The biggest fear students have about Organic Chemistry is that they believe it has to be memorised. They feel they must remember hundreds of reactions,
dozens of named reactions and long mechanisms, but the reality is the opposite. If General Organic Chemistry (GOC) is understood well, more than half of Organic Chemistry automatically becomes easy. That is why GOC is called the game of chemistry. The first pillar of GOC is understanding acid–base strength. Resonance, Hyperconjugation and Inductive effect — these three factors almost always control the behaviour of organic molecules. Once you can identify which group is withdrawing electrons and which group is donating them, questions on acidity–basicity, stability and reactivity start solving themselves. The second key area is the stability of intermediates. Without understanding the stability of carbocations, carbanions and free radicals, Organic Chemistry cannot move forward. The central rule is simple: more resonance means more stability. Along with this, do not just remember the names “hyperconjugation” and “inductive effect”; learn to show them through arrow mechanisms. The moment arrow pushing becomes clear, the need to cram named reactions reduces sharply. Isomerism is also an essential part of GOC. Questions on structural isomers, geometrical isomers and optical activity appear every year. The easiest strategy to identify them is this: first draw the structure, then write the correct IUPAC name, and only then think about stereo. Trying to answer only by looking at options, without drawing, is the biggest mistake students make. Some lessons are interconnected so alkyl halide, alcohol, ether, aromatic, Grignard, carbonyl, carboxylic acid, amine is interconnected so make it as whole into one lesson by remember reactant, reagent, and product all in one line then do practice. Last ratification is carbohydrate, protein, DNA, vitamins, hormones and physical properties with proper instruction Today’s small but powerful practice plan:
- Draw structures of 10 organic molecules
- Arrange them in increasing or decreasing order of acidity or basicity
- Write the reason in just one line for each
- Remember reagent
Remember, mastering GOC does not mean memorising everything. It means that half of the Organic Chemistry questions shift into the “recognise at first sight” category. That is the real super shortcut, and that is what makes Organic Chemistry one of the most scoring sections in JEE Main.
(Inputs from Nitin Vijay, Educator and Founder, Motion Education, Kota)
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