Organic molecule solubility?

The rule of thumb in chemistry is that "like dissolves like". Water is a polar molecule and, as such, should dissolve polar compounds. A symmetric ring such as cyclohexane is not very polar. The same goes for symmetric polymer chains. Glycerol, on the other hand, is a polar compound with its 3 hydroxyl groups. So water will dissolve glycerol better than the ring or chain (if they're symmetrical).