The freshman students at South Career and Technical Academy, Rebecca Gallo, Ogheneyoma Irorobeje, and Jaqueline Diaz, shared their opinions on their studying methods and their preferences, with results that vary widely. Their responses highlight how even within the same school environment, students can flourish with very different strategies for understanding and retaining information, with outcomes depending on what works best for each individual. Gallo explains, “You create a study guide and then teach it so you really understand it, and I’ve been getting straight A’s.”

Irorobeje adds, “I’m more likely to focus when I study alone, but in a group, someone might understand something I don’t.”

Both students, Irorobeje and Gallo, are transparent about their methods and whether they prefer studying alone or in groups. Yet not all students attending SCTA follow this trend. Some, like Diaz, prefer a group study when they need extra help, are working on group projects, undertaking difficult topics, or simply value the convenience. Diaz says, “I prefer to study biology in a group because I find it easier.” This quote reveals how students typically only study in groups or alone based on their convenience or topic.

While relentlessly going through classrooms and obtaining votes, statistics from polls conducted at SCTA suggested that studying in groups lagged at 34.2%, while studying alone led at 57.5%, with the remaining 8.2% split between the two. Emphasizing how students lead with individual study over group study. Research by Oxford Learning aligns with findings that many students prefer independent study due to fewer distractions, greater control over their environment and schedule, and the ability to focus more effectively without group interruptions, while still acknowledging that group study can improve understanding through discussion, clarification of questions, and peer motivation.