Learning Skills and Strategies

WHY ARE STUDY SKILLS SO IMPORTANT?

Effective study habits are not inherited; they are learned.  

Study skills or strategies are important for a variety of reasons. Good study skills are critical to your success in school; they:

• Improve your grades
• Help yourself understand, remember and apply the knowledge you are receiving in your courses, and
• Use your time effectively

Study skills and strategies use an array of methods to help tackle your process of organizing and taking in new information, retaining information, or dealing with assessments (assignments, tests and exams). For more specific resources and information, review each specific tab related to study skills and book an appointment today!

BRAIN POWER

Did you know that you can train your brain to concentrate better and retain more information?

Read these documents for strategies and tips to improve your brain power!

GET THE MOST FROM YOUR READING

If you typically read a chapter in your textbook and then, 10 minutes later, have trouble recalling what you read, you are not alone. Many students benefit from learning different strategies to help them retain and process the information in their texts.

The following document can help. It explains some reading techniques, such as the SQ4R (Survey, Question, Read, Recite, Rewrite, Review) to help you retain and process the information in your texts. If you require additional assistance, please book an appointment today with the Learning Skills Strategist.

HOW TO WORK EFFECTIVELY IN GROUPS

Why participate in a study group? 

• Opportunity to share materials/resources and clarify understanding. 
• Venue to regularly test yourself and your peers. 
• See material presented in alternative ways to those presented in class. 
• Material put into a student's own words can aid in remembering it. 
• Teaching others can be the most effective way to master information.

It can be exciting to form groups to complete a project, especially when you have a group full of friends. However, sometimes gaining support and cooperation from all of the group members can prove to be challenging!  Some group members may be unwilling to accept responsibility, while others may be dominant or pushy. This kind of dynamic within a group can have adverse effects on your performance in the project. Unfortunately, this is so common that you are likely to find yourself facing similar situations in your future career.

These resources will help you work effectively in groups.

SCIENCE STUDY TIPS

This document offers some helpful study strategies for science classes. Read, download, and/or print these documents to use at your convenience.

This TED Talk by Khan Academy founder Salman Khan is an introduction to the Khan Academy, an impressive and highly-regarded online instructional resource.

ESSENTIAL SKILLS FOR YOUR APPRENTICESHIP TRAINING

Having strong skills, such as reading, document use, writing, and thinking, can help you succeed in your apprenticeship training. By having these skills, you will be able to:

• prepare for in-class training;
• take effective notes; and
• understand and remember what you have learned.

Human Resources and Skills Development Canada created a document that provides tips and strategies to help you practice some of these skills.  Be sure to check it out!  If you have questions or need additional assistance, please book an appointment today with the Learning Skills Strategist.

If you rely heavily on your devices (laptops, tablets, etc.), there are a variety of tools and/or apps that are available to assist you with your studying. The following tools and/or apps are not endorsed by Red Deer College. Therefore, before installing any of the listed tools and/or apps, please ensure you have carefully considered their purpose for personal use.