How to Find a Study Group (with COVID in Mind)

Date Published: October 1, 2021

As nursing school begins to pick up the pace, the need for a study group only becomes more crucial. Being able to work with individuals who are studying the same materials is a big part of the learning process. That includes quizzing one another, walking through homework assignments, or even just bouncing ideas around. Unfortunately, forming these groups can be difficult, especially when considering COVID-19 precautions. Check out some of these tips to make the process of forming a study group easier:

1. Talk to your professor. If you are unfamiliar with your classmates, your teacher will be able to connect you. Your instructor may also have advice or guidelines to follow when setting up these groups.
2. Start a group message. Once you’ve found a few classmates, establish a platform where you all can communicate. This can be through iMessage, GroupMe, WhatsApp, or whatever platform everyone is comfortable using.  More Information on Platforms:https://www.bethel.edu/undergrad/academics/support/study-skills/files/online-study-groups.pdf
3. Schedule meetings. Nothing is more difficult than figuring out a specific time for multiple people to meet, so make sure to do this in advance. Even just establishing the same time every week is beneficial. Doing so keeps everyone on the same page so they know not to schedule anything else during that specific time.
4. Establish location. In the world of COVID, in-person interaction is limited, so establishing how you will meet with your group is important. Potential options can be in person (if everyone’s comfortable), Google Meet, and Zoom.
5. Understand the purpose. Study groups aren’t meant to be used to prepare for class but rather to ask questions afterward about concepts on which you aren’t confident. You can also use study time to go over testing material or review classwork from prior days.

Read for more information: https://source.wustl.edu/2006/07/discovering-why-study-groups-are-more-effective/

Overall, the purpose of study groups is to give you a support system of people who are going through the same academic course. These people understand exactly what you are experiencing, as they are on the same journey!