Study Smart
To stay on top of uni work, you’ll need to study smart.
The workload at uni is more demanding than at school.
To stay on top of it, you’ll need to hone your time management, active reading and listening, note-taking, and exam prep techniques.
These techniques work together to make uni more manageable. Active reading and listening help you take great notes, great notes help you study for exams, and managing your time means you can prioritise what matters most (including breaks from study!)
Try different study techniques to see what works for you, and what works for different courses.
Remember, there are many resources available at uni to help with study skills as well, so make sure you check them out when you enrol.
Time Management
“Uni doesn’t stop when you leave the campus, uni continues throughout your whole week” – Tahrima
We’ve all got 24 hours in a day, but our minds all work in different ways and we all have different commitments and priorities.
Time management at uni is about finding what works for you to make the most out of your 24 hours, juggling classes, uni work and life.
Try out some of our favourite techniques below and see what works best for you!
Notetaking
“Notetaking at uni is all about studying a bit smarter rather than studying harder” – Julian
At uni you’ll need to tackle more complex content than at high school, so a good notetaking method is key to success!
Good notetaking throughout the year (not just during exam prep!) will help you understand and remember course content.
Here are some great note-taking strategies to try:
Active reading and listening
“Using active reading makes me feel a lot more confident in understanding what I’m actually learning about” – Audrey
At uni, you will be reading many academic articles and listening to lectures. Active reading and listening is all about engaging with and processing what you’re reading or listening to.
At uni, you’ll need to get through lots of reading each week to prepare for tutorials and to research for assessments. You’ll also need to listen to lectures for all your courses. Learning to read and listen actively, instead of passively taking in information, is a must!
Consider:
- What is the key information?
- How does the information relate to what you already know?
- What question do you have?
Check out our favourite active reading and listening techniques below.
Exam strategies
“So, there are lots of different types of exams at university and it’s just all about seeing how you study best in order to fulfil each of them.” – Daphne
Most courses at uni have an exam at the end of the term/semester, held in the exam period. You usually have a week or two to study between the end of classes and the beginning of the exam period. It’s often called STUVAC (for study vacation, but it’s not much of a vacation!).
There are different types of exams at uni. Knowing what kind of exam you’re preparing for is key! Check out our tips for some common exam types below.
Reflect
Journalling is a great way to self-reflect.
It can help you reflect on your successes and setbacks, and consider how you might change course to keep your goals on track.
Try these prompts throughout your first term/semester to hone your study skills.