Everyone has different study habits. Some people like to study alone, while others like to study in groups. Personally, I would rather study alone, but I can see advantages to both.
It can be very helpful to study with other students. For one thing, you can exchange information. Not everyone is going to hear everything the teacher says in class. Comparing notes is a good way to be sure you get what you missed. You can also discuss various aspects of the topic you’re studying. Other students can bring a different perspective to the discussion. They can point out things you may not have thought of and help you make the subject matter clearer.
Studying with other students can also help keep you focused on studying. If you’re in a study group, you have to be at a particular place to study at a particular time. This is good discipline. The group reviews all the material available and then begins studying. There’s not a lot of wasted time if things work the way they should.
Of course, it doesn’t help if you’re in a study group that doesn’t take studying seriously. Then you’d be much better off studying by yourself. If you’re trying to study with friends and all they want to do is talk about other things, you had better study by yourself. Being with people who don’t want to study can mean you’ll be constantly distracted. There’ll be a lot of interruptions and you won’t learn much for the other students.
Finally, whether you study alone or in a group depends a lot on your own study habits and your personality. If you need absolute silence to study, then you’re better off alone. If you’re a very social person, then you’re better off studying alone, too; you’ll be too tempted to socialize instead of study. This is the reason I prefer studying alone. When I’m with other people, I want to play and not work.
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