<p>I've been in college for a couple of years, and one of the things I've noticed is that the most successful people often have very cohesive study groups in each and every one of their classes.</p>
<p>While I've always lived by the mantra that people will not generally turn you down when you approach them, it just seems like some people are just better at forming such groups than others. When I've been in such a group (and made new friends), it's usually some other person that makes it happen.</p>
<p>So, I'm wondering - for those of you that are successful in this manner, how do you go about forming such a cohesive learning micro-community? Do you randomly talk to people after class? Do the bonds form during office hours, where the environment is much more intimate than both lecture or discussion? What advice do you all have to give?</p>
<p>From my observation, there are three types of students.</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Ones who never come to class and when they do, its to turn in an assignment or to take a test.</p></li>
<li><p>Ones who always do their work and come to class, but they do not like to work with other people</p></li>
<li><p>Ones who do their work and they enjoy/are comfortable with working with other people.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>I always try to find people that fit the third category because it makes your work much easier. For the first 2-3 weeks of class, I try to observe who fits number three. Usually, its people who engage/ask questions during the lectures, they usually sit in the front (but not always) and they are not disruptive during class. </p>
<p>After the first two weeks, I tell them I don’t really understand the material and ask if they don’t mind being my “study buddy”. Sometimes, people will say “no” but other times they will say “yes”. I try to limit my group to 2-3 people to avoid “pseudo-studying”. We usually meet in the library or some other type of public place.</p>
<p>I make sure that everyone understands that this is NOT the place to do your homework. You should have already read the chapters and do some of the homework you understand BEFORE coming to the meeting. This helps save time and makes sure we have enough time to deal with the tough questions. If sill have a hard time with a particular chapter or question, one or two of us will go to the professor to ask for help. This works well for me because my class schedule always conflicted with one of my professor’s office hours and she refused to make an appointment.</p>
<p>I NEVER study with other people. I may study with a friend, who might be studying something else entirely, just so that it helps me stay focused. When I study with someone else, they sometimes ask me stupid questions that they can just look up themselves.</p>