Traditional spiritual friendship among monks can be identified through four common qualities indespensible to the friendship. These qualities are:

1. loyalty

2. Intention

3. Discretion

4. Patience

I pulled this from a source on spiritual friendship among monks, and I think it works for study partners as well. I think it is spot on correct, but of course only if both parties assume the commitment to the qualities. All else can be freely pursued once trust in the four post points is established. What's missing from this, of course, is an assessment of whether any pair of study mates or friends are a "shiddach" for such purpose- a match. That's something to be discerned prayerfully between the two engaged in study and companionship. It seems a three month short course would be sufficient to make some discernment as to whether the partnership can serve its purpose in elevating each for and with the other.

I have found the "everyone just pair up" method to be wholly unsatisfactory, although I have been also very lucky in it, thank goodness. In the perfect scenario in retreat setting perhaps you would have the opportunity to mix up the groups between triads and diads in varying combinations, and rotating roles. This exercise allows each participant a complex and sustained intense encouter with all potential partners. Doing two or even three days of role playing and actual direction in these groups gives the participants a lot of information in a relatively short period of time about who may or may not be best suited to be paired as a chevre or study mate or spiritual companion. It may not be the best match- so you commit only for 6 months and then re-view the progress and any issues that may have arisen. In facilitation, you can help the partners decide whether they wish to continue the journey together, or to part ways and encounter new possibilities for learning with new parters. At some time, these participants have to become grown up about the approach to these matches. They may not be life long friendships. They may be more utilitarian to just get through the material...in some cases they may be very profound matches. In any case, serious study requires a study companion: at least one. This doesn't have to be a soul friend, mind you. But, a good study companion will keep you honest about your progress and also provide another lense through which to see the same material.

Here's praying you each find a shiddach, a match, for your study.