Starting a study group? Check out our Tips for Successful Study Groups below, or download them here!
Forming the Study Group
- Lookout for an email from ARC staff with your fellow group member’s contact information
- 4-6 members to go over weekly topics
- Make a commitment and be prepared!
- Select how and where you want to meet
- Determine your start date
- Identify a ‘facilitator’ to be responsible for keeping the group on track
Preparing for Your Sessions:
- Decide what to cover and send a message before the session to remind group members.
- Select as a group, lectures and homework problems you want to address. Be prepared before the study group for these sections.
- Establish mutually agreed upon ground rules or community norms. See examples here.
Session structure:
- Begin each group with a few minutes of chatting about how people are doing generally
- Try to develop a structure for your group—this is KEY to a successful study group.
- A few suggestions:
- In the first 1⁄2 hour, review and discuss the preceding week’s concepts. This allows members a chance to voice any confusion or issues with the material.
- Divide the two or three lectures that you have per week among the group members.
- The ‘subgroups’ can teach/present the concepts to the group for subsequent review and discussion.
- Use the rest of the time to work on problems/questions.
- Take turns ‘presenting’ the problems.
- Use the last 10 minutes to do a quick review/summary of the session and wrap up by identifying any tasks or responsibilities needing to be addressed prior to the next session.