Is it better to study alone or in a group?

As the date of an examination approaches, some students feel that they will be better equipped to face the common threat if they stay together for as much time as possible. They thus decide to study together.

Is this a good idea? It seems to work for some students. If a group of them have agreed that they will meet at a particular time in a particular place to study, then the individual students will feel obliged to be present. They have all agreed to be present at the joint study session and no student wishes to let everyone else down by staying away.

Besides, some students find that being in the same room as other people who are studying helps them to concentrate on their studies. If they are studying in their own room, they may feel that they are less likely to get down to the business of studying. They find other things to do in order to postpone the time of starting work. They might decide to have a snack, make a telephone call to a friend, even clean their room, anything rather than start studying!

Such students also feel that, if they are with other people, they are less likely to give up in the midst of an arranged study period. If, for example, it is a Saturday afternoon and the sun is shining, then it is all too easy to decide to leave their textbooks and take a break. Once they are outside, they know that they will find it difficult to make themselves go back and study. Their hope is that being part of a group will keep them at their books.

Students sometimes feel that it will be advantageous to study together as they will have a common pool of knowledge. They will have access to each other’s notes, which will be helpful to some. Some people are better note-takers than others, both in class and when they are taking notes from textbooks. Some feel that a joint study period will mean that they will be able to help each other with any problems relating to their studies. They tell themselves that a group discussion might add to their individual knowledge and increase their chances of passing the examinations.

I must say that I do not share the feelings of those who think that it is advantageous to study with others in a group. I much prefer to study alone. It is my habit to leave studying for an examination until the last minute. This is not an ideal situation, but it works for me. I cannot really focus on the work I have to do for an examination until I get nervous and the adrenalin starts flowing. This is a similar reaction to what journalists show when they postpone the writing of an article until just before the deadline, even though they have known about the assignment for some time.

This means that I have to work with extreme concentration and that I do not have time for the distraction which I feel that studying with other people brings. It is all too easy to be distracted by someone coughing, someone yawning, someone scraping a chair across the floor, someone asking a foolish question, and so on.

At this stage in my study schedule, I do not find group discussions helpful. I feel that group discussion can all too easily develop into a general chat situation and I do not have time for that.