Learning Strategy
Our learning strategists are available to help you develop academic skills and strategies to support your success. In confidential one to one meetings, a Learning Strategist can help you with:
Time Management
Study Strategies
Organization
Note Taking
Reading
Test Taking
Writing
If you are a student with a disability registered with Accessibility Services, the Learning Strategist can work with you to understand how your disability impacts your learning and develop strategies that meet your unique learning needs.
To book with a Learning Strategist, please book an appointment with Accessibility Services.
Time Management
Staying on top of deadlines and workload is easier with the right tools and habits. These resources help you plan ahead and build routines that stick.
Assignment Planner: Enter your start date, end date, and assignment type, and get a step-by-step plan for completing it, including resources for each step. Try the Assignment Planner (University of Toronto Scarborough)
Atomic Habits: A popular book on building small, sustainable habits, useful for developing consistent study routines. Learn more about Atomic Habits
Feel Good Learning: A book exploring how positive emotion and wellbeing connect to effective learning and writing. Learn more about Feel Good Learning
Study Strategies
Evidence-based techniques proven to improve memory and learning, backed by cognitive science research. Each comes with free downloadable materials you can start using right away.
The Learning Scientists — Study Strategy Kit
Feel Good Learning: A book exploring how positive emotion and wellbeing connect to effective learning. Learn more about Feel Good Learning
Organization
Staying organized goes beyond your desk, it's about how you approach your workload, your assignments, and your overall wellbeing as a student.
Thriving in Action Online: An evidence-based student success and wellbeing program combining positive psychology, resilience training, and practical learning strategies. Developed at Toronto Metropolitan University by Dr. Diana Brecher and Dr. Deena Shaffer. Explore Thriving in Action Online Download the Student Guide
SPARK: Student Paper and Academic Research Kit: A step-by-step guide to getting started on academic papers, including understanding your assignment, academic integrity, choosing a topic, and finding sources. Visit SPARK — Getting Started (York University)
Note Taking
Good note-taking isn't just about writing things down, it's about capturing information in a way that helps you remember and use it later.
Mnemonic Devices: A guide to memory techniques (acronyms, chunking, association, and more) to help you retain information.
Reading
Reading efficiently and actively, rather than just passively looking at a page, makes a big difference in how much you retain. These resources offer strategies and templates you can start using right away.
Active Reading Strategies: Five active reading strategies, each with a fillable template:
- SQ4R
- SQ4R with Adaptive Technology
- QEC Method
- Morse Code Method
- Reaching Vocabulary List
Explore Active Reading Strategies (University of Toronto Scarborough)
SPARK: Student Paper and Academic Research Kit: Includes guidance on gathering and noting ideas, research strategies, and effective reading strategies. Visit SPARK — Exploring (York University)
Test Taking
Preparing for and writing exams is its own skill set. These resources focus on strategies specific to test-taking success.
Multiple Choice Test-Taking Strategies: Practical strategies for approaching and answering multiple choice questions. View Multiple Choice Strategies (University of Toronto Scarborough)
Writing
From structuring your first draft to polishing your final one, these resources support every stage of the writing process.
SPARK: Student Paper & Academic Research Kit: Covers essay structure, creating bibliographies, writing strategies, revising your argument, and essay editing. Visit SPARK — Pulling It Together (York University)
Feel Good Learning: A book exploring how positive emotion and wellbeing connect to effective learning and writing. Learn more about Feel Good Learning
