Group Study v. Independent Study

Whether or not you decide to prepare for your exams with your classmates or on your own, always be mindful of how you’re spending your time.

Group

Forming a study group sounds like a good idea because with more people you can divide the work of creating study aids like summary notes or flashcards.  No doubt some people learn well by talking about their course material and clarifying misunderstandings with others.  In fact, a great way to test whether you’ve mastered the material is to see if you can confidently teach it to a classmate.  Movies about Harvard Law, like Legally Blonde, make it look like study groups are really important, but they aren’t for everyone.  Scheduling a time to get together can become a waste of time if it takes too long, and of course you face the risk of socializing (or gossiping!) more than actually studying.  Unfortunately it’s also possible for misunderstandings to spread in a group and some individuals may feel insecure if they perceive that the material is much easier for others.  If you plan to work as a team, make sure you choose to work with colleagues you trust and set clear expectations.

Independent

Studying by yourself can provide much more flexibility than working in a group, but you must be disciplined because the Internet age has made it easier than ever to get off track.  Make a plan first so you never end up wasting time aimlessly sifting through notes and textbooks – and never fall into the trap of reviewing the easy parts too often for mere comfort.  Test yourself by making sure you have a strong grasp on each individual subject as well as how those subjects fit into the bigger picture of your overall course.  Without the need to travel to meet other people or focus on their concerns, you can optimize your efficiency, but you know yourself better than anyone else so be honest about whether you can handle going at it alone.

My personal study strategy

During law school I had a regular routine of meeting my best study partner ever in the morning on Saturday and Sunday (or both during exam time), having coffee or breakfast (with gossip!), and then settling in at the Beryl Ivy (Brescia) library, which was very quiet and filled with natural light.  We camped out at one big table and almost didn’t speak until it was time to leave.  Both of us liked having each other’s company because it helped us stay on track to deal with our personal mountains of reading and writing together.  However, even though I was getting so many solid hours of quality studying done it wasn’t enough to get everything done and I also stayed up late most nights to read in my apartment.