Research has shown that students who study in groups at least once a week get higher grades than those who study alone. Shani Perera feels that a study group (also called “study buddies,” “study gang” or “study teams”) helps tremendously because you ask questions and discuss what you are learning. The group provides support and encouragement, and it helps increase long-term retention. Some colleges even require that students participate in study groups for certain difficult classes.
An effective study group consists of two to five serious students. Meet regularly, soon after class, while the lecture is fresh your mind, in a public space. Plan an agenda, be sure that everyone participates equally, and decide consequences for those who come sporadically or unprepared. Don’t just trade notes; discuss material and re-explain it to one another. The best way to know something is to be able to teach it to someone else. Write test questions and quiz each other. If the group wastes time or makes you feel anxious, stop participating. As James MacArthur Tone says, study groups “help me find out what I really know, as opposed to what I think I have learned.”
