Let’s face it; sometimes studying involves looking at the same cork board hour after hour in your residence room, or getting to know your library study stall intimately; even being lodged in a windowless group study room in the dank dungenous basement of Thode library. It is enough to make anyone a little crazy.

Overwhelmed by the tedium of study-life here at McMaster, many students seek refuge in a space that for them, is their own.

Try studying in a different place. Variety in your study environment is important, after all, you are not going to be writing your exam in your residence room. Some good places to study on campus are…

• Mills Library — There are quite study rooms and those available for group study. The advantage is that there are MANY windows that let in some natural light!
• McMaster University Student Centre (MUSC) — The third floor has plenty of rooms that can be booked for study groups. This floor is generally very quiet because it is separated from the usually busy bottom two floors. Leather couches, benches and chairs are all features that make this a good place to sit down and read. If you prefer some hustle and bustle around you as you work, there are plenty of tables on the second floor.
• Outside — There are a multitude of beautiful green spots on campus, exploit these while the weather is mild! Choose a willow tree to sit under or a bench in a garden.
• Hamilton Hall — With a coffee shop close at hand and chalk boards all around this is a great place to sit down and get some work done.
• The Student Lounge in the Health Sciences Centre Home Base — This is a favourite amongst BHSc’ers. Be it for group meetings, Chem Madness or to work at a computer, there is always someone here!
• Starbucks in Chester New Hall — What is studying without coffee?
• Health Sciences Cafeteria — With snacks and coffee close by and tables all around this is a great place to get some work done if dead silent is not your thing.
• Health Sciences Library — There are plenty of group study rooms available and relevant reference material all around, plus it’s pretty quiet too!

Try combining studying individually with studying in a group. Your peers are an extremely valuable resource and group study has a number of benefits especially if you take a fun and interactive approach to studying. First, it is incredibly time efficient! More brains working on the task allow for the coverage of more required course material in less time. Teaching the material to other group members will reinforce your understanding of the concepts and ideas as well as help you identify areas of weakness or misunderstanding. Furthermore, your fellow group members may be able to contextualize the material in different ways. This application and placement of the material is an important part of learning and can be vastly improved by the diversity in a study group. Also, through discussion of the material, you are able to test your understanding.

Try making a schedule. Have a plan of action for required readings, course material or assignments. Do a little bit at a time or crunch out a whole chapter; find out what works for you!

Try changing when and how frequently you are studying! If tackling your required material the night before your final exam or churning out an essay the morning that it is due, simply isn’t working, try studying small portions often, such as reading some material before and after the applicable class.

If you are having difficulties or want to find ways to improve academically, take the initiative and visit the Centre for Student Development (CSD) or contact the BHSc Office.