Studying is never easy. It could be due to lack of personal discipline, lack of spare time in a busy schedule, or lack of ability to concentrate for more than a minute at a time. Whatever the reason, sitting down to hit the books can be an arduous task—one that most Camosun students would probably like to do more effectively.
Fourth-year Camosun Business Administration student Simon Shepherd felt all those pains while studying, and with the help of two friends he decided to start a supportive study group.
“The Camosun Business Study Group got started in my first year of studying, which was initially February of 2016,” says Shepherd. “[Two friends and I] were in an Accounting 110 class, and we said, ‘This stuff makes a lot more sense when there’s three of us together. How can we extend this to other students?’”
Shepherd says that it wasn’t long before other students were interested, and he soon realized that with everyone’s conflicting schedules the group would have to remain an open space for different sorts of help.
“We didn’t have a set meeting time; what happens is based upon everyone’s schedule being all over the place,” he says. “Usually once or twice a week we have a classroom reserved for our open time. So, depending on our members’ timetables, they can come down to that classroom and get help with different types of Business courses and classes. Or it might be that they have questions about starting their own business—they can then go to that classroom at that designated time.”
Shepherd says that the group has many creative ways of supporting its members and boosting morale during stressful times.
“During every semester we have one or two events—one at the beginning, one at the end,” he says. “It’s right around the time of final exams, when courses are wrapping up. It’s a great way to network, to let off some steam, just kind of get prepared for the school season as it starts. For instance, about two weeks ago we had our beginning of the semester mixer. We always have it at a different venue, so maybe a pub, maybe a bar, or I’ll host people. I like to cook, so I’ll cook a bunch of food, and we’ll do different things—we might play board games one night, and just recently we played Jackbox games—that’s when you connect your laptop to the TV and everyone can answer trivia on their phones, or draw pictures and stuff.”
Shepherd and the group members have noticed the ebbs and flows of their group’s growth, and they roll with it.
“We tend to see a huge influx of students, one at the beginning of the year, and then another one a couple of weeks before final exams start rolling through,” he says. “The ones that we see during those final weeks are generally students looking for those extra resources to succeed in those courses.”
Shepherd says he’s pleased at how successful the group has been and with the support it has received (for more information on the Camosun Business Study Group, find them on Facebook at facebook.com/cambussg).
“We have a tremendous amount of support from the faculty, and we are so grateful for it,” says Shepherd. “We have seen a tremendous amount of growth. Every semester we’re getting about 12 to 20 new applicants enrolled. Not all those are very active applicants, but that’s one of the things that we offer—there is no pressure, no obligations. If you need help, we’re here to help; if you want to make connections, we’re there for that too. We’re kind of a jack-of-all-trades group that way.”