College and University Blog
Tips for a Successful Study Group
Study groups may be your saving grace in college. Study groups may be a requirement for some classes, but most of the time they are informal and established by the students in the class. Small groups are groups of 3-5 people meeting to focus on an issue. There has been a significant amount of research done on small group performance and groups of two lack power while groups of more than 5 can become unmanageable.
Small groups often out-perform individuals. They are able to generate more options when brainstorming, resulting in more ideas generated in a shorter time. Small groups can better evaluate ideas. By working with other people, you can more easily correct misinformation, bias, and erroneous assumptions. Working in small groups also provides you with encouragement, support, feedback, clarification, and help.
Some things to consider when forming a study group include:
Form study groups after a few classes. You