Study Tips - Organic Functional Groups

In the past, I had problems remembering functional groups in Organic Chemistry. Either I wrote them down and lost my notes or forgot to memorize them and found myself cramming before each exam. To get around this obstacle, I bought manilla folders for each class and started writing any pertinent information on the outside of them. For Organic Chemistry, this meant writing down functional groups and any molecules that were often referred to by their common names instead of their IUPAC names.

During each class or when I'm studying, I pull out my manilla folder and place it down beside me. Although this sounds trivial, it accomplishes two things:

1) It functions as a quick reference any time I need to review a functional group that I can't remember. It also eliminates the need to carry around a 20 lb. Organic Chemistry book everywhere I go, which tends to be cumbersome and definitely not attractive to those in the outside world.

2) It helps me stay organized and keeps everything in one place. Whenever looking at the structure of a functional group isn't enough, I can reach inside the folder knowing I'll be able to find my notes. This saves time, especially since I no longer have to scavenge through my car, my house, or any number of places where miscellaneous notes tend to end up.  (Murphy's Law & Entropy)