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 - Taking Notes in Lectures
Learn strategies for taking notes in lectures, whether the lectures are online or in person - 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.