Desk with notebook, clock and pencil cup

Academics

Resources, advice, and tips to help you succeed in post-secondary, whether at the undergraduate or post-graduate level.

Success Tips

Best Practices for Supervisors & Instructors of Graduate Students with Family Responsibilities
Developed by the School of Graduate Studies at the University of Toronto for Faculty and Staff, these are best practices to ensure that all learning spaces support student parent needs. A must read if you are a supporter, a fellow student parent, or work in a space that might need best practices to redefine traditional!

Learning Strategies
Evidence-based strategies to help you study, concentrate, manage time, set goals, think critically, read effectively, take notes, manage stress, and accomplish much more!

Strategies for continuing to write during COVID-19
A host of tips from parent writers on how to continue writing while managing family responsibilities during COVID-19.

Academic Success at the University of Toronto’s Tips for studying online
Five study-at-home tips from instructors and learning strategists at the University of Toronto. 

York University’s Resources for Academic Success
A variety of articles and tip sheets for improving time management, developing reading skills, effective note-taking, and preparing for tests and exams.

Academic Success Resources Course
A free, online, non-credit course from U of T to manage stress, use evidence-based study techniques, and gain access to supportive resources. Available only to U of T students.

working remotely

Practical tips for working and studying at home with kids
Create a schedule, capitalize on nap time, set up a designated working area, and keep kids entertained--these are just some of the many helpful tips offered in this article on working from home with kids.

‘The pressure cooker’ of working from home and homeschooling: A sense of humour may get us through
U of T professor Melissa Milkie describes one strategy for dealing with interruptions from children while working during COVID-19

Productivity

 Video Speed Controller Chrome Extension Extension for Google Chrome that allows you to speed up (or slow down) any HTML5 video as it plays. Perfect for watching lectures in a shorter amount of time.
NaturalReader Speech recognition software using the latest AI software to allow you to turn your voice into notes. If you speak faster than you type (which most of us do), this can save you loads of time.
RescueTime Tracks time spent completing various activities on your to do list, and allows you block distracting websites.

Free online courses

Harvard University’s Free Online Courses: Harvard University is offering free online courses ranging from 4-13 weeks, in business, humanities, science, and social science.

Edx: Looking for additional learning resources in a domain of interest? Edx offers 2000+ free online courses from 140 leading institutions worldwide. Certificates are provided upon successful course completion.

Articles

How one student parent takes on remote learning for himself and his kids
In response to changes due to COVID-19, Ariel Ventura-Lazo had to take steps to ensure he was fulfilling his responsibilities.

On parenting
Finding balance while having family responsibilities.