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The main insight of this article will be that effective reading in studies can be promoted through goal setting and the SQ3R method (Survey, Question, Read, Recite, Review), which focuses on unknown content and uses your existing knowledge.
Reading is one of the most important aspects of studying at university, but it can be hard to find time to read when there are so many other academic demands on your time. In addition, you may come across types of text you haven't worked with before, such as academic articles and book manuscripts. So how should you approach reading in this new environment?
To read effectively, it helps to read with a goal. This means that before you start reading, you understand what you want to achieve by engaging with the text. Having a goal is useful because it helps you focus on relevant information and know when you're done reading, whether or not your eyes have seen every word.
A few examples of reading goals:
You will probably often develop your reading goals in line with your lecturer's goals when he gives up reading, but sometimes your goals will differ. The point is to know what you want to get out of your reading and make sure that you approach the text with that purpose and meaning.
SQ3R is a form of reading and writing that is particularly suitable for working with textbooks and empirical research articles in the natural and social sciences. It's designed to make your reading process easier by drawing your attention to the material you don't know while building on the knowledge you already have. It's a great first step in any general study plan. Here are the basic components:
When you use SQ3R, you don't start with reading, but with an “overview” of the text as a whole. What does that mean? The overview includes looking at all components of the text — such as its subtitles, illustrations, review questions, etc. — to get a general idea of what the text is trying to achieve.
SQ3R's next step still doesn't involve reading! Now it's your job to create questions about the material you've noticed in your overview. Take notes about the things you already seem to understand even without reading, and then write down questions about the material that appears new or that you don't fully understand. This list of questions will guide your reading and allow you to focus on what you need to learn about the topic. The goal is to be able to answer these questions at the end of your reading (and also to use them for active learning!).
Now that you've reviewed and interviewed your text, it's finally time to read! Read with the aim of answering your questions, and highlight important parts of the text, or make side notes to draw your attention to important parts of the text.
Once you've read your text with your questions in mind, you'll want to practice answering them aloud. You can also make notes about your answers. This will help you know what to focus on when reviewing.
As you learn, look at your questions. It might be helpful to separate these questions from the physical text. For example, when you place questions on flash cards, you make it difficult for yourself to rely on memory aids embedded in the text and force yourself to rely on your own memory for the answer. (Of course, retrieving from memory is what you need to do for the exam!)
Students often come to university with negative associations when reading textbooks. It can be dry, dense, and exhausting; and at school, we sometimes depend on our textbooks as a last resort for learning the material.
A supporting resource: At university, textbooks can be a fantastic supporting resource. Some of your instructors may have written their own for the specific course you're taking!
Textbooks can provide:
Reading textbooks is similar and yet different from other types of reading. A few things to keep in mind when experimenting with using them:
The answer is “both” and “it depends.” In general, it helps to read or at least skim through the assigned textbook material before the lecture in order to pay attention in class and extract the more important information from the lecture — this in turn makes it easier to take notes. If you're reading the textbook before class, a quick post-lecture review is useful to reinforce the information in your memory, fill in details you've missed, and fill in gaps in your understanding. In addition, reading before and/or after class also depends on the material, your level of experience with it and the style of the text. It's a good idea to experiment with what works best for you!
As with your other reads, it's still important to read with a goal. Focus your reading goals on the specific section of the textbook you're reading: Why is it important for the course I'm taking? What are the big findings? Also write down any questions that you have that are still unanswered.
Reading linearly (from left to right and from top to bottom) doesn't always make the most sense. Try to get a feel for the big ideas within the reading: overview the structure, ask questions and then read — go back to work out the finer points within the most important and detailed sections.
Summarizing forces you to identify the main points of reading and concisely phrase them in your own words, making it more likely that you'll be able to retrieve that information later on. To further strengthen your retrieval skills, test yourself after you've read and summarized. In other words, practice the retrieval process! Testing yourself allows what you read to be stored more permanently in your memory so that you can retrieve the information for exams or work.
If you're having trouble reading for a course, you can ask the instructor for advice. Some ways to ask for help include: “How would you recommend that I approach reading for this course?” or “Is there a way for me to check whether I really understand what I should learn from the readings?”
Marking text — taking side notes — helps with reading comprehension by keeping you focused and facilitating connections between readings. It also helps you find important information when you're preparing for an exam or writing an essay. The next time you read, write notes in the margins as you read, or if you prefer, take notes on a separate piece of paper. Your side notes vary depending on how you read them. Some areas of focus could include:
What topics do you recognize in the reading that relate to class discussions? Which topics do you recognize in reading that you have also seen in other readings? What questions does reading this raise in your head? What makes you want to explore reading? Where do you see contradictions in reading or in relation to other readings for the course? Can you connect topics or events with your own experiences? Your notes don't have to be long. You can simply write two or three words to refresh your memory. For example, if you notice that a book has a theme related to friendship, you can simply write: “p. 52-53 Topic: Friendship.” If you need to remember the details later in the semester, you can read that part of the text in more detail.
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Reading can be very time-consuming, but reading correctly can save you a lot of time.
