Have you ever been part of a study group? Gathering classmates to do a project or prepare for a presentation is something that has been part of every student’s life. However, forming a committed team to maintain regular meetings and enhance learning is quite different.
A study group is an opportunity to develop intellectually, academically and socially. The focus of extra lass meetings is the sharing of information, the exchange of ideas and the sum of skills. Do you want to know more about this subject and find out how to form your own class to study? Let’s go on this reading together!
How important is a study group?
A study group is a great way to overcome procrastination and the boredom of studying alone. The initiative to bring together classmates to reinforce learning at extra hours is a more dynamic way to keep up with the content of the classes.
In addition, the study group is the ideal channel to share doubts, opinions and debate the topics seen in the classroom. All this exchange allows for greater absorption and understanding of the contents. Another positive point of forming a group to study outside the academic context is motivation, that is, the commitment made to other people is an additional incentive to maintain the discipline.
Not to mention, of course, interactivity. The exchange of knowledge makes learning more fun. Those who are self-taught may even prefer to study alone, but the truth is that we always have something to learn in contact with other people. It’s not just about clarifying your own doubts, but growing with the doubts of your colleagues.
How to form a good study group?
If you still don’t participate in any study groups at your college, be a pioneer in this learning method and form your own team. But it’s not enough to gather your friends and arrange random times to study on test days. It takes a lot more planning and dedication on the part of everyone. Understand what should be taken into account!
Limit the number of participants
Be careful with the amount of people you intend to gather. A high number of participants can leave the group disorganized, with side conversations and more chances of friction and differences of opinion.
Ideally, the group should have 3 to 5 members. That way it’s easier to concentrate, everyone participates and no one runs the risk of being shy in front of others. In addition, as you are used to this partnership, you can also join to participate in academic work and seminar presentations.
If there is a greater number of people interested in participating in your study group, another tip is to divide the class into two different teams and take turns meeting.
Set a meeting place
In the formation of the group, it is important to establish the place where the meetings will be held. Ideally, this choice should be made in consensus, considering the ease of access for each one. It can be in the home of one of the members, in the municipal library or in the educational institution itself, or in any other place that allows everyone to be present.
Set fixed days for meetings
The group should be taken seriously by the participants, not seen as an occasional commitment. To do so, you must set fixed days and times, at least once a week, to maintain a study routine and regular meetings. It is also advisable to control the frequencies so as not to harm the team’s progress.
Choose committed and available participants
As much as you’d like to adapt your meeting times for your best friend to attend — the one who’s always busy, works all day, and has appointments every weekend — forget about that option!
Choose people who will really commit to their studies and to the other members of the group. Preferably, talk to your peers who are more available and who are interested in participating in extracurricular activities.
Diversify the profiles
Explore each member’s strengths and enrich your group with distinctive skills. After all, the purpose of forming a class to study is to learn through the exchange of knowledge. Giving versatility to the team, with different profiles, is a way to facilitate debates and build new opinions.
Imagine bringing together several people with a leadership profile, for example. Conflicts and difficulties in reconciling decisions can arise, do you agree? This is also true for any other feature. Therefore, the ideal is to add qualities that contribute to everyone’s growth.
Encourage debates
It’s been a long time since we’ve passed the stage of decorating content, haven’t we? To expand knowledge, it is not enough to have answers on the tip of your tongue, you need to reflect, analyze with a critical eye, consider hypotheses and have the flexibility to change your opinion.
That’s why debates are necessary. They awaken different positions and encourage analytical thinking. So, to enrich your study group meetings, launch complex topics and promote discussions. Of course, these moments must be conducted in a healthy and constructive way, with tolerance and respect for the opinions of others.
Keep a contact channel
Whether to ask questions that were not discussed at the group meeting, or to share materials, or even to decide the topics for the next meeting, it is necessary to maintain communication between the members.
A group on social media — on WhatsApp, for example — is a great way for everyone to communicate easily. And they can still exchange links to videos and articles related to the subjects of study. But be careful not to lose focus on academic matters!
