5 Benefits Of Studying With Friends
Studying is not something that many students look forward to or enjoy. But one way to make it more fun is to involve others — especially friends! Studying is an activity that has been examined by researchers for years. They’ve found that the benefits of studying with friends are numerous, but there are also pitfalls that should be understood so they can be avoided.
So how can friends affect your studies? And is it better to study alone or with friends? These are important questions that all students need to know the answer to. Read on to find out more about the benefits of group learning and a few of the disadvantages of studying with friends.
Studying With Friends: The Advantages
So, what are the benefits of group learning? Turns out, there are quite a few! Some of the biggest advantages you can reap from studying with others include:
· Motivation — When you study by yourself, you may feel bored by the material you’re covering. That can lead to more social media scrolling or daydreaming than studying, which is problematic when you’re trying to learn and retain new educational material. When friends are a part of the studying equation, it serves as extra motivation to keep you on track and away from other distractions.
· Lower procrastination — Do you like to put things off until the last minute? Many people do, especially when it comes to schoolwork. But researchers have discovered that learning in a group and hitting the books with friends can help to reduce procrastination in students. When you plan a study schedule with pals, it’s more difficult to put it off or bail at the last minute. Plus, when you’re with people, they push you to learn simply by participating in the activity with you.
· Help — Have you ever hit a wall when studying by coming across a concept you simply can’t seem to grasp? Most people do! When students work with friends to learn and study, they can help by talking through concepts that may be difficult to grasp. Additionally, when you work to explain concepts to others that they may be having trouble with, you’re solidifying the concept in your own mind. People have their own strengths and weaknesses, so pooling them all together can be helpful to everyone.
· Improved memorization — For many people, the best way to memorize something is to explain it to others. The act of teaching a concept to other people helps your brain to further absorb the information. When you study by yourself, there’s no one to teach except yourself. This isn’t to say that you can’t memorize things when you study alone, but it sure is easier with other people around (or at least, your brain thinks it is, and that’s what counts!).
· Improved social skills — Perhaps one of the biggest advantages of studying with others is that it gets you out and socializing. That can be very difficult to do for certain students, but forming study groups is a great way to meet new people and build communication skills. In group study scenarios, you’re learning to help others and overcome problems, strengthening your social skills along the way. It’s a win-win!
Disadvantages Of Studying With Friends
Do students learn better with classmates? Most of the time, yes — but it’s important to know that even with all the advantages of studying with friends, there are some potential disadvantages, too. They include:
· Creating bad habits — Not everyone you study with is going to be the top student in the class. In fact, your study group probably has students from all areas of proficiency. While this can be an advantage, you also have to be careful that you don’t pick up the bad habits of others when studying with them. If you realize you’re picking up the bad habits of your friends when studying, it may be best to find a different study group or go it alone.
· Wasting time — While sometimes group studying can keep you on track, it’s vital to understand that sometimes it will simply end up as wasted time. Often, this happens in the form of disagreements about how or what to study, or clashing opinions about correct answers or approaches. Of course, you can also waste time gossiping or talking about the things you usually do when socializing. Be aware of this and keep your eye on the study prize. If you find you’re spending more time chatting or debating than actually learning, you may want to study solo for a while.
· Interruptions — If you’re really good at a certain subject, people may seek you out to study with you. That’s great in most situations, since teaching concepts to others is often a great way to study in and of itself. But it’s important to be careful that your own studying isn’t constantly interrupted by others who want to ask you a lot of questions.
· Scheduling issues — Many students are quite busy, and finding a time to study that works for everyone can be a serious challenge. When you study alone there’s no need to sync your schedule with others, but study groups can hit some major hurdles when it comes to finding a suitable time.
There are both advantages and disadvantages to studying with others, but the bottom line is that it’s all about finding the right balance for you. Try both solo and group studying to see what works best for you — a combination of both may be just what you need to excel and make your study time more productive.
Check out the Teachers1on1 blog for more study tips and tricks!
