Three Reasons Study Groups are Awesome

Posted November 3, 2013 by Jill Silverberg

Study groups are something that I used to avoid when I was an undergraduate student. Back then, I found them to be disorganized and extremely one-sided, with one person usually doing all the work. However, I’ve had a recent revelation regarding study groups: they are AWESOME. Perhaps its because I am now a mature graduate student or something, but the study group dynamic that I was used to seems to be a thing of the past. Indeed, I have found that having a study group is one of the wisest decisions I’ve made since starting at Simmons. As much as I would like to think that I am one of those students who can do it all on their own, I am not. With assignments that really challenge you to use everything you’ve learned in class and then some, its nice to have a group of people who are equally as confused as you are. It seems to create a nice sense of solidarity, if you catch my drift. So, to showcase how awesome and necessary study groups are, I’ve come up with three logical reasons to share with you.

1. They allow you a chance to vocalize your ideas regarding the assignment: I’m one of those people who likes having others around to bounce ideas off of, especially if I am unsure about what its being asked of me. Being in a study group setting, you get the chance to ask openly ask questions and get to hear other student’s interpretations of the assignment. Playing off of what others have to say, I usually find myself gaining new insights regarding the assignment which ultimately leads to clearing up any problem areas.

2. It’s a great chance to get to know your classmates: You never know who is going to show up at your study group event, but you can bet they are there for the same reasons you are. Who knew that shared confusion could be such a great ice breaker?

3. You get to eat baked goods!: Bear with me on this one. In my experiences thus far, every time I’ve had a study group event, one or more people usually bring some kind of snacks. I think this is something that is slowly becoming a tradition since it continues to happen. However, there is something calming about munching on homemade cake or cookies; it starts the study session off on a positive note and seems to encourage some friendly conversation.

So there you have it, three reasons why study groups are awesome. If you haven’t tried setting one up, I suggest asking a few classmates; chances are they will probably appreciate the opportunity to work on assignments with other students. I know that I sure did.