What methods to study organic chemistry for the JEE are most effective? Why?

Thanks for A2A. There isn't any fool-proof method. Different things suit different people. I can only give you some general guidelines: 1. The primary source for theory is your class notes. Second comes NCERT. Packages are too less and books are just for reference. Take notes properly, try to note down each and very word your instructor says, exercise questions too. Revise them regularly. 2. General Organic Chemistry (GOC) is most important. It's concepts will help you in predicting reactions when you're stuck. Also, studying GOC emphasizes on the fact that Organic chemistry is not just wrote based learning, it has some amount of logic attached to it too. 3. While studying reactions and their mechanisms, try to understand each and every step, because JEE generally twists one of the intermediate steps to trump you. And in order to solve such question you need to know what is happening and why it is happening. 4. For problems, solve your package and an additional workbook. Ask your instructor for recommendations. I used to solve MS Chouhan's workbook. 5. So and ideal approach would be, to study the notes, each reaction and each mechanism. When you feel satisfied, start solving. Package first, workbook later. 6. While solving, you wont be able to solve each and every question. Also, all the questions you solved, won't be correct. So mark such questions and attempt them again later during revision. P.S You wont become good at it instantly. Will take you some time and a lot of practice. Be patient with your progress. P.P.S This ain't an exhaustive set of guidelines. There may be more, if not, better ways. They may not suit you exactly. Bend them according to your convenience. All the best. :)

In my first attempt Chemistry was enemy .... After I dropped a year, I decided to make it my friend so what I did.... I want to share my strategy that gave me very good result Prepare short notes & revise them: Prepare short notes on chemistry in about 30 pages, keep them handy and refer them any time (like before going to bad, after lunch, when in class waiting for teacher etc.) In your short notes no need to write full concept, In my case some time I have written name of the reaction, whenever  I read this name I recall it very part. If I am confused I refer to book or notes but I have not written it in full in my short notes. If you make a habit to write short notes it will help you alot. PS. In my final attempt I had short notes of around 60 pages for all three subject. It helped to revise all three subjects by full in last week around 3 times.

These things you can do to practice organic better : *1) Your notes : the one you make during you coaching classes, revise time to time, thoroughly. *2) Study Packages : the ones you get from you coaching insti, solve them completely.  Circle out the problems that gave you problem and the ones you deem complicated, and redo them time to time. 3) Get a Book : Probably Arihant's, but refer to your teacher. Solve it at the end of each chapter. 4) Previous Years Questions : At this point they might not be as important. But after 11th, get engrossed in them. They are  THE MOST IMPORTANT STUFF, before the JEE. (*) very important.

Just follow two books.One for detailed theory, and the other for nice problems and quick revision. I used MORRISON BOYD for theory and SOLOMONS FRYHLE(the version edited by ms chouhan for jee aspirants) for quick revision and lot of good problems. Being a student of fiitjee,I don't recommend any fiitjee material or problems unless you study organic well, and then try to strengthen your hold on that later. Morrison Boyd may scare you, but don't read the book like u read an NCERT book.It's better that you take up your NCERT book, and read in Morrison Boyd,every complicated/confusing/hard concept or reaction which is mentioned in the NCERT book.Use Morrison as just a doubt clearance book for NCERT. It has lot of nice theoretical explanations in detail, which every student who isn't good at memorization might want to study.I haven't found any other good book that you can use for theoretical doubt clearance in every topic.All JEE books in the market are good for memorisation, revision before exams and problem solving.One important advice -- never make the mistake of "simply reading" organic or inorganic chemistry, the former in particular.Whatever reaction you read, however dumb or repititive it might seem, you have to write it on paper.Your teachers and/or classmates might be firing off questions by flicking their hands in air and visualising mechanisms in their heads, but YOU HAVE TO WRITE EVERYTHING THAT YOU STUDY TILL THE END OF YOUR JEE PREP.You'll the know the importance of writing when you get nine marks more than your classmate in JEE due to chemistry, and you are almost two thousand ranks ahead.To avoid getting bored and to speed up things,I suggest you to watch the organic chemistry videos in http://www.khanacademy.org or the organic chemistry lectures in the open course ware of UC,Irvine.Though these are just innovative methods to avoid getting bored.They're optional.It usually takes lot of continuous effort to enjoy organic, and yes, as you go on putting effort you'll enjoy your journey through it.I had an almost successful attempt at this year's JEE after years of frustration with chemistry.Chemistry didn't go that bad.Glad I didn't neglect physical chemistry.

We all had OUR methods of study which worked best for US. Every individual has their strengths and weaknesses according to which they should create their OWN study patterns and techniques. Its up to you to find your own solution as you only know yourself the best. As for me, when I studied a new mechanism, I tried to find links with that new mechanism with the ones I had already studied earlier. So that you can interrelate between topics. Solomon Fryhle is a very good text. Though I have not studied it thoroughly but know many people who have excelled studing that book. Make notes mentioning all the minute details so that when you revise, the copy is all you need to study.

First and foremost pay full attention in lectures... Study a book like solomons(foriegn author) and then solve as many questions you can on each topic from sheets/DPPs.After you finish the syllabus do solve chains of reactions(A to B to C to....PRODUCT) so that you have complete idea from whole syllabus and after good practice of this you will be automatically be able to convert any compound to other.Also remember to study the conditions (favouring a particular product or its selectivity) like optical properties/conditions for every reaction mechanism you study. For complete preparation of both JEE advanced+mains(+any exam of organic chemistry) you should know reactants,reagents,product,name of reactions,mechanism(completely understood) with selectivity criterions,number and type of isomers reacted/formed,IUPAC and common names of reacting/formed compunds,colour/smell for testing reactants...and the ONLY way to do this is solve as many questions you can and keep correcting and learning them with the help of your teachers. CAUTION:-In organic every mechansim/reaction has logic..never assume that something just needs to be byhearted.. BEST OF LUCK for your preparation..

Hope this helps.