When reading/studying in content areas, such as Science or History, have you found yourself wondering:
* Where do I start?
* How can I read more, faster and better?
* How can I remember all this information?
The key is not to read the information over and over hoping that it will all stick in your head. This will only frustrate and bore you. The key is to read smarter, with more organization.
The first thing I suggest is to get an understanding of the purpose of the book. With most textbooks, the purpose will simply be to teach you information.
Next, scan through the text - look closely at the table of contents. This gives you an overall picture of what you are going to learn.
As you read assigned selections from the text, there are several ways of getting the most of your time and energy.
Organize Your Mind
Skim through the chapter or selected text. Read the chapter title, and all headings and subheadings within the selection. This helps you understand the organization of the information and allows you to see what the author is expecting you to learn.
Highlight/Underline I like to use a highlighter as I am reading to make the important information stand out. This helps you pay more attention to details while you are reading. It also helps you find the information when you go back to look for it later. Be careful not to hightlight too much - this will defeat your purpose of making only the most important stuff more noticeable.
Reflection Stop at each subheading and think about what you just read. Look back at what you highlighted. Did you understand what you read? Can you remember any details? Were they any important words you should remember?
Note Cards If you are reading a subject area that requires a lot of memorization, I would suggest note cards. As you are reflecting upon what you read within each heading or subheading, write down anything that has to be memorized on note cards. Why? The simple act of writing it down will help you remember it more. It also gives you a great study aid for later. Carry these with you and when you have a few free moments, pull them out and start testing yourself. If you write a definition on one side and the word on the opposite side, it is easy to test yourself.
Outlines If you are having trouble understanding the information after trying some of the previous techniques, I would suggest writing an outline of what you are reading. Write down all the basic, most important information first, leaving lots of room to fill in details. Then go back and fill in those details.
Questions Whenever questions are listed in the book, I suggest you do them. If they are not assigned, it is very tempting to skip them, but they can be a great tool to check your own understanding. If they are found throughout the chapters, do them as you come to them. If they are all listed at the end of a chapter, it is a great way to review information from the entire chapter at once.
The key? Don't get frustrated and give up. Try these tips and you may be surprised how much easier they are than simply reading and then rereading the same information. The idea is to make the most of YOUR time.