Study Buddy Want to stop wasting time? Start your study group and make a difference.

Akiko Y.P

New Member
Group Manager
Study Buddy
I could never stop watching social media!

The impact of the coronavirus on society this year has been so big that lots of college students and professionals around the world had to change their workplace to home. Now we have more freedom on when to do our tasks than before. However, having freedom does not necessarily mean easy. I noticed that there are many people who have trouble taking control of their time schedule. And I was one of them.
 
Earlier this year, my job, an online customer support, stopped due to the coronavirus. I faced one of the biggest transitions of my life. Looking for new jobs.
 
Although I had plenty of free time, it was very difficult for me to apply to new opportunities. Instead of preparing my CV, I spent hours looking at social media. I wasn't using my time effectively. I knew I wasn't doing what I needed to do, but I couldn't actually take action.

A useful paradox

One day, one of my friends invited me to an online study session for freelancers. Connecting online and studying at the same time. It sounds so simple, but the result was amazing. I could focus on what I had to do. And actually it felt better doing my task than consuming social media content! That is why I started my own study group on MoocLab.

The advantage of holding your own meetings is that you are responsible for them. This may sound weird, but this is the most effective way, at least for me, to take action which you know you should do but you are not willing to. 

I dared to hold my meetings in the morning because I wanted to get up early. This eliminated the option of waking up late.
 
After starting the group in June, I held 80 meetings in five months until the end of October. Each meeting lasted two hours, so I was able to study for a total of 160 hours with the members. Members are from all over the world (Hong Kong, Singapore, India, Iran, England, Ghana, Costa Rica) and meeting people who have a high level of motivation to study is a more precious experience than I had expected.

3 big changes I got

In the last 5 months, I've seen actual changes in my life like:
  • I can now wake up in the morning and spend a day fully.
  • I could clarify what I am passionate about after a big amount of self-analysis. Also, I could research the prospect of how our society/economy changes after covid-19. So I am ready to apply to new jobs according to my passion and the social demands.
  • I now have a deep interest in the country where the members live. That leads me to get interested in topics that I felt were high level psychological barriers like social issues. I could challenge myself to read books in my second language and joined a book club for discussion.
These changes are something I dreamed of. I could not buy with money but only by taking actions.

TIPS

Imagine what your life will be like in several months. If you want to make a difference in your life, I encourage you to start your own study group now. And here are my tips for you.
  • To make hosting a group a positive experience is to do self-analysis. Since you are a volunteer, the most important thing is that you continue to enjoy it. So, be clear about your goals and wishes in “When do you wanna have meetings?” “How long do you wanna study?” “What kind of atmosphere you want to study?” and so on.
  • At the same time, it's also a good idea to make it clear what you can't/don’t want to do. In my case, I ask every member to upload their photo on the profile.
  • Once you find your goal, you're ready to start your study group. It's fun to study with members who have the same goals as yours.
  • Once you've started, you can develop with the members. For example, I have over 30 registered members in my group but participation in online meetings is low. So I'm currently looking for a way to benefit more members by taking surveys with them.
To start your own Study Group, go to Groups

If you have any questions or comments, feel free to contact me.

Akiko, from Brazil
The host of Simply Study Together
 
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