STUDY TIPS
Here you can find study tips from your very own executive team, who are students who deal with the stresses of university life just like you!
Laila - Co-President
Write notes by hand! It helps to really commit things to memory. Explain concepts you are finding hard to understand to a friend or family member!
Isabelle - Co-President
Study in an environment you know you can be productive in, and dedicate a specific time each day that is just for studying. Talk to people who are in positions you want to be in, whether that's your professors, a graduate student or upper year undergrads. Oftentimes they can point you in the right direction.
Lynne - VP Internal
ACTIVE RECALL, make diagrams, don’t only study for midterms (study before), review as often as you can
Taylor - VP Philanthropy
You can’t really focus on studying if you’re running on empty. Make sure you eat, drink water, move around a bit, and actually get some sleep!! Taking care of yourself makes studying feel way easier.
Jayce - VP Social
Change up your study environment! I find that when I change location after breaks I’m able to focus better and am reenergized. Take breaks, you won’t learn by cramming all the information at once and rest is important
Abby - VP Communications
Take the time to figure out what works for you. Just because your friends study well around other people doesn’t necessarily mean you do too! Explore different places on and off campus. Do you like a quiet environment? Do you need lots of natural light? Do what works for you. Around midterms and finals, make a study schedule for yourself. It will help keep you organized and on top of things!
Bee - VP Finance
Actually do it!! You would be shocked by the difference a few hours of studying can make. Review your notes and PWPT slides and add examples to help recall on the exams.
Silvi - VP Academic
Write out all your notes then create Anki cards of questions you think might be asked. Create reminders about midterms 10 days before to get a head start. Work out before studying so you feel better about sitting all day
Anupriya - VP Equity
Start studying in advance. Be flexible with your studying approaches, they will change (or might not!) depending on the course. Remind yourself to learn the content for you, not the grade!
Florence - VP Franco
Find the environment that helps you lock in best. Determine whether you work better alone or with study partners (don’t go with friends if you're going to yap). Flashcards are fun to reinforce your learning.
Catherine - Dir. Secretarial Affairs
Find a study buddy to keep each other on track. Take breaks often, it helps you focus better.
Simona - Dir. Sponsorships
Start studying early and schedule dedicated days for each subject to stay organized. Don’t forget to add breaks in between! Teach concepts out loud to someone or something as if you’re giving them a lesson to help deepen your understanding. Create “knowledge trees” to visualize connections between topics and review areas you might have missed.
Ananya - Dir. Promo
Long breaks between classes are your best friend! There’s only so long you can go on your phone before its battery drops, so you’re forced to lock in. Drag yourself to a study spot at the library; watching everyone around you being productive will get you motivated!
Keira - Dir. Marketing
Teach it to your friends! Go café hopping! Spend a couple hours in one place then relocate. Review practice midterms and past midterms.
Stella - First Year Representative
Flashcards ALL THE WAYYYY. And, once you're tired from that, watch some videos to further deepen your understanding of the topic.
Elena - Council Representative
Practice active recall! Make yourself flashcards, vocab lists, or even practice questions to make sure that you can actually bring relevant information to mind with minimal prompting. This is an excellent way to find gaps in your understanding as well.
Queen - Council Representative
Set designated study times throughout the week. Make studying enjoyable by slowly transitioning into learning. Give yourself frequent breaks (not just when needed). Change subjects frequently to keep yourself engaged (only if you're not already in the zone!)
Sonia - Council Representative
Find a buddy to body double with, the hours go by much faster when in good company! It’s a great way to keep each other motivated and accountable - you can even bounce ideas off each other! Also, as much as possible, try to use paper study methods (like writing concepts on flashcards) over typed notes.
Student Academic Success Service (SASS) Resources:
Check out SASS resources for tips to improve things such as study habits to concentration skills and time-management and be sure to see if they have any upcoming workshops! Click here to go to their resource page.
So your class is all about memorization but you hate making flashcards? Try out Anki!
Anki is a FREE, handy and powerful piece of software (supported on a variety of operating systems and phones) that will make your studying as efficient as it can possibly be! This is not just a simple cue card maker; Anki takes advantage of the spacing effect to efficiently learn your own material and retain that information for longer periods. Using this spacing effect ultimately leads to study efficiently and save yourself time to do other things. What's not to love about that? There is a small learning curve however, but it's completely free and there are many tutorials on how to make your flashcards and decks.
Here's an informative video on the subject that might be of help in explaining the concept behind the software.
If you decide to take Cognition (PSY3377) and Learning & Behaviour (PSY3103), by the end of these courses you will fully appreciate what this software does for you in making your studying as smooth as possible.
Interested? Try it out by clicking here.
Already made your own flashcards? Click here to learn how to make them better based on research findings!