Lately, students seem to struggle with reading longer texts or even just reading for long periods of time. These also happen to be essential skills if you want to make the most of your university education. At University, effective reading is also critical reading. Most courses (especially if you are a humanities student) will expect you to read material in preparation for class. Here are some practical tips for how to read well and thereby to read more!

Accept that reading is a skill you need to master even if you haven’t fully developed this skill yet. This is an easy one; it is mostly about putting habits in place.

Start with the requirements. Your professor will have given you a reading list. You may even have specific texts assigned for each class. Make time for this in an official way. Set aside an hour or two where your phone is off or when you’ve blocked off the time on your calendar and don’t allow interruptions.

Sit down in a comfortable place with decent light. Have a pen, notebook, and pencil with you in addition to the primary text. You may even check if your professor has given you some guidance for reading the text [Some people like music but I think it is more effective to start this process in silence. We are challenging ourselves, after all]

Scan the text and figure out the basics: what is the title, who wrote it, when and where was it published, what edition are you reading, how many chapters or sections does the text have, are there any images, tables, or diagrams?

I always like to have hard copies of texts, if possible, but all the suggestions I make below also apply to reading on screens.

When reading, a lot of students tend to skim read the text just to say they got through it. But simply skimming is not sufficient, and speed reading is a different approach with its own learning process. If you’re not familiar with it, then you’re likely to miss essential aspects of a text. Instead, try to read slowly, even if it takes a bit longer. This will ensure that you’re carrying out “active reading” and understanding what you read. Some ways to slow yourself down but maintain your pace of reading are:

• Read aloud [It need not be public oratory, but allow yourself to hear your voice]
• Follow the lines along with a ruler or pencil or even your fingers
• Doodle

Annotate as you read. Pause to underline the bits you need to read twice or find interesting; underline or highlight the main argument. Use symbols if necessary (? For when you don’t understand something, for example) and note down comments you have. Mess up the text (unless it’s a library book; then, hands off!): underline, write in the margins. A well-loved book is still a valuable book!

Once you’ve done this reading, take a break. If it is a longer text and you stop midway, make a note of where you stopped. A break allows you to test your recall of the ideas. You can go back and re-read if needed.

Make your notes in the notebook. This is ideally done after a little break and is a place for you to work through the real-time annotations and organize your thoughts. Note down the keywords and argument in your own words (if it’s verbatim, note the page numbers and use quotation marks for the direct quotes), articulate any questions that have been raised for you, what you liked, what you disagree with and so on. This gives you a way to be part of the classroom discussions. Other methods include colour-coding, mind maps, and so on. For longer texts like novels, you may consider keeping a reading log where you note down key words or key points for each chapter, for example, or even a character development map.

The above steps illustrate the SQR3 process: Survey, Question, Read, Recall, Review!

Break up these tasks into manageable timeslots. If you struggle to reread continuously for long periods, start a timer and allow yourself a small break at regular intervals. But ensure that your breaks are not longer than the reading time.

Habit forming is a process. It does not happen overnight. But if you find yourself continually struggling to read and it doesn’t get easier over time, speak to your professors and counsellors. They may have other techniques that can help you out, depending on the challenge. That said, the habit of reading has lifelong benefits!

Additional Resources:

Tips for Effective Reading, UNSW Sydney

How to Read Efficiently, StudySkills@Sheffield, University of Sheffield

Reading at University, Institute for Academic Development, The University of Edinburgh

Walter Pauk and John P. Fiore, Succeed in College! Boston, Houghton Mifflin Company, 1989.