College and High School Studying: When to Partner Up and When to Go Solo

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There are advantages and disadvantages to both studying in a group and studying alone. While there is no perfect answer, we came up with some helpful ideas of when to consider studying on your own, and when to get together with a partner or group.

Studying Alone

Studying alone can be beneficial for a variety of reasons. If you find yourself really struggling with a certain part of what you are working on, consider spending time working on it alone. Likely, it’ll be easier to start understanding the concepts in an environment where you are without distractions. By studying on your own, you have the liberty to choose when and where you want to study. Maybe you like to study really early in the day, when not as many people are out and about. If you feel like grabbing a chai tea from your favorite coffee shop, head that way with your books in tow!

One of the best parts of studying alone is getting to spend as much or as little time as you want on the materials. You don’t have to worry about helping anyone learn what you already know like the back of your hand. If you need to take a large chunk of time reading and going over notes or flashcards, you’re able to do that without throwing anyone else off.

Studying With a Partner

Because it is such a fine art, you may be wondering when the right time to form a study group is. There are many positives to being a part of study groups, but I’d recommend meeting with others who are actually going over the same subject as you. Groups tend to procrastinate, so meeting up with people who aren’t even going over the same materials can make it very easy to get distracted. Getting together with others works especially well when you have the majority of the material mastered, but could use repetition of easier concepts and ideas. If you are planning on meeting up with others, you should come prepared. Bring the questions you still have, and make sure to ask them before you leave. Utilizing your peers is great for the smaller concepts, and they can correct you if you are mistaken in anything.

At the end of the day, do what’s best for you! It might be a good idea to start off studying on your own, learning the materials at your own pace and through your own methods. Once you have a good grasp on things, consider moving into studying with others from your class. At this point, you will be able to ask your peers questions you still have, and help them with concepts they find troublesome.