3 Ways to Improve Your Study Groups

Be Organized and Focused

In order to have a successful study group, you need to know what your goals are and what you need to be studying. The best way to do this is during the first meeting discuss these 3 main areas:

• Your group’s goals, whether that be working on homework together, studying for a test, or just reviewing in general
• Group expectations including, what work needs to be accomplished beforehand, absence policy, etc.
• A topical list of everything you as a group want to cover, which includes some of the questions your group mates might have in regard to the main ideas of the subject matter
• When and where your group wants to meet

By discussing these three things, you are creating a structure for the group in order to have everyone on the same page.

Choose the right people

Studying with your friends can be fun, but it comes with some risks. One of them being that usually it turns into less of a study session and more of a hang out session, which defeats the purpose. If you know that you have a tendency to lose focus when you are with certain friends, maybe instead of forming a study group with them, you can branch out and meet new people to form a study group with. 

Whether it be with your friends or with acquaintances, make sure that everyone has the same goals in mind and will help you achieve your own. Therefore, make sure that you keep an eye out for those in the group who are not pulling their weight or following the group expectations. It is a horrible experience to be in a group with someone that clearly does not put in the same amount of effort as the rest of the team. It is fine if there is one group member who does not understand the material as well as the other, but especially if you are working on homework together, there are some people who just try and get the answers without putting in the work. These people are not beneficial to the group, so this is when the group expectations become helpful. This way you can politely but firmly tell them what they need to do in order to stay in the group. 

End Well

At the end of each study session, the goal should be that everyone understands what they do and do not know so that they know what to focus on after the study session both at home and in the next session. This can help keep your group on track and continue to progress in a positive manner. 

School is hard, and studying can be even harder, but with the right people and these three tips, you can easily improve your study skills and ability.