Study groups are an excellent way to make your revision more sociable and help you to stay motivated. They are small circles of students dedicated to mutual learning throughout the academic year.
What is the point?
The concept might sound geeky, but they will make learning easier and more fun. The advantages of being in a study group are:
- You can learn material better while presenting it to other people
- It is easier to listen to your friends’ presentations than to cover every topic on your own
- Compare notes with your friends’ and fill in gaps
- Ask questions if you did not have courage at the lecture
- Study groups allow you to gain motivation to work more systematically
- You can exchange journal articles and references
- Study groups make revision less boring and more sociable
What to do?
There are many ways to organise a study group. You may decide to revise for exams, discuss books and articles, or simply go through the lecture content with your friends. During a meeting you may want to give and listen to presentations, solve excersises and answer sample exam questions, create diagrams or simply discuss a topic. It is also up to you how often do you meet. From my experience, it is best to meet once a week for two hours, but it is heavily dependent on the course you study.
How to keep it alive?
If you decide to set up a study group, it is important to make sure it will survive. It is people who make up the group, so ensure that you ask those colleagues who will contribute positively. Gather friends who are motivated and will prepare for meetings. It is better to have too few people than too many: try not to exceed six.
It is also wise to keep it organised. Decide on the topics to cover on each meeting in advance and take turns at giving talks or preparing materials. This way you will make the most out of your group and gain more motivation to learn.
Anna Dzieciol, 3rd year Psychology
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