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Students often find that they retain more information and feel better prepared for exams when they study in groups. If no one in your classes has set up a study group yet, you may want to take the initiative. Here are a few things to think about when setting up a group to ensure it’s a worthwhile activity.

1. Invite the Right People

Organizing a study group will be a waste of time if you end up using it as an excuse to socialize. This could happen if you mainly invite friends. Better choices are students who you know are committed to working hard and want to achieve good grades. Furthermore, you’ll need the right number of people. If the group is too large, it may be difficult for everyone to participate or you could end up with two conversations happening at once. Avoid this by limiting your group to no more than five members.

2. Stay in Touch with Everyone

You’ll need to set up a group chat where you can discuss any necessary changes (such as if you need to meet at a different time or location than normal) and where members can confirm their attendance. You can also use your group chat to discuss anything related to the class between study sessions, such as if there’s a particular aspect of the material you’re struggling to understand.

3. Decide How Your Group Will Work

As the person setting up the study group, you’re responsible for clarifying how your group will work. For instance, you’ll need to decide how often you’ll meet and for how long. Most groups find meeting once a week for an hour is ideal.

You’ll also need to set rules for the sessions. For example, you may feel it would be more natural to dedicate a couple minutes at the start for small talk, as long as there’s a time limit. Alternatively, you may like to dedicate the entire session to studying. It’s a good idea to check that everyone is in agreement and allow other group members to voice their opinions before you come to any final decisions.

4. Come Up with Ideas for the Sessions

If you lack an objective for a session, you may end up wasting your time trying to decide what to do. It’s important to know in advance what material you’ll be covering and what activities you’ll use to study together. You may like to dedicate some of your first session to creating an agenda for future meetings.

5. Choose Somewhere to Study

Finally, you need to decide where your study group will meet. Finding the perfect place can be challenging, as you’ll need somewhere you won’t be distracted but also where you won’t be bothering anyone else. There may be study rooms you can use on campus (such as in the library), but there’s no guarantee you’ll find the same room available each week.

Your apartment could be the ideal place to hold a group study session — provided it’s large enough and close to campus. You can find London, Ontario, apartments for students at Foundry First. The suites are large with modern furnishings and located just steps from campus. Secure your spot today while there are still spaces.