WHY STUDY GROUPS ARE SO USEFUL

A study group for a college class is very useful for many reasons. A study group can help you get a much better grade. Also, you can meet people from your class in study group sessions and get to know them better. Plus, the people in your group can help you focus on important study topics in class so you can cover more in less time. Non-traditional students can meet other types of students in a study group. Plus, you’ll even feel more comfortable in class after you’ve met in your study group a few times.

FACE-TO-FACE STUDY GROUPS VS. ONLINE GROUPS

You can form study groups in person or online. I find in-person study groups easier, but it’s nice to have both types of groups. Most of my experiences with study groups have come from groups created for face-to-face classes, but I have had at least one study group online. Both were really helpful to me. If you have the option of having your study group meet online or in person, I would choose in person, because it’s so much more fun. They can talk and get to know each other much more easily. But online study groups are also good. You can create a profile in these groups and they will help you break the ice with other members of your group.

CHOOSING A GOOD TIME TO HAVE A STUDY MEETING

Most of the time, when a study group was formed, everyone would meet first after class to decide when we would meet. Some people would like the study group to meet after class. Some would want to meet before class (that was generally my idea). Others thought it would be helpful to meet for additional time before a test. We all voted what time everyone could arrive. Most of the time, my groups decided to meet before class every week or two. This would not require an additional trip to the school, and it was helpful to meet in an area in the same building as the class so we could go directly to the class after getting to know each other.

DIVIDING THE WORK

We had some tough tests and quizzes to prepare for; so my study groups used to divide the work into sections. One person would cover a topic or question, and the others would do the rest. We also made test cards and took them to meetings. Sometimes we would ask each other questions, using cards or questions that we brought. This really helped us focus on what we knew and didn’t know, and it helped each of us know what we needed to study the most.

In addition, making the cards also helped us learn the material. The effort of writing questions helped me learn the facts better. We also helped each other by reminding each other of homework and answering each other’s questions.

CONDUCTING THE MEETINGS

Sometimes work or family responsibilities interfered with meetings and some people were unable to attend one or more meetings. But usually we still had enough people there to make each study group worthwhile. I found that having more than two total people in the study group really made sense. If only she had another person, if that person missed the study group meeting, she wouldn’t be able to study with anyone and it would be a waste of time. This didn’t matter as much with three or more people in the group.

ASK PEOPLE ABOUT BEING IN A STUDY GROUP

At first I was shy to ask people around me about being in a study group. But he knew he needed the help, and he knew that others probably needed it, too. I had to force myself to ask the people around me. I tried to ask people before class, or at least before the teacher arrived. And of course, I asked people who I thought were smart, had a good work ethic, and seemed friendly. Also, because I asked people who came early, I got the most motivated students to join. I would stop asking after four or five people said yes, because a group bigger than that seemed too big.

I then made a list of everyone’s name, phone number, and email, and gave everyone mine as well. I asked everyone if we could talk after class and decide when to meet after that. If someone had a class right after that, we offered to call or email that person to find out when it was good for him or her. But usually, it didn’t take long to decide when it was good for everyone.

Everything fell into place easily after that. We all decided when and how often to meet, and whether or not to have special study sessions just before an exam. Sometimes we install it in the classroom building, and sometimes in other locations on campus.

After I started my first study group, other groups became easier to start, because I got used to it and wasn’t as shy or nervous about it. I was surprised to find that many other people thought a study group was a good idea too!

SOME PEOPLE SAID NO

Not everyone wanted to be in a study group. When I asked the people around me in class if they wanted to be in a study group, some people just said no. I didn’t let this bother me. Even if only two or three people were interested, I thought it was still a big enough group. The biggest group I had when I was in college was about six people. The smallest was two (which I don’t recommend because sometimes someone forgets about it and then you don’t get a good benefit from it. But if that’s all the members you can get then I’d do it anyway.

WHAT MY STUDY GROUPS ACHIEVED

I really think that having study groups for the class (especially for the difficult classes) made a big difference in my grades. I think it helped at least one grade every time I was in a study group. Also, the study groups really helped before the tests. Talking to others and hearing what they thought would be on the test really made me remember the facts much better than just trying to take it all in on my own.

Also, many times, people in the study group had noticed points that the teacher said weren’t even in my notes. Then I would see these things on the exam and remember them. What a great push that was. I found that I felt more prepared and not as nervous before the tests. That helped me a lot.

The other people in my study groups told me that they were glad to have joined the group as well. They said it made learning so much easier for them. I agreed with them!

AN ADDED BENEFIT TO STUDY GROUPS

I think I really connected with other students better by being in a study group with them. Sometimes we talked about other things besides class, and that made study groups a lot more fun. We got to know more personal things about each other, like what life was like for everyone back home and what people’s hobbies and interests were. It was a great way to make friends. Most of the people in each group were much younger, but when we had time (in the study group) to get to know each other, it was easier to be friends. That made going to class and studying so much more fun.

Now I had people I actually KNEW in class with me. She made being in class so much more comfortable. I found that it was more fun to wait for the teacher to arrive and it also made group work more enjoyable. And today some of us still keep in touch. I feel like I really made some good friends this way. I also felt more connected.

It was just easier to be in class and also less intimidating. I was much more comfortable, and people also talked to me more. It was a win-win situation for me to meet the people in my study groups, plus it really helped me improve my grades.

So… I would definitely recommend being in a study group if you are taking an in-person class or an online class. It sure helped me!