More Important Than Highlighters and Post-its: The People You Need in Your Study Group

If you have a certain class that's killing you in college already and you're freaking out about what your results are going to be here's a tip: get a study group. Not only can these be supportive and effective in learning what you need to, you can make some awesome new friends and drinking buddies. Make sure you ask people to join that you might actually want to get a drink with after a cramming session. People that make you not want to stab them with a pencil. It will be impossible to organize groups with any more than six people, so keep the group small. You all have lives after all.

Sure study supplies are important: highlights, flashcards, coffee breaks, but its the people you study with that will help you get the most out of studying. The main people you'll need to solidify your group are the Mother, the Nerd, the Comic Relief, the Cheerleader and the Obligatory Hot Jack-Ass. Once you have them, and maybe a ridiculously attractive person to entice others to actually show up, you should be golden.

• The Mother.

You need someone who is going to look after everyone's emotional needs. The one who'll bring food, maybe even homemade food like cookies making them the person everyone looks forward to showing up. He/She will make sure that you all take frequent coffee breaks and knows what's going on in everyone's personal lives. He/She will offer advice and help in anything. Need help moving? Forgot your wallet? The Mother will always look out for you and have your back. They will encourage and console everyone who needs it. They give the best pep speeches and always the minder of the group.

• The Organized Nerd.

Slightly aggressive but their effort pays off. They're the ones who show up to all the classes, ask and answer the professor's questions and take all the notes. You need them on your side. They'll probably annoy the crap out of you but you'll do so much better because of them. They will most likely hand out homework, quizzes and suggest you each do presentations. Basically turning your study group into another class that you might pass or fail. Although highly strung the Organized Nerd has been known to let loose after a few vodka cranberries or a couple jagerbombs. Like they say, its always the quiet ones.

• The Comic Relief.

The one who keeps moral going and pokes fun at everyone and by doing impressions of your professor and everyone in the group. With exams looming you all need a laugh anyway. They'll probably the one plying the Nerd with drink on your night out to get them to relax. They're the ones that make the group fun to attend and make the work seen easier and time pass faster. The one that you probably won't want to stab in the forehead with a pencil.

• The College Enthusiast

They are way too involved everything that the college offers. I'm all for getting involved in college extra-curriculars, but the college cheerleader is involved in everything. They always knows what's going on campus, involved in the student union and constantly telling you all about events and gigs. It might be hard at times to actually get them to focus on what you're supposed to be studying. But they will be the ones getting you free passes into events and inviting you on awesome college trips. You'll never miss out with them in your group. Because they are the really enthusiastic one in the group they will probably draw a lot of abuse from the rest of you who are slowly becoming disillusioned with being a broke college student, but they are so oblivious and happy that they take it, and probably will invite out for a free shot to get your mind of things, like winter exams.

• Obligatory Hot Jack-Ass

He/She is ridiculously hot. You either asked them to join solely because they were hot or they asked if they could and you were blinded by their hotness that you couldn't turn them away. Probably not the smartest one - not to be cliched or anything- but the one who always wants to bunk off and head down to the student bar instead of doing anything. Best friends with the Cheerleader and usually the first thing they ask them is 'What are we doing tonight?' They drive the Nerd up the wall, and make the Mother worry about their GPA. Can be quite up their own hole and are the most bigoted and mean person you'll know, but they are a welcome distraction at times so you'll let them off. Plus you might actually get to sleep with them at some stage, which always help improve the opinion you have of a person.