Learning Strategies

Learning in university is different than in high school. You may need some support to develop strategies that work for you and your disability needs, and that’s okay. Developing effective learning strategies is key to your success as a university student, and we have personalized services to help you adapt.

Need support? Contact us

Want to discuss learning strategies?

Register with Student Accessibility Services to meet with your program coordinator.

Registration and Appointments

Develop learning strategies that work for you

What tactics do you use to help you learn effectively? We call these tactics learning strategies, and you may find that your peers use different approaches based on their needs. Keep reading to find out more about these strategies and how you can use them to support your success in university.

Whether you realize it or not, you’ve probably already started developing learning strategies that will help you succeed in university. Here are some examples.

  • Note-taking and other practices to retain content
  • Active listening or participation
  • Reviewing key concepts
  • Testing yourself to check your knowledge
  • Focusing on understanding instead of just memorization

These strategies involve key academic skills like studying, reading, writing, time management, organization, problem solving and more.

One-on-one support

Developing effective learning strategies doesn’t happen overnight. It’s an ongoing process, but we can help you develop strategies to make the most of your university learning experience. You have access to support for academic preparation, studying and other skills and strategies based on your disability-related needs.

After registering with Student Accessibility Services and consulting with your program coordinator, you may receive a referral to the learning strategist. They can help you develop effective strategies based on your disability-related needs and learning style.

Ensure you’re registered with Student Accessibility Services and contact your program coordinator for more information.

Additional support

  • Learn2Learn: This is an optional academic skills course that can help with lecture skills, motivation, organization, studying, reading, writing, presentation skills and more. You can access this course on Avenue to Learn, McMaster’s primary learning, course delivery and assessment platform.
  • Student Success Centre: Discover academic skills support for all students, ranging from one-on-one academic coaching appointments, skills development resources and tools, peer tutoring, workshops and more.

Accessing course content and research materials in alternate formats can help you build learning strategies that work for you. For example, you may benefit from audio content instead of text content. You may use Braille to read books. Or, you may use a screen reader and require digital files with assigned reading order, explicit alt text and so on. Regardless of your disability or learning style, it’s essential that you have access to learning materials that suit your needs.

After you’ve registered with Student Accessibility Services and consulted your program coordinator, they can refer you to Library Accessibility Services for alternate content formats. Then, you can request alternate text formats for course materials, library catalog items and more.