Learning strategies for students

About this guide

At university, it is important to develop your ability to learn new information and memorise key concepts. There is evidence that learning strategies on how to learn can improve your study performance, but how often do you think about how you learn?

This guide provides different learning strategy approaches. The four main areas covered are:

What is a learning strategy?

Learning strategies are the ways in which you learn, remember information, and study for assessments. It's how you organise your learning and actively use specific skills to improve your understanding.

There are decades of research dedicated to understanding the science of learning, describing learning techniques, and evidence to support learning and study techniques. There is also evidence that learning how to learn improves study performance.

Find something that works for you

The process of finding the most effective way to learn is complex and unique to everyone.  

This guide provides an opportunity to get a general understanding of learning strategies. It is a chance to explore and experiment with different learning strategies to find what works best for you. Many of these strategies work well together, so you don't need to pick just one.

Contact us

If you need further learning study support or digital skills help:

• Contact a Language and Learning Adviser (study support)
• Contact your Library (digital and information literacies)

Attribution and acknowledgement

Crediting creators or attributing content is a core part of both academic integrity and of being a digital citizen more broadly. This guide was co-created by Deakin Library, Faculty of Health Learning Innovation team, academics from the School of Exercise and Nutrition Science, and Language and Learning Advisers (Study Support).

The text and layout of 'Learning Strategies' © Deakin University (2023) and licensed under a CC BY NC 4.0