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TK
Study Groups
Can Work For You!
By Feona Sharhran Huff
February 2001
The CollegeBound Network NewsClick - You never
professed that college chemistry was your favorite
subject. Judging by your first three test scores,
it's probably safe to assume that you and chem'
combine for a combustible reaction. However, this
class is a graduation requirement. There is no
way to avoid it. Your only options are to fail
miserably and repeat it the next semester, drop
the class and wait until your advisor makes you
re-register, or join a student study group.
Straight up Õ failing
is not an option that your grade point average,
which by the way isn't looking too bad these days,
can afford. As for dropping out of chemistry for
now, that's not going to solve the problem, but
prolong the inevitable. So what about that study
group you±ve been hearing about? Give it a shot!
You±ll find your chances of understanding chemistry
concepts and theories and doing well on homework
assignments and exams, will be better. Decide
to help yourself succeed in chem' class, and finally
reach out to the study group. Here±s how:
Let the group know you'd
like to join them. There's no need to be ashamed
because chem' isn't your best subject. Think about
it... if the members of the study group were whiz
kids, they wouldn't need to form a group in the
first place. Give them a breakdown of your weakest
areas and even your strongest ones so you can
all learn from each other's areas of expertise.
Someone in the group may even benefit from knowing
that you get excited about mixing all sorts of
solutions!
Find out the time they
study. If the group generally gets together every
Thursday at 6 p.m. to study, but you have a major
class at that same time, the session isn±t going
to benefit you. But, let±s say some of the members
meet up in the library at noon on Mondays. This
is your ticket to chem' study since you only have
one class on Mondays which ends at 11:30 a.m.
You have the rest of the day to study so make
the time off work for you.
Be productive once you
join the group. You quickly realize that the
members of the group are cool to be around. You
all share a lot in common, from the type of music
you like to the hang-out spots you frequent, to
the movies you watch. Stop right there! Stay focused.
Keep in mind that the study group is for the purpose
of studying. It is not a social club. Leave the
fraternizing until after you've mastered chapters
one through six (and aced those exams!).
Once you make up your mind
to get help and take advantage of a study group,
you may be surprised the next time your chem'
instructor hands you a graded pop quiz. You'll
know that A and B stands not only for Acids and
Bases, but for your grades for the rest of the
semester.
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