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Study Groups How-To: Study Skills

A guide produced in collaboration with UoS peer leaders to help you create and run effective study groups.

Fast facts

  • Studying alongside peers is an excellent way to stay motivated and practice group accountability.
  • A bit of planning can go a long way to making sure that your study group works effectively.
  • If you study in groups on an ongoing basis throughout the year, it can make the exam period less stressful.

Getting organised

First, find a group of people who you know you’ll work well with and that motivate you (not distract you!). Think about when you’re all free to meet up and study – set aside a block of time that works for everyone.

  • Once everyone has agreed a time that works, send out a calendar invite or similar (make sure it is in everyone’s calendar so nobody forgets).

Before you get there, ensure expectations are clear and anything that needs doing before you all get there has been done. For example...

  • Is there a pre-reading that needs to be read so that you’re all familiar with a particular piece of research?
  • Do you need to book/reserve a specific space to study in, or will you meet somewhere flexible?

If you aren't sure who might be interested in joining a study group, consider asking peers you see before and after lectures. If there are any WhatsApp groups, Teams groups, or online discussion boards for your modules, these can be good places to post, 'I'm looking for a few people to study with, let me know if you're interested!'


Staying focused

Arrive on time and start promptly. If having a catch-up is something you might end up doing, then schedule everyone to arrive 15 minutes before so that you can have a chat and then be ready to start after 15 minutes of chat.

It's helpful to begin by setting aims of the session. Writing these down may help you commit to your goals.

  • What will you all achieve?
  • Is this the same for each person, or are you all doing something slightly different?

Set a time period where you will all work and schedule breaks. If it helps, ask someone to set a timer for studying and a separate timer for breaks: an online Pomodoro timer is useful for this as you can customise your work and break pattern.

Hold each other accountable. Ask your friends, 'What have you achieved in the last 40 minutes?'


Working together

If people are struggling, offer support, be enthusiastic and motivate those around you! Share study resources with each other: these may include things like the assignment planner tool or Academic Skills Service guides.

If you are studying for the same module or topic, considering splitting up tasks. For example, if there are eight papers to read, everyone could read two each and pull out the key points to share with the others.

Finally, utilise the space that you’re in to collaborate and perhaps view your study materials with fresh eyes.

  • Does it have a whiteboard that you can write ideas on?
  • Can you display your laptop onto a screen and work on something collectively?
  • Is there flipchart paper to make a mind map of key concepts together?
  • Are there board/card games to borrow? Could you adapt one into a 'study' version and gamify your group revision?

Getting prepped for next time

Once the session is done, encourage everyone to share...

  • What they found helpful;
  • What they achieved;
  • What they’d like to do next time; and
  • Any goals for between now and the next time.

Try and set a time for the next meeting: committing to the next date before you leave will help keep everyone accountable. As you confirm the plans, ask yourselves...

  • Did the location work, or do you need to mix it up?
  • Do you need to book a room? If so, who will book the room/study pod?
  • Is the meeting frequency working, or do you all want to meet more or less often?
  • Have you sent the next calendar invite? If not, who will send it?