Why You Shouldn't Join a Study Group

[blackpowerman]

Lawschoolblogger-
my my have you gotten desperate.  this "don't join a study group" theory you have created is ridiculous.  In my study group (1L), 3/4 of us are on dean's list and in the top 7.  The other one is number 10 and barely missed dean's list.  So, study groups dont work?  We talk, bs a bit, gossip and criticize.  but we also study.  independent study can be just as distracting.  your writing sucks and you aren't funny.

thanks for playing, please try again. 

[LawSchoolStrategies.com]

I have a bad feeling about this (it seems risky to agree at all with the OP), but I have to go on record and say that from talking to many law students and lawyers about this topic, the consensus is that while study groups have certain benefits, the negatives outweigh those positives. Obviously it will work for some people, and work very well. See canyasaydamn's post above. But in general, study groups are more beneficial for your social life than academic life. Again, in general, a student will accomplish more on his or her own than in a group. I'd be willing to bet if you compared students who students mostly in groups and students who avoided groups, the group-avoidance students will have higher GPAs. Just a guess, without any way to substantiate.

If you get a group of motivated, focused, intelligent students (I would guess like canyasaydamn's group), then group study may be beneficial, but I don't think that's the majority of the time. And even then, I'm willing to bet that without that study group those same students wouldn't be flunking out. While they serve some important functions, in general I think study groups aren't helpful to the average student.

Just my two cents.

[blackpowerman]

Rick,
I think it is purely subjective and speculation, but everyone has their own experience.  In my school, most of the top of the class were in study groups.  I see them as a way to fill in the holes of your arguments and what not.  There are a lot of "independents" who get to the library at 0800 hours and are doing terrible.  i know this, not because i go to the library at 0800 (my gf does and she's top 2) but she tells me about 3 people in general who always claim they are studying (independently) and every time she sees them and i see them, they are on facebook, playing bejeweled, thinking about studying, writing away messages about studying, but then not having any time to actually study.  I feel like study groups are good once a week- we meet once a week and do E&E and hypos, so if you are talking about every day study groups, then no, i can't see the benefit and i see your point.  but general, one, two time a week study groups, then well, i think they can work wonders. 

that's just my nickel. 
NOBAMA 2008
"keep the change"

[RickLax.com]

Lawschoolblogger-
my my have you gotten desperate.  this "don't join a study group" theory you have created is ridiculous.  In my study group (1L), 3/4 of us are on dean's list and in the top 7.  The other one is number 10 and barely missed dean's list.  So, study groups dont work?  We talk, bs a bit, gossip and criticize.  but we also study.  independent study can be just as distracting.  your writing sucks and you aren't funny.

thanks for playing, please try again. 

Uh...I could do without the personal attacks....but....your point is noted, but ancedotal.  There are lots of people in study groups who don't make Dean's list, and lots of people not in study groups who do (i.e., me).

[RickLax.com]

Rick,
I think it is purely subjective and speculation, but everyone has their own experience.  In my school, most of the top of the class were in study groups.  I see them as a way to fill in the holes of your arguments and what not.  There are a lot of "independents" who get to the library at 0800 hours and are doing terrible.  i know this, not because i go to the library at 0800 (my gf does and she's top 2) but she tells me about 3 people in general who always claim they are studying (independently) and every time she sees them and i see them, they are on facebook, playing bejeweled, thinking about studying, writing away messages about studying, but then not having any time to actually study.  I feel like study groups are good once a week- we meet once a week and do E&E and hypos, so if you are talking about every day study groups, then no, i can't see the benefit and i see your point.  but general, one, two time a week study groups, then well, i think they can work wonders. 

that's just my nickel. 
NOBAMA 2008
"keep the change"

Fair enough.  Yeah...I know a few AIM/facebook studiers myself...

[RickLax.com]

P.S., the new website is RickLax

[Ballsgraf]

I didn't join a study group because I don't really like people or studying.  But it seems that the study group kids did extremely well.  They took every old test, broke down all the questions, all the outlines, etc. and it seems to have worked out lovely for them.  I probably should have joined, because they let my dumb, lazy friend leech off them and he did ok too. 

[wrhssaxensemble]

Don’t join one—not if you want to get any studying done. Studying in groups is fun, but studying isn’t supposed to be fun and it isn’t supposed to be social. That studying in groups is so palatable should tell you something.

You know how you prefer the elliptical machine to the treadmill? Thats because it’s easier and doesn’t burn as many calories.

You know how you love having muffins for breakfast? That’s because muffins are cake, not a legitimate breakfast food.

The reason studying in groups is fun is that it’s not studying.

But what harm do study groups do? They eat up your time. Every hour you spend “studying” in a study group (i.e., gossiping about your classmates and criticizing your professors) is an hour you could have spent actually studying the law.
Has anybody reading this actually gotten any work done in a study group? Has anybody learned a single thing except for how useless study groups are? I suspect not.

RickLax

I know, as usual, this is just a way to advertise your blog. However, unlike most people, I could care less whether you keep advertising or not.

as far as study groups, it depends. I was in one fall semester of 1L and did worse in every class except one and wasn't in one spring semester and did MUCH better in every class except that one. The one that went down was Contracts, but that had more to do with the professor needing surgery at the end of the semester and expecting us to know material that wasn't assigned, the final test being more difficult, etc.

That is not to say though, that talking with people doesn't help. I almost completely screwed up something on a take home. We are allowed to work in groups on it to brainstorm etc. if we want, as long as it is in our own writing etc. I asked some other students what they thought about the problem and we figured out we were all wrong and revised it accordingly.

[Thistle]

nobody cares about your gay ass blog...quit spamming loser

And by the way, using "gay" to mean "stupid" is so 1998.

no, i think he actually means "gay"

[RickLax.com]

Don’t join one—not if you want to get any studying done. Studying in groups is fun, but studying isn’t supposed to be fun and it isn’t supposed to be social. That studying in groups is so palatable should tell you something.

You know how you prefer the elliptical machine to the treadmill? Thats because it’s easier and doesn’t burn as many calories.

You know how you love having muffins for breakfast? That’s because muffins are cake, not a legitimate breakfast food.

The reason studying in groups is fun is that it’s not studying.

But what harm do study groups do? They eat up your time. Every hour you spend “studying” in a study group (i.e., gossiping about your classmates and criticizing your professors) is an hour you could have spent actually studying the law.
Has anybody reading this actually gotten any work done in a study group? Has anybody learned a single thing except for how useless study groups are? I suspect not.

RickLax

I know, as usual, this is just a way to advertise your blog. However, unlike most people, I could care less whether you keep advertising or not.

as far as study groups, it depends. I was in one fall semester of 1L and did worse in every class except one and wasn't in one spring semester and did MUCH better in every class except that one. The one that went down was Contracts, but that had more to do with the professor needing surgery at the end of the semester and expecting us to know material that wasn't assigned, the final test being more difficult, etc.

That is not to say though, that talking with people doesn't help. I almost completely screwed up something on a take home. We are allowed to work in groups on it to brainstorm etc. if we want, as long as it is in our own writing etc. I asked some other students what they thought about the problem and we figured out we were all wrong and revised it accordingly.

I'm curious to know, how did the other people in your fall semester of 1L do? 

And, yes, I agree that if you're allowed to talk with others on a take-home exam, you for sure should. 

-Ricky @ http://ricklax.com