How group study works

Who ever said studying had to be boring and laborious! There are so many ways to study, and it doesn’t have to be painful and unenjoyable. It’s about finding what works and hopefully is still enjoyable. Studying in a study group may seem like too much fun, but actually it works, because you’re forced to discuss and coach each other at speed making learning the content more natural. It also brings context and memory hooks when you need to remember the information in tests later.

There are however some rules to doing study groups effectively. Because if they aren’t managed properly, they can be a massive waste of time. Here’s some tips to get more out of your study groups:

1. Choose similarly goal oriented students within the group.

2. No distractor-types should be in the group. I think you know who I mean. 

3. Ideal number is 4. ny more, and it’s a party.

4. Choose people who contribute. You know what I mean. 

5. Do your ‘self-study‘ first. Don’t be a drag to the group and be clueless. 

6. Someone should be in charge of time-keeping, and stick to it.

7. Take turns asking questions.

8. Present to each other. It’s learning at speed. 

9. Music is ok, provided there are no lyrics. There are playlists on Spotify for studying which are great.

10. Be conscious of learning styles (Visual, Auditory Kinaesthetic) and try to apply it with the type of activities you are doing. 

11. Scheduled breaks & snack-time. Don’t snack while working. You end up talking about the food inevitably.