The Importance of Study Groups

One of the tips most people in law school give you during your first year is to form a study group early on in the semester. Study groups are great tools to review for exams—you can do practice questions together, go over difficult topics, or just make sure you have the correct information in your outline. I personally really liked going to study groups during my first year. It’s definitely very important to choose a group you feel comfortable with and a group that will actually get work done. I chose my three closest friends in my section and we met a couple times throughout the year, with more frequent study sessions during reading week and finals. We would go over outlines, do some review problems and compile a list of any questions we had so we could go to office hours for our professors and remember the subjects we didn’t quite understand. One of the things I most liked about study groups, especially during the first semester, was going over our outlines together. It gave me a sense of security knowing I had all the information I needed to do well on the test and that I had been taking good notes and paying attention in class.

However, while study groups worked for me, I know some people who never studied with other students and still did well. It depends on how you best learn, whether that is in a group setting or by yourself. I do suggest, though, that you try out a study group once during the first year. There is a reason most people recommend study groups—they’re a great way to form a closer bond with fellow students and get to know more of your class. While exam season can be really stressful and tough, it’s reassuring to know that everyone is in the same boat and that winter break will soon be here.