Study Skills
Learn how to find the ways that you learn best with the Student Success Centre
Strengthen your Study Skills
One of the exciting aspects of university is having more freedom over when and how you study. This is a great opportunity for you to learn how you learn best! Choosing the right study strategy depends on the classes you’re in and your own needs as a learner.Ìý
Below, you will find a variety of blogs, videos, tip sheets, and worksheets to help you develop your study skills. You can use blogs, videos, and tip sheets to gain more information on a topic or strategy. You can practice applying these strategies to your own context by using the worksheets. To save your worksheet progress, review our instructions on how to use a PDF.Ìý Ìý
Reading and Listening
You attend lectures for most of your courses,Ìý²¹²Ô»åÌýwhat you learn during lectures is usually reflected in your final grades.ÌýThoughÌýyou don’t have the ability to control the pace of lectures, you canÌýuse strategies to maximize your time while you'reÌýthere. Looking for lecture cuesÌýis the #1 strategy for you to keepÌýfocus and concentration. Check outÌýour Ìýto learn more for more strategies.ÌýÌý
University coursework often comes with a variety of reading materials. Do you sometimes feel overwhelmed byÌýa huge stack of readings? Do youÌýconsiderÌýyourself a reluctant reader?ÌýAssigned readingsÌýwill enhance your understanding of lecturesÌý²¹²Ô»å help you succeed.ÌýIf you’reÌýwonderingÌýhow to start, familiarize yourself with three key procedures outlined in thisÌý. You can find a more in-depth look in ourÌýSQ4R MethodÌý²¹²Ô»å Organizing Notes in a Table tip sheets. For a narrated walkthrough, watch ourÌýÌýto helpÌýyou connectÌýyourÌýreadingsÌýwithÌýcourseÌýcontent.ÌýÌý
Notetaking
It’s common toÌýtake notes during lectures, when you read, or even in a group discussion.ÌýTaking notes helps you to concentrate and increases your understanding.ÌýGood notes are a permanent record of key informationÌýthat you can revisit later.ÌýNotetaking is aÌýcrucialÌýskillÌýto helpÌýyou toÌýexcelÌýinÌýuniversity.ÌýNow it’s time to developÌý²¹²Ô»åÌýrefine this skill. Read the forÌýprinciples andÌýshortcuts in notetaking.ÌýIf you’re taking courses online,ÌýwatchÌýthisÌýfor strategies.ÌýÌý
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When you beginÌýnotetaking, you must decide on a meaningful way to organize your notes. There are many differentÌýmethods to do this. Creating outlines is a popular one that many notetakers use, but itÌýmayÌýnotÌýbeÌýas effective in some coursesÌýas in others.ÌýReadÌýourÌýÌýforÌýmore information on theÌýCornell method, mapping method, and charting method. For a deep dive into these strategies, have a look at our Cornell Notetaking Method, SQ4R Method and our Organizing Notes in a TableÌýtip sheets.Ìý
Effective technology tools are a powerfulÌýway to enhance your learning.ÌýThere are a variety of notetakingÌýtechnologiesÌýavailableÌýif you like taking notes on your digital devices.ÌýSomeÌýof them are more useful than others depending on which notetaking method you use.ÌýCheck out our forÌýa list ofÌýtools to try.ÌýÌý
Excelling on Assessments
Taking tests and exams is an essential component of your university life.ÌýAnd it’s normal to experience anxiety during exam preparation. While some degree ofÌýanxiety can be helpful and keep you motivated, you need to be mindful ifÌýthe feeling gets too intense. Read our Reducing Test Anxiety tip sheetÌýfor strategies to deal with anxiety, andÌýÌýfor tips on exam preparation.ÌýEffective study strategies can improve your efficiency, in most cases,Ìýyou need to study smarter not harder. For more information on how to prepare for your in-person exams, check out the Registrar's preparing for final exams webpage!
For some courses, you will write tests and exams online instead of in the classroom. To help you navigate online assessments, the Student Success CentreÌýprovides many resources for you to refer to.ÌýConsultÌýtheÌýOnline Learning Resources webpageÌýforÌýmore informationÌýon online assessments. There are several recorded video segments available onÌý,Ìý,Ìý²¹²Ô»åÌý. For ongoing support throughout the semester, we offer a series of Ìýfor an updated schedule of real-time workshop sessions.Ìý
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Achieving a high level of comprehension is an important factor in successfully retaining course material. Read our Ìýfor strategies to help you hold onto key information throughout the semester. It's important to set yourself up for success during a study session, refer to the to set yourself up for success.ÌýAfter aÌýtest or exam, it’s a good practice to evaluate your performance and reflect on what knowledge you have successfully retained and what could use some more review.ÌýFill outÌýthe Post-test Self-assessment worksheetÌýtoÌýhelp you with this.ÌýYou can do the same for assignments by filling out the Post-assignment Self-assessment worksheet.ÌýÌýÌý
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Additional Resources
