Dr. Karsten A. Loepelmann

Wellness Supports
 — helps U of A students to get appropriate mental health supports by connecting students to timely and effective resources (Start here!)

Counselling + Clinical Services
 — this unit can help you identify and manage test anxiety, plus help you with depression, procrastination, stress, and more (formerly Mental Health Centre)

University Health Centre
 — physicians provide comprehensive medical care, including assessment and treatment of mental health concerns

Peer Support Centre
 — this Students’ Union service provides information, referrals, crisis intervention, and a confidential place to come and talk

UAlberta Cares
 — this video series highlights mental health strategies and explores various challenges and specific resources available to students

First Peoples’ House
 — provides support to all First Nations, Métis, and Inuit students in a variety of ways related to university life

International Student + Visitor Services
 — supports international students as they navigate the challenges of adjusting to life in Canada

The Landing
 — this student space for gender and sexual diversity offers peer mentorship, resources, and referrals for students working through issues around gender and sexual identity-related stressors

Sexual Assault Centre
 — offers free and confidential counselling and support for individuals affected by sexual assault, sexual harassment, relationship violence, or stalking

Academic Success Centre
 — this service offers strategies, workshops, and individual appointments to help students achieve academic success

Writing Services
 — for help with any type of assignment or project at any stage of the writing process

Tutor Registry
 — a Students’ Union resource that can connect you with a tutor for PSYCH (and other) courses

My blog posts explaining the components of the SQ4R study method:
  • Survey (briefly look over the chapter to see what it’s about)
  • Question (ask yourself what you think the main points are)
  • Read (read in a quiet location free of distractions)
  • Recite (answer the questions you posed previously)
  • Relate (make links between the new material you are learning and things you already know)
  • Review (go back over the material after some time has passed)

How to Read a Textbook Effectively and Efficiently
 — from Med School Insiders: mental priming, active reading, and reflection

Reading Textbooks Effectively
 — gives strategies for before, while, and after reading sections of a textbook

How to Read Your Textbooks More Efficiently
 — College Info Geek video (!) on how to read a college textbook

Learning from Textbooks
 — gives specific strategies, and also explains why highlighting is not effective

How to read a textbook Reddit thread
 — lots of good (but anecdotal) advice

The Learning Scientists (★ ★ ★ ★ ★ Highly recommended!)
 — evidence-based learning resources and a blog about strategies for effective learning
(TL;DR YouTube video: How to Study Effectively for School or College [Top 6 Science-Based Study Skills])

Study Skills Hub (★ ★ ★ ★ ★ Highly recommended!)
 — covers time management, studying & test-taking, stress management, reading & note-taking, presentation skills, resilience, sleep, group work, and studing in groups

The Study Cycle (★ ★ ★ ★ ★ Highly recommended!)
 — describes the basic framework for all the components of studying and how they work together

How to Study
 — evidence-based video series by Prof. Stephen L. Chew includes What Students Should Understand About How People Learn, Cognitive Principles for Optimizing Learning, and I Blew the Exam, Now What?

Cornell Note Taking
 — explains “the best way to take notes”

Reading & Note-Taking
 — helpful strategies, from YorkU’s Learning Skills Services

Retrieval Practice
 — more recommendations on how to best use practice to improve learning

Why Cramming Gets a "C"
 — Scientific American article describes studies that show spacing out learning over time works best

Procrastination and Science
 — how to avoid procrastination, from a University of Calgary prof (try a test of procrastination)

Metacognitive Study Strategies
 — metacognition (thinking about how you think and learn) improves learning and memory

Metacognition: Understanding How You Learn
 — has tips, examples, & infographic on metacognition

Ten Traps of Studying
 — and their solutions (does #10 sound familiar?)

Managing Time in University
 — this how-to guide helps you manage the time you have, from YorkU’s Learning Skills Services

Memory Improvement Techniques
 — MindTools’ site has several articles and techniques to train and enhance your memory

Your fear of office hours is about to end
 — a guide to meeting with professors

AI Tutor Pro
 — free AI chatbot that will help you check or grow your knowledge on any topic; great for reviewing before an exam!

Suggestions For Coping With Multiple Choice Questions
 — tips especially for introductory psychology, from SFU’s Student Learning Commons (read why it’s probably bad to change your answer)

Writing Multiple Choice Exams
 — helpful guide to understanding and taking multiple choice exams, from TrentU.ca

Test-Taking Advice: Especially for the Multiple-Choice Challenged
 — detailed help for before, during, and after writing your exams, based on psychological research, from the U of Calgary

Preparing for Tests and Exams, Writing Multiple Choice Tests and Learning From Multiple-Choice Exams
 — includes pages on dos and don’ts, and how to improve your future performance, from Western’s Learning Development & Success

Succeed at Exams: Multiple Choice Exams
 — tips and strategies from the U of Guelph’s Learning Commons

Preparing for Tests and Exams
 — more tips and strategies, from YorkU’s Learning Skills Services

How to write in-class essays and short answer exams
 — tips on preparing for and writing written exams, from Writing Services

Strategies for Essay Exams
 — how to prepare for and write an essay exam, from SFU’s Student Learning Commons

Exam preparation: Strategies for essay exams
 — tips for exam preparation and exam writing, from SFU Student Learning Commons

Writing Better University Exam Essays
 — a Wikibook on improving your essay exam writing

Succeed at Exams: Preparing for Essay Exams and Writing Essay Exams
 — tips and strategies from the U of Guelph’s Learning Commons

Literature Reviews
 — explains what literature reviews are and offers insights into their form and construction; from The Writing Center at UNC-Chapel Hill

Foundational Tutorials
 — the U of A Library decribes beginning, understanding, finding, evaluating, and citing research studies for a term paper

Writing a Literature Review in Psychology
 — the U of Washington Psychology Writing Cente walks you through the steps of writing a psychology lit review

Writing a Psychology Literature Review
 — thorough help from the UConn Writing Center

Learn how to write a review of literature
 — describes four basic steps

The Literature Review: A Few Tips On Conducting It
 — some advice from the U of Toronto Writing Advice