4 Tips for Reading College Textbooks

By Ian Acosta on February 2, 2017

For some college students, reading the textbook for a class can be quite the dull, mundane process. It becomes even less desirable to read when it is a 600-page psychology book for a 100 level gen-ed course. In addition, some may not even want to purchase a $190 book for a class such as that because they do not see the value in paying so much for knowledge that they think will not benefit them in the long run.

Even more so, when the assigned reading is two chapters that are 100 pages each, the effort level and attention span can diminish dramatically. What is the best way to combat the struggles of reading lengthy, wordy textbooks while also maintaining the focus to do so? Here are some tips to make those nights of reading 300 assigned pages less stressful and more meaningful.

“I’ll just highlight the important stuff.” (image thanks to sharpie.blog.com)

1. Highlighting

In my opinion, this is the most effective way to take notes and read any book, but especially for college textbooks. As you are going through each section, highlight bits and pieces that you think are important or that the instructor has pointed out.

What I tend to do for highlighting is to have a note document on my laptop up while I go through the assigned reading. For myself and a lot of other students, the material sticks more when I not only read it but write (type) it down as well. I am sure there is a study out there that backs that up but I’ll leave that to you to read and research ;) .

Back to the topic at hand, though, highlighting is a technique that not only keeps your attention but also makes study time most effective. What is the one thing college students need to make the most effective use of studying? Time.

2. Segmented reading

Dreading having to read a 100-page chapter? Here is a change of mindset for you: think of it as reading 10 10-page chapters. Ten pages per section is a much simpler way to divide up a lengthy chapter. Not only will it focus your time better on each section individually, but it will also allow for better retention of the material as a whole when it comes to reviewing.

Very few people, if any, have the attention span to read 40, 50, or even 100 pages straight nowadays. By segmenting, it will allow you to read a couple 10-page sections at a time that is most convenient for you at any point in the day and can let you take a break whenever you would like. What college student doesn’t love breaks? Exactly.

3. Read with a friend

This method involves a decent amount of trust in the person you choose to work with. With this teamwork strategy, the idea is to split up a section of an assigned chapter with a classmate and each take notes on the chosen part. After each is done reading, reconvene and discuss the important topics and arguments of each section. This can be a more time-efficient strategy and especially helps when studying for an upcoming quiz or exam.

However, what happens if your partner falls through on his end of the studying? Well, then you are own your own and up a creek without a paddle, as they say. Trust is key for any relationship, especially one of the studying variety. Pick your study habits and study partners wisely.

4. Read summaries

Do you skip over those chapter introductions and conclusions? If so, you should most likely consider reading them. More often than not, they contain the main points and arguments of the chapter. This will better help prepare you to understand the material and make your studying more effective. Also, let’s face it, not everyone likes to read 50-100 pages of anything. Summaries are somewhat of an alternative to the act of reading.

pixabay.com

Do not use it as a direct substitute because there is no substitute for taking the time to learn and understand the material. Why? Because when it comes time to take a quiz or exam, do you think the professor is only going to take material from the introduction and conclusion parts of a chapter? Highly unlikely.

For most, reading is a dull process. Not many enjoy doing it, especially when it relates to studying. However, it is better to realize that learning the material does not come from skimming over chapter summaries. It takes time to read, take notes, and study to concretely grasp the material to where you have it down pat. Hopefully, some of the ways mentioned above can make that process a little less dull and increase both your efficiency and effectiveness of reading.

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