Organic chemistry is, for many, a very difficult subject, but many students are required to take it because of their particular academic interests or career goals. In some cases, online organic chemistry classes are sufficient to fulfill the requirements. Many students also choose to take such classes for extra practice or to prepare for a university-level class. Good online organic chemistry classes must include both conceptual and problem-solving aspects, as organic chemistry involves complex concepts and many types of questions and problems to solve. Online organic chemistry classes must also have components to aid with memorization, as students of organic chemistry are generally expected to memorize many names, chemical structures, and other pieces of information.
It is important to analyze one's goals before choosing from the available online organic chemistry classes. If a student is taking the class for academic credit, he must make sure that the class provides adequate documentation when completed and that his academic institution approves of the class. An online course taken to supplement a university organic chemistry class should cover related material at a similar difficulty level as well. It may be difficult to preview classes to see what they offer, so user reviews may be the best source for determining how well a given class will help one toward his educational goals.
For many people, cost is a significant concern when choosing online organic chemistry classes. Many classes, particularly those that offer some form of certification, can be somewhat costly. Some classes, on the other hand, are inexpensive or even free, and are not necessarily of lower quality than the more expensive courses. When one does not need certification of any form, such inexpensive or free options are often preferable. An added benefit of free courses is that one is able to sample several different courses without paying for each one before settling on a specific course.
Success in organic chemistry requires understanding of complex concepts, memorization, and problem solving, so good online organic chemistry classes should place emphasis on all of these general areas. A course that is lacking in even one of these areas can lead to a faulty and incomplete organic chemistry education that does not sufficiently prepare one for classes at the university level or fulfill university class requirements. If one cannot find a class that sufficiently focuses on all of these areas, he may want to try using different aspects of two or more different online organic chemistry class. Alternatively, he may be able to supplement an online class with a textbook that provides additional practice or useful conceptual explanations or consider working with a chemistry tutor.