Study with a partner

[luigi.roza]

Hello guys,
I have a friend that is studying for the GMAT too and we are considering scheduling a time per week where we can study together. Any ideas on how our study time should be? Should we focus in solving problems or study topics?
Thank you

[[email protected]]

Hi luigi.roza,

You ask a good question - for the two of you to both benefit from a study session, you could consider working in a number of different ways:

1) Work on questions that you both agree are difficult.
2) Drill each other on math and grammar rules.
3) One of you helps the other with a 'weak' subject and vice-versa.
4) General review of each other's CAT results.
Etc.

How long have each of you been studying?
Do the two of you have a similar Test Date?

GMAT assassins aren't born, they're made,
Rich

[Jim@StratusPrep]

Time is totally up to you, but I typically say that 75 minutes sessions are good before you break - this is the length of a section on the exam.

For content, I would say go over problems, even teach each other, if you can talk through how to improve your solutions, you will be in good shape.

[Rich@EconomistGMAT]

Hi luigi.roza,

This is definitely a good opportunity for you and a study partner to forge a mutually beneficial relationship, especially if you're both strong in different areas. However, be careful not to be too relaxed about your joint study sessions, especially if this study partner is a good friend. As I've found in previous experiences, if you don't stick to a rigid agenda when you meet, it's easy to go in different directions and commiserate more than you planned. Of course there's room to invest in your personal relationship, but if you introduce a study partner into your plan, be sure to do everything you can to be productive together first.

Best,
Rich

[mindovergmat]

Structure, structure, structure.

Remember that 3 hours of concerted, timed, topic-directed study is superior to an 8-hour day of aimless practice problems. Keep your plan adaptable with regard to topics so it is flexible as your knowledge base evolves. Also, I would recommend structuring your study around practice tests that you take every 4-8 days depending on when your test is. I will message you with more info.

[Matt@VeritasPrep]

I'd say the best thing you can do is try to explain problems to each other. Learning through teaching is absolutely fantastic, and I speak from experience: after a few months as a GMAT teacher, I understood the material exponentially better than I did when I started.