Benefits of group studying in CAT

Studying individually is what most of us prefer. But CAT and other entrance exams are a little different from all the other exams you may have attempted. They do not test how much you have worked hard, but rather, they test your knowledge, and that is something that should be acquired with an open mind and with different perspectives. Group study might just be the way to go. There are two primary benefits you can gain by studying regularly with at least one other person. (1) You’ll keep yourself motivated. It’s harder to procrastinate when you know you need to be ready to meet with the group by a certain day. (2) You will learn more than you can on your own. Other members of the group will be better at something than you are and can teach you. In addition, you will sometimes teach something to others—and teaching helps you to understand a concept much better than just learning it in the first place. How do I set up the CAT study group? If friends of yours are also studying for the CAT, then that part is relatively easy—though, ideally, you want at least one person in the group who is stronger at Quant and one who is stronger at Verbal. So if you and your friend are both Verbal whizzes, expand your search to find someone who is better at Quant.If you are taking a class, go out on a limb and announce to the class that you want to set up a CAT study group and ask who is interested. If you want to maintain a level of control over the group, then decide certain details in advance. It’s a good idea to have 3 or more people in the group, if possible. Circumstances change—your study buddy could get sick or decide to postpone her studies for some reason. People go on vacation for a week. Ideally, the group is large enough that it can weather the temporary or permanent absence of 1 or 2 people.   Let’s start with the first reason that study groups are so beneficial: You’re going to keep each other honest. Scheduling Set up a schedule with one or two steady appointments every week. (If your schedule needs to change from week to week, then at any given time, the schedule should be set at least one month out.) For instance, you might meet Wednesday evenings and Saturday mornings. (Or you might just meet once a week.) Commitment Next, you’re going to plan out your own private studies from now until that next meeting. Set certain goals.You all have to check in to make sure you’re actually sticking with your commitments—that’s where accountability comes in. When you start your study session, go around the group. Everyone reports what they did and whether they fulfilled their commitment. If you didn’t get to it all, then be prepared to make another commitment Have an Agenda/Plan for Your CAT Study Group Any productive meeting has a plan—you will accomplish more when you know what you want to accomplish. You can either have one person manage the group (and always establish the plan for each meeting) or you can rotate. Here are some things that your plan should include: Tasks for all members to accomplish in preparation for the meeting The length of the meeting (1 hour? 2?) Specific blocks of time during the meeting assigned to specific activities Takeaways for Your CAT Study Group (1) Set up a CAT study group of 3 to 5 people, online or in-person. Try to have a mix of skills/strengths and weaknesses so that you can help each other and learn from each other. (2) Commit! Plan a schedule and stick to it—no absences without a legitimate excuse. Set study goals from week to week. Share the goals with your group members and make sure that you’re updating them on your progress. (3) Plan meeting agendas in advance and engage in a variety of activities to help you stay motivated and learn from each other.