Can't Concentrate on READING...HELP!!!?

take a nap er sumtin before u read, have a snack. and make sure its quiet and everythings turned off. I know how u feel

take notes or highlight while you do this. i had same problem, doesnt make any more interesting but helps to stave of the sleep.

see if you can get the books on tape. I find it helps alot and thats how i went through alot of my textbooks.

Try reading it out loud and with different voices and tones, as though you were reading to someone else. Also good? Coffee. Good luck :D

Definately take notes. It will probably be as boring as anything, and take forever, but it will keep your brain on track. Then to refresh your memory before class you can read your summary instead of having to flick through the text again. It also helps at exam time when you are trying to remember which book that idea came out of. Reading in the bath eating strawberries and chocolate always worked for me! Final advice? Don't take philosophy next semester! History is a more sensible subject ;)

Try to relax take some vitams don't drink coffe

Congratulations!. You are perfectly normal because everyone else does that. Those symptoms are typical of someone who is either bored with the topic or is just not understanding anything what the text is saying. In orther words you are forcing yourself to read something that you just dont want to read! Alright to tackle that hard piece of writing its a good idea to break that writing up into manageable components. Read the headlines first to get a feel for where the chapter is heading. Then read the topic sentences only. I find that the introductory paragraphs aren't really worth reading. Scan for key words that you think will be important or are talking about the topic you are interested in. Then read those specific parts. Once you have read a specific philosophical idea, close the book and try and explain that idea to another person and see if it makes sense to them. I find that when you re-interpret it in your own words you are processing the ideas in your brain. When you read you only need to get the 'main idea' and possible two- three specifics or examples. Just get the main idea. Just say "what is this text trying to say to me?" its talking about Einsteins model of the universe etc..... Just make it relevant to you. If you are studying for an exam I find that making a word web or a pictorial diagram helps me heaps. I find that just looking and remembering how all the pices in the pictures fit together is an effective study method. Lastly, if your going off to lala land just take a break, go outside and give yourself a rest. You obviously wont learn anymore by forcing yourself to read, most likely because you are tired.

Try to read togather with a partner or a group. TRY NOT TO GO TO "lala land'

I wrote a similar answer to another person. I hope this helps. You are NOT having FUN while reading so you are boredand sleepy. It may be because you are probably trying too hard to learn something from your reading. Forget that.... Try a different approach... have some FUN. But... first take ALL DISTRACTIONS like TV, radio, music, friends, parents, car, etc. away. That is...at least till you have gone through this process. And after you did... you would not want any of those things around you anyway. You will be having too much FUN. Learning is by nature... through repetition.... Repetition means doing something again and again and again... Memory and retention is... by guided repetition through ALL of your senses... say it, write it, read it, feel it, and if possible even smell it and taste it.... You can play a simple game to have fun with the text book.... like this: First READ your books differently. Read backwards then forwards out loud (You want to see it,hear it and smell the pages and feel what's written in the book) ... (Who cares if somebody is listening, it's your book and you will be having fun.) meaning: 1) Check the GLOSSARY out and find words you know and you don't know... just check them out (Read them out loud and ask a few questions out loud of things you don't understand.) 2) Read the TABLE OF CONTENTS only, from the last chapter forward and see how each title is related to the one before it (Ask yourself out loud... How are the chapters related?) 3) Read the TABLE OF CONTENTS only, from the front to the back and become familiar with how the text "flows" from one topic ot idea to the next, so you will know what to expect after each chapter 4) Then read the SUMMARY for each chapter starting from the last chapter (No need to understand it yet... read it out loud and just become familiar with what's in it) 5) Read the SUMMARY for each chapter starting from the first chapter to the end and think of how each chapter is "related" one to the next (No need to understand it yet... read it out loud and just become familiar with what's in it) 6) Read the INTRODUCTION to the book and see if what you thought about the book is close to what is being expected by the author. (Don't forget to read out loud) 7) Read the INTRODUCTION only for each chapter from the first to the end and compare it with the SUMMARY for that chapter. (You will know exactly what to expect in that chapter) (Don't forget to read out loud) (Note: By the way it is Ok to use your finger to help you read the text. It actually help in your concentration and in your learning process because you are using another sense... sense of touch. I usually use it when I have too much distractions.) THEN read the text as you instructor / teacher asks you to. (Don't forget to read out loud) As you read just find 1 (one) idea or thought from each chapter, that you feel is important to you.... Not for someone else, not even for the teacher,... only for yourself. Take it with you... keep it with you. You now OWN that idea. It is yours to keep. Then, you will find that everything your instructor says, no matter how boring or prejudiced or crazy he/she may be, will start to makes sense. You will be able to understand and appreciate his/her thoughts as his/her views in comparison to what you have selected to keep. And because you know already what comes next, you will have fun listening to your teacher and whatever else you do in class. And if you take time to take a few notes that you feel is important and read it out loud as you copy it once again at home... neatly on to a clean note pad... you will find that you have memorized / remembered the important ideas and material without thinking about trying to memorize it. It's automatic. And all the while you had fun doing it. After all learning is FUN.