Effective Reading

Reading material for college courses can be thick, dense, and anything but entertaining. Test questions covering material from readings in my classes are usually much less satisfactorily answered than those that are based on lecture material. Yet, the readings I assign are as good of a source that I am for the course material, if not better ones. If approached carefully and conscientiously, reading course material can make college easier.

Time management and a study structure are very important in order to get the most out of reading material. If students read, I find that they tend to devote a large chunk of time to read a paper or chapter all at once. This represents a ‘just get it over with approach.’ Some students feel guilty when they do not read, and thus they simply ‘put their time in’ to ‘do their part.’ But is it worth a student’s time if she/he recalls very little of what she/he read? Consider a different, managed and structured approach.

Devote about 30 minutes per day to reading for a single class. Look over the material, and see how the paper or chapter is organized. Scholarly papers and chapters tend to be broken up into manageable chunks. Read the first couple of chunks, summarize what was read in brief notes in a separate reading-material notebook, and see how things are going when 30 minutes is up. If you are in the middle of a chunk at the end of the time, then finish it up. If you are on a roll, then pick up the next section and keep going. When you tire, stop, and put the material away after writing down your final summary thoughts.

Come back to the material the next day, and first review your notes on the material you read the previous day. This will help refresh your memory and prepare your mind to receive new, related material. Adopt the same strategy starting where you left off, ‘biting off what can be chewed’ in manageable chunks.

Here’s what to expect. You might have to devote several daily periods to reading if you have more than one class for which material is assigned. That means several 30 minute periods. Alternatively, you might have a tremendous amount of reading for one class. You may need to extend the length of the period, or you may need to devote more than a single period per day to one class. The point is to read materials at a rate that allows you to absorb them, to take notes so that you have a record, and to take breaks so that your mind stays receptive.

If you stick with it, you can expect to become a faster, deeper reader who can achieve more comprehension in the time devoted to reading. You can also expect to achieve more complete mastery of the course material, which will help with comprehension of lecture material. Your time will be efficiently managed, and you can expect to feel a natural interest in the material to grow as you spend more time with it.  Most important, you may feel satisfaction when you gain understanding through devoted, independent work.

The key is devotion. If rusty, your commitment must be solid, and your time management must be rigorous. If a course is difficult, you may need to develop patience with the material. Either way, dedicated time for reading with a refreshed, open mind will only help your chances to succeed in your classes.