Study Alone or with a Group

There are a variety of different methods that an individual might use to study for a particular exam, interview, or other similar purpose, but one of the most effective ways of studying a particular subject is to study with a study group. Study groups allow students or employees to work together with other individuals that are studying similar material so that each individual can help the other members of the group learn the material related to the specific topic that the group is studying. In fact, there are a variety of different advantages to studying with a study group and study groups can often make it significantly easier for an individual to learn difficult material. However, there are also several disadvantages to studying with a study group that an individual should keep in mind.

First, study groups may be more difficult for an individual to work into his or her schedule than individual study sessions if the individual has a lot of activities that he or she is working around. This is because study groups, by their very nature, involve a group of individuals and each individual member of the group has his or her own distinct schedule that he or she needs to work around. As a result, a study group, especially a small study group, will have to set meetings around the schedules of each of its members and it may not always be possible for a study group to set a meeting time that works for everyone. Secondly, it is very easy for an individual that is loud, unfocused, or unprepared to completely derail the efforts of the entire group. Even though a study group allows each individual in the group the opportunity to draw on the strengths of the study group's other members, it also allows each member the opportunity to draw on the weaknesses of the other members. In other words, a study group is often only as effective as its weakest link and an individual that is not helping the group study may not just be hurting himself, but the entire group as well. This is because individuals that are loud, unfocused, or unprepared often distract the group from the material that the group should be discussing. Finally, a study group can only function effectively if every member of the group participates, so a study group that has several good members may still suffer if one individual is having a bad day.