Group study has been a buzzword in the student community for the past few years. It is thrown into conversation by every educationist, academic, topper and even by incredibly frustrated average scorers (trust me, I know). It is an incredibly helpful tool that a lot of students are keen to explore. However, over the years it has managed to garner a negative perception from most parents. So there has been a constant tussle between parents and students about the effectiveness of group study. If you have ever had long and tiring debates on the usefulness of it with your parents or children; then you have come to the right place.
Studying, learning and upskilling yourself aren’t easy jobs. They require dedication, consistency, motivation, concentration, ironclad will and whatnot?! On top of this, the pressure of being a student who wants to be ahead in the rat race but also harbours a soul that believes in YOLO (You Only Live Once) is incredibly overwhelming. All of the above reasons make being a student really difficult and this is something only students tend to understand as they know how hard it is to survive in this chaos.
Why should you believe me?
As an average student I have tried and tested a lot of techniques to find the best one that would get me the “topper” status. Some worked for me and many didn’t. I understand what a student goes through when they are constantly greeted with failure and rejections. I empathise with the problems, taunts and criticism a student faces everyday since I was once, in the exact same spot. It really hurt my ego when I saw some random girl scoring the highest marks using the same technique that just made me an average scorer (and only if I was lucky). So, I eventually started to analyse what method worked for me and what didn’t. (and why)
After a lot of trial and error I conclude, Group study is one of the most effective tools to tackle the above mentioned and related problems. It is incredibly versatile and has so many factors that it can be altered relatively easily to suit your learning style
Why?
Why should all students have a group study routine? Mainly because the influence of a supportive group is vastly significant since every student’s intellect and confidence helps build the confidence of the other members in the group. When two great individuals join to form a group, they do not just add value as two individuals; instead, as the Indian proverb goes, “Ek aur ek gyarah hote hai’’. So with every student that comes together to study; the impact of and on that group grows exponentially.
It will bring you a lot of energy to embrace challenges and motivation to achieve the common goal. Group studying promotes studying in a way that when you see other students studying, your FOMO kicks in (cheers, Gen Z) and you are automatically forced to study. The motivation to study you gather from seeing your peers study is simply unmatched. The inherent nature of humans to find flaws in everything and everyone makes an individual study better as when you try to voice your ideas and thoughts, it makes things clearer in your mind; sometimes even giving an entirely new and fresh point of view.
Studying is not just about deadlines, assignments, marks and CGPAs, it can be incredibly fun and relaxing; all you need is the right partner.
Who?
Now that we are talking about the ideal partner, let’s understand how many people do you need in your study group and what are the things you should keep in mind while choosing your match.
A study group isn’t simply about getting people together in a whatsapp group and sharing study materials. It is, rather, a community of carefully selected individuals that have similar mindsets and end goals.
There are a few things to keep in mind while being on a lookout for the perfect group. The ideal number of members you’re looking for is 3–4. Less than 3 allows the 2 participants to slack off and anything more than 4 is just confusing to organise and plan,and let’s be honest, requires a lot of discipline to ensure it doesn’t turn into an afternoon party.
Now coming to the learning styles of the participants; they should be either similar or complementary to each other. Other cases do not let the participants take complete benefit of the group study session.
A mismatch of study goals and/or study styles can lead to drastic consequences. It can cause friction during the study sessions, regular conflicts, unmatched study targets etc.
When and Where?
A lot of factors affect the logistics of a group study session. The expectations of the participants of the group, what kind of aim does the group serve etc. are some of the key factors, especially if it is your and your peer’s primary method of study.
In a primary study group the targets should be set at a daily occurrence and progress should be measured in a metric suitable to and approved by all participants. The time and place of such meets should be decided beforehand. There should be a fixed routine with respect to timings and place since the group convenes at frequent intervals.
Now, moving onto a secondary group, things need to be managed at a more intricate level. The first problem is that the primary method of study for the members is inherently different resulting in some pre existing friction. Moreover, a scheduled place and time needs to be decided beforehand to avoid inconvenience.The location may vary every time as the group gets together after long intervals. Setting a common time is also a hassle as all people may want to devote more time to their own learning styles and may not be available enough for a study meeting every time.
A good idea is to use an app that can be used to keep the members in check over long durations between study meets. To hold them accountable, to keep them in touch and discuss the details of the next awaited hussle meet. Apps that I have tried out over the years are numerous, but the ones that have worked out for me are Notion, YPT (Yeolpumta, this is a damn fine spectacular app and my top recommendation to log those hours of dedicated studying), Forest etc.
A protip for all the newbies in the department of group studying, always decide on a place that is accessible and readily reachable by all participants. Distance should never be a reason that induces the element of laziness into the group.
How?
Now it is time for the final showdown. The proper total logistics of how to get to work and get things done.
Hop on a call with your group and decide your mode of studying. You can either prefer an online or an offline study meet. Studying online is good but an offline meet is simply unmatched. An online group study can be beneficial if a member is not able to join the session due to certain circumstances and if your group likes to study from the comfort of their own desks. This can be especially helpful if the participants do not actively interact but just need someone with them to study to keep their tempo up. On the other hand, an offline meet is good for those that actively participate in peer teaching techniques. If you like to collaborate and doodle together in a notebook, laugh and discuss your study concepts together or clear your doubts from your classmate, an offline study group is the way for you. Just make sure to keep in mind the possible problems while organising an offline group. (Refer to when and where). If you need help figuring out your perfect study spot; check out The Quest for the Perfect Study Spot: a roadmap.
A good way to keep your study peers in check and make the session a little easy on the mind, flash card games and oral and written tests can be used to practise active recall. Flash cards can be made collaboratively and the final product is really awesome since the study styles of people either match or are complementary to each other. Quizzing orally or on pen and paper induces the element of friendly “competition” driving individuals to perform better.
Some pointers for beginner’s in the domain of group study are:
- Always study with a timer on in case you get off track. Set multiple alarms at different durations. If you are studying simply turn them off but if you are distracted or on a break; my dear reader, it’s time to hit the books again. To know how to spot and combat distractions check out The Art of Distraction free Studying.
- Whenever you join or form a study group, make sure to set a trial time period. If you still do not feel comfortable or believe that you are not able to drive some value from the group then leaving the group would make more sense. Never ever continue in a group just for the sake of continuing or not wanting to hurt someone’s sentiments. In the end, this is about your future.
- Study break duration and periodicity should be set by keeping everyone’s preferences in mind. Remember, not everyone has the same focus capacity or sitting stamina. Pushing someone too much can cause them to fall behind which creates unnecessary friction in the group.
Readers, please keep in mind that Group Study is an aid, it can certainly help you out if you use it correctly but at the end of the day you have to sit down alone with your coffee or plushy and grind for the dream that you saw. Never let group study replace the value of individual study sessions in your mind or real life.
And don’t use this article to convince your parents (group study permission); understand what I am trying to tell you and explain the same to your parents. They are not there to stop you from learning, they just need reassurance regarding your commitment to study in a group.
Just find the right people and the right results will find you.
Stay tuned for more tips and tricks to make your study routine a little less of a headache (but no promises, do keep an aspirin for the sake of it) and a whole lot more fun
Written by Lavanya Dhamija
