In College, you learn new information from lectures and from personal study.  Each week, your professor will likely send home a short homework assignment then about twice per month, you will likely take a quiz over the new material.  About half-way through the semester, you will have a mid-term then at the end of the semester take a final exam.
 
This same approach is very good in regards to your table tennis training.  The first step is to learn new information from others and from personal study.  Each week you should be dedicated to practicing your new skills.  Next, you should try out your improvements through practice matches.  These practice matches will be a good quiz for you to see if you can remember and apply your new knowledge.  Next, you should play a small tournament.  This mid-term tournament will really help you to clearly see your strengths and weaknesses.  As you prepare for the major competition (your final exam) you need to evaluate and re-evaluate your progress and adjust your training accordingly.