Collaborative Learning

Study Groups

Study Groups offer an opportunity to study collaboratively with classmates under the guidance of an upper-level undergraduate leader who did well in the same course in an earlier semester. Study Group Leaders (SGLs) are trained to address both course content questions and questions about effective study habits so that students can holistically prepare for their course work and exams in a friendly, low-stress environment. Just like more informal study group arrangements, the name “Study Group” is meant to imply regular attendance and a commitment to your peers’ success as well as your own; together, you can all be ever better.

Study Group Benefits

Scientific data about learning, some from right here at the University of Rochester, show that most people learn better when they study in groups, regardless of how well they are already doing in their coursework. If you are struggling with the course material, commiserating with your peers and getting targeted help from SGLs can give you a boost in positivity and resolve. If you are handling the course material well, you can deepen your understanding by working with others and maybe even reveal and address some misconceptions you would not have realized on your own.

Study Schedule

Study Groups meet weekly over the duration of the semester for 75 minutes each week. SGLs typically start hosting their sessions in the third week of the semester and wrap up on the last day of classes. The complete Study Group schedule is finalized and posted below during the first weeks of each new semester.

Joining a Group

You can sign up for Study Groups through Blackboard under “Organizations.” Study Groups are completely optional and have no point-based impact on your grade in the course if you do not attend. However, if you frequently sign up but do not attend, SGLs have the discretion to remove you from the sign up to make space for others, as space is limited.

Resources for Unlisted Courses

If you are taking a course you feel would benefit from having an accompanying Study Group, please contact Kyle Trenshaw so that he can look into recruiting a new SGL for the course. In lieu of a Study Group, the Learning Center offers several other resources for students looking to improve their study habits and academic performance in general. Check out our tutoring and academic success coaching pages for more information.

Become a Peer Leader

All open positions are listed on the Learning Center’s job openings page. Applications open for SGL positions at the end of every semester, and especially at the end of spring. Please consider applying if you:

• Took a course for which we currently offer Study Groups and did well, and/or
• Regularly attended one or more Study Groups in the past and improved your course grades as a result.

All undergraduate students interested in making a positive difference in their peers’ academic journeys are welcome!

Please check Blackboard for when your Study Group will begin.