Studying at the college-level
Finding the right strategies for you requires reflecting your current habits, identifying small changes you can make for yourself, trying out new approaches, and adjusting to solidify the approaches that work best for your work style.
The Study Cycle
What does studying look like for you on a day-to-day basis? The Study Cycle is a helpful model to help you stay accountable for the studying that should take place throughout the semester and avoid cramming.
What is a study plan? Why do I need one?
It is easy to feel like you don’t have time to create a study plan prior to an exam and it will be more time efficient to just dive in. You may find yourself sorting through a multitude of materials – textbooks, lecture slides, notes, previous exams, homework examples – and feeling overwhelming to determine which direction is best. This is distracted studying, where you spend more time preparing what to study versus actually reviewing material in a way that “sticks.”
Why should I create a study plan?
Designing your study plan
How should I design my study sessions?
Study sessions can be exhausting. With so many upcoming assignments, it can be difficult to stay started or stay focused on a particular task. In order to optimize your study time, consider the following guide that can help you identify priorities, focus on a specific task, take scheduled breaks, and keep on top of your progress.
Tip: You should also consider the space that you are using to study. Everyone has a different style, so consider a time where you felt focused on a task and were able to increase productivity. Where were you? Consider the space's atmosphere, such as noise and traffic. Reflect on your headspace. Were you diligent in avoiding distractions, such as peers or your phone?
Exam & Assignment Analysis
An important step in mastering new material is learning from our mistakes. After you complete an assignment (homework, problem set, paper) or take an exam, you will receive a grade or feedback from your instructor. It is important to carefully review this feedback and revisit material that you missed points on. Use this template below to guide an exam review session. The same template can be modified to review other assignments, such as homework, projects, or papers.
Reviewing instructor feedback - exam