• Module: Academics 101 (Especially helpful for first year students, but there’s something for everyone!)
• Avoiding burnout starts with good Time Management skills. (Especially: term calendar, weekly schedule, goal setting, end of term course planner, and five domains of health.)
• Module: Academic Stress
• Assignment Calculator (breaks down large assignments to help you get them done, piece by piece)
• Module: Focus and concentration

• University means thinking deeply, and independently.
  • See Academics 101: The difference between high school and university (“What’s new and different for you?“) and levels of thinking (“In what ways are you expected to think at university?“). Understand your courses’ the learning objectives.
• Writing Topics: Common Assignment Terminology. Look for your type of writing assignment under “Writing in the disciplines.”
• Video: Levels of Thinking
• Reading and Note-making: Levels of thinking and critical questions

• Understand the course structure and expectations, including the course’s Learning Objectives.
• See Academics 101: The difference between high school and university (especially: “What’s new and different for you?”)
• Video: Levels of Thinking
• Make a plan and track your accomplishments. See Time Management: Term Calendar, Weekly Schedule, Goal setting, How to use homework time, Course tracking sheet or Grade calculator
• Be positive. See Coping with academic stress (Especially: A model of stress reduction: Taking on the Creator role)
• Study smart. See Exam Prep (Especially: Study Schedules and The Study Plan)

• Understand how your course is taught. See Academics 101 (Under New academic expectations, see “How are courses taught?” and “What do efficient learners do at university?”)
• Learn to take notes. See Reading and Note-making (Note-making Methods & Strategies, Comprehension Strategies (Grad Student Module – Comprehension))
• With math problems, focus on the thinking process (not just on getting the answer). See our module on Quantitative Problem Solving  (especially: How to approach practice problems for homework and the Decision Step Process)

• First, figure out where your time is going. See Time Management (for example, the weekly time use chart).
• Know what needs to be done, and what time you have available. See Time Management for the Term Calendar, Weekly Schedule, and information on goal setting.
• Divide big projects into pieces. The Assignment Calculator can help!
• Pay attention to the other aspects of your life. See the Time Management module’s section on the 5 Domains of Health.

• Check your goals and habits. See Time Management (Goal setting, planning and motivation) and Stress and Coping (Self-care checklist)
• Use technology as a reward or a tool, not a distraction. See our module on Focus and Concentration for some strategies and tools.
• Change your habits. See Motivation and Procrastination, (Undergraduate Module: “Strategies to build motivation” and “Anti-procrastination strategies”).

• Plan for busy periods. See Time Management (Term Calendar and Weekly Schedule)
• Summarize material as you go along. See Exam Prep (“Studying, summary sheets, self-testing, and memory strategies“)
• Make a plan for the study week. See Exam Prep (“Study Schedules and The Study Plan“)
• Drill material to improve your recall. See Memory Strategies (“Distributed Practice“)

• Tips for writing First-Year Biology Labs
• Tips for Science Writing
• Use the Assignment Calculator to help break down the task & budget your time.

• Managing Large Assignments
• Assignment Calculator
• Developing an Outline
• Organizing the Essay Body
• Developing a Thesis Statement
• Hallmarks of a Good Paper
• History Essays
• Compare & Contrast Essays
• Course specific: guidelines for SOCY122 essays

For more resources on essay writing, check out the Writing Topics tab.

• Write a thesis statement: Developing a Thesis Statement
• Write a grad thesis or dissertation: Common barriers to thesis completion, Thesis Manager

Practice whenever you can. See Presentation Skills.

Make an appointment with a Learning Strategist or a Writing Consultant.