Tips for Reading Efficiently To Help You Survive At University!

ACTIVE OR PASSIVE?
Are you an active or passive reader? Active readers use strategies aimed at building connections.* Passive readers learn in piecemeal fashion, one idea at a time.* (*Adapted from Kiewra, K. A., & Dubois, N. F. (1998). Learning to learn: Making the transition from student to lifelong learner. Needham Heights, MA: Allyn & Bacon.)

How many of these sentences describe how you read?

• I grab my text and read.
• I start at page one and read until the end.
• I highlight all the important information in yellow.
• I read everything at the same speed.
• I believe everything I read.
• If I don’t understand something, I read it again.
• I read and then write notes on what is in the textbook.
• When I read, I try to memorize all the important information.

Passive reading is ineffective and time-consuming. It can also lead to frustration and a lack of desire to continue reading.

Active reading requires “will” and “skill” – you have to want to read, and you need to learn and use effective reading strategies.

PRE-READING STRATEGIES
(*Adapted from McWhorter, K. T. (1995). College reading and study skills. New York, NY: HarperCollins.)

1. Survey the Chapter - Your goal is to become familiar with the material, and to activate your thinking:
   - Read the title and subtitle.
   - Read the introduction or first paragraph.
   - Read each major heading.
   - Read the first sentence under each heading.
   - Read the last paragraph or the summary.
   
2. Budget Time - Now based on your survey, decide how much time you will need to read the chapter.
   - Consider the length of the text, its density, and its difficulty.
   - Schedule the time in so that when you read, your goal is to understand the material.
   
3. Make a Map of the Chapter - On a “sticky note,” list headings, subheadings, and terms from the chapter.
   - Writing things down will reinforce what you’ve read.
   - You can also take the list to class for reference during the lecture.

STRATEGIES DURING READING

1. Use Visual Cues
   - Let the visual layout of the textbook help you decide what to read.
   - Often, examples are indented, separated, or in italics.
   - If you understand a concept, you may not need to read all the examples provided.
   - Decide for yourself which sections of the chapter are necessary to read.
   
2. Give the Information a “Title”
   - When you’ve read a paragraph, a few paragraphs, half a page, or a whole page, and you aren’t clear on what you’ve covered, give the information a “title.”
   - Write your title down and go back to confirm that it matches the information provided.
   - Otherwise, you’ll be rereading and rereading without focus or purpose.
   
3. Mark the Text
   - Read with a pencil in your hand and mark important information using symbols.
   - For example, draw a box around the main theme, underline the sub-themes, and circle the details.
   - This will assist you with maintaining concentration and attention.

POST-READING STRATEGIES
Many students take notes from the textbook after they have read the chapter. The key is not to make a second set of notes that you will need to study from. Consolidate the information from the textbook with the corresponding lecture notes – then, you’ll have a complete set of notes. You can do this by adding a page, writing in the margin, or on the back of the page.

1. Generate Representations*
   - What structure does the information “lend” itself to?
   - Can you reorganize the information into a table, flowchart, timeline, diagram, etc.?
   
2. Generate a Final Summary*
   - What conclusions can you draw about what you’ve just read?
   - List the main ideas of the chapter or write a short summary.
   
3. Compile Questions* - Do you have any questions about what you’ve just read?
   - Are there any gaps in the information from your notes and the textbook?

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