It’s another boring day when you don’t feel like opening your books. But, your parents have strictly asked you to sit in your ‘dungeon-like’ study room and spend at least 2 hours studying. The lessons are too big to memorize. You can neither abandon studying, nor you can study alone.
Turns out, you are in a vicious study spiral.
Wait! Did you consider studying with a group of friends? Or maybe, just random students on an online education portal?
An exciting alternative to self-study, group studies can be highly beneficial if you are sincere enough to use the time wisely. Here are ten benefits of group studies that you cannot miss.
1. Eliminates Procrastination
Usually, students tend to postpone studying when they are alone. They fall under the monotonous and drab marquee of self-study and lose interest. However, studying in groups can rule out the possibility of procrastination.
The very thought of setting up a common meeting time and preparing in advance to contribute to the study session can keep the students engaged. For those struggling with procrastination, group study is the solution for you!
2. Improves Teamwork
One of the essential attributes in every profession is teamwork ability, which can be polished through experience. Group study can be one of the ways to enhance the skill.
When students study in a group, they are more likely to interact, engage, sort, and support each other, producing excellent academic output. Moreover, by regular participation in study groups, students can draw relevant experiences to share during prospective job interviews.
3. Faster Learning
It is rightly said that ‘two heads are better than one.’ When more and more students come together to achieve a common goal, they can grasp it faster.
It allows them to explain concepts to each other, exchange ideas, review notes, and conduct a group discussion. Furthermore, every individual has a unique insight that they bring to the table, inducing faster learning and better output.
4. Develop Communication Skills
Interaction is the key to a successful life. Whether in the office delivering a presentation or at home having a political discussion with your family, sound communication skills can add weight to your perspective.
On a similar note, group study allows students to decipher the strength of their speaking and expression while interacting with other students. If engaged sincerely, study circles can improve communication skills to a great extent.
5. Bridge Learning Gaps
How often do you miss out on important points during a lecture? Very often, we believe. That’s where group studies come to the rescue. When more and more students are studying together, it lets them review the notes, check their accuracy and fix errors. This induces them to fill the gaps in their level of understanding, thereby aiding the life-long learning process.
6. Makes Room for Different Perspectives
Studying by yourself gives you a single perspective, i.e., yours. Don’t worry! It isn’t something to be worried about, but it’s always good to have a few other viewpoints to maximize the result. With group study, students can enjoy and learn new ways of looking at the same idea.
Moreover, you can single out the viewpoint you deem best to understand the concepts thoroughly. This not only aids the learning process but helps analyze the individual thought process as well.
7. Learn New Study Skills
Fresh perspectives encourage a fresh approach. One of the highly crucial benefits, group studies allow students to discover new learning techniques from each other. No matter how good you are in academics, there might be someone better than you.
Studying together can be a window of opportunity to observe other students in your circle, weigh the pros and cons of their study methods and finally, incorporate them into your study regimen to get better results.
8. Maintain Personal Responsibilities
In a classroom setting, students are unable to connect themselves with teachers. As a consequence, they become rebellious toward them and lag academically.
However, in a group study, they actively participate and share their ideas because of their like-mindedness. It enables them to maintain a personal responsibility to understand the concept and explain it to their peers with full effort, fostering accountability and team building.
9. Improves Problem-Solving
Problem-solving is yet another essential attribute that helps you stand out in a professional arena. Whether in a technical field or a non-technical one, problem-solving skills are a prerequisite. Contrary to self-study, group circles underpin the need to hear multiple perspectives, theories, and practices.
Consequently, it allows the students to decipher the problem and collectively find a solution. Therefore, group studies can be a perfect medium to sharpen your problem-solving skills.
10. Source of Motivation
One word of moral support can go a long way in making someone successful. When a group of students studies together, they are more likely to help motivate each other. It creates a sense of community and support among students, which can be rewarding for the rest of their lives.
Quick Tips to Form an Effective Study Circle
It’s imperative to keep a note of a few points if you are yet to form a successful study group. Here’s what you can consider:
- The number of group members should not be greater than 5
- Assign a group leader and a deputy group leader
- Mandatorily meet at least twice a week
- Plan the timetable, agenda, tasks, and venue in advance
- The entire group must engage in topic reviews, difficult homework questions, and doubts
- Every member must be given a fair chance to ask questions, raise doubts and give answers
- Must have a student member who can summarise the discussions at the end of the class
- Students can be assigned the summary activity on a rotational basis
- Use the best technology and online resources
- Everyone must assist everyone; there should be no room for any bias
- It is upon the group leader to ensure the smooth functioning of each study session
- Remember, you are not in class! So, you can share some light moments as well.
- Spend them outside of study sessions to build bonds
Now that you know…
Group circles can be fun and beneficial at the same. It helps them bond over their favorite subjects, keep them organized, improves their understanding, and sharpens the necessary skills. For this reason, the result is not limited to good grades but the overall development of the student. So, if you are considering starting a study circle, now is the time. All the best!
