Many students under perform in organic chemistry for a variety of reasons, some of which are presented below, but the first and most important things to recognise are:

ONLY YOU CAN LEARN THE MATERIAL AND THIS IS MOST READILY ACHIEVED IF YOU WANT TO DO IT.

NO-ONE CAN LEARN IT FOR YOU.  A TEACHER CAN ONLY TRY TO LEAD YOU DOWN THE RIGHT PATH.

WE WILL EXPECT YOU TO APPLY THE KNOWLEDGE TO DEMONSTRATE UNDERSTANDING.

So what are some of the reasons ?

1. Rote memorisation is a poor learning strategy for complex subject matter.
2. You will be expected to apply knowledge - life is about application not regurgitation.
   
3. Poor study habits :
   (i) location : is it quiet and distraction free ?
   (ii) time : did you know that the typical concentration span is around an hour ?
   (iii) "binge" or "cram and forget" studying is known to be poor for long term retention... little more often is better.
   (iv)  study groups ? do they work for you ? A mix of studying alone and in groups is probably best.
   
   
4. Poor problem analysis and problem solving skills.
5. Fail to acquire a good grasp of the fundamentals  (e.g. language, terminology, curly arrows)
6. Fail to acquire a good grasp of the core concepts (e.g. structure, resonance and inductive effects, curly arrows, acids and bases)
7. Difficulty with 3-D representations of molecules and manipulations.
8. Don't practice enough - this will allow you to learn to apply the knowledge.

Many of the course components are designed to address points 4-8, but most of the responsibility for 1-3 lies with you !

Another factor is that some students have unrealistic expectations of the grade they are going to achieve.  An important thing to realise is although hard work is admirable (and will be required by most students in the course), it is not what we are measuring, we are measuring your understanding of and ability to work in organic chemistry.