The LSAT is a solitary pursuit by nature. However, some test takers find that joining study groups helps them make significant progress with their studies. Deciding whether you should join an LSAT study group is an important decision that depends on many factors including your study habits, where you live, personality, and how you learn.
Some students will benefit greatly by joining a study group and some will end up wasting their time. If you’re in the first group, you should consider joining a study group. However, if you’re easily distracted, you’d be better off studying on your own or with a private LSAT Tutor. Let’s explore some of the advantages and disadvantages of joining LSAT study groups to help you decide whether it’s actually a good idea for you.
- Sharing resources
Studying and preparing for the LSAT requires a massive investment of effort, time, and money. Some test takers choose to enrol in classes, hire personal tutors, and other purchase online course studies or books for LSAT self-study. These costs can easily add up to hundreds or even thousands of dollars.
Joining an LSAT study group can help you avoid some costs by sharing resources with your colleagues. For instance, if there are multiple people in your group, each of you can purchase self-study LSAT resources for different sections of the test and share them.
- Learning through teaching
When studying in groups, not only are the students receiving instructions gaining valuable insight, but the people giving the instructions are also learning through teaching. This is particularly true with the LSAT.
Most LSAT study groups follow a trend of starting with general learning of the study material and end with practicing the application of the material during full-length practice tests or timed sections.
One of the most important parts of application is reviewing the questions. Besides getting the question right, you should also understand how and why.
Therefore, it’s very important to review both the questions you missed and those you got right. Studying in a group is an effective way of doing this because it allows members to explain how they answered the test questions they got right.
- Sharing tips and strategies
Besides sharing LSAT study materials, LSAT study groups also give you easy access to the study tips and strategies of your peers. For instance, if you’re not sure whether or not to do full-length practice sections or drill timed sections, your peers can give you their experience. These tips will give you a clearer perspective on things, and that might be exactly what you need to study effectively for the LSAT
The biggest potential disadvantage of LSAT study groups is the potential for distraction. Sometimes, it can be easy to get side tracked by and hour-long detailed discussion of the latest episode of Game of Thrones. Although joining an LSAT study group has its advantages, it can also be a waste of time especially if you have joined the wrong one. Remember, a study group is only as good as its members.