Skip links

7 Reasons to Form a Study Group (Plus Tips to Do It The Right Way)

Please follow and like us:
Facebook
Instagram
LinkedIn

Let’s discuss the benefits of partnering with friends in a study group to knock out your homework and hit the books. Students often find the amount of studying needed to succeed in school overwhelming, but it doesn’t need to be that way. Here is where study groups come in. Invite your friends, bring your books, buy some snacks, and study away.

high school students studying in a coffeehouse

The benefits of studying in a group can be endless if they are used the correct way with methods that involve every member of the group. Here are seven benefits of forming a study team.

There’s no excuse for procrastination.

With a large number of classes, extracurriculars, and social activities required of students nowadays, it’s easy to let things fall to the wayside until the very last minute. It is a widespread practice when preparing for a sizeable standardized test to forget to study along the way. Students then try to cram a large amount of information last minute.

A study group can help provide motivation and structure to keep on that study schedule.

Learn different study methods.

Studying can come in many forms: flashcards, recitation, Q&As, practice problems, highlighting, and the list goes on. Studying with others can provide new ideas for those stuck in a studying rut.

Ask your group what techniques they use and share your own. Perhaps bring a few research-backed study techniques to share with your group.

Learning gaps will be filled.

Here is an opportunity to compare notes, lecture recordings, and critical discussion points. Everyone has felt the pain of trying to keep up during a lecture. Unless it is in video form with pausing capability, a student will miss writing down potentially crucial information.

With many eyes and ears in the lecture, there’s no reason everyone in the study group should have incomplete notes.

Get a motivation boost!

Maybe it’s the end of the semester, and you’re in the home stretch. Perhaps you’re struggling through a challenging class. A study group will remind you that you aren’t alone in this journey, and there are always others who will experience the same struggles as you.

Here is an opportunity for moral support, to share in mutual encouragement and success. 

Practice your discussion and brainstorming skills.

Soft skills are skills that you cannot quickly memorize. A study group is an ideal environment to practice skills like eye contact, sharing thoughts and ideas, time management, working with a team, and problem-solving.

Your group is ideally a judgment-free zone meant for learning and growth, so encourage your members to share and interact freely.

Learn material faster.

The saying “two heads are better than one” is popular for a reason. One question or concept that is confounding to one student is easy to decipher for another. Study groups save everyone time by helping one another rather than an individual struggling through a problem. 

Get rid of the frustration.

Warning: High School Musical reference coming up. 

We’re all in this together! Challenges will be constant throughout school from a seemingly endless cycle of homework, tests, social life, teachers, and extracurricular activities. There are benefits from sticking together and holding weekly study group meetings to share the burden. Less stress and frustration mean a happier outlook and, ultimately, better grades.

high school students laughing in a study group

Let’s Talk Tips for Forming a Study Group

So you want to form a study group? That’s a significant step in the right direction! Use these tips to get to the most out of your team meetings.

  • Keep your team small, five members or less.
  • Take your meetings to new places! A library or classroom might cause sleepiness, so try out a new coffee shop or cafe. 
  • On that note, remember to stock up on quality food with vitamins and protein. The brain needs fuel to work.
  • Plan to meet weekly to stay on schedule.
  • Make one person the group leader to keep the group on track and plan study topics.

Find more tips from Fairborn Digital Academy for managing your time outside of a study group.

Please follow and like us:
Facebook
Instagram
LinkedIn