Do you study better in groups or alone?

When it comes to studying, there’s no one-size-fits-all model. Every student has their own studying preferences and learning styles. Apart from the VAK (Visual, Auditory and Kinesthetic) learning styles that most of us are all too familiar with, it is also important to determine who to study with – Should you study alone or in a group? 

One method isn’t necessarily better than the other but it might work better for you. Here are some things to consider when deciding between studying alone or with a group of peers. 

 

Studying Alone

Minimises Distraction

When your group of peers get together to study, you may find it hard to stay on track with all the ongoing distractions as the conversation shifts from lesson material to current events. Studying alone minimizes distractions and allows you to concentrate on the lesson at hand. The absence of peer pressure also makes it easier to avoid temptations. 

Work At Your Own Pace

Studying alone allows you to work at your own pace and take breaks whenever you feel overwhelmed. You can choose what areas to give more attention to. When you spend more time and give more focus to the concepts that you’re struggling with, you’ll soon be able to master it in no time! 

Improves Focus

Sometimes, the topics that your study partners want to focus on might be those that you already know like the back of your hand. When you work alone, you decide how much time to devote on each topic, allowing you to spend your already limited time more wisely and make studying more efficient. 

 

Group Study

Increases Retention

As you verbalize concepts and explain material to your study partners, you improve your knowledge retention. The more you repeat the information, the stronger your memory becomes, the easier to recall relevant information – a rule of thumb when it comes to improving knowledge retention. 

Greater Information Pool

Stuck on that one concept you can't get a hang of? Ask your study peers! Studying in group expands your access to information as your study partners share different insights and information during discussions. These open discussions enhances your thinking and understanding. You can also share study notes and other class materials for your learning benefits. 

Boosts Motivation

In a group study, your study partners will be around to push you to study when you become off task hence pushing to you maximize the time you spend studying. When you see your fellow study peers working so hard for an upcoming examination, you might feel the pressure to work as hard as or even harder than them because of the fear that you may lag behind. 

 

How Do I Know What Works Best For Me?

In order to succeed, you must try each option and stick to what works. I too had some trial and errors to figure out my learning style but I now know that I'm an independent learner because a quiet study environment allows me to focus easily. My friends found it a bummer that I always opt out of our study sessions but hey, instead of getting pressured to join study sessions that may lower your productivity, you should do what works best for you! 

What about you? Does this information help you understand your study preferences better? Have you come to terms with what works best for you? If you have, great for you! You can now start organizing study groups or set aside time to study alone. If you have not, don’t worry too much about it. Take your time to figure out whether studying alone or in a group works best for you by experimenting between these two options with Cudy, as we offer online tuition in Singapore, ! 

For a start, you may try experimenting with the options provided at Cudy. We offer you the options of a 1-to-1 tuition or a group tuition. Try the different class sizes available at Cudy and decide what works for you! Click here to head on over to browse through the available class listings to find your match! Not to mention, your first class is on us! Now, I’m sure that’s a plus!