How to Form a Study Group

Co-authored by Bryce Warwick, JD

Last Updated: December 9, 2024 Fact Checked

Study groups are helpful because your friends and classmates can help you understand tricky topics. And you'll feel good when you get to explain something they're having trouble with! However, planning a group, finding people to join you, and keeping everyone focused can be really hard. Even still, with a little creativity and by following simple established guidelines, you can form a productive group that benefits everyone.

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Recruiting Group Members

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1
Ask your classmates if they are interested in forming a group. Take a look around the classroom and figure out who you'd like to be in your group. Before class begins or just after it ends, ask people around you if they'd be interested in meeting up.^{[1]
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- Pay attention to your classmates' level of effort in the classroom to determine if they'd be a good member of the group. Too often, students join study groups with the hope that they can coast while the rest of the group does the work. If they are not pulling their weight in the classroom, they probably won't do their share in your group.
2
Email the class if you have access to everyone's addresses. Many middle school, high school, and college courses use online learning management systems such as BlackBoard or Canvas. Through these sites, students usually have access to a messenger system or a list of email addresses of other students. If you are unsure how to find them, look for a “Help” or “Tutorial” feature on the course page, or reach out to your school's I.T. department.
- Only email once or twice about starting the group. It's best not to alienate and annoy your classmates with several emails. If they haven't responded after two requests, they are probably not interested.
Tip: An ideal study group is only about 4-5 members. If too many respond to your email, choose a few for your group and connect everyone else so they can form their own small groups.

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3
Request that the teacher make an announcement about your group. Ask the teacher to make an announcement at the beginning of class and also to post about it on your class's online message board, if available. A request from the teacher gives legitimacy to your request and you may have more luck recruiting group members this way.
- You can also ask the teacher if you can make the announcement yourself. This way, students know exactly who to see if they are interested in joining your group.
4
Hang a flyer outside the classroom announcing the group. If you have a very large class, such as college freshman survey, it may be effective to hang a flyer just outside the classroom door. For best result, keep the flyer simple and informative. Just state that you are forming a study group, state which class, and give contact information. Any more than that and people will likely not read it.
- Be sure to know your school's rules for posting flyers. Many colleges and universities only allow flyers to be posted on dedicated boards. Check with the teacher or the department secretary to find out where posting is allowed.
- If you are in middle school or high school, ask the teacher if you can hang a flyer on the corner of the board so it is out the way, but still visible to all the students.
5
Announce your study group on your school's morning announcements. Most schools have announcements every morning that tell the students about clubs, sporting events, or other school-related activities. Ask your teacher or someone in the school's office how to get your study group announced over the loudspeaker.
- Be prepared by having the announcement already written up. Keep it short, enthusiastic, and simple. Just tell them you are creating a study group, what class it is for, and how to contact you or find you.

Part 2

Part 2 of 3:

Structuring the Group

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1
Decide on meeting times that work with everyone's schedule. To have an effective study group, make sure you meet for at least an hour each week. Figure out a time that works for everyone each week and try to stick to it. This way, everyone will get into the habit of coming and won't forget.^{[2]
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- For a really difficult class, you may want to schedule 2 or 3 hour study sessions. Any longer than 3 hours and people may lose focus.^{[3]
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Choose a venue that has bright lighting and a good collaborative space. Once you know what time everyone can meet, you need to find an available space. Look for a space that has tables big enough for your group to gather around and spread out all their materials. Library study rooms, coffee shops, or group members' homes are great locations.^{[4]
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- Many university and municipal libraries have study rooms that you can reserve. Just make sure you reserve an area where your group is free to talk and won't disturb others.
- If you want to meet in someone's home, consider switching up the homes each week. This way, no one person feels burned out by hosting guests every week.
3
Set a topic schedule for each meeting in advance. At the first meeting, or even before if you can get everyone together, set a rough outline of topics you want to cover until the next exam. Use the course syllabus or your textbook to figure out what basic concepts you will cover each week.^{[5]
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- You don't need to make this schedule very detailed. It just helps for the group to have an idea what topics will be covered each week so everyone can plan ahead.
4
Determine rules and guidelines for the functionality of the group. The biggest problems when working in a group arise from miscommunication over roles and responsibilities. Before the group even begins to meet and study, set guidelines that everyone agrees to in order to keep things running smoothly and to avoid potential conflict.
- The rules will depend on your group and your needs but you should consider making rules against tardiness, not coming prepared, skipping meetings, and being disrespectful toward other group members. If any of these issues should arise in one of your study sessions, the group members will have the agreed upon rules to use in resolving the issue.
- Should someone in the group not work out, you will be glad you have made the rules clear at the beginning, so there are no surprises when that person is confronted.
- Make the rules as a group. To ensure that no one feels as though you are being bossy or trying to control the group, ensure that each group member is heard and their opinions on the rules are recognized.
5
Assign group leaders to every study session. Each session, one or two group members should take the lead in planning the session and carrying out the individual tasks for that day. Having leaders to moderate the discussion and keep everyone on task will ensure that you group gets the maximum benefit from these meetings.^{[6]
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- Having two group leaders in each session protects the group in case one of the leaders gets sick, can't make it, or is unprepared.
- A good way to assign group leaders is to have everyone sign up on the weeks they are most interested in leading. Use the weekly topic plan you made to have everyone choose which weeks they'd like to be responsible. Or, randomly assign weeks to make sure all topics are covered and no one feels like they lost out.
6
Set up a chat group through messenger or social media. A really effective study group will be able to communicate outside the study sessions themselves. Set up a WhatsApp, email, or text group that will allow people to ask questions, share documents, or plan extra study sessions.^{[7]
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- It's a good idea to set rules for the chat group as well. Sometimes people get carried away with messages or memes and drive away potentially great group members who do not want the extra distraction of constant phone alerts.

Part 3

Part 3 of 3:

Conducting Study Sessions

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1
Have healthy snacks and drinks available to help everyone focus. Healthy and not greasy or messy snacks are important for keeping everyone focused and on task. So that no one person feels burdened by always having to provide the snacks, task the group leaders of each session to bring food and drink.^{[8]
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- Opt for finger foods with a lot of protein and not a lot of grease. Choose things like fruits, veggies, nuts, cheese, hummus, or pretzels.
- Pizza works in a pinch for a late-night study sessions, but remember it's greasy and probably going to make you feel full and tired after eating it, instead of alert and focused.
2
Create an agenda for each session and stick to it. The group leaders should be tasked with making and distributing a plan for each study session. It can be as detailed as the leader needs it to be to keep everyone on track. What is important is that everyone in the group has a rough outline for exactly what will be covered and in what order. This will help keep everyone on task because they will know what they need to cover.^{[9]
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- The agenda should begin with the hardest material to get that out of the way while everyone's brain is still alert and awake.
- The structure should be determined by the group leaders and whatever they think makes the most sense for covering the topics of the day.
- Structure largely depends on the class. For a math class, you might spend ⅔ on homework problems and ⅓ on concepts, but for a history class, you'd probably spend most of your time discussing main ideas.
3
Take breaks often so that no one feels burned out. If your study session is any longer than 45 minutes, you definitely want to schedule in breaks for stretching, using the restroom, checking your phone, or just chatting. Giving intermittent breaks keeps everyone on task when they should be working because they know there is a time coming when they can step away.^{[10]
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- The break schedule should be included in the agenda for the day. Decide together as a group what you think works best. Some people like to work for 25 minutes and then take a break for 5 minutes. Others prefer to work longer sessions and take longer breaks. It doesn't really matter as long as everyone agrees.
4
Experiment with different study methods to maximize learning. Encourage your group leaders to be creative with how they conduct the studying time. There are many websites available with ideas for effective studying strategies. Try them out and see what works best for your group.^{[11]
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- People learn differently. Some are visual learners, some learning by writing, and some learn best by teaching others. Since your group will be made up of diverse individuals, be willing to try out different methods so that everyone can benefit.
- Some proven study methods are teaching each other the materials, having debates, watching and discussing film clips, playing trivia games, and quizzing one another.
5
Review the material at the end of each session. Take at least 10 minutes at the end of each study session to go over the main ideas again. Also, leave time for anyone in the group to ask questions on any material they still don't understand.
- Even if you think you know the material well, you will benefit from hearing it again or answering questions of your group members.^{[12]
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What are the disadvantages of studying in a group?

Bryce Warwick, JD
Test Prep Tutor, Warwick Strategies
Bryce Warwick is currently the President of Warwick Strategies, an organization based in the San Francisco Bay Area offering premium, personalized private tutoring for the GMAT, LSAT and GRE. Bryce has a JD from the George Washington University Law School.

Bryce Warwick, JD

Test Prep Tutor, Warwick Strategies

Expert Answer

If you aren't all at the same skill level, you may rely on one person to do most of the work and less experienced people may feel left behind.

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Do the group members have to be your friends?

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It is a great idea to have your friends in group studying sessions, but make sure you do not get off topic and start chatting. However, it is not necessary that the group members are your friends, they could simply be others in the class that also want to study in groups.

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Do I have to be better than everyone else at the subject I am studying to form a study group?

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No. The goal is to study together and help each other, not only one helping all the others. You can even be bad at the subject -- as long as the initiative is there, it's okay.

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Play soft background music if you are trying to study in a space with outside distractions. Many people find classical music or nature sounds to be really effective. Just remember to keep it quiet enough that your group can still maintain focus.^{[13]
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Study with people who have similar skill levels as you, or else one person might do more of the work and another person might feel left behind.^{[14]
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Bryce Warwick, JD
Test Prep Tutor, Warwick Strategies

Expert Interview. 5 November 2019.}

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During exams merge with another study group for one-off study sessions where you either focus on going through a past paper or particular concepts. This can be a great way to gain some different perspectives on the material.

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Warnings

Respect your teacher's academic integrity policy as to what assignments have to be completed individually. If you work together without authorization, you may score a 0 or be subject to disciplinary action. Even in a group setting, everyone should do their own work.

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