WHY STUDY GROUPS ARE SO USEFUL
A study group for a college class is very helpful 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. In addition, you will even feel more comfortable in class after you have met in your study group several 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 online study group. They were both 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 like to meet before class (that was usually my idea). Others thought it would be helpful to get together for some extra 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 meeting.
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 covered a topic or question, and the others did the rest. We also made test cards and brought them to meetings. Sometimes we asked each other questions, using cards or questions that we brought. This really helped us focus on what we knew and didn’t know, and helped each of us know what we most needed to study.
Also, 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 assignments 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 people total in the study group really made sense. If only she had one other 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.
ASKING 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 the people who arrived early, I got the most motivated students to join. I would stop asking after four or five people said yes, because a group larger 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 decide when and how often to meet, and whether or not to have special study sessions right 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 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 largest 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 that and then you don’t get a good buff out of 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 he helped at least one grade every time he was in a study group. Also, the study groups really helped before the tests. Talking to others and hearing what they thought I would be on the test really made me remember the facts much better than just trying to take them in on my own.
Also, many times, people in the study group had noted points that the teacher said weren’t even in my notes. Then I would see these things on the test and remember them. What a great boost that was. I found that I felt more prepared and was not as nervous before the tests. That helped me a lot.
The other people in my study groups told me that they were also glad they joined the group. 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 better with other students by being in a study group with them. Sometimes we talked about things other than class, and that made the study groups so much more fun. We got to know more personal things about each other, like what everyone’s life was like 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 really 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 were talking to me more too. It was a win-win situation meeting 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’re taking a face-to-face class or an online class. It sure helped me!