Study groups are all well and good, but how do you learn in a group without it just becoming a nice chat and a coffee break? Currently, thanks to Corona, the danger of this is probably not so high, but even digitally you can get lost in conversations.
Group size:
It is advisable not to let the group grow too large. A group with discussion character should be limited to two to four people so that everyone has enough speaking time. A group that is mainly calculating with each other can also be somewhat larger since the discussion is less important here. But even then, there should not be too many people, otherwise, you will lose the overview and it will be much more difficult to find suitable rooms for learning.
Group composition:
When it comes to the composition of the study group, a similar communication style, and similar character traits are often helpful, as there is less potential for conflict. However, it can be very helpful if the thinking structure, problem-solving strategies, and prior knowledge are different, as this creates synergy effects.
Clarify expectations:
New best friends or means to an end: Clarify with your group partners whether you are meeting purposefully just to learn or whether you are actually friends who are also learning together. If you’re studying with friends, you’ll quickly get lost in conversation or distracted. Arrange fixed “friend” times with chatting and coffee and fixed “study” times where you concentrate on preparing for the exams.
Goals and deadlines:
Set goals and deadlines at the beginning, until when which topics have to be worked on and when which exercises and exams should be calculated. This way, everyone knows by when which material has to be worked on and read independently and when which topics or tasks are due. At the latest three days before the exam, the old exams should also be calculated, preferably under realistic conditions. This will give you an impression of whether you understand the problems and can solve them quickly enough.
Working in the group:
Depending on whether you are studying for an oral exam or for a written exam with math problems, the preparation will be different. For an oral exam, it is advisable to have prepared well before the study group meeting and then discuss open questions in the group and explain the topics to each other. This is especially helpful because the exam will also require oral recitation of what has been learned. When preparing for a written exam, the most important thing is calculating. Here you can use different strategies. Either everyone calculates alone and meets to discuss questions and calculation methods. Or you actuelly solve problems together. This is often helpful, especially at the beginning, because then questions can be clarified quickly or difficult tasks can be discussed directly together and you save the time in which you sit clueless in front of the exercise and do not know how to start. In social distancing, you can also spend silent learning times together by simply running the video conference and discussing at arranged times.
Premises:
Currently, meeting digitally is probably easiest, but if you are a two-person study group, why not meet for a walk and discuss the most important topics and questions while wandering around? This will also help you get out for once and get your body moving again. If it is not Corona time, there are several options for the study group meeting. RWTH offers many study rooms, some of which are also suitable for study groups. Check out the various study room listings to see if there is one near you. There are also cafés that offer learning opportunities or you can simply go to the nearest park.
Study rooms of the RWTH Aachen University
Study Rooms on the RWTH Website
Study Rooms University Library
Study Rooms Asta
Written by: Iris Heisterklaus
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