Study Tips

Success is the sum of small efforts repeated day in and day out – Robert Collier

Ever wondered how adapting to certain study tips could impact your overall performance? I did, too, and after practicing some of the famous study tips, I could sense an improvement. Some of them include:

1. Testing yourself before a lecture

Practicing some of the problems based on a topic that you've never come across before can help you understand the points where you need to focus the most on, and once the lecture begins, you can relate to how you could have solved the problem that you weren't able to before. Certain courses may have several practice quizzes uploaded on Quercus before lectures.

2. In-class notes in the right manner

Almost ninety percent of students write whatever the professors say. Instead of doing that, try and draft questions on the points being discussed during lectures. This way, you can learn and attain a deeper understanding of the topic and also have several questions ready for office hours.

3. Review lecture material on the same day

Leaving revision for last-minute preparation is common, but the amount of learning that happens after reviewing lecture material right after class is different. It gives the mind a refresher of the topic before the day ends.

4. Practice tests

Practicing questions on the topics you will be tested on makes you confident about the course material and also gives you an opportunity to review your mistakes and make sure that you ace an exam.

5. The Pomodoro Technique (my personal favourite)

The Pomodoro Technique is a way of dividing work time where you work for 25 minutes and take a 5-minute break. The reason behind the massive success rate of this process is the fact that it gives the brain some time to retain what happened in the last 25 minutes, though you can change this according to your preference. For me, work time is usually 40 minutes followed by a 5-minute break.

Those were some of the study tips I got during my first semester at the University of Toronto, and I hope they help you, too! Remember, success in any form is totally possible and totally in your hands.

– Yashvit