are there tables or other useful methods of remembering everything in organic chemistry ?

Hello Alina,

I do organic chemistry and hopefully this might help you in some way.

So, we need to have the following basics to understand organic chemistry

1. Nomenclature.
2. Isomerism.
3. Reaction intermediates (C+, C-, C:etc.)
4. Effects (Inductive, electromeric, mesmeric etc.)
5. Types of organic reactions.(Substitution, Elimination, Addition, Condensation & Rearrangement reactions)

Unless u have the above basics we cannot understand the concepts in organic chemistry..

Coming to the trick in organic chemistry which covers majority of reactions, you can follow in the following way..

1. Oxidation!

A-A-A-A four A formula

First A is Alkane

Second A is Alcohol

Third A is Aldehyde

Fourth A is Acid

So the above conversion from Alkane to Alcohol to Aldehyde to Acid can be done simple oxidation reaction in each step

Oxidising agents are mild ones which are CrO3/MnO2

Whereas if you want to convert Alkane to Acid or Alcohol to Acid we can do strong oxidation with K2Cr2O7/KMnO4

2. Reduction!

A-A-A-A four A formula once again

Note: We can never convert an acid to aldehyde by reduction

So Aldehyde to Alcohol to Alkane can be converted in each step by mild reduction

Reducing agents can be LiAlH4/NaBH4.

Tip : For finding acidic and basic character order which is the most important part of organic..

• A donating group always decreases acidic nature and increases basic nature.
• A withdrawing group always increases acidic nature and decreases basic nature.