Study Skills Resources

Dealing with Procrastination

This resource lists strategies for you to try to cope with procrastination. Read through the ideas to try the one that seems like the best next step for you, and then, most importantly, try it.

You can make the best use of your study time—and actually spend less time studying—if you are able to stay focused. Poor concentration can mean it takes longer to learn material and longer to get assignments done. Fortunately, it is possible to improve your ability to concentrate. This resource has a variety of strategies to help you do just that!

Stress Reduction Strategies at Crunch Time

Being a student can be stressful, but there are always a few weeks in the semester that are especially crazy. Below are some suggestions of how you can cope with those short but really stressful periods.

Taking Notes in Class

Taking good lecture notes is essential in college-level courses. This resource lists a number of strategies that work well for both synchronous and recorded lectures online. Select the strategies that you would like to try out and remember that notetaking is a skill that can be improved through better technique and with practice.

Improving Reading and Writing in a Second Language

This resource suggests strategies you can use to develop your fluency in reading and writing.

Memorizing New Words

Doing well in a new course often means finding effective ways to learn the new terminology.

Online Learning Guide

This resource guide was created especially for Douglas College students and contains strategies and resources for online learning, communication, motivation, and mental health.

Making a Study Schedule

Succeeding online relies on time management skills. Creating a weekly study schedule helps meeting assignment deadlines and study goals, as well as integrating other priorities into your week. By creating a plan and a routine for yourself, your study time becomes more efficient.

Dealing with Nervousness in Class Presentations

Many people get nervous when they need to speak or perform in front of a group. This resource provides a variety of strategies to deal with nervousness before, during, and after your presentation.

Preparing a Class Presentation

This resource breaks preparing a class presentation down into eight steps.

Understanding the Parts of a Class Presentation

This resource describes the parts of a basic class presentation: the introduction, the body, and the conclusion. Your instructor may give you other or more specific instructions for organizing your presentation, but this resource can help fill in the gaps.

Reading Strategies and Tips

Reading a college textbook effectively takes practice and should be approached differently than reading a novel, comic book, magazine, or website. This resource from Oregon State University provides some suggestions on how to get the most out of your reading time.

Reading Your Textbooks

Learn strategies you can use that will help you get better results from your reading and save you time when preparing for tests.

Strategies for Reading Academic Articles

Reading scholarly sources can be difficult. This resource from George Mason University provides strategies to help you read dense, lengthy academic articles efficiently and effectively.

Writing about Literature / Close Reading

This resource from Purdue University introduces three techniques for reading fiction actively and critically.

Answering Multiple-Choice Questions

This resource outlines strategies for approaching exams and quizzes with multiple-choice questions.

Exam Preparation & Memory

There is no quick and easy way to succeed on exams. You have to work steadily throughout the term and have to study hard prior to a test. Unfortunately, many students do not do as well on exams as they could because they do not know how to put information into memory in such a way as to get it out easily. Outlined below are some suggestions on preparing to study and for moving information from short-term to long-term memory.

Using Mnemonic Devices

Mnemonic (ne-mon-ik) devices are a type of memory aide that help you remember sets of information by linking what you need to remember to things you already know, or are more easily remembered. This resource provides examples of mnemonic devices and suggestions for how to create your own.

Writing Essay Exams

Make essay exams easier to navigate through a series of questions you can learn to ask yourself as you take an exam.

Creating A Study Group

A study group is a group of students taking the same course, often the same section of a course, who work together to increase their learning in the course. Such groups can make a significant difference to student success. This handout suggests strategies for organizing and conducting study groups in ways that will maximize their usefulness to students.