Have trouble keeping up with your course’s required readings? Or do you just want to get more efficient at reading
so you can have more free time?
In this post, we’re going to pass on some thoughts on how you can
read your college textbooks more efficiently.
Our Findings
With a few hundred pages of text per book and multiple books to
read in any given semester, completing all of the assigned readings in college
is definitely not easy. But, with the
right reading techniques, it can be much much easier.
On the whole, most textbooks have a lot of filler—that is, information
beyond what you need to be able to understand the concepts that are being
discussed. Typically, this is in the
form of long-winded explanations and examples.
In our opinion, as long as the content that you’re reading isn’t overly
complex and doesn’t require this added information, these parts of the text are
generally redundant in the grand scheme of comprehension.
Finding the Important Information
So, given the way textbooks are put together, we recommend reading
them like you’re playing a game of “Where’s Waldo?” (and if you don’t know what
“Where’s Waldo?” is, learn about it here).
Basically, what we mean by this is that you should scan for—and then
read—only the sentences with important information.
The following are three typical indicators that a sentence should
be read:
1. Definitions
Definitions of important terms are often found in columns or in
the summary sections of chapters.
2. Underlined, Bolded, or Italicized Words
Whenever you see words that are underlined, bolded, or italicized, it is typically an indicator that the sentence should
be read.
3. Sentences with Numbering or Bullet Points
Whenever you see numbering (e.g. 1., 2., 3.) or bullet points, it
is typically an indicator of a list of important information.
Otherwise, whenever they are available, you should always read the “learning outcomes” at the start of each
chapter and the summary at the end.
The “learning outcomes” are important because they tell you what you
should learn by the end of any given chapter.
This allows you to confirm that the scan-based reading successfully
taught you everything that you were supposed to learn in the chapter. Likewise, chapter summaries tell you what was
discussed and further confirms your understanding of the content.
What do you do if a textbook has none of these characteristics?
When a textbook doesn’t have any of the aforementioned features, start
by reading the first and last sentence of every paragraph. Usually the main points are made in these
sentences. Outside of that, you should scan
each paragraph for important/relevant words—i.e. words that relate to the
subject or that you don’t understand—and read those sentences. And finally, if there are no formal chapter
summaries, read the first and last paragraph of any given section, in full, as
these typically summarize the body of the material.
Even if your textbook does have some of the characteristics
mentioned prior, it might still be a good idea to incorporate the methods
mentioned in the preceding paragraph to enhance your comprehension.
Other Recommendations
- Always read the content before the applicable class so everything
makes sense when you hear it from the professor. And hearing examples in class is much more
efficient than reading them from the textbook—you probably don’t need to get
examples twice and the explanations in class will likely be better.
- Read when you’re taking public transit to your school, having a
bath, waiting for an appointment, going to the bathroom, or any other time when
you’re idle. It might feel odd to do,
but it’s a much better use of time that otherwise would have been wasted.
- Pay attention to content of class PowerPoints. These may have additional information that
you could be tested on and are worth reviewing before tests (if they’re made
available).
- If the professor states that something is important or “likely
to be on the next test,” make note of it.
Otherwise, it’s probably a good idea to focus on what the professor
is saying and to not write notes in class.
Do your note-taking from the textbook before or after class if you feel
it’s necessary. And if you do take
notes from your textbook, keep in mind: Your textbook has everything written in
it already. It’s much more efficient to
simply highlight important parts than rewrite the textbook.
- To save money, before you buy any textbook, always ask your teacher
if you need it—in other words, if important material will remain after
PowerPoints and handouts. If they do
recommend that you buy it, ask if an old version of the textbook is
sufficient. And finally, don’t immediately
buy textbooks from your school’s bookstore—check Amazon.com first. Books are often available for much cheaper,
especially if they’re used. *Search here
to have a look:
*Ostrich Canada is a
participant in the Amazon.com.ca, Inc. Associates Program, an affiliate
advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising
fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.ca.
Final Thoughts
For some students, our recommendations may not work. That being said, they’re worth a try if you find
yourself spending too much time reading and/or if what you’re doing right now
isn’t getting you the marks you want.
The most important thing is to know your learning style and to choose a
technique that gives you the best opportunity to be successful. And if you need extra help to figure out what
approach is best for you, be sure to contact your college’s student services
department—they typically have good knowledge and additional resources.
References
Our
experience!
Links to More Information
As we said in the “Final Thoughts,” speak with your college’s
student services department for additional resources on study-related
strategies.
Want to make a request for free research? Follow the
directions found on the left.
Have a comment you'd like to pass on? E-mail
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