5 Group Study Tips for Students

Introduction

As a student, you know that studying alone can be a lonely experience. You’re constantly thinking about all the things you’ve already read or written and trying to figure out what else needs to be done. It’s no wonder that many students choose to study in groups – it’s much more fun than sitting at home alone! But if you want your study group to be effective, it will require some careful planning on everyone’s part.

Be clear about what you want 

It’s not enough to simply gather your study group members and expect them to contribute equally. You need to make sure that everyone knows what their goals are for the group, and how they will contribute towards those goals.

Each member of your study group should be clear about his or her own personal goals and how they relate to the rest of the members’ goals in order for everyone to make a meaningful contribution towards achieving those goals together. If someone is unable to do this, it might be better for that person not to be part of the study group at all (or at least until he or she has been able to clarify his or her own intentions).

Communicate goals clearly

The most important thing to do when forming a group is to communicate your goals clearly. Before you start the group, ask yourself, “What is the purpose of this group?”, “How will I learn from this group?” and “How can I help others in my group?”

If you are working on a paper together, then it would be helpful to let everyone know ahead of time what kind of topics or arguments they should bring up during meetings. This way everyone knows what’s expected and it won’t feel like every meeting has been disappointing because someone didn’t contribute enough information.

You don’t want one person being responsible for leading every single discussion and topic because that wouldn’t be fair—and it could lead them feeling overwhelmed or stressed out if they have other things going on as well! In addition to sharing leadership duties equally among all members, encourage everyone in your study groups by keeping track of who contributed what ideas, so each member feels valued no matter how much work they put into their projects (or not).

Don’t rely on other people to keep you accountable

As much as we’d like to think that other people will keep us accountable, they can’t. The only person who can make sure you’re doing your work is you. If you’re going to be successful at studying in a group setting, it’s vital that you have a plan in place to ensure that the work gets done and nothing falls through the cracks. This may mean setting up rewards for yourself if your group does well or punishments for those who don’t follow through on their responsibilities (and yes, these should be implemented no matter how much fun everyone is having). It’s also crucial that each member of the group has specific roles and responsibilities, so everyone knows exactly what needs to be accomplished by when.

If there are any questions about how best to go about accomplishing this goal, ask! There are plenty of resources online that offer tips specifically geared towards group study for example: Study Together

Think beyond the textbook

–   Think beyond the textbook.

–   Consider what you want to get out of the group. If it’s just a study group, then consider what you can offer and learn from each other. If it’s a learning community or something else entirely, think about how you can help each other learn and stay on track together.

–   Think about what each person brings to the table—both academically and personally—and how that might affect your interactions in a positive or negative way. For example, if there’s one person who always does most of the talking and another who doesn’t say much but always has insightful comments when he does speak up? Or if there are two people who are chronically late? Or are all three people punctual with good ideas for discussion topics?

Take breaks 

You might be surprised to hear this, but it’s OK to take breaks. You don’t have to feel guilty about it or like you’re not being productive when you do. Everyone needs a break every now and then—even if they’re working hard on something else, too.

Take a walk, go for a run, or do some other activity that will help boost your energy level and give your brain time off (who said studying had to be all work?). If possible, try taking breaks every hour or so (like going outside for 5 minutes), as this will help prevent burnout during study sessions in the long run!

Working with others 

Working with others can help you learn faster and more effectively, if you use the right tactics for your goals.

–   Working together on a group project can help students learn the material better than they would have working alone. This is because they must discuss the information, analyse it further and clarify concepts in order to make sure everyone understands.

–   Students who share their views on a topic are also likely to remember that material after class ends, which is why it’s important for them to give feedback on what they heard from other speakers as well as from their peers’ work.

–   When students get used to working in groups or study groups for long periods of time (like during finals), it’s easier for them to recall knowledge gained earlier in class or during previous lectures or discussions

Conclusion

We hope that these tips help you and your study group to be more productive! Remember that it’s ok to not be productive all the time, so don’t beat yourself up too much. If you need some extra help with your assignments or just want some general study tips, ask around on campus or check out our blog post on studying with friends. Good luck!