Study Group Success: Strategies Every Student Should Know

The concept of study groups is not very common in India, however, its prominence is increasing rapidly. A highly effective studying strategy, study groups can be very helpful for students to improve their learning experience. However, this underutilized resource needs to be utilized properly in order to maximize advantages. Creating the wrong study group, or approaching the process incorrectly can cause as many disadvantages. In this article we will explore what a study group is, how to choose the best partners, and strategies for driving success in the learning experience.

What Makes A Study Group Useful

A study group is essentially a group of peers who study together and utilize multiple strategies and tools to improve learning, boost information retention, and succeed academically. Study groups not only make the learning experience more engaging and interesting, but offer a number of specific benefits including the following:

• Simplifying complex Subjects: A study group can help students understand complex concepts better through discussions. Irrespective of subject, certain concepts or topics can be more challenging for some students than others. Discussing the same in more familiar terms with friends and peers can help students understand it better.
• Inculcating Discipline: When a student is a part of the study group, they can develop a more disciplined approach to studying. Attending sessions, working on problems, completing homework all become a part of the study group activities. This also allows them to better manage their time, and leave room for other activities without compromising on studies.
• Understanding Varied Views: Everyone perceives things differently and discussions help one see things from another’s point of view. Study groups are the perfect place for students to come together and share their thoughts and perspectives on any subject. This also allows students to understand different viewpoints, which helps them develop a multifaceted thought process.

Selecting The Right Group

In order to gain the maximum benefits of a study group, it is essential to start with an effective study group. This means choosing the right members, who may or may not be your closest friends. It is essential for students to approach this process seriously, not viewing a study group as an opportunity to hang out with friends. To build the right group, focus should be on the following aspects:

• Selecting Members
  When selecting the members who will form part of your study group, make sure that you keep the circle compact, with about 4-6 members at most. In order to choose the right members, you can look at those who share similar commitment as you do, and are equally motivated to improve their learning experience.
• Defining Goals
  Giving the study group a direction involves setting goals in place. Discuss with the members and define goals. For instance:
  • Your study group can be created for a specific subject with which all the members need help.
  • It can be created to help every member improve their learning by material discussions and problem solving.
  • It can be created to help every member with the school exams or even for competitive exams.
• Defining Sessions and Responsibilities
  To prevent chaos in the study sessions, it is not only essential to set a time and place where the group meets to study, it is also important to define what the sessions will be about. You can also define responsibilities for members mutually to enhance effectiveness. For example:
  • Before every session, you can discuss which topic will be covered in that session, and what will be the approach: discussion post personal readings, addressing questions, etc.
  • The members of the group can be given responsibilities, such as group leader (whether permanent or for that subject/topic), time coordinator, etc. These roles can help give more structure to the sessions, ensuring every session stays on track, everyone gets to ask questions that need clarification, and the topic can be studied efficiently.
  • A post-session activity such as question-answers of the topic can also be designed to be done by every member, ensuring key concepts are understood by all.

Strategies For Success

Apart from forming the right group, and defining goals, it is also important for students to implement the right studying strategies to achieve success. Some of the best strategies include the following:

• Teaching To Learn: One of the most essential ways to improve retention is to implement the teach to learn method. In this, one member of the group can take up a topic, and teach it to other members. This will not only help the other members learn more effectively, but also improve conceptual understanding for the ‘teacher’.
• Employing Learning Tools: Not everyone learns through discussions and rote learning methods. Activity based learning is known to enhance understanding and improving grasping power. As such, the study group can practice some exercises together. Activities like pop quizzes, tests, flashcards, and application-based problem solving can make the process more engaging, fun, and effective. Other resources for learning such as informative online videos, experimenting (for science subjects), can also be utilized for a more visual learning experience.
• Avoiding Clashes: Members of the study group are bound to face challenges and even lock horns on occasion. However, minimizing conflict is essential to achieving the best results. For this, several strategies such as the following can be utilized:
  1. Maintaining decorum: Just as in a classroom, maintaining decorum in a study group can make all the difference. This means setting rules like discussions to be carried out in a respectful manner, no member should use personal devices during the sessions, no one will try to dominate the session, and more.
  2. Equal Say: Every member of the study group should get the best benefits they can, for which ensuring that everyone participates equally and has an equal say is essential.

Conclusion

Study groups are a very effective avenue for students to learn. WOrking together with their peers not only helps them understand their subjects better, but beyond that, also helps them develop good team work habits. Approaching study groups in a strategic manner can help the students make the most of the experience and improve scores.