What is the best way to study?

Encyclopedia of Opinion

Question: What is the best way to study?
Position‹2 of 3›: Short-term study skills
Argument‹2 of 3›: Form study groups

Forming short-term study groups before big tests is the best way to study.

The argument

The best method of studying is to form a study group just before a test. In combination with preparedness, ample notes, and a notebook in which to work, study groups are proven to be effective in preparing students for tests. In study groups, students begin by looking at their notebooks and thinking about what their teacher said during lecture. Then they look up at one another, put the material into their own words, and come to a general agreement on the meaning of said material. This interactivity helps students to absorb the material and "make it their own."

Premises

[P1]Forming a study group just before a test, alongside preparation and good notes, is proven effective at preparing students. [P2] In groups students put lecture material into their own words and reach shared understanding, and this interactivity helps them absorb the material and make it their own. [C] Therefore, forming study groups is the best short-term way to study.

Counter-arguments

Study groups are not for everyone: While social learners benefit greatly from study groups, solitary learners learn best by studying alone. For solitary learners, group study would be more distracting than helpful.

Rejecting the premises

[Rejecting P1] Study groups do not work well for solitary learners.