Should I Join a Study Group? College students are often trying out new ways of reviewing the material they learn in their courses. Whether it is to better understand the concepts they have been taught or to try and stay focused during review time, many students form study groups so that they may study together. Perhaps you have wondered if you should join a study group and what advantages it might offer you. Keep reading to find out.
An End to Procrastination Even if the study group were to offer no other advantages, the fact that it forces you to study at set, predetermined times is valuable by itself. It can be deceptively easy to get off track and end up procrastinating, but with regularly scheduled study group meetings, there is no way for you to continue putting off assignments.
Gain New Perspectives Students might try to vet the members of a study group before joining, looking for people who are smart in order to gain an advantage in the class. While having intelligent people in your study group is a plus, the simple fact that you are all different will help the learning process. Talking to others and seeing the world with a fresh perspective can often yield creatively innovative insights that will improve your learning.
It’s More Exciting Studying by yourself is sometimes a necessity, but it can quickly get boring. Studying with others helps break up the monotony of studying, allowing you to stay focused on the material for longer periods of time. So if you’ve found that you struggle to study the book about how to get your networking degree because you keep getting distracted, consider joining a study group to make the learning process more enjoyable.
Improves Communication Skills One of the helpful challenges of a study group is the fact that it forces you to clearly articulate your ideas. Depending on the opinions of the members in your study group, you also might have to defend your viewpoint from time to time. This application of what you have learned is extremely valuable and can help you better internalize the things that you learn during your study sessions.
You Aren’t Alone While a study group should not solely be used to capitalize off of other members’ hard work, it can be useful to have friends and study partners who are taking the same class. For instance, if you find yourself unable to attend a lecture or read a chapter of your computer technology assignment, your study group can help fill you in on what you missed. Obviously, the members of any study group will quickly become annoyed if you take advantage of this, but it can be nice to know that you have people to help you catch up if you fall behind. Whether it be a National City College campus or a high school campus, all students should consider studying in groups. Photo Credit: Mark Grapengater, Svein Halvor Halvorsen