Frederik Lundager Andreasen is a student of Information Science in the fifth semester with a supplementary subject in Critical Data Studies. Throughout his studies, he has experienced just how crucial well-functioning study groups can be.

In the first semester of the Information Science programme, Frederik Lundager Andreasen’s class had their group compositions facilitated by the degree programme. The students were placed in new groups three times, allowing them to try out different constellations. In the second semester, they were given the freedom to form groups themselves.

Frederik Lundager Andreasen’s current study group came together somewhat by chance. During the Christmas break, many of his classmates had already formed groups, leaving him and a few others without one:

“We ended up as a kind of ‘leftover group.’ But it actually turned out really well. We had similar working habits; for example, none of us were particularly good at working alone from home without getting distracted. When you are sitting at home, the cleaning you have postponed for several weeks suddenly seems far more exciting than the assignment in front of you. So instead, we meet in person, which makes it much easier for us,” says Frederik Lundager Andreasen.

Later, the group discovered that all its members had independently chosen the same supplementary subject, so they decided to continue working together in their current, fifth semester.

Clear structure and direction boost study group progress

Although the collaboration in Frederik Lundager Andreasen’s group works well, there are also some challenges when you end up in a group formed somewhat by chance.

“We have quite different interests, so when we have to choose topics for assignments, it can get a bit complicated. Another challenge is organising meeting times. Since the 40 hours you are expected to spend on your studies each week mainly go towards preparation rather than on-campus attendance, people structure their days very differently,” he explains.

Alongside his studies, Frederik Lundager Andreasen works many evening shifts, which can make it difficult to coordinate study group meetings. Even so, the group managed to maintain a steady rhythm last semester, when they collaborated on a project with weekly deadlines.

“Each week, we had to present our progress. We did this using a foam board, which is a large white display board where we continuously added pictures and notes to show how far we had come with our project. It kind of forced us to have something concrete to present,” he says.

For Frederik Lundager Andreasen, it has made a real difference that focus was placed on study group work right from the beginning of the programme. He finds that when clear expectations are set for how study groups should collaborate, it helps the work run more smoothly and encourages groups to take it more seriously:

“The extra pressure from the expectations placed on study group work made people engage with it more seriously and helped us avoid the classic tendencies from primary or secondary school, where you would just form a group with your friends and end up chatting for hours,” he says.

Frederik Lundager Andreasen stresses that, in the end, it is more about being able to collaborate and compromise than about making friends:

“You do not need to be best friends to work well together. As long as you know how to compromise and do not take things too personally, you will reach your goals. And if things completely fall apart, you can always ask the teachers for help in finding new ways of collaborating or forming new groups. In my experience, the teachers manage that really well. There is always a solution, even if you sometimes have to work a little harder to find it,” he explains.

He also emphasises that it makes a significant difference to discuss working methods from the very beginning of group work, for example, regarding how often the group should meet. When expectations are aligned early on, it provides a stronger foundation for collaboration.

“AU Studypedia helped us, among other things, to create a study group agreement that aligned our expectations in terms of priorities and how we organised our work,” says Frederik Lundager Andreasen.

AU Studypedia supports study groups and student life

AU Studypedia is a resource that provides students with advice and techniques for managing the academic, personal, and social aspects of university life. Frederik Lundager Andreasen and his fellow students were introduced to the resource by their teachers early in their studies to strengthen collaboration within their groups.

“Each time we were placed in a new study group during the first semester, we were introduced to different tools for fostering effective collaboration, including AU Studypedia,” he says.

Frederik Lundager Andreasen and his classmates were also introduced to the theme of information search when they had to find their own sources for projects for the first time.

“I also looked at the site when I started working alongside my studies, to find advice on balancing study and free time. It was one of several inputs, and in the end, I found a system that works reasonably well for me,” adds Frederik Lundager Andreasen.

His solution was to create a clearer separation between study and leisure. At home, he has a desktop computer for gaming and relaxation, while his laptop is reserved exclusively for academic work. Frederik Lundager Andreasen also emphasises the value of working away from home when working on assignments.

What you learn from group work carries over into your career

Looking back on his experiences with study group work, Frederik Lundager Andreasen has no doubt that it has provided him with skills that will be useful in his future career.

“Since there was so much focus on collaboration at the beginning of the degree, I have gained much greater self-awareness in terms of how I function in a group and what my strengths are. I have a much better understanding now than I did in primary or secondary school. I am more conscious of how I prefer to work, and then it is about putting my working methods into practice and aligning with those of others,” he says.

He emphasises that he has improved in this area precisely because the groups aligned expectations and had small-class teaching dedicated to discussing collaboration. Frederik Lundager Andreasen points out that when you are aware of collaboration and group dynamics, it becomes easier to spot and address problems or weaknesses in teamwork.

When asked if he has any advice for other students regarding study groups, Frederik Lundager Andreasen concludes:

“If I were to give one piece of advice to students working in study groups, it would be: do not fall back into the habits from primary or secondary school, where you just form groups with the people you enjoy talking to. I have seen groups stall because of that. They end up spending five days on something other groups can manage in one or two. Of course, you should not be in a group with people you constantly argue with either. It is about choosing collaborators based on strengths and strategies. Think about how people work and how each of them can contribute.”