The Beauty of Working in Groups

Imagine working on a difficult accounting or microeconomics problem. You are tearing your hair out and no matter how many times you re-read the text, you have no idea what the author is trying to say. Now, think about that same scenario but now you have 2 or 3 lifelines that can rescue you at any moment. That is the beauty of study groups. Of course, everyone can contribute their knowledge because otherwise, why would you have been admitted to a top school? However, when you are stuck, your best buddies are your study group mates. As a matter of fact, one of my male friends swore off dating. He said, “The only dates I go on are study group meetings.”

The most important aspect about being in a study group is choosing the right people. I know not all business schools allow students to choose their study groups and most of the time, you have the same study group for all of your classes but for those of you who go to schools like Booth, where you can make that decision, choosing the right combination of people is key. Right now, I am in 3 study groups. One group I was asked to join. Another group, I built and the last group was formed by magic. In all of these groups, every person on my team has a different work or cultural background. Diversity in thought leadership is incredible and it manifests itself best through group work. You thought you did your due diligence and then your teammate points something out and you have that “Aha” moment.

The most interesting part of study groups is what happens when you are no longer working on a homework or project. You learn so much about the people around you. You learn about their family, culture, interesting (sometimes strange) experiences they have had and more. In addition to study groups, you also spend a lot of time with people you are recruiting with, the people in your student groups and cohort buddies. Because of frequent interactions, you become close friends with people you would never have even spoken to before. Some people call it networking. I call it connecting.