COMPARISON AND CONTRAST ESSAY

Topic: Studying alone vs Studying in groups.

Each person has different ways of studying. One may prefer to study in a
group to make use of the help from crowd support, while others may prefer to study
alone to develop themselves freely. Although these studying methods both bring
about significant improvements, the distinction between group study and self-study
still remains in some differences.

To begin with, how it works is a clear distinction between studying alone and
studying in groups. Studying alone depends entirely on students' self-study ability.
Accordingly, if these students encounter a complicated question, it will take them
more time to clarify it. In an even worse situation, they may also misunderstand the
whole problem. On the contrary, this circumstance will be less likely to happen if
they study in groups. Since there are additional people, students can efficiently
share their opinions with others. Besides sharing, each person will have to make
more effort to support their ideas, which is an ideal opportunity to promote critical
thinking. As a result, they may spend less time but learn more thanks to group
discussion. In general, group study has proved its advantages in tackling delicate
issues when compared to self-study.

Second, another obvious difference between these two methods of studying is

common agreement. Self-study students can be more self-sufficient than others.
Everyone is different, which means everyone learns differently. As a matter of fact,
these students have the freedom to choose the location and time for their study,
allowing them to create the ideal learning environment. Studying alone also enables
students to use the study strategies that are most effective for their learning style.
On the other hand, being part of a study group encourages students to comply with
a set schedule. As each member of a study group commits to fully participating in
the group, every decision must be approved by others; by following others' consent,
students will have the disciplined mindset of taking breaks or deciding which
subjects to take first. As a result, this agreement can serve as a means for students
to be strict with themselves and prevent procrastination. In conclusion, while self-
studying allows students to adjust the learning techniques with which they are most
comfortable, group study plays an important role in motivating students to study as
much as their peers. Both methods contribute to students having the best study
environment possible.

Last but not least, one more noticeable difference between self-study and
group study lies in the underlying source of motivation. Self-study is pretty high-
demanding in self-discipline; therefore, students must have a strong incentive to
strive for their goals. However, that source of motivation comes from within the
learners themselves, so it might become fairly frail once these students run into a
baffling question that falls in the gap of their knowledge. With no one to assist, they
could gradually get closer to nothing but feeling discouraged. On the contrary, group
study must consist of members who participate with their own will. Should there
arise any difficulties, opinions, though correct or not, might be beneficial and also
keep the encouragement heated. Additionally, peer pressure might come into handy
in a group study session. As a whole, everyone must show determination; anyone
who makes no attempt to keep up with the flow will surely result in them falling
behind. No one would want to work with people who lack tenacity. To sum up,
motivation serves an important role no matter which way of study that students
choose.

In brief, the differences between group study and self-study are shown in the
way each functions, the agreement one person might accept, and the type of
inspiration one may receive. Even though these ways of studying have both pros
and cons, it is learners who can truly turn one of the methods into their own “special
weapon” for better learning.