Golden Guide to a Successful Semester

A successful semester starts with developing good studying habits, staying organized and knowing how to ask for help when you need it. We’ve put together a few strategies and resources to help you meet your goals.

Create Your Ideal Study Space

Get creative and find a space where you can stay focused and productive. Choose a place you can devote to your course work and make it your own. Aim for a space that is comfortable, well-lit, distraction-free and equipped with the right technology. Don’t forget to have your textbooks, pens, notebooks, sticky notes, and highlighters at the ready!

Golden Idea: Know what you need ahead of time and make sure it’s easily accessible.

Get Organized

When classes begin, access MyLearningSpace to review your course syllabi. Check the software or programs that are required for each course. 

Next, list your due dates for discussion posts, assignments, quizzes, and exams. Use the Course Tracker to organize tasks you have to complete for each course and to calculate your grades along the way. 

Golden Idea: Check your student email and the MyLearningSpace newsfeed regularly for updates from your professors, and don’t forget to note how your instructors prefer to be contacted.

Make a Plan

Now that you know what you have to do, start creating a personalized plan to map out when and how you’re going to get it done.

Strategies to help you get started:

• Create a schedule every weekend for the upcoming week.
• Start by scheduling class meeting times.
  • Add any other commitments that have a fixed time (online quizzes, work, etc.).
• Schedule dedicated time for any online-only courses you have – even if they don’t have a scheduled course meeting time. Commit to about three hours a week for each online course.
• Now, add short blocks of time (one to two hours each) throughout the week to complete readings, work on assignments, review material and self-test before upcoming assessments.
• Add some necessary (and well-deserved!) “me” time to the schedule. Add breaks between study sessions for rest, physical activity, social time and meals.
• Plan to go to sleep and get up at the same time each day. We’re creatures of habit, so it’s important to stick to a routine.

Golden Idea: Start your mornings with a daily task list – a plan of what you need to accomplish that day – or use a weekly schedule to block off time each day to complete your tasks.

Stick to the Plan

This part isn’t as easy, but you’re in the driver’s seat and you need to stay accountable to yourself. Try these strategies to help you avoid distractions and stay motivated:

• For each one-hour block, you can use the power hour technique to stay on task:
  • Start with a goal of what you want to accomplish, work with focus for 45 minutes without distractions, take a 10-minute break, review your goal, then assess your progress before moving on to the next task.
• If 45 minutes seems like a long time to stay focused, use the Tomato Timer (Pomodoro Technique) to get started and study with focus for 25 minutes. Then, take a five-minute break and reset the timer.
• Try a focus app, like Freedom, Cold Turkey or Forest to block online distractions when it’s time to study. 

Golden Idea: Don’t forget to put your phone out of sight, disable pop-up notifications on your computer and turn off Netflix – do it for the grades!

Take Breaks

Let’s be realistic – breaks are always part of the plan! Once you get into a weekly routine, make sure you’re scheduling breaks to give yourself time to absorb the information you’re learning. Taking a walk, grabbing a snack, doing a seven-minute workout or just chatting with a friend can help you stay on task longer, and ultimately be more productive.

Golden Idea: For more tips on how to take effective study breaks (and how to explain to your family why study breaks are an important part of learning), watch this video on How to Be Lazy and Still Get a Ton of Work Done. 

Stick to the Plan ... Again

Procrastination is productivity’s kryptonite. If you’re procrastinating and pushing things off, ask yourself, “What task am I avoiding and what am I doing instead?”

Everyone has procrastination triggers – those things we choose to do instead of the work that has to get done. One way to limit procrastination is to list these triggers and create an action plan for how you will deal with each trigger.

For example, if you know you binge watch for hours when you have a looming assignment deadline, try changing your procrastination behaviour into a reward. On your list, write: “Finish my assignment first, then watch some Netflix.”

Golden Idea: Remember procrastination is a choice, so choose to be productive and stick to the plan instead! If you’re curious about why we procrastinate, check out The Science of Procrastination and How to Manage It.

Monitor Your Progress

Remember, it’s not about achieving perfection – it’s about developing your skills and knowledge. This may take some practice! Monitor your plan and note what’s working and where you may need to adapt your strategies.

Some questions to ask yourself:

• Have I planned too much, too little or the right amount of time to complete my tasks?
• What do I find challenging?
• What am I enjoying?
• Am I making enough time to take care of myself?
• Who can I contact to ask for support? 

Golden Idea: Start each day by reviewing your course tracker and schedules to help monitor and assess your progress. Don’t be afraid to make changes if something isn’t working.

Practice Self Care

It’s not selfish to take care of yourself – we recommend it. Maintain consistent sleep patterns, eat healthy foods, and try these other self-care practices so you can bring your best to your academics:

• Go for a walk outside.
• Practice deep breathing throughout the day.
• Connect with your network: eat a meal or watch a movie together, send check-in messages or schedule "phone dates."

Golden Idea: Reach out to your peers, instructors, and the Student Wellness Centre to support your mental and physical health.

Trust Yourself

You have the tools to succeed - plan, work hard, and practice self-care.