Presentations & Workshops
2025 Winter Workshop Series
Boost your study skills in just 30 minutes!
Are you ready to study smarter, not harder? Join us for our Winter Workshop Series every Tuesday in the Winter term and learn useful study techniques that will help you stay organized, manage your time and improve your academic performance.
What to expect:
- Prioritize like a pro
Discover simple methods to organize tasks and figure out what to tackle first. - Tools and techniques
Try a new way to manage your time and learn your course material. - Gain confidence
Learn tips to help you reduce your stress and improve your grades.
Why you should attend:
- Practical, hands-on activities you can start using immediately
- Small group setting with an opportunity to practice skills with a Learning Specialist
- Attending four means you can receive our Certificate of Academic Engagement and receive recognition on your Western Co-Curricular Record
Whether you're focused on improving your exam performance or tackling everyday assignments, these workshops can set you up for success. Sign up today for the sessions that interest you, as spaces are limited. Join a waitlist if your favourite topic is already full!
| Topic | Date | Time | Registration |
| Creating a Course Roadmap | January 14 | 1:30 p.m. | Register |
| Manage Your Time Using Brightspace Calendar | January 21 | 1:30 p.m. | Register |
| How to Prioritize Effectively | January 28 | 1:30 p.m. | Register |
| Effective and Efficient Article Annotation Techniques | February 4 | 1:30 p.m. | Register |
| Disorganized Learning: Learning Things Out of Order | February 11 | 1:30 p.m. | Register |
| Help! I’ve Fallen Behind | February 25 | 1:30 p.m. | Register |
| Productive Problem Solving in STEM | March 4 | 1:30 p.m. | Register |
| Using a Study Matrix for Final Exams | March 11 | 1:30 p.m. | Register |
| Mind Maps for Essay Exams | March 18 | 1:30 p.m. | Register |
| Beat Test Anxiety: Effective Techniques | March 25 | 1:30 p.m. | Register |
*All sessions take place in the Weldon Library User Experience Lab (East Mezzanine Level)
Prerecorded Presentations
Creating Effective Learning Habits
Tune into this series for information about effective learning habits for academic success at university. Watch the complete "Creating Effective Learning Habits" series
Videos include:
- Habit formation introduction
- Habits and learning
- Foundations of habit formation
- The science of habit formation
- Creating positive learning habits
- Breaking counterproductive learning habits
- Habit formation final takeaways
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Video 1: Habit formation introduction
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Successful Time Management
Get the most out of your 168 hours each week. Learn how to effectively balance academics with other interests and responsibilities, and receive useful planning tools to help organize your life. Watch the complete "Successful Time Management" series.
Videos include:
- Introduction to time management
- Defining your time
- Set goals and prioritize
- Resources and tools to take action
- Monitor and control your time
- Using technology
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Video 1: Introduction to time management |
Putting off Procrastination
Videos include:
- Introduction
- The procrastination sequence
- Self-efficacy
- Taking action
- Taking action example
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Video 1: Introduction |
Academic Success for International Undergraduate Students
This session was designed primarily for students who are new to Western and who wish to become more familiar with learning at a Canadian University. Students will learn ways to complete work on time, listen to and understand lectures, increase comfort with class participation, move from surface to deep learning, and use helpful campus resources. Watch the complete "Academic Success for International Undergraduate Students" series.
Videos include:
- Introduction to academic success for international undergraduate students
- Completing work on time
- Listening to and understanding lectures
- Participating in class discussions
- Types of learning at a Canadian institution
- Asking for help
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Video 1: Introduction to academic success for international undergraduate students Watch the complete "Academic Success for International Undergraduate Students" series |
Preparing and Studying for Exams
Tune into this series for strategies and skills related to preparing for your exams and studying for them. Watch the complete "Preparing for and Studying for Exams" series.
Videos include:
- Introduction to preparing and studying for exams
- Being prepared for class
- Note-taking and organization strategies
- Preparing to study
- Common study strategies
- Spaced practice and practice testing
- Study strategies that work
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Video 1: Introduction to preparing and studying for exams Watch the complete "Preparing for and Studying for Exams" series |
Online Exams
Do you know how to prepare for an online exam? Here are the study tips you need to be successful! Watch the complete "Online Exams" series.
Videos include:
- Introduction to online exams
- What to expect from online exams
- How to prepare and study for online exams
- How long to study for online exams
- Preparation and considerations
- Writing online exams
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Video 1: Introduction to online exams |
Optimizing Lecture Learning
Regardless of the lecture style, it's your responsibility to get meaning from the information presented. Get the most out of your class time by knowing what to do before, during, and after lectures. Watch the complete "Optimizing Lecture Learning" series.
Videos include:
- Introduction to lecture learning
- Online lectures
- Strategic lecture learning
- Different styles of lectures
- Taking notes during lectures
- Listening strategies for lecture learning
- Monitoring your comprehension
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Video 1: Introduction to lecture learning |
Writing Multiple Choice Tests
Learn about different types of multiple-choice questions and ways to approach them. Sample questions from university courses are used to demonstrate effective strategies for this exam format. Watch the complete "Writing Multiple-Choice Tests" series.
Videos include:
- Writing multiple-choice tests: Introduction
- Types of questions
- Step-by-step approach
- Read carefully & watch out for qualifiers
- Control your memory recall
- Special types of questions
- Final tips & resources
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Video 1: Writing multiple-choice tests: Introduction |
Designing a Nighttime Routine
| Learn about various ways to wind down at night to ensure you have a restful and restorative sleep. Complete this Nighttime worksheet to establish your routine. |
Managing Test Anxiety
Trouble sleeping the night before a test? Do you ever go blank on an exam? Find out what you can do to manage interfering levels of test stress. Watch the complete "Managing Test Anxiety" series.
Videos include:
- Managing text anxiety: Introduction
- How you may experience test anxiety
- Stress factors
- Improve test preparation
- Stress management
- Review
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Video 1: Managing text anxiety: Introduction |
Essay Exams Essentials
Receive tips on how to prepare for and write essay exams, including strategies for structuring information and answering common types of essay questions. Watch the complete "Essay Exam Essentials" series.
Videos include:
- Essay exam essentials: Introduction
- Know what to expect
- Plan your review activities
- make your review an active learning process
- Essay exam writing
- Common types of questions
- Don'ts and Do's
- Online essay exams
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Essay exam essentials: Introduction |
Learning From Textbooks
Do you highlight so much of your textbook that your eyes start to glow? Do your books make that creaky-new sound whenever you finally get around to opening them? Learn effective ways to approach each of your textbooks depending on their format and their role in your courses. Watch the complete "Learning from Textbooks" series.
Videos include:
- Learning from textbooks: Introduction
- The basics
- Get to know your textbook
- The three steps of reading
- Highlighting and summary notes
- Digital reading
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Video 1: Learning from textbooks: Introduction |
Enhancing Your Note-taking Skills
Effective note-taking helps you to manage a large volume of information, prepare more effectively for exams, and increase your academic engagement. This presentation will introduce a variety of strategies to help you structure your notes and to utilize them effectively while studying. Watch the complete "Enhancing Your Note-taking Skills" series.
Videos include:
- Enhancing your note-taking skills: Introduction
- Challenges and common pitfalls
- Preparing to take notes
- During lectures
- formatting your notes
- Note-taking styles
- Technology and note-taking
- Review and revise your notes
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Enhancing your note-taking skills: Introduction Watch the complete "Enhancing Your Note-taking Skills" series |
Memory Strategies
Passive repetition of course material not only takes a lot of time, but it doesn't guarantee you'll remember the information at exam time. Learn how to use your brain efficiently and effectively with these active strategies for enhancing long-term memory storage and recall. Watch the complete "Memory Strategies" series.
Videos include:
- Memory strategies: Introduction
- Memory storage
- Memory retrieval
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Memory strategies: Introduction |
Study Skills for Medical and Dental Students
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Are you in medical or dental school? This online presentation summarizes practical study strategies to help you learn more effectively and enhance your long-term retention of knowledge. |
Studying with the Feynman Technique
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The Feynman technique is a great way to learn just about any topic. Watch this video and use this Feynman Worksheet to help guide you through this study technique. |
Graduate Student Presentations
Sustaining Motivation in Graduate School
Staying motivated in graduate school can be challenging, particularly when it is difficult to see the light at the end of the tunnel. In this presentation, we will discuss factors that affect motivation, challenges to staying motivated in graduate school, and motivational strategies for graduate students. Watch the complete "Sustaining Motivation in Graduate School" series.
Videos include:
- Sustaining motivation in graduate school: Introduction
- Theories and principles of motivation
- Factors that influence motivation
- Get started and break down big tasks
- Set clear goals
- Other strategies to improve motivation
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Video 1: Sustaining motivation in graduate school: Introduction Watch the complete "Sustaining Motivation in Graduate School" series |
Reading Strategies for Graduate Students
There's a ton of reading in grad school and the readings are not always easy to understand! But, there are strategies you can use to enhance your reading experience and efficiency. Check out some of these strategies in the video below:
Certificate of Academic Engagement
Get a certificate for watching presentations and add it to your Co-Curricular Record
How? During the academic year (September-April), if you watch 4 or more of our online presentations (or attend live ones) you can get a Certificate of Academic Engagement.
- If you want to watch our prerecorded online presentations below, fill out this reflection form for each presentation.
- If you want to attend our live presentations, use the QR code shared during the session to mark your attendance for each presentation.
Then, email us at learning@uwo.ca and request your certificate!
After you get your certificate, you can also add it to your Western Co-Curricular Record (WCCR) by signing in to Connect, clicking on Co-curricular record on the left tab, choosing the "Learning Development & Success Certificate of Academic Engagement", and following the prompts from there. 
Please note that the WCCR is NOT retroactive. So, positions must be added during the academic year in which the activity occurred. You will not be able to add positions to your record after the annual deadline for adding activities has passed.
New to University Learning? Looking for more helpful videos?
Check out our SmartStart: Learning Modules! These videos include:
- Learning self-assessment
- 10 tips for learning at university
- Independent learning
- Reading in university
- Learning in STEM at university
- What is a lecture like?
- Managing a university workload
- Seeking help in university
- Advice from your Western peers
- Establishing a positive mindset for learning
Click below to learn more:
