&srcid=0B456FmeCw42BM2U2ODVhNDItNmRiZS00M2E2LThiMjAtYTYyZDg5YzlhYWVi&hl=en_US&authkey=CNzwgdAM[/url]”>https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=explorer&chrome=true&srcid=0B456FmeCw42BM2U2ODVhNDItNmRiZS00M2E2LThiMjAtYTYyZDg5YzlhYWVi&hl=en_US&authkey=CNzwgdAM</a>
The explanations, synthesis, and some of the predict the products are very time consuming (W would only present some of these in the hard section on his exam, but they are considered easy by this point in Soria’s class, so you’re just expected to do an “intramolecular diels-alder” on spot and quickly). This test is another example, where Jose is, unlike Weinschenk, simplistic in format. However, if you attempt the problems, they are actually hard (whether or not they have long introductions or not)

srcid=0B456FmeCw42BM2U2ODVhNDItNmRiZS00M2E2LThiMjAtYTYyZDg5YzlhYWVi&hl=enUS
Soria 221-Z exam 2 “easy portion”: <a href=“https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=explorer&chrome=true&srcid=0B456FmeCw42BYTE3MDE4ZDAtZWEwMy00YTFjLWJjMjAtNDAzNWIyMzU4OTI4&hl=en”>https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=explorer&chrome=true&srcid=0B456FmeCw42BYTE3MDE4ZDAtZWEwMy00YTFjLWJjMjAtNDAzNWIyMzU4OTI4&hl=en</a>US

Soria exam 2 hard portion: <a href=“https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=explorer&chrome=true&srcid=0B456FmeCw42BYjQyMDhmNDItMGMzMi00MTEwLTlhN2YtZmUzNDBlMmU3YjA3&hl=en_US[/url]”>https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=explorer&chrome=true&srcid=0B456FmeCw42BYjQyMDhmNDItMGMzMi00MTEwLTlhN2YtZmUzNDBlMmU3YjA3&hl=en_US</a>

Soria 222-Z exam 3 Spring 2011: Lucky for you folks, it appears the Soria, like W. reuses some questions. Like 3-4 of these were on his exam Spring 2010 also. 
<a href=“https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=explorer&chrome=true&srcid=0B456FmeCw42BYzVmMGQ4MGUtZWJmMy00Y2JkLTk2NjktOTljZmE3Yjk1ZWNj&hl=en_US[/url]”>https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=explorer&chrome=true&srcid=0B456FmeCw42BYzVmMGQ4MGUtZWJmMy00Y2JkLTk2NjktOTljZmE3Yjk1ZWNj&hl=en_US</a>

This test is perhaps more challenging that exam 2. I don’t have a “toolbox” for synthesis though. I just remember trying to help the students w/them and it still being hard despite the toolbox. This test is just ridiculous in my opinion. None of the freebie questions are on it.

221-Z fall 2010 Exam 3: You’ll notice that this one is a tad tougher than the one given in fall 2009: <a href=“https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=explorer&chrome=true&srcid=0B456FmeCw42BY2MwYTA3NzEtZmU4OC00NGFkLTg0NTYtNmQxMTgwZDc1YWVh&hl=en_US&authkey=CMO84ccC[/url]”>https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=explorer&chrome=true&srcid=0B456FmeCw42BY2MwYTA3NzEtZmU4OC00NGFkLTg0NTYtNmQxMTgwZDc1YWVh&hl=en_US&authkey=CMO84ccC</a>
On this exam, things that look hard are not as hard, while some of the simple stuff is actually tougher than it looks and often involves a trick.

I’ve never done this before so I don’t know if the links work. If not, can someone tell me how to make them work.

bernie12 · May 25, 2011, 2:23pm

Ilikepizza: Weinschenk doesn’t do bonus points. Soria does. Weinschenk curves. I honestly think bonus points give you a better chance for an A, especially first semester where Soria makes at least two of the exams easy. You also get to go into Soria’s first semester final (way more difficult than W’s. There are no fluff questions and it’s all applications. Mechanisms and explanations).

Also don’t worry about AP. Soria specifically designs exam 1 and 2 with that in mind. They are really to see what you know/remember from AP and how to apply. These are the weeder tests. Anyone not passing those will probably not pass exam 3 and 4. In Weinschenk’s first semester, you get no buffer period. As you saw, even the first exam is challenging (since Soria only has 50 people to begin with, I imagine he wouldn’t want to start attrition at the first exam, it would look bad. W has 180 people to play around with). Soria’s class will give you some time to adjust before he really slams you if you are concerned about the AP background. He’ll reteach the AP material important to orgo. and have 1-2 tests on it and then get really serious and show no mercy, especially second semester as you see. He believes in a gradual progression of difficulty (except that the jump between exam 2 and 3 and 3 and 4 is huge first semester.).

In will post Weinschenk’s corresponding 221/222 material from the past year if I can. It seems as if Weinschenk got easier this year (but still really challenging) and Soria gets harder (in general).

bernie12 · May 25, 2011, 2:57pm

Weinschenk had exams from the last year (2010) .I just used some of his and Soria’s tougher exams as practive for my grad. level because a surprising amount of special topics covered in either overlapped w/the stuff that we covered in bio-organic. Not to mention, both gave problem types that were similar to ones we had, especially for 222). I will put these below:
This was the year where he had a child, so the exam 2 and 3 are easier than normal. For some reason, the pattern continued this year. Again, they are challenging but my friend who took admitted that they were a bit easier than some of the pre-2010 back exams. Since I helped him, I can vouch for that opinion. I will not bother to post 221 material from Weinschenk because the material is generally the same though there is, like Soria’s class, variation in the “hard portion” of the exam in terms of the problem types (though the material emphasized is generally the same each year. Seems that Soria flip-flops more frequently). 
222 Exam 3:<a href=“https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=explorer&chrome=true&srcid=0B456FmeCw42BMjE2NGE2MDQtZmFjZC00ZDE5LWE4MDctZGIxMjQxYzJiZDA2&hl=en_US[/url]”>https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=explorer&chrome=true&srcid=0B456FmeCw42BMjE2NGE2MDQtZmFjZC00ZDE5LWE4MDctZGIxMjQxYzJiZDA2&hl=en_US</a>
222 Exam 2: <a href=“https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=explorer&chrome=true&srcid=0B456FmeCw42BMWJlZDdkZjAtNzZkNy00ZGIzLTljNjktM2Q4ODA4MDY2ODFj&hl=en_US[/url]”>https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=explorer&chrome=true&srcid=0B456FmeCw42BMWJlZDdkZjAtNzZkNy00ZGIzLTljNjktM2Q4ODA4MDY2ODFj&hl=en_US</a>
222 Exam 1: <a href=“https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=explorer&chrome=true&srcid=0B456FmeCw42BYWVlNGY0YzctZTA2Yy00OTk1LWIxMjktNzkzMTRkM2M4ZGY0&hl=en_US[/url]”>https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=explorer&chrome=true&srcid=0B456FmeCw42BYWVlNGY0YzctZTA2Yy00OTk1LWIxMjktNzkzMTRkM2M4ZGY0&hl=en_US</a>
If I find it, I’ll find Soria 222-Z exam 1 later. It’s very short and asks some kind of weird, but straightforward questions. The general problem w/Soria’s class is that many questions are pure curveballs. Normally in Weinschenk’s class, no matter how tough the material is, you have probably been exposed to the problem type. Soria makes you “think outside the box” or have an epiphany. Questions that would otherwise look really simple actually require lots of thought and then Soria grades harder. He gives lots of 0s for problems even if you attempt it. A fatal error in W’s class will get you say 2/6, in Soria 0/10 (he counts harder problems at a much higher percentage for some reason too). Both are great profs, but it really depends on the type of thinker you are.

bernie12 · May 25, 2011, 4:12pm

Soria: exam 1 222-Z
I couldn’t get this one to work right so the pages are different sizes. That could be annoying. Anyway here goes. I would say about 3 of the problems are really easy. Also, I lost the NMR spectrum.

<a href=“https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=explorer&chrome=true&srcid=0B456FmeCw42BYjNkMTJmMzItNmE5ZC00M2EzLWI0MjAtMTIyZGUxNjVkMjEy&hl=en_US[/url]”>https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=explorer&chrome=true&srcid=0B456FmeCw42BYjNkMTJmMzItNmE5ZC00M2EzLWI0MjAtMTIyZGUxNjVkMjEy&hl=en_US</a>

bernie12 · May 25, 2011, 4:57pm

Here is a revised version, that one had an additional toolbox and the NMR problem was missing. The spectrum is still missing, but at least the problem is there. Also, two pages are switched, but that doesn’t matter so I did not fix it.
<a href=“https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=explorer&chrome=true&srcid=0B456FmeCw42BZGMzY2JhZTYtOWIzMC00NGNmLWFjNzAtZjdmNDhjNjVjYjZj&hl=en_US[/url]”>https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=explorer&chrome=true&srcid=0B456FmeCw42BZGMzY2JhZTYtOWIzMC00NGNmLWFjNzAtZjdmNDhjNjVjYjZj&hl=en_US</a>

collegestu816 · May 25, 2011, 9:13pm

bernie12,

I can’t open most of files you posted to open, it says that I don’t have permission to view…

w/ google docs, make sure to go to Sharing Settings and set the permissions to either “anyone with the link” or “public on the web.”

and unfortunately i dont have a copy of the F09 171 final (he never handed it back), but I’ll say that it made the three previous midterms look like a joke (including the 3rd one) since ALL of the mechanisms, syntheses, and explanations were ones he hadn’t explicitly taught in class and simply required a huge leap of creativity and guesswork.

And also note that the solutions for Soria’s exams were student created (soria doesn’t make answer keys to his exams) so might wanna take some of the answers w/ a gain of salt…

bernie12 · May 25, 2011, 9:39pm

Oh, I privatized them again. I’ll send you them via PM. You took 172 with Soria or did you switch out?

Yeah, again w/the final. Weinschenk’s final is redemptive and simply gives a student the benefit of the doubt and tests only the basics. Soria’s is the ultimate final that is not meant for people to pass. Also, he doesn’t release it because he fears we’ll do what we’re doing now. He realizes the difficulty of it generally increases each year (both semesters) and doesn’t want complaints saying: “Well, how come last year was easier”. He put synthesis on your 1st semester final? Ouch, his class has gotten a bit harder. But yeah, give me a few and I’ll PM you.

By the way, anyone interested in seeing them should PM me.

emory12 · May 26, 2011, 12:40pm

weinschenk does have bonus points in every test (1-2 points). on the final first semester, i got 10 points from the bonus. but he curves too

bernie12 · May 26, 2011, 12:58pm

Oh yeah, I forgot about the bonuses at the end of the tests. I was thinking bonus in the context that Soria does it. Bonus point quizzes (they have both regular and bonus point quizzes), and going down to the board to compete against a peer in one’s ability to answer a really tough question, and random stuff like Vollyball and basketball games (which the freshmen lose and thus don’t get that much). But yeah, all the bonus point inflation is generally neutralized by the 3rd exam. And bonus points for those who still have them can also improve an otherwise crappy final grade (which many will get. Again the thing is really hard).

collegestu816 · June 10, 2011, 11:09am

a quick update to my last post, i’ve added the fall 09 quizzes and a few of the 221Z fall10 exams for soria’s class. and pm me if u wanna take a look.

Fall 2009:

Fall 2010:

ilikepizza · June 10, 2011, 11:52am

how can you access all of this?

bernie12 · June 10, 2011, 11:54am

ilikepizza. Ask for them via PM from Collegestu.

ilikepizza · June 10, 2011, 12:02pm

i mean how did he get all of this… i thought professors dont give out their past test. is there like a secret club or something lol?

bernie12 · June 10, 2011, 12:11pm

No, most professors give out past exams, Soria doesn’t. All you have to do is scan every exam you have. Particularly, when you want to review for a final by perhaps retrying the more difficult problems on exams, you can simply scan your exam, and then airbrush the markings off, and create a pdf or print them. That way, you can practice on weakpoints w/o much guidance (looking at your exams w/the markings and saying “I get it now” is usually not sufficient). And then of course we distribute them (if one asks for it) because in reality they differ so drastically from year to year that exposure to prior exams doesn’t help as much in Soria’s class as it does in other sections. He may rehash some of the same concepts, but put them in a completely different context or a completely different exam. If anything, they only help you guess how hard the exam will be relative to the exam prior to it, so it’s particularly useful after the first exam to get a hold of one, because it’s possible that the 2nd exam will be the first where he exposes you to a different/harder format. The past two years, it’s been a partial exposure (maybe a couple of hard problems toward the end), but my year, he went completely hardcore, and the whole 2nd exam was quite difficult. The 3rd and 4th exam (with 4th being extremely difficult) are still traditionally more difficult, and having back exams for those really don’t help that much because they vary the most annually in terms of content and problem types.

If you take Soria’s class, you’ll have mentors (to help w/the problem sets that you generally start getting before the 3rd exam) that are probably generous enough to let you borrow one. However, when you actually use these, don’t put too much weight on them. Mainly put weight on notes (by the 3rd exam, pay particular attention to any special/application topics covered in class. Curveball questions tend to kind of resemble such concepts), group session problems, quizzes, and any supplementary material given in class (you never know).

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