How to Organize a Study Group

Students enjoying a study group During exam season, many students begin to realize the abundance of material that was covered during their previous academic term. It is at that moment that many students break down, feel incredibly overwhelmed, and begin questioning their academic future. But, what if you actively prepared for exams throughout the year simply by reviewing the material each week with your peers? Study groups are a fun and convenient way to solidify material and grasp a true understanding of what has been taught so far. Study groups can help to minimize procrastination and provide you with more resources in helping to gain an understanding of the material. Interested in starting your own study group? Here’s how to get started.

Find Dedicated Group Members

Whether you have friends in your classes or not, it’s important to find group members that will be dedicated to study sessions and really do their part to ensure group success. Discuss these things with potential group members beforehand and be sure that everyone is in agreeance on the expectations. Of course, be sure to exchange contact details such as phone numbers and email addresses in case there are ever any changes to meeting details.

Schedule a Weekly Meeting

Amongst your study group you will need to determine a time and place to meet. To make this easier, ensure it is a day and time during the week that everyone can be available for. Perhaps schedule this before or after your weekly lecture since everyone will need to be on campus anyways.

Book a Study Room

Many libraries have study rooms which are available for students to book time in for free. These rooms typically have a large table with numerous chairs and a whiteboard or chalkboard for students to access. These rooms provide a distraction-free environment that is great for collaboration.

Delegate Work

Since course readings, new concepts, and new chapters within the textbook are covered each week, delegate the material into individual tasks amongst the group. Then, allow each person to lead that particular section of the study group. This will of course require a weekly agenda to be set prior to each meeting, but it will help to ensure that you remain on task and on schedule within each study session.

Your peers have different learning styles and can help you to better comprehend material, and vice versa. Take advantage of the resources around you and arrange a study group to help take your learning to the next level. Need help to tackle your portion of the group work? Check out our list of available services and let us know what we can assist you with!