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Plan your reading. Copy reading assignments into a calendar and plan ahead for peak periods. Read at a desk, not in bed or on a couch. Avoid late night sessions and distracting contexts. |
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Time your reading. Decide how much time you can devote to a reading assignment
and keep track with a watch. We read more efficiently and aggressively
when working against the clock. |
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Survey the whole before beginning
to read. In academic reading, unlike recreational reading,
you don't want surprises. You want to know the big ideas and
the ending before you start to read. This gives you mental cubbyholes for storing ideas, and identifies which parts are important. Examine headings and sub-headings, sidebars, introductory and concluding questions, and any other clues to the flow of thought. Refer to the Table of Contents to see how your passage fits into something larger. |
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Skim the reading, dipping into the first (and last) sentences of each
paragraph, and into sections that seem especially important.
Attempt to trace the argument or story as it develops. Once you
get the big idea of a section (paragraph, sub-section), move
on. Don't overuse hiliters, e.g., by hiliting headings or entire
paragraphs. Simply mark key words or phrases so you can find
them again easily. |
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Read carefully as much as possible with
the time remaining. Always keep a
dictionary handy, but don't get bogged down in the hard parts-put
a question mark in the margin and move on. Don't waste time on
parts that seem secondary (e.g., a cute illustration or technical
footnote). |
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Write brief notes
in the margins or at the beginning of a chapter
to track the argument. When using a separate notebook, write
author, title and page numbers at the top of the page, and periodically
record page numbers down left margin as you take notes. Be concise.
Use phrases. Start each new thought at the left margin. Develop
your own personal system of abbreviations. |