ORI103 - Organic Chemistry Primer
Course Description
Don’t let organic chemistry intimidate you. Stick to your plan to major in chemistry, the B.S. in Biology, or future professional school major. Many students, however, have to repeat Organic Chemistry I, CHEM 2131, which can negatively impact your time to degree and your GPA.
This Organic Primer Course will help you to differentiate between the concepts that require memorization and which topics require comprehension of process. Both of these learning methods are required for mastery and for success in organic chemistry.
Program Goals
The organic chemistry primer course aims to:
- Review and strengthen mastery and retention of essential general chemistry concepts;
- Apply general chemistry concepts to organic chemistry examples to bridge learning;
- Preview and practice foundational organic topics that lead to learning bottlenecks; and
- Increase cognizance of effective study methods and time on topic required for success.
Overview
Spend two weeks learning in a small group setting with your peers who, like you, are determined to be successful in CHEM 2131. Let Dr. Richard Jew, a General Chemistry instructor and organic chemistry enthusiast, guide you through ways of deconstructing the mysteries of organic chemistry.
- Lewis structures
- VSEPR and bond angles
- rotating 3-D structures in space and in drawing
- hybridization with orbital diagrams
- stoichiometry
- balanced chemical equations
- acids and bases, arrow pushing with acid/base reactions and resonance
The first week aims to review key topics from general chemistry and apply them to commonly observed organic chemistry methodology. The review aims to help you deepen your comprehension of those topics, as deepening the understanding of root causes will enable you to keep applying these foundational pieces to new material that is introduced later in organic chemistry.
- nomenclature of alkanes and alkenes
- line-angle notation, number of hydrogens at each junction
- functional group identification
- addition + substitution reactions
- identifying nucleophiles and electrophiles
- carbonyl bond changes with nucleophilic attack
- mechanisms following (+) or (-) charges
- cis/trans terminology
- cyclohexane ring chair conformation
- structural and geometric isomers
The second week demonstrates the speed at which topics in organic chemistry must be mastered and immediately applied to new topics. The first week’s material will be revisited as foundations that establish the structural and reactive features of organic chemicals. The few organic topics introduced will examine, exhaustively, all of the critical facets of a molecule that you should immediately recognize.
The topics chosen have proven to be bottlenecks that restrict success in later material. For example, if you cannot rotate molecules in space, you will not be able to recognize if and what kind of stereoisomer they can generate. While some topics, like types of stereoisomers, are themselves difficult and require additional study, we will focus on the essential stepping stones needed to begin the process of analysis in organic chemistry.
| Week 1 | July 22 - July 26, 2018 |
| Week 2 | July 29 - August 2, 2018 |
| Sundays | 2:00pm - 6:00 pm* |
| Monday - Thursday | 9:00am - 11:30 am |
Course Target Population
For the target population, real-time instruction, practice, and assessment can more quickly and more efficiently elucidate misconceptions that may have been learned in previous attempts in organic or general chemistry. This program is designed to bridge between general chemistry concepts and their applications in organic chemistry.
This course is designed for:
- Transfer students who have taken general chemistry at a different institution;
- UNC Charlotte students who have repeated or earned C/W grades in general chemistry;
- UNC Charlotte students who have earned D/F/W grades in Organic Chemistry I; and
- Any college student who desires a deeper understanding of the connections between general chemistry and organic chemistry.
FAQs
- The cost of the program is $285. The fee includes instruction over the 10-day program, welcome dinner on Sunday, July 22, and on-campus parking.
- The fee includes instruction over the 10-day program, welcome dinner on Sunday, July 22, and on-campus parking.
You may choose to pay $285 in full at the time of registration or pay a $50 deposit (refundable up to 9 days prior to the course start date) to hold your seat in the class. The invoiced remaining balance of $235 is due 9 days prior to the course start date (7/13/18).
If you choose the deposit option, an invoice for the remaining balance and due date will be emailed to you. Any time prior to the due date, you may pay the remaining balance via credit card by logging into your Student Profile or by calling our Registration Center at 704-687-8900. If this is your first time registering via the Continuing Education website, you may set up a new account during the checkout process.
Parking passes are included with your program fees. Students will receive a parking survey before the program.
The dinner on Sunday, July 22, is included in the registration fee. Students may bring snacks and drinks with them to class if they desire. The Monday through Thursday sessions end at 11:30 am and students are free to eat on campus or make other arrangements for lunch.
Each of the ten meetings is critically important. If you will miss more than one of the sessions, you should contact Dr. Richard Jew, richard.jew@uncc.edu, for advice.
Deadline to register is July 16, 2018 by 5:00 pm.
Prerequisites
This program is for students who have completed a course in general chemistry and who are preparing for organic chemistry.
- Klein, D. Organic Chemistry as a Second Language: Translating the Basic Concepts. 2nd edition, ISBN-10: 0470129298.
- The text can be ordered from the online vendor of your choice and can be found for less than $20.
- Editions are very similar to each other so you may order based on price.
Textbook is required and should be ordered by July 13.
Registration/Refund/Cancellation Policies
Refunds
The $50 deposit will hold your space until 10 days before the start of the course when the balance is due. Individuals who have not paid their remaining balance by the due date will forfeit their seat in the course and receive a refund of the deposit and any payments made towards the course registration fee up to that point.
If a refund is requested, payment refunds of the deposit and registration fee will be made up to 7 days before the start of the course. After that, no refunds can be made.
For Registration Questions:
Please call the Registration Center at 704-687-8900 or 1-877-741-0134 from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., or email CEregistration@uncc.edu.
For Curriculum Questions:
Contact Dr. Richard Jew at richard.jew@uncc.edu