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Fairfield Students Team Up To Tackle Exams

FAIRFIELD, Conn. — Josh Burger and Neil Gade work well together. During a quick interview Sunday afternoon, the two Fairfield Warde High School students answered questions practically in tandem, often finishing each other’s thoughts and sentences. It’s no wonder they decided to study for their upcoming physics final together rather than go it alone.

“The good thing about [studying in a group] is I’m actually more focused, because at home I have no incentive,” Gade said. Burger agreed. “I feel like if I get off-topic I’m wasting someone else’s time,” he said.

If you’re visiting the Fairfield Public Library or one of the town’s coffee shops this week, expect to see more study groups because Fairfield’s public high school students are taking their final exams. And many professed a preference to cram with their friends rather than by themselves.

But kids’ studying habits can be as different as the students themselves. Maggie Friedman sat with her fellow Warde sophomores Emma Parone and Eva Filan in the Post Road’s Starbucks on Sunday, but she said she usually prefers to work solo. “I feel like I can get more done without distractions,” Friedman said.

Still, the College Board’s experts agree that Burger and Gade’s tack might be best. The standardized testing organization recommends studying in groups of four to six people when cramming for their exams, which include the SATs and Advanced Placement tests. According to the organization’s website, studying in groups allows students to fill in the gaps they might have missed in their notes, use shared talents to cover more ground and develop stronger social bonds and support systems than studying alone.

“You may have noticed that when you’re explaining something you've learned to a friend, you begin to understand it better yourself. This happens because, when you explain an idea, you need to think more deeply about it,” reads the organization’s website. “The same principle makes study groups useful.”

Still, Burger and Gade agreed that the method doesn’t work for everything. “English would not be something I’d study in a group,” Burger said. “I’d need it to be creative and quiet,” Gade added, while Burger finished, “But something like history, math or science I’d say it works.”  

How are your kids getting ready for final exams? Do you think it’s better to work in groups or alone? Share your own study tips in the comments below.

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