When you imagine a university student studying, you probably picture something like this: a desk covered in papers and textbooks, coffee cups littering the floor, and an exhausted student mindlessly mumbling to themselves while obsessively highlighting texts and scrambling for flashcards. But how accurate is this image? I sat down with two MacEwan students, breaking down their studying styles to see how they compare to the stereotype.
First, I spoke with Reese Yushchyshyn, a first-year student in the bachelor of arts program, majoring in psychology. From the jump, Yushchyshyn emphasized that what matters to her while studying is her environment. She prefers quieter spaces like the library or her bedroom, but really, she prefers her room.
“When I’m at school I tend to have an issue with socializing,” she told me while laughing.
When it comes to the study materials she uses, flashcards are Yushchyshyn’s favourite tool for reviewing notes.
She explained her technique as “a system where I go through them, and if I know it I can put it on my right, and if I don’t know it or I get the answer wrong, I put it back in the pile, and I keep going until they’re all on the right.” Yushchyshyn also said that watching videos about what she is studying helps her recall important information later on.
When it comes to time management, Yushchyshyn said she tries to dedicate an hour every evening per subject.
“Unless there are things that I already know and that I’m confident about, I tend to skip over those — or not skip over them — I’ll still look at them, just very briefly.”
Yushchyshyn is actively trying to find the appropriate balance of time for all her subjects while studying. She also tends to not have anything playing in the background while studying, and sometimes she even dims her bedroom lights to create a relaxing, focused environment.
When asked what kind of snacks and drinks she might have on hand while studying, Yushchyshyn excitedly answered that her go-to is “almost always a super crispy diet Pepsi,” either in a can or in a glass with ice.
For Yushchyshyn, the shift from high school to university meant that she had to learn what worked for her as she went through the semester, “it feels a lot more necessary to me, and I’m kind of learning as I go.”
The second student I spoke with was Hannah Harzing, a first-year business student. Similar to Yushchyshyn, Harzing also prefers studying at home, specifically at her desk in her home office. On the rare occasions that Harzing studies at school, she likes going to Allard Hall to sit on the couches and enjoy the calm, spacious environment.
Harzing’s tools of choice are a notebook and pen, but she also uses her computer to review slides and uses repetitive note-taking to study.
When asked how she manages her time while studying, Harzing said she doesn’t really have a strict schedule; instead, she has more of a ‘get it all done’ mentality.
“I try to do as much as I can and then if I need a break, take a break, but then if I take a break it’s harder to go back to it.”
Harzing also said that her favourite background noise is piano covers of popular songs.
“I can’t have the actual words, or else it might distract me, but just having the music — it’s definitely helpful,” she said.
When it comes to snacks, Harzing said she likes to have iced coffee and candy around. She explained that her favourite sweets were Chupa Chups lollipops, and she noted that during tests she’ll sometimes have a Jolly Rancher to help her stay focused. When asked why she preferred sweets, she answered: “I can’t sit still, so it helps.”
I asked her how her studying habits compared to her early education. Harzing said she did not study a lot in high school.
“I was not productive; I had procrastination,” she said. “It’s definitely a little different. I definitely try more now.”
The Hollywood depiction of a university student scrambling to study might ring true in some ways, but how people study is pretty unique depending on who you talk to. Even though Yushchyshyn and Harzing are just two droplets in the MacEwan sea, other students can certainly find their study methods relatable.
