Private Irvine Tutor Tips: 4 Signs It’s Time to Study Solo

Tips from a Private Irvine Tutor: 4 Signs It’s Time to Study Solo

Studying in a group environment is a great way to tackle complex assignments and break up larger tasks into the smaller parts. Studying in a group can also help college students get to know people in their major field of study and benefit from highly motivated classmates. However, there are some cases were studying in a group isn’t always for the best. Perhaps the members of the group are not interested in earning an A in the course or maybe the group is becoming disorganized. If a student’s ability to perform starts to fall by the wayside, it’s a good idea to think about when it’s beneficial to study in a group and when it’s time to study solo.

1. Your Homework is Taking Longer than it Should

If it takes 45 minutes to finish a math assignment solo but it takes well over an hour in a study group, then it may be best for the student to work on that subject by themselves. If each assignment takes an additional 15 to 30 minutes because of time lost to socializing or gossip, the student will end up studying several more hours every week. This can become a major issue in the long run so it’s a good idea for students to think about which subject they need help with and which ones they can simply do on their own and then move on to something else.

2. You Receive Lower Grades

A sure-fire sign that it’s time to study without a group is when a student’s grades start to slip. If someone has been an A student in English since kindergarten, they shouldn’t all of a sudden be getting a C+. Although study groups can be very helpful in general, sometimes there’s a lot of chatting and distractions, and there might be members of the group who have different goals. For example, perhaps one student would be thrilled to get a B- but another is expecting an A+. If grades are consistently lower once students started studying with a group, it’s a good idea for them to finish those assignments on their own and save socializing for when homework is complete (READ: 7 Tips for Studying While Traveling).

3. Your Study Session is More Social Than Productive

One of the biggest downsides of working within a group is the temptation to socialize over work. Socialization can be very helpful and keep students positive during tough assignments. However, too much socialization can make assignments more difficult than they have to be and waste a bunch of time. Socializing is an important part of the college experience, but it shouldn’t take away from academic success.

4. Your Study Group is Not Invested in Success

When forming a study group, it’s essential that each member is invested in doing well. It’s fine for students to have different overall goals or varying abilities in different subjects. In fact, it can be great to have members of the group who can help out with one topic but need help in another; this is a major benefit of group study. On the other hand, if some members of the group are not invested in their success as a student, they’re probably not invested in the success of their peers. If working with a group is taking a student away from their educational ambitions it might be a good idea to do important assignments solo. Another option would be for students to work with a study partner who shares very similar goals or to check in with a tutor from time to time and get help when necessary (READ: Year-round school: How to enjoy summer).

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