<p>I am a second-year ChemE major and am about to take OChem next semester. I'm aware that there's no math involved and that there is much memorization. Now, am I much more of a math person: I absolutely love calculus. We are starting differential equations and I find them, if I might say so, very beautiful. However, earlier last semester, I was minoring in neuroscience (note: "was"). I took a 3000-level intro class, studied super hard for it, and ended with a C, which has never happened to me. It's not like I didn't understand the material; I was just unable to retain it sufficiently. Contrarily, I've done relatively well in my math/physics classes (I got an A in an honors E&M class). In fact, I started off as an Engineering Physics major before switching over.</p>
<p>So by now you may be wondering why I switched over. Well, I've realized that what I'm interested in - discovering the universe and new laws/ways of thinking how everything works - doesn't really happen in the real world. I don't want to be stuck in some software company or power plant. However, I'm also really interested in engineering related to tissue design, creating medical equipment (such as improving imaging techniques), microfluidics (drug delivery, quantum dots, nanotechnology, that kind of thing), and physical chemistry (I looove quantum mechanics). These fit the aspects of being a ChemE, and that's where I am now. Also, being a ChemE is the only engineering field at my university where taking PChem is required.</p>
<p>In gen chem, I enjoyed learning about the various orbital theories as well as some of the more abstract things, but for the most part, it just doesn't seem like a real science to me (no disrespect toward Chem majors). The way the material is presented isn't really optimized, a lot of it is just nomenclature, and most/all of the "equations" don't feel mathematical; they're just describing specific relationships with various arbitrary constants thrown on them to make them work. I like physics better partly because its equations that directly relate to one topic can lead to predictions and inferences to other physical behavior.</p>
<p>Does OChem work in a similar way? Is there more logical reasoning behind it, or is it more of a subject that's purely experimental based and must be taken "as it is"? I just feel like most people in my major look forward to the class because they don't like math..I'm exactly the opposite. I just don't know what to do..yay me</p>
<p>There are some basic underlying principals in OChem, but a lot of it is remembering rules, conventions, nomenclature and memorizing empirical cases. I know exactly what you mean, I’m fine using a few hand waving constraints, but I much prefer the ability to derive an expression or reason out an answer rather than just pull from working memory. I only took OChem I as a requirement for the materials engineering curriculum, but at that point I knew I was changing my major to aerospace anyway; I guess I took the course as more of a challenge just to see what the big deal was. Perhaps I would have appreciated it more had I continued onto OChem II where much of the retro synthetic analysis would have been used again. I didn’t hate it, but because of the rote memorization and lack of applicability to other engineering disciplines, I’ve definitely forgotten much of the material now and I only took it a year and a half ago.</p>
<p>One similarity to math and physics, if you do enough practice problems, you’ll get an intuitive feel for reactions/mechanisms.</p>
<p>Everything has a reason to it, but the simple fact is that the physics behind chemistry is so complicated that you really have to start memorizing details if you want to get anywhere any time soon (if you ever take a physical chemistry course, you will see what I mean).</p>
<p>OChem has always been the type of class that simply involves lots and lots of practice. Just about everyone I know is capable of doing well, given that they put enough time into it. Not so with classes that are difficult in a more conceptual manner - the unusually math-intensive PChem is the prime example for chemistry.</p>
<p>Thanks for the replies! If OChem is a topic where doing a lot of practice problems helps, then that is an advantage for me. I think it will mainly be a matter of whether or not the subject matter is interesting, but it seems that most people find it so.</p>
<p>Ochem was interesting on its own in the mechanisms, but I definitely feel you on the memorization part. Memorization /sucks/. Though, if it’s any consolation, you’re going to love Physical Chemistry. Very little memorization, more understanding concepts and being able to use calculus to derive the rules you learned in General Chemistry.</p>
<p>I’m from India and I have a chem test tomorrow in high school in Chem. I hate Organic Chem. We’re made to learn and learn and learn, thats all. The level is considered to be high, but IDK about how things work at your place.</p>
<p>On the other hand, differential equations aww yeaahhh <3 <3</p>