Study groups are widely popular in most educational institutions as they play a very important function in the learning process in any student’s life. It helps them understand their lessons and promotes a wider range of methods for studying. Aside from direct social benefits, there are several advantages that can be derived from forming and participating in study groups.
The most blatant advantage of a study group is that is fosters camaraderie and teamwork between students. These groups are formed with the identification of one common goal and the realization that this goal can be best achieved when people help each other out. Just like any other team competing to win in sports, study groups are often established with a common goal for all, such as doing well in an upcoming exam, preparing for a difficult oral defense, and so forth. The group now works together to achieve this goal, and, just like those sports teams, each member is required to contribute something to reach the said goal.
Members of the group are often encouraged to share their strategies and ideas in order to “win”, or in this case, to accomplish the set objective. Each student can be assigned to go over a specific part of the lesson and share what he or she has learned with the rest. Moreover, study groups can provide support to students who find it difficult to comprehend lessons that were not understood well in the classroom.
Aside from harboring teamwork, group study encourages students to be confident in themselves, especially when it comes to learning and application. In most study groups, individuals are often encouraged to prepare before each session to ensure that everyone has intellectual contribution for a fruitful discussion, which in turn, makes the study group successful. This will push the student to learn more and be confident in his or her own set of skills rather than rely on others to feed him or her information. When an individual contributes to a success, this boosts his or her confidence and encourages them to participate more proactively. The more each member contributes to the study group, the more productive their sessions are, and the easier it is to accomplish the set task.
Lastly, study groups expand a student’s range of methods for learning, especially when it comes to difficulty in comprehending specific subject matters. Study groups are often based on effective learning techniques such as free discussion and the Socratic method of learning through a series of questions, and these practices cannot be carried out by just one individual. Moreover, learning as a group often opens up new perspectives as each member has a different point of view, lending fresh insights that can help to better understand lessons.
Study groups indeed make learning easier for students, but it also makes it fun, as it is an activity that requires social interaction. Studying can be tedious and boring when done alone, thus, these groups provide the motivation and encouragement a student needs to overcome difficulties in his or her academic life.
