Students often find organic chemistry particularly challenging compared to other college-level chemistry courses due to several intrinsic and extrinsic factors. One fundamental reason is the complexity of organic chemistry itself, which focuses on the structure, properties, and reactions of carbon-containing compounds. This subject requires a deep understanding of molecular structures, functional groups, and stereochemistry, which can be overwhelming for students who may have previously encountered more straightforward topics in general chemistry. The sheer volume of information that students are expected to absorb, including specific reaction mechanisms and the ability to predict the outcomes of chemical reactions, can create a steep learning curve that many find daunting.

Moreover, organic chemistry demands a different kind of thinking compared to other chemistry courses. Unlike general chemistry, which often emphasizes quantitative problem-solving and straightforward equations, organic chemistry is more qualitative and conceptual. Students must develop spatial reasoning skills to visualize three-dimensional molecular structures and understand how these structures influence chemical behavior. This shift in cognitive approach can be difficult for students who are accustomed to more formulaic and numerical methods of learning. Additionally, organic chemistry often requires students to integrate knowledge from various areas of chemistry, including physical chemistry and biochemistry, which can further complicate their understanding.

Another significant reason students struggle with organic chemistry is the emphasis on memorization and application. While general chemistry often focuses on foundational concepts and principles, organic chemistry requires students to memorize a vast number of reactions, mechanisms, and nomenclature rules. This reliance on rote learning can be particularly challenging, as students may find it difficult to retain and apply this information in problem-solving contexts. Furthermore, the fast-paced nature of many organic chemistry courses can leave students feeling overwhelmed, as they must continually build upon previously learned material without adequate time for reflection and consolidation of knowledge.

Finally, the teaching methods and resources available for organic chemistry can also influence student comprehension. Many students report that traditional lecture-based formats do not cater to their learning needs, particularly in a subject that benefits from active engagement and hands-on practice. If the instructional methods do not align with students' learning preferences, their difficulties in understanding the material can be exacerbated. Therefore, a combination of the inherent complexity of organic chemistry, the need for different cognitive skills, the emphasis on memorization, and the effectiveness of teaching methods all contribute to why students often find organic chemistry challenging to grasp compared to other college-level chemistry courses.

Unfortunately, I have the same observation of fear of organic chemistry compared to the rest of the classifications and the reason is through the judgement of experience by not understanding the basics of organic chemistry and the gradual progression of its courses in succession, which means that students get fear and dread of the accumulation and randomness of the curriculum from the structural structure, reactions and mechanics of reactions if they have the principles of organic, its basics, it will be easy for them.

There are no students indifferent to Organic Chemistry. Some love it; the major part hates it, because they find it difficult.

In my opinion, the reason why so many Chemistry students don't like Organic Chemistry is related to the way Organic Chemistry is teached in most university courses. The teaching usually leads the student to memorize classes of compounds, chemical reactions (without understanding the mechanisms), physical and chemical properties.

If the fundamental concepts are clearly explained and developed in a logical and deductive sequence (like Mathematics), Organic Chemistry becomes attractive to the students and, in many cases, is seen as the most interesting branch of Chemistry, loved by the students that really understand it.

Usually the chemistry students learn the organic chemistry at primary level with homologous series. But actually there are more than 13 million compounds are available. So every one those who have interest in organic chemistry only learn otherwise very difficult to follow.