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.

Academic Coaching

• Academic Coaching and Appointments
  If you want to manage your workload, avoid procrastination, and prepare effectively for midterms and exams, meet with an academic coach.

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 An Academic Book - YouTube
  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

Online learning

• Online Learning
  This guide features strategies to help you learn effectively in 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

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