Tips for Studying and Adjusting to University!

Now that you’re in university and you’ve had your O-week fun, it’s time to get back to the grind and start studying. If you ask anyone in university about any study tips they may have, they’ll all say one thing. Your study style in university will have to be different than it was in high school. It’s a universal truth. Now of course, there are always exceptions to the rule, so, you should always try it out and see how it works for you.

On top of that, the beginning of university will be a different experience for this freshman class especially because most of your classes will end up being online (for the fall semester at least). It may seem like online classes will be easier to handle, but as many students will tell you, that isn’t true. In the beginning, it can sometimes be hard to stay on track with online classes. Online courses require a lot of discipline and time management. However, once you get that hang of it and have your routine established, you will do amazing!

So, to help you navigate not only the first year of university, which is a big enough change as it is, but also this new situation, here are some tips to help you in your studies!

1. First and foremost, make sure to input all of your deadlines and exam dates into a calendar. That will help you immensely in planning your study schedules.

2. Create a weekly schedule for yourself to help with time management and hold yourself accountable. Set a small goal for every day or every week!

3. Don’t shy away from asking your professors or TAs for help if you’re struggling with a topic. They want to help you! Reach out in virtual office hours.

4. With online classes and social distancing in place, libraries and other spaces may not be open or may have limited opening times. When you’re studying at home, it helps to have a dedicated study space. Try out different spaces in your home and see what works best for you!

5. As well, because of the new situation, making new friends will be different than it usually is. But don’t let that get you down! Try to talk to your classmates in online discussions and try to form online study groups with students in your classes if you can.

6. Most universities will have a page that provides help and strategies for learning, both for in person and online classes. Make sure to look that up and check it out! These pages include a lot of information about learning online, time management strategies, exams, and more! Here are some pages for some universities:

· Western University: https://www.uwo.ca/sdc/learning/

· University of Toronto: https://www.utm.utoronto.ca/asc/study-skills-resources

· University of Waterloo: https://uwaterloo.ca/student-success/resources

· York University: https://lss.info.yorku.ca/academic-success-and-skill-building/

7. And lastly, make sure you take breaks and relax!

As the situation develops, things will change so make sure to keep checking back as we provide new updates and blogs about how best to start off this year. We hope this helps you in your studies, and if you have any questions, you can always reach out to us!