Tips for Study Groups

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.