Ok, I know, you are used to being a "reading zombie". Prior to leaving for college it is a very useful skill to learn how to "read to learn" rather than reading your textbook like a story book. Below the information is a link to my playlist for you
Reading a college textbook effectively takes practice and should be approached differently than reading a novel, comic book, magazine, or website. Becoming an effective reader goes beyond completing the reading in full or highlighting text. There are a variety of strategies you can use to read effectively and retain the information you read.
Preview the material before reading
Surveying the text helps you learn the material more efficiently because it sets a purpose for reading. Read the title to get a sense of the text's key points. Look over the key parts of your textbook: front and back pages, table of contents, glossary and introduction. This will help you digest the material when you finally dive in.
. Read your textbooks and course material thoroughly.
“I wish that I had tried reading some of my textbooks in high school instead of solely depending on my teachers for information,” says Kimberly Wong, a recent UCLA graduate. “Sometimes in college, a lot of learning is placed on the responsibility of the students. Many times, students need to read their textbooks to learn all the material required of them since there is so little lecture and discussion time. Getting used to learning unfamiliar concepts from textbooks in college took me a while to get used to and I wish I had practiced doing that in high school.”
- Monitor your comprehension. When you finish a section, ask yourself, "What is the main idea in this section? Could I answer an exam question about this topic?" Questions at the end of chapters are particularly good for focusing your attention and for assessing your comprehension. If you are having difficulty recalling information or answering questions about the text, search back through the text and look for key points and answers. Self-correction techniques like revisiting the text are essential to assessing your comprehension and are a hallmark technique of advanced readers (Caverly & Orlando, 1991).. Paraphrase what you've readAfter reading, summarize what you've read in your own words. Summarizing will help you pull out main ideas and take better notes. Creating a summary also demonstrates that you understand what you've read. You can do this by leveraging one of the many note-taking applications available. If you don't understand or remember what you just read, reread it carefully.
The College Board recommends the SQ3R method, which stands for “Survey, Question, Read, Recite, Review.” You can find information about this reading comprehension method on the College Board Web site.
. Don’t be afraid to reread what you’ve read.
“Understanding what you’ve read and knowing that you don’t understand something you’ve read are important skills,” notes Conley. He adds that it’s important to realize when you don’t understand something, and train yourself to go back and reread if necessary to gain the understanding. He says he is amazed at how many students don’t do this.
. Study vocabulary: word roots, stems and etymology — where words come from.
“Generally these skills are taught in remedial classes but not in regular high school classes,” says Conley. If you’re not learning about vocabulary in school, take the initiative to study vocabulary on your own.
The College Board recommends reading frequently outside of class to improve your vocabulary. In their book, College Prep, they offer this advice: “Learning the meaning of a word from a list does not tell you much about its connotation. You usually learn the connotations of such simple words as skinny from hearing them used by people you know. You usually learn connotations of more difficult words such as emaciated by reading.”
It’s important to read a variety of materials: books (both fiction and nonfiction), newspapers, magazines, and to read about subjects that you are not studying in school to broaden your world view and expand your vocabulary.
. Keep a dictionary close by when you are reading.
Sometimes you can easily figure out the meaning of a word you are unfamiliar with by getting the meaning from the context. But sometimes it helps to have a dictionary at hand to look up unfamiliar words that may not be clear from the context.
. Take notes and learn proper note-taking techniques.
“Students have a tendency to underline everything,” says Conley. Underlining is a useful technique when it is used effectively but to avoid highlighting everything, try taking notes first. Concentrate on selecting the important points, write commentary in the margins of the text (if the book belongs to you, or in a notebook if the book doesn’t belong to you), write down questions and make observations. You’ll be more likely to actively engage with the text in this way.
As you read, think about what you're reading and take notes. Think about the main point of each chapter you're reading and only jot down relevant information. There are plenty of note-taking strategies (e.g., outlines, mind mapping, bullet points). Good notes will give you a starting point when it comes to understanding the text and writing papers.
As you read, use a highlighter to capture key information. Pay attention to important terms, definitions, facts and phrases. Don't get carried away with the highlighting—only highlight the information that matters. If you prefer not to use a highlighter, try annotating the text. This involves writing notes in the margins and underlining key phrases.
. Take time to read without distractions and concentrate.
“Reading requires a certain disposition to take in print, to stop and concentrate,” says Briggs. “This is an important skill for students to develop.”
. Form study groups with your friends and join academic clubs at school.
One of the most powerful ways to improve your reading skills is to find ways to discuss what you’ve read with your peers and your teachers. “Seek out academic conversations,” says Briggs. Book clubs, academic clubs and study groups are all good ways to join in serious discussion. Participating in these academic conversations is bound to advance your reading and writing levels. Check The Power of Study Groups
. Discuss what you've read
Take time to identify what you've learned. Talk to others about the text or form discussion groups to compare notes. If there's something you don't understand, don't be afraid to ask questions to clarify certain things. You can always talk to your professor or a classmate. It's good to get other viewpoints.
While the transition from high school to college-level reading can be difficult, it gets easier with practice. By using these tips, you can get your reading done and enhance your ability to understand complex texts.