Photo credit to Joel Kachappilly

Seniors Noah Vance, Shayan Pasha, Cecilie Schieffer, and Varun Vedula cram for upcoming tests at a local favorite, Dunn Brothers

As students get older and become more independent, study groups become a more popular way for students to get homework done while hanging out with friends.

Unfortunately, friends can easily be a cause of distraction. This generates a debate that questions whether or not study groups are beneficial to students. Certain personality types may be able to focus more easily in the noisier setting, but some students say they prefer to work in the peace and quiet.

Within the Quad Cities, there are many small businesses such as coffee shops that are becoming increasingly more popular among high school students to go to and work on homework or study together. Each business provides its own atmosphere, which allows students the opportunity to choose what they’re in the mood for.

One of these popular places to visit is Coffee Hound, which has a location just off of Devils Glen and a new one just off of Forest Grove. Junior Eesha Lawande is a regular at Coffee Hound. She said, “I like the environment in [Coffee Hound] because it’s a nice quiet place and it’s a good place to be with your friends.”

However, not all study groups are beneficial. Often enough, students go to coffee shops with their friends and the intentions of doing homework, but some students say they would prefer to talk to their friends over being productive.

Just because productivity goes down among students while in study groups does not mean they have to be eliminated entirely. Methods to stay on task while still being in the public setting are being developed more frequently with the constant demand for stimulation and ways to be focused.

Senior Nikki Chang believes in being highly productive. She said she has started to study more on her own, but she said, “If I’m ever doing anything with friends, I usually put my headphones in and play instrumental music so I don’t get distracted and can focus on my homework more easily.”

Students and teachers alike can agree that study groups have strong benefits. Students are able to learn from one another, which some teachers believe is more effective than a standard classroom setting.