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 1. Really read the assignment. This is the
first step that many students refuse to take. Commit yourself,
however long it takes-at night, on weekends, or between
classes-to actually reading the assignment.
2. Skim through the entire chapter and notice all the
headings and subheadings. This will give you a pretty
good idea of what the chapter will cover. Compare this information
with your instructor's lecture or classroom activities.
3. Practice reading for main ideas. You don't have
to read every paragraph word for word. Once you get the
hang of it, you'll be able to skim through a paragraph and
pick out the important stuff. First, find the paragraph's
main idea; then skim the paragraph looking for specific
points that explain or support the main idea. If you can
figure out what the author is trying to communicate to you,
then you'll know what to read for.
4. Mark in your books! Don't be afraid to mark in
textbooks. You paid for them, and you'll still be able to
resell them at the end of the semester-even if they're marked.
When you have a great deal to read, the only way to manage
the information is to mark the pages in various ways. I
have my own system of check marks, underlining, numbering,
and circling, but some people like to use a highlighter.
Also, some people like to write little notes in the margins.
You have to use whatever works for you, so experiment with
a few methods. I usually underline the main idea of a paragraph,
and then I'll number the main points of the paragraph. Sometimes
I circle important words or concepts, or I might circle
a word I don't know, so I can look it up. Here's an example
of how I might mark a paragraph:
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If you break down a paragraph like this, you
can easily tell what kind of information the teacher could
put on an exam. What exam question might come from the above
paragraph? If I was the teacher in this class, I'd probably
have the following on the exam: List three special talents
the right brain has. If you did your work breaking down
the paragraph, you'd be ready for that question.
5. Look up words you don't know. Some textbooks have
glossaries where difficult or technical words are defined.
Or, you can always use the old fashioned method of looking
the word up in the dictionary. It's a good idea to write
the definition in the margin wherever the word comes up
in the chapter.
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