Introduction: My Study Group Journey 🎢📖
Back in high school, I never really understood the hype about study groups. 🤷🏽♀️🙄 I mean, why would I sit in a group, listening to people talk, when I could just study on my own and get my As? 🤓📚 I believed in the “Me, Myself & I” study strategy.😁
Then I got to university… and reality hit me like a moving trotro with faulty brakes. 🚎💨💥 *The volume of material was insane!*😯 📖📖 Medical school wasn’t joking at all. Suddenly, I realized that no matter how smart you are, trying to study everything on your own is like trying to drink water from a fire hydrant— you will choke! 😩💦
Still, old habits die hard. 🥲 I spent my first four years studying mostly alone, except for a few random study group sessions that didn’t last. However, one thing I did during level 400 and level 500 was have a study partner. 👩🏽🤝👨🏽📚 We focused on solving past questions together—and let me tell you, game changer! 🎯🔥 Before then, I didn’t value past questions, but working with someone else made it easier to see patterns, identify weak spots, and get familiar with exam trends. It was super helpful! ✅
Then came the level 500 final exams, and I decided to take things up a notch. 🚀 I joined a proper study group, and we were three in number. 🧠💡 This time, it was different—we were focused, disciplined, and consistent. 💪🏽📖 We tackled past questions like pros, broke down difficult topics, and kept each other accountable. Of course, we had our moments—like when someone would randomly start complaining about life, and before we knew it, we were discussing something else koraa😂🤣… well, we’re humans 😁 But overall, it was very fruitful! 🌱📈
By the time I entered level 600, I had joined another study group, and this one was generally better! 🎉✨ We met almost throughout the year, consistently solved past questions, and helped each other master difficult concepts. 📚💡 It was in this group that I truly saw how effective study groups can be when done right. The stress of final-year exams was real 😭📖, but the study group made it a lot more manageable. 🙌🏽😌
After experiencing both good and bad study groups, I learned some important lessons that I wish I had known earlier. 🤯 So, here are some tips to help you make your study group work for you instead of wasting your time. 🤓📖✨
Lessons I Learned About Effective Study Groups
1. Have a Clear Objective 🎯📌
If you don’t set a goal for your study group, you’ll just be meeting to gist and stress each other for no reason. 😂💀 Are you preparing for an exam? Then, focus on past questions and brush up on concepts. 📖✅ If the exam is two weeks away, you don’t have time to be “teaching” each other— you should be drilling past questions and revising fast. But if the exam is two months away, you can take your time, share topics, and teach each other in detail. 📝💡
2. Choose a Suitable Meeting Time & Location ⏰📍
If your study group meets at a location that only favors a few people, the rest will stop attending. 😒🚶🏽♀️ If some people live far away and have to spend money on transport, they might start ghosting the group. Solution? Consider online meetings 💻📱 or a mix of in-person and online sessions. If someone struggles to focus during online meetings, they can link up with another group member in person while still joining the virtual session. 🎥🧑🏽💻
3. Share Responsibilities—Don’t Overwork the Leader! 🤝⚖️
The group leader is not a headmaster! 😂✋🏽 Everyone should take part in planning. Assign different roles—someone to moderate discussions 🗣️ each week, another to set study schedules 📅, and another to track time ⏳. This keeps everyone involved and helps people build leadership, communication, and teamwork skills. 👏🏽💼
4. Encourage Respectful Debates 🗣️✅
Study groups should be a safe space for learning. 🚀 People should feel free to question answers and debate ideas—but respectfully. If one person thinks the answer is A and another thinks it’s B, don’t turn it into a WWE match. 🤼♂️😂 Discuss it, look it up, and find the correct answer together. 📖🔎 Also, any form of mocking or rude comments should be shut down immediately. 🚫🙅🏽♀️
5. Combat Lateness With Small Fines 💰😆
One of the smartest things my L500 study group did was charge a 2 Ghana cedi fine for lateness. 🤑📉 Nobody wanted to fall victim—to the extent that some would run to our meeting place a few minutes to time to avoid the fine 😂😂 At first, people will laugh it off—”Ah, 2 cedis? That’s nothing.” But when people start losing small amounts, they’ll stop being late! 😂😂 Because no one likes to waste money on avoidable fines. 💵👀
Conclusion: The Power of Study Groups 💪🏽📚🔥
Looking back, I now realize that study groups are a cheat code for academic success. 🎮📖✅ They help reduce study stress 🤯, make learning more engaging 🗣️, and allow you to benefit from the strengths of others.
But not all study groups are productive. ❌ If you don’t structure it well, set clear goals, and keep things serious, you’ll just end up wasting time, arguing about food, and leaving the group chat in frustration. 😂🙆🏽♀️
So, if you’re someone who thinks study groups are a waste of time—trust me, I used to feel the same! But when done right, they can make studying so much easier and more effective. 😌✅ Just make sure you’re in a focused, well-organized group with serious-minded people, and you’ll be amazed at how much you’ll gain! 📈📖💡
Now, go and form (or fix) your study group! 😉🎓🔥
Written and posted by: Dr. Richeal Shola Makinde
UCCSMS Alumnus
📩 Get in touch via:
🔗 https://gh.linkedin.com/in/richeal-makinde-11a0871b8
