Best Study Tips for College and University Students
After researching over 10+ Canadian universities to create the university guide series, I discovered many helpful resources for students. This helped me to create a list of the best study tips for university students. These resources are free and I only included the top study tips from each university. I included tons of relevant articles and downloadable PDF files so you can incorporate these techniques into your study routine immediately.
Wondering how to make the most of this article? Go to the key question section or go to your respective university to learn about the academic resources at your school.
For each university, I also included academic workshop links to help you stay up-to-date on what is happening at your school.
Other useful university articles:
- Create the Best Study Space at Home
- Studying in Canada| University Survival Guide
- Resume Tips and Services that Will You Get Hired
Table of Contents
9 Quick Study Tips for University Students
- Add structure to your day.
- Have a morning wake-up routine, meal times, relaxation, creativity time, time for self-reflection, time to shut off and rest (check out the PDF from Concordia University here).
- Attend your professors’ virtual office hours.
- I promise it will be worth your time (click here for more advice from the University of British Columbia).
- Look at the pre-lecture materials.
- Even if you only have 10 minutes, quickly review what major topics will be covered.
- Find a study buddy or study group.
- Connect virtually and test each other on the key concepts.
- Manage your social media distractions while studying.
- This can include hiding your phone in a far location. The University of Waterloo suggests downloading apps to manage any social media distractions. To temporarily deactivate your social media sites use SelfControl for Mac and Cold Turkey for Windows. For all devices, you can use RescueTime or Freedom for mobiles.
- Ask for help.
- Book an appointment with your academic advisor or student success coach. They can help you find the best study technique or how to manage your time better.
- Use the Pomodoro Method to help improve your concentration and motivation.
- Edit your notes daily and review your notes weekly (University of Guelph).
- Review your summary notes and remember it’s about processing what you wrote (McMaster University).
- Don’t expect yourself to be perfect.
- Keep trying new techniques until you find what works best.
Key Questions and Advice | Best Study Tips for University Students
What are some top online learning tips?
- Check out York University’s guide for remote learning.
- Ryerson’s resources for studying online: tip sheets (PDF), online learning checklist, support for students with disabilities, videos and more.
- University of British Columbia: 9 spectacular eye care tips for online learning
How do I write good study notes?
- University of British Columbia: The writing process (video)
- University of British Columbia: How to Take Rock-Solid Notes for Online Lectures
- McMaster University: Effective Note-Taking Setup (PDF)
- University of Guelph:
- McGill University: Try the S-Q-3R or Outlining Method
What are some useful educational apps?
- Ryerson University: A list of note-taking apps such as AudioNote, Popplet Lite, Evernote, Notability and more.
- University of Waterloo: To temporarily deactivate your social media sites use SelfControl for Mac and Cold Turkey for Windows. For all devices, you can use RescueTime or Freedom for mobile use.
How do I manage my stress and time?
- University of British Columbia: Managing your time (video)
- Concordia University: Time management handouts, time planner, semester planner, managing your study time, breaking down tasks and more.
- University of Ottawa: Stress management and strategies
- University of Ottawa: How to improve your time management and how to organize your agenda more effectively
- University of Waterloo: How to manage academic stress
How do I read textbooks effectively?
- University of British Columbia: Reading textbooks (video)
- University of Guelph reading techniques
- Ryerson University’s advice for keeping up with your readings (PDF).
How do I memorize and concentrate better?
- Concordia University: Strategies to improve your memory (PDF).
- University of Guelph: Do you have trouble staying focused?
- University of Toronto: Concentration and Memory
How do I study for midterms and exams?
- University of British Columbia: STEM specific study tips
- University of British Columbia: Preparing for exams
- Concordia University: Strategies for taking tests, exams, multiple-choice, reducing exam anxiety
- Concordia University: Study @ Home: How to set up and maintain a virtual study group (PDF).
- McMaster University: How to make your own study questions.
- McMaster University: Good questions to test yourself (PDF).
- University of Guelph: Top 40 study strategies.
- Laurier University: Using Bloom’s Taxonomy for deep learning and to study better.
- University of Ottawa: Group work and organizing meetings
- Western University: Managing text anxiety (PDF).
- York University: Top 6 study strategies (retrieval practice, spaced practice, interleaving, elaboration, concrete examples and dual coding)
What are some study tips for international students?
- Western University: Reading strategies (PDF) and reading academic articles (PDF) for international students.
How do I stay motivated and procrastinate less?
- University of Guelph: Managing distraction
- University of Ottawa: Ten tricks to stay motivated and overcoming procrastination
- University of Waterloo: How to deal with failure
University of British Columbia
- Learning skill workshops at UBC.
- There will be sessions on time management when learning online, online communication skills and more.
- Read this if you are struggling to find motivation.
- Student Services
- UBC Life Blog: Read about academic articles written by other UBC students.
- Navigating Online Learning
- STEM specific study tips: Learn ways to study for chemistry, biology, physics, and mathematic courses.
- To read more about all the essential services at UBC, check out the university survival guide here.
Concordia University
- Meet with a learning specialist at Concordia.
- Log into your Moodle account and search for Virtual learning specialist Q&A Drop-In Sessions
- Online workshops happening right now.
- Topics include time management, learning and study skills, writing and research tips, exams and end-of-term, online learning and more.
- Other articles on study tips from Concordia University here.
- To read more about all the essential services at Concordia, check out the university survival guide here.
University of Guelph
- Contact your academic advisor at U of G.
- University of Guelph workshop events.
- U of G McLaughlin Library
- How Can I Build Effective Study Habits
- 1. Edit your notes daily
- 2. Integrate textbook information
- 3. Review your notes weekly
- Textbook reading techniques
- Organizing Course Notes
- How Can I Build Effective Study Habits
- To read more about all the essential services at Guelph, check out the university survival guide here.
McGill University
- Academic workshops at McGill.
- Skill21 Events: Learn how to study SMART, note-taking strategies made easy and more.
- McGill’s quick study guide.
- Office of Advising and Student Information Services
- Learn how to study, how to take lecture notes, how to improve your reading, how to prepare for exams
- Learn about the S-Q-3R Method and Outlining Method
- To read more about all the essential services at McGill, check out the university survival guide here.
McMaster University
- Academic skill workshops at McMaster.
- McMaster Student Success
- To read more about all the essential services at McMaster, check out the university survival guide here.
University of Ottawa
- uOttawa Student Guide: Succeed in your studies, work experience, money tips, food places, getting involved and more.
- Stay up to date on the latest campus activities which will include academic workshops.
- University of Ottawa’s Study Hub:
- You will find resources for concentrating better, preparing for exams, taking notes, managing stress, motivation, memorization, working in groups and how to manage your time.
- To read more about all the essential services at Ottawa, check out the university survival guide here.
Ryerson University
- Meet with a learning strategist or peer academic coach at Ryerson.
- Learn how to manage your time and stress better, bounce back after poor grades, study techniques and more.
- Academic Success Centre for tip sheets, videos, educational apps and other campus resources.
- Keeping up with your readings (PDF)
- Dealing with procrastination (PDF)
- To read more about all the essential services at RU, check out the university survival guide here.
University of Toronto
- Book an appointment with a learning strategist.
- Learn how to manage your stress, new study techniques, improve presentation skills and more.
- Connect with your registrar/ academic advisor.
- Stay up to date on academic events taking place at UofT.
- Check out the workshop series for advice in:
- Staying organized, note-taking, improve memory, concentration, procrastination, stress management and more.
- Motivation and procrastination advice (PDF).
- What to do after a setback
- Support when you are feeling distressed
- Tips for tests, exams and presentations.
- To read more about all the essential services at UofT, check out the university survival guide here.
University of Waterloo
- Book an appointment with a peer success coach at UW.
- Student success office online learning resources. Key topics include:
- To read more about all the essential services at UW, check out the university survival guide here.
Western University
- General learning advice from other UWO students here.
- Academic workshops at Western University.
- Skill-building handouts
- Topics include key academic skills, time management strategies, fillable calendars, learning online, exam preparation, writing, and thinking skills.
- To read more about all the essential services at Western, check out the university survival guide here.
Wilfrid Laurier University
- Academic workshops at Laurier University.
- Contact your academic advisor here.
- Academic Skills Resources
- Key topics include online learning tips, active learning, Bloom’s taxonomy, exam preparation, test-taking strategies, listening, note-taking, oral presentations, reading strategies, time management and more.
- To read more about all the essential services at Laurier, check out the university survival guide here.
York University
- Online academic workshops at York University
- Key topics include time management, reading effectively, note-taking skills, handling academic stress and more.
- Student guide to remote learning.
- Learn the best ways to study here.
- Click here to read more academic tips from YorkU.
- To read more about all the essential services at York University, check out the university survival guide here.
Summary | Best Study Tips for University Students
- Add structure to your day.
- Attend your professors’ virtual office hours.
- Look at the pre-lecture materials
- Find a study buddy or study group.
- Manage your social media distractions while studying.
- Ask for help.
- Use the Pomodoro Method to help improve your concentration and motivation.
- Edit your notes daily and review your notes weekly.
- Don’t expect yourself to be perfect.
University Survival Guides (Canadian Edition)
Are you attending one of the following universities below? Make sure to check out my university guides for a list of resources you need to know for each university.
I included free food location, cheap textbook alternatives, study space, career resources, and more.
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