Bored in the study room? Follow these tips to put some spice back in your group project.
As finals season approaches, everyone is busy with papers, exams and presentations, and for the unlucky, group project deadlines are right around the corner. Though your group may have met more vigorously early on in the semester, that special final project is quickly approaching and you may find your group study sessions… lacking. Don’t worry – you’re not alone. Even if your group is only meeting once or twice a month, following these tips will keep your group members’ study lives more exciting than ever. Prepare to blow your team members’ minds all along the way to finishing that PowerPoint.
Communicate
Communication is key to any healthy group project. Look for the signs of poor communication. Does your group project have a GroupMe or, at least, a Google Doc? If not, it may be time to make some changes. All successful projects and presentations require some level of communication beforehand, so make use of that GroupMe and really get to know each other outside of class. Send a meme, crack a joke or get other group members’ numbers so that you can actually hang out sometime.
Be spontaneous
The unpredictable can be just what you need to pull a group project out of that rut. Your study life will likely flatline if you and your group have become too familiar with your daily routine. Try a change of pace by meeting at a different Starbucks on campus or in the Grove. Perhaps a quick cram session on the library mezzanine before your presentation could get your brain’s adrenaline rushing.
Schedule time together
Your group project is important and will take some long hours, so set some time to plan so that your group members and project both get the attention they deserve. Choose a night, maybe once a week, during which your group meets together, relaxes and studies with each other. Someone could bring pizza, and perhaps a little music would get people in the mood. This can be a chance for everyone to remind each other that they are important and worth making time for.
Reminisce about what it was like when you first met
Take the time in a group meeting one afternoon to think back to the fateful day you all met. Think back to early in the semester, when you first saw each other’s names on the group list projected on the board. Remember the first words you spoke to each other and the rush you got when learning each other’s majors and hometowns. Reminisce about the way other members said, “Oh, cool!” when you mentioned driving near their hometowns once. Reigniting those old sparks might be what your group needs to put the drive back into your project.
Foreplay, foreplay, foreplay
For a truly productive group meeting or study session, you can’t just dive straight in expecting everyone to be ready. It is important to set the right mood. Listen to some 24/7 lo-fi hip-hop radio that has relaxing beats to study and chill to. Ease into things with some gentle chapter reviews or bring in some excitement with flash cards. Take time to explore each other’s notes and test banks. Taking it slow early on builds up tension that will create a much more enjoyable study session for everyone.
