The idea of the study group is not one based around faith. It’s based on the assumption that some (or most) of us are slacking off instead of studying for the majority of the semester.

In a perfect world (at least the one your profs imagine), everyone would show up to class, pay attention and do all the outside reading. Also in a perfect world, bacon would cure cancer. We don’t reside in a utopia, so we study in groups in an attempt to cram in all the information we didn’t retain. Because let’s face it: We were too busy texting about the party on Friday night or daydreaming about who would win in a fight between Optimus Prime and Godzilla.

If you do find yourself in a study group, it’s important to be familiar with your surroundings — specifically the others in the room. While most study sessions are filled with students just trying to brush up before the big test, other inhabitants feel a little out of place.

The teaching assistant

If your class has a TA, he or she will probably be in charge of an official study group. These people are hard to read because they can run the gamut of knowledge. Some TAs engulf themselves in the professor’s work and are sharp enough to teach the class. Others are nothing more than paper-passing mules. The problem with any TA is that it’s hard to view someone essentially your age (or sometimes even younger than you, if you’re a grad student) as an authority figure.

What to do: Shut up and listen. They know how the test will be structured and what kind of information will be on there. Don’t say anything if you don’t have to. The silence will make them feel awkward and perhaps divulge more information. As for the authority issue, just grit your teeth and bear it for the hour or so of studying. It’ll be worth the grade boost.

The overachiever

This kind of person has diligently read and re-read the readings, went to every class and is always trying to expand upon the professor’s point in class. They know more about the topic than the TA, yet they still feel the need to show up and essentially run the study session. Oddly enough, they seem the most nervous about the material than anybody else.

What to do: Listen to their big points, but not the little details they are fretting about. This person clearly has a grasp on all you’ll need to know on the test. They just nd to freak out about things, such as if they’ll have to know what day and time events occurred and if they should be categorized chronologically or alphabetically.

The social studier

This person goes not to brush up for the exam, but to hang out. They base their entire schedules around taking classes with their friends and are damned if they aren’t going to take absolute advantage of that — heaven forbid they break out of their circle of friends. Expect loud chatter that doesn’t deal with anything class-related.

What to do: In large part, this group can be ignored. They’re probably going to be more of a distraction than anything. If he or she happens to be a friend of yours and is talking your ear off, bargain to hang out for a while after the study session. It might soothe his or her incessant need for attention, just long enough for you to learn about the process of mitosis as dealt with in Chapter 28.

The non-readers

These people haven’t even thought about working this semester. If they purchased the book at all, they surely haven’t opened it yet. If there’s not a mandatory attendance policy, they’ve probably missed more classes than they’ve shown up for. Now their ability to pass the class hinges on how much they can gain from this study group. These are the Jeff Spicolis of the real world.

What to do: They usually have no idea what they’re talking about, so if they ask the TA something that makes you go, ‘What? I don’t remember that at all,’ it’s because you shouldn’t remember it — they fabricated the question as something that would suggest they’d actually read the material. If anything, take confidence from them, because as lost as their ramblings make you, you’re on better footing than the slackers. It’s the minor self-esteem boosts that keep us going.

 

Seth Sommerfeld is graduate student in the Goldring Arts Journalism program and is the humor columnist. He’s going away for a while, but thanks for reading. He can be reached at srsommer@syr.edu.

 

Published on October 13, 2010 at 12:00 pm