Effective Studying

Whether you are in your first university course or working on your doctoral dissertation, the library can help you develop skills to study effectively.

Programs

• Academic Action Program
  If you want to manage your workload, avoid procrastination, and prepare effectively for midterms and exams, join the Academic Action Program.

Online learning

• Online Learning
  Designed to address the challenges of learning during the pandemic, this guide features strategies to help you learn effectively when you are taking a full load of online courses.
• 7 Steps to Better Concentration
  Simple strategies to help you improve your concentration
• 7 Strategies to Manage Distractions
  To improve the effectiveness of the time you put into studying, work at recognizing and getting rid of distractions

Calculate your marks

• Mark Calculator
  A tool to help you determine your current mark in each course and calculate your semester average to help plan and prioritize your studying

Active and integrative study strategies

• Study Effectively
  Tools and tips for building effective study habits
• Top 40 Study Strategies
  See our top forty tips for effective studying
• Study Smarter, Not Harder
  An overview of active study strategies and why they are effective
• Concept Mapping
  A graphical way of organizing your thoughts and showing how concepts are related or differentiated
• How to Create a Concept Map
  This video demonstrates how to organize your thoughts and show how concepts are related or differentiated
• How to Create a Matrix Chart
  This video explains how to create a matrix chart to summarize and integrate related information
• 5 Ways to Study with a Matrix Chart
  This video shows five ways you can study using a matrix chart

• Course Outlines: More Than Just Due Dates 
  This short video includes suggestions for how your course outline can help you prioritize, manage your time, and study efficiently

Reading and note-taking

• Learning from Textbooks
  Learn about strategies for active reading
• Using SQ4R
  SQ4R is a classic and systematic method for studying textbooks, most useful for courses that emphasize a lot of factual information
• Reading Critically
  Suggestions for how to read with a critical eye
• How to Read a Book
  This video has useful tips for reading books for research-based assignments
• How to Read an Article
  This video has useful tips for reading journal articles
• Learning from Lectures
  Learn strategies for taking notes in different types of courses and gather ideas for what to do with your notes after the lecture is over
• Note-Taking Skills
  Wondering about whether to use your laptop to take notes? Read more about different methods for taking notes effectively, whether on paper or on your laptop
• The Cornell Method of Note-Taking
  A time-tested method with a great record of success, the Cornell Method is a system to record, organize, and use your notes from lectures or course texts
• 8 Ways to Take Notes from Journal Articles
  This module includes downloadable templates to use when taking notes from journal articles and other research-based texts
• Highlighting vs. Note-Taking
  Which is better, highlighting or note-taking? Review the pros and cons of each.

For more help with studying effectively, check out our upcoming workshops, or book an online appointment.