It could not be argued that studying alone would work well in some areas, like in memorizing words for a subject in aforeign language. However, to the typical college student, there would always be instances where understanding complex ideas would come in. Instead of mere memorization, the application of facts to problems is needed. Study groups are beneficial in these cases for various acts would come into action: explanation of concepts, arguments over issues, understanding why one's solution is different from yours. The fact is, other things could be discussed as well such as admission procedures to MBA or law schools. In a study group composed of pre law students, for example, the members can offer insights on writing sample college admission essays.

Benefits of college study groups

# You can share notes. This is important as you can compare the notes you have taken down and build a more reliable information database on the subject you're studying on.
# You can contribute your talents and skills. Every person has strengths different from the rest of the group, be it organizational skills, creative writing, etc. Sharing these skills leads to a more meaningful learning process.
# More ground would be covered in study groups. Think of calculus, that much-dreaded higher mathematics subject. If a problem could not be solved one individual, four or five students would surely be able to accomplish it.
# There's the socialization factor. Let's face it, you would not join a college study group if half of the members are people whose guts you hate. You would surely be joining friends, and that is where the fun is. During breaks in your study sessions, you could chat, gossip, play (chess or whatever), etc.

Things to consider in forming a study group

Number -- How many members is ideal in a group? If your study group is composed of more than a dozen heads, you may find out that it is more chaotic than educational. Come up with a group of 4 to 6. Also, if the group has few members, the group's objectives could easily be sidetracked.

The members -- Without meaning to discriminate, you might want to avoid that classmate whom you know survives in tests by using crib notes or just copying from a seatmate. Consider people who are always alert in classes and who constantly participate in discussions.

The venue -- It would be best to do your group study sessions outside the school premises, like somebody's house. The venue must be free from distractions and has enough room for all the books that would be spread out.

The length of time -- It would not be a good idea to have study sessions so long that it would last up to 3 am. A maximum of 3 hours is what experts recommend. Setting a time limit would focus the efforts of the group members into doing something more productive.

Schedules -- As much as possible, meet on the same time/day for every week.

More tips

Preparation is important, even before the session. Make sure that you have done all assigned readings. Check out the list of themes to be discussed for that particular session. Going unprepared would just waste your and everybody's time. All of you should be able to contribute something to the group. If all of your sessions are spent with just one member teaching all the time, then you might just as well hire him to be a tutor. When you teach, you reinforce what you know and, of course, it helps the rest of the clique.