UT Austin CH 320M: Organic Chemistry I
CH 320M is UT's first organic chemistry course: structure and bonding, stereochemistry, reaction mechanisms, and the foundational reaction families. It's the gateway course for UT's large pre-health population and chemistry-adjacent majors.
Fennie is independent and not affiliated with The University of Texas at Austin. This is an unofficial study guide.
What makes it hard
Orgo's reputation comes from a method mismatch: students try to memorize reactions as flashcard pairs, and the exams test mechanism reasoning on molecules they've never seen. The course is learnable as a logic system (electron flow, stability, sterics) and nearly unlearnable as a memorization stack, which is exactly the lesson the first midterm teaches.
What you'll cover
- • Structure, bonding, and resonance
- • Acids and bases in organic chemistry
- • Stereochemistry
- • Substitution and elimination reactions
- • Reaction mechanisms and arrow pushing
- • Spectroscopy basics
The CH 320M study guide
How to study for UT Austin CH 320M, step by step.
- 1
Learn mechanisms as logic, not vocabulary
CH 320M exams test electron-flow reasoning on unfamiliar molecules. Push arrows yourself for every reaction; understanding why electrons move beats memorizing that they do.
- 2
Draw constantly
Structures, resonance forms, stereochemistry, mechanisms: by hand, daily. Orgo is a visual-spatial language and fluency comes only from producing it.
- 3
Master stability arguments early
Carbocation stability, sterics, and electronics drive substitution-versus-elimination predictions. Those arguments are the reasoning engine for the entire course.
- 4
Do practice problems before you feel ready
Working unfamiliar problems is the actual skill being graded. Struggling productively on new molecules is studying; rereading mechanisms is not.
Today
Today's CH 320M plan
What a Fennie Daily Plan looks like for CH 320M. Yours is built from your own syllabus and adapts every day to your deadlines and progress.
First plan free, no card required. Fennie is independent and unaffiliated with your school.
FAQ
Is CH 320M as hard as people say?
It's hard the way a language is hard: daily practice makes it tractable, cramming makes it impossible. Students who learn mechanisms as logic and draw constantly routinely beat the reputation; pure memorizers meet it head-on.
How should I study for CH 320M?
Push arrows yourself for every mechanism, build stability arguments until they're reflexive, and work unfamiliar practice problems daily. The exams test reasoning on molecules you haven't seen, so practice should too.
Do pre-med students need CH 320M at UT?
Yes. Organic chemistry is required for medical school applications and tested on the MCAT, and 320M is UT's standard first course. Depth here pays off twice: in the GPA and at test time.
More UT Austin courses
CH 301: Principles of Chemistry I
CH 301 is UT Austin's first general chemistry course, covering atomic theory, bonding, molecular structure, gases, and thermochemistry. It's required across natural sciences, engineering, and the large pre-health population. Homework runs through UT's Quest system and grades concentrate in common-style timed exams.
CH 302: Principles of Chemistry II
CH 302 is the second semester of UT's general chemistry sequence: equilibrium, acids and bases, thermodynamics, kinetics, and electrochemistry. It's required for pre-health, natural sciences, and many engineering tracks. Homework runs through Quest with grades concentrated in timed multiple-choice exams.