There are many serious benefits to pairing up with another student to study and complete your assignments. When writing research papers or essays, for example, you can switch papers with your partner and proofread for each other. And when studying for a test, you can quiz one another to assess your readiness. Both of these strategies will improve you performance significantly.
But when many students think about pairing up with a study buddy or partner in school, they automatically think of partnering with a good friend.
This may be a good idea, but, on the other hand, it could be a disaster! What if your best friend has terrible study habits?
And there is another reason your best friend may not be the best choice for a study buddy. You are friends because you have a good time together, right? You probably laugh a lot. You enjoy the same distractions. This means you might be easily distracted when you study with a best friend!
The best choice for a study partner depends on the contrast of the students involved when it comes to study skills.
To get the most out of a study partnership, you should pair up with someone who complements your own habits and traits. Because of this, the first step toward choosing a study partner is to inventory your own study habits. Take a good look at your skills and habits and be honest about your own strengths and weaknesses.
Step One: Consider some of the potential problems listed below, and be very honest with yourself.
Do my essays contain grammar problems that I don't catch when proofreading?
Do I procrastinate when it comes to starting my research projects?
Do I need to be reminded of upcoming test dates?
Do I take thorough notes?
Do I wait until the day before a test and then cram like mad?
Do I have strong reading comprehension skills?
Step Two: Now that you've identified any potential weaknesses in your study habit, it's time to give yourself credit for your special talents:
Do I usually predict test questions well and prepare adequately?
Am I pretty good with identifying grammar problems?
Do I keep track of due dates?
Am I pretty good with time management when it comes to writing papers?
Am I artistic and creative?
Am I naturally good at math?
Do I have the discipline to turn off the TV and the computer when I really need to study?
Once you've identified your talents and potential weaknesses, it's time to consider whether you should partner up with a certain friend. Do another honest assessment, and consider whether your best friend shares your habits. It just might be a perfect fit. On the other hand, it could be possible that you are too much alike.
If it becomes apparent that you need to find a study partner outside your circle of close friends, you can do this in a few different ways.
1. Start with a study group. The next time you have an important test or assignment coming up, start with forming a study group of several people in your class. As you meet and share ideas, observe the habits of the group members. Identify the group member who has talents where you have weaknesses. If you find somebody who seems to complement you well, try to arrange one-on-one study sessions and take it from there.
2. Ask your teacher to match you up. Sometimes the best strategy for finding a good partner is simply asking the best judge of study habits -- and that would be your teacher! Your teacher will know the particular strengths of students when it comes to writing skills and test performance. Why not ask your teacher if there is a certain person who could benefit from your skills and provide structure or skills that you lack?
3. Conduct a formal search! If you attend a large school where it's impossible to know every student sharing your assignments, you could go about this as if you're running a business. Create flyers and hang them around the school and let students know that you're looking for a partner with certain strengths. You could even conduct interviews! The assessment tool below may help you find the right person for the job.
Use the chart below (or come up with one of your own) to measure your own skills and those of other students on a scale from 1 to 10. Compare the results to see which student would complement your own study habits and talents.
Study Partner Strengths and Weaknesses
This may be a good idea, but, on the other hand, it could be a disaster! What if your best friend has terrible study habits?
And there is another reason your best friend may not be the best choice for a study buddy. You are friends because you have a good time together, right? You probably laugh a lot. You enjoy the same distractions. This means you might be easily distracted when you study with a best friend!
The best choice for a study partner depends on the contrast of the students involved when it comes to study skills.
To get the most out of a study partnership, you should pair up with someone who complements your own habits and traits. Because of this, the first step toward choosing a study partner is to inventory your own study habits. Take a good look at your skills and habits and be honest about your own strengths and weaknesses.
Step One: Consider some of the potential problems listed below, and be very honest with yourself.
Do my essays contain grammar problems that I don't catch when proofreading?
Do I procrastinate when it comes to starting my research projects?
Do I need to be reminded of upcoming test dates?
Do I take thorough notes?
Do I wait until the day before a test and then cram like mad?
Do I have strong reading comprehension skills?
Step Two: Now that you've identified any potential weaknesses in your study habit, it's time to give yourself credit for your special talents:
Do I usually predict test questions well and prepare adequately?
Am I pretty good with identifying grammar problems?
Do I keep track of due dates?
Am I pretty good with time management when it comes to writing papers?
Am I artistic and creative?
Am I naturally good at math?
Do I have the discipline to turn off the TV and the computer when I really need to study?
Once you've identified your talents and potential weaknesses, it's time to consider whether you should partner up with a certain friend. Do another honest assessment, and consider whether your best friend shares your habits. It just might be a perfect fit. On the other hand, it could be possible that you are too much alike.
If it becomes apparent that you need to find a study partner outside your circle of close friends, you can do this in a few different ways.
1. Start with a study group. The next time you have an important test or assignment coming up, start with forming a study group of several people in your class. As you meet and share ideas, observe the habits of the group members. Identify the group member who has talents where you have weaknesses. If you find somebody who seems to complement you well, try to arrange one-on-one study sessions and take it from there.
2. Ask your teacher to match you up. Sometimes the best strategy for finding a good partner is simply asking the best judge of study habits -- and that would be your teacher! Your teacher will know the particular strengths of students when it comes to writing skills and test performance. Why not ask your teacher if there is a certain person who could benefit from your skills and provide structure or skills that you lack?
3. Conduct a formal search! If you attend a large school where it's impossible to know every student sharing your assignments, you could go about this as if you're running a business. Create flyers and hang them around the school and let students know that you're looking for a partner with certain strengths. You could even conduct interviews! The assessment tool below may help you find the right person for the job.
Use the chart below (or come up with one of your own) to measure your own skills and those of other students on a scale from 1 to 10. Compare the results to see which student would complement your own study habits and talents.
Study Partner Strengths and Weaknesses
