You might be used to thinking about learning as remembering or understanding a concept. But at colleges and universities, you will be asked to apply what you learn in class in new situations and use that information to solve new problems. Bloom’s is helpful because it shows us that learning is active and depends on different thinking tasks.^[2][3]

A snapshot of learning at universities and colleges

In the table below, compare and contrast some elements of learning at universities and colleges in Ontario

You are in charge of your own learning

In colleges and universities, you are in charge of your own learning. Some of the differences in how you manage your time and learning in college/university compared to secondary school are represented in the table below:

In nearly all post-secondary programs, you are expected to do most of your work outside of class time. The study cycle is a great way to think about how you might engage with your courses. Click the + icons on the cycle image below to learn about each step. You can also find the study cycle explained in text-only in Appendix A.

Students sometimes describe their first year at a college or university like a “train that keeps moving.” You have to keep track of your regular course work, like weekly readings and reviewing your notes, while also preparing for assignments and tests. The scope and scale of post-secondary learning means you can’t leave work to the last minute.^[5]

So, how can you manage?

Pause, reflect, and seek support: Remember you are always learning – you have to pause and reflect on what you’ve achieved and explore the resources available to you. Remember, strong students seek support!

Tend to your whole self: Remember that while your studies are important, you are more than just a student! You have other needs and desires – so think about how to find balance by exploring your non-academic interests, taking care of your physical health through sleep, nutrition, and exercise, take care of your spiritual and emotional needs by connecting with friends or a faith community.

Create a system and manage your energy: With so much work, you might feel overwhelmed. It’s important to write things down and use a tool like a schedule or a calendar to identify your tasks and the time you have available. Explore the academic skills resources at your university or college – most will have time management workshops and handouts to help you build a routine.

Building a routine for life and learning

As you adjust, it’s important to build a realistic routine for your life and learning. This can help you prioritize tasks and can help you stay organized so you can learn more effectively.

Time management versus energy management

Students are always looking to develop their time management skills. But you cannot really manage time; you can only try to manage yourself over time. This means you should consider which tasks deplete your energy and which activities give you energy as you develop a routine. Your routine must be dynamic and flexible to account for the different learning tasks and life needs you have – which often change week-to-week.^[6]

Three steps to build a routine

Step 1: Create a big picture plan

Map out your work. Your semester likely runs for 3 or 4 months at your college or university. Use a monthly calendar and map out all your work, your due dates, and any important life events.

Identify the crunch periods in the semester when you have multiple assignments due. Ask yourself: what can I work on ahead of time to prepare for these busy times?

Step 2: Create a schedule template

Students often have difficulty sticking to a schedule, usually because it is inflexible. Instead of creating a rigid schedule, create a schedule template that can help you make decisions as to what tasks you have to complete in a given week.

Use a digital calendar or download the University of Toronto Weekly Schedule Template (PDF) to create your own.

Start your schedule by mapping out non-negotiables:

• Sleep, eating (and meal prep, if you are not in a residence), exercise
• Chatting with friends and family at home (be aware of time differences)
• Attending classes, online lectures, tutorials, and practicums

Now, add study time.

• Your study blocks should account for your energy peaks and lows. Ask yourself: when do I have the most energy? When do I have the least energy?
• Add blocks of time to preview, review, and prepare for your assignments.
• As you adjust to the first few weeks of classes, try to track yourself and see how long the work takes for each course. You’ll then be able to create a more realistic schedule template.

Step 3: Separate planning your work from doing your work. 

Think of yourself as your own administrative assistant and carve out some time each week to plan your studying.

• Choose a time once a week to plan your work
• Check in at the start of the day
• Check in at the end of the day

Explore more strategies to manage your time and set goals at the University of Toronto’s Academic Success website, or search for your college or university’s academic support unit website for resources.

Develop your academic resourcefulness

This new journey is going to be full of opportunities and excitement as you learn more about yourself and your discipline. But it will also be full of new challenges. It can be easy to feel defeated in the face of new challenges. Instead, think about how you can develop your academic resourcefulness. 

What does it mean to be resourceful? Academic resourcefulness is your ability as a student to find ways to manage academic challenges. It is a skill you can develop and will be helpful as you adjust to college or university learning.

Why do you need academic resourcefulness? Because post-secondary learning is difficult! Learning at colleges and universities is designed to expand your knowledge and skills and is, therefore, designed to challenge you as you grow and learn.

Academic resourcefulness asks you to:^[7]

• Understand yourself and your needs
• Devise a plan to tackle an academic challenge
• Successfully navigate and access available resources of support
• Acknowledge the emotional experience of academic challenges
• Learn and grow from your experiences

Challenges are inevitable – and important

As mentioned above, as you adjust to learning you are going to face challenges. You might find it challenging to keep up with work, you might do poorly on an assignment or test, or you might take some time to meet new expectations.

When faced with challenges, keep some things in mind:

• Academic challenges are hard: Acknowledge the emotional impact of academic challenges
• Academic challenges will happen: Recognize that challenges are a part of life and learning
• Academic challenges are important: Understand that challenges tell us there is room to grow

When faced with challenges, use your available resources to help you through tough times. These are internal resources – like our strengths and our positive attitude – or our external resources – like our friends, instructors, or other supports.

Embrace a “Growth Mindset”

Another way to manage academic challenges is to embrace a growth mindset. Scientists used to believe that our brains stopped growing after childhood. But we now know that the brain continues to grow – it is plastic (hence the term neuroplasticity). The brain changes all the time and throughout our lives. Our brains are built to learn and change.

Growth mindset allows us to embrace this fact: that we can learn from our effort and that our intelligence isn’t fixed but can develop. This is important to remember when you experience new challenges in your learning.^[8]

How can you practice a growth mindset? Embrace the power of “yet” – just because you haven’t learned something or are not good at something right away, doesn’t mean you won’t get there. When you face an obstacle add the word “yet” – e.g., if you haven’t learned new theories or skills in your classes think to yourself that you haven’t learned them yet.^[9]

But remember, it’s not magic. The idea of growth mindset, like many things, can be misunderstood. Just remember, belief about your ability to learn new, challenging things is a good thing. But it does not mean that anybody can achieve anything just by having the right attitude. There is no substitute for hard work and perseverance. Yet, we have to be realistic about what is possible for us based on our prior knowledge and the resources we have available to us. We’re just human.

Accessing appropriate resources of support

What can get in the way when asking for help? As a new international student, you may feel like you want to solve an academic challenge by yourself and may experience shame or guilt when asking for support. But it’s important to remember:

• Someone else has very likely faced the exact same challenge as you – you are not alone!
• It is the job of staff and faculty members at your institution to offer support and answer questions. They want you to reach out!
• The earlier you reach out, the earlier you can address your academic challenges and explore supports
• As mentioned earlier in this chapter, successful students ask for help!

Let’s discuss a few resources of support and which are appropriate and which to be wary of.

University and College support services

Your university or college will have academic, co-curricular, and wellness services and offices that you can access. These are usually covered in the fees you pay as part of your tuition. You will likely find:

• Academic skills centres
• Accessibility or accommodation offices for students living with a disability and/or a health condition that impacts learning
• Aid centres for Math or other subjects
• Health and wellness centres
• Housing and residence support services
• International student and immigration services
• Libraries and research support
• Sports and recreation facilities and activities
• University- or college-approved peer tutoring programs
• Writing centres

As discussed in our Orienting chapter, a great place to begin is by connecting with the international student support office dedicated to helping international students.

Communicating with instructors and teaching assistants

Your professors, instructors, and teaching assistants are great resources to ask for help when you need it. In some cultures, it might be inappropriate or rude to ask for further clarification or to ask for help from a professor or instructor. But talking to your professor, instructor, or teaching assistant can help you build your academic skills:

• Most professors, instructors, and teaching assistants will have dedicated office hours – this is usually the best time to talk to them.
• You can get clarification on an idea or concept taught in class. Start by attempting your homework and reviewing assigned readings. Then take any questions you have to your instructor during their scheduled office hours.

Find a delicate balance between informality and formality with your professors, instructors, and teaching assistants. Our advice is to lead with formality and take cues from them. Address professors and instructors as “professor” and teaching assistants either with an honorific “Mr., Ms.” or by their first name.

Be wary of non-sanctioned tutoring and academic support services

As a new student, you want to do well. There are many off-campus tutoring and academic support services for students that advertise that they can help you achieve academic success. We advise you to be cautious of these services and first try to access the available services at your college or university. You can ask a staff member or an instructor to provide guidance on appropriate services and avoid services that provide answers or help you complete your academic work. The table below shares some advice about which tutoring practices to avoid.^[10]

Academic integrity

Academic integrity is an essential part of university and college learning. Your institution will have a policy that outlines how it expects students to complete coursework, highlighting the importance of honesty, fairness, and responsibility.

The concepts of academic integrity or plagiarism – or taking someone else’s work and passing them off as your own – are often new to students as they adjust to university and college learning.

Here are some tips for supporting your own academic integrity:^[11]

• Do not share answers on assessments, tests, and marked assignments
• Do not present the ideas of others as your own
• Do not reuse course work you have previously submitted
• Give credit to the sources you use in your assignments
• Learn from your instructors or teaching assistants about how to cite properly
• Follow rules for your tests and exams and use only approved aids
• Know the rules in your course about group work

The next chapter: Engaging

Next, we discuss the various ways you can deepen your international experience through meaningful engagement with your learning and communities. Click here to turn to the next chapter, Engaging.