How to study by textbook?

How to Study a Textbook

• Answer:

  Reading for academic purposes is much different from reading for pleasure. Unlike the pulp fiction and light journalism that many of us indulge in during our leisure time, academic texts require our full attention and active engagement. The key to successful study is knowing what information to look for and how to process that information. Difficulty: Moderate Things You'll Need Dictionary Pen or pencil Highlighter Instructions Preview the reading assignment. Before you delve into the material, take a few minutes to look over the chapter titles, headings and subheadings, summaries, charts, graphs, photos and captions. What are the main ideas? Are you already familiar with any of the information, or is it all new? Pay attention to the length of the assigned reading. About how many pages can you cover in one hour? Make sure to allow yourself enough time, and plan where in the text you will treat yourself to short breaks. Compile a list of questions. Has your instructor provided any guidelines about what you should learn in this assignment? Are there any clues on the course syllabus? According to Dave Ellis in "Becoming a Master Student," one useful strategy is to make questions out of the chapter headings and subheadings. What might your instructor ask about each section? Eliminate as many distractions as possible before you start. Find a comfortable, quiet location, and avoid multitasking. Do not eat, watch television or listen to music while you are reading. Read. If you find your attention wandering, take stretch breaks, stand up for a while or read aloud. Slow down when you encounter dates, statistics and boldface or italicized words. These are indicators of important information. Use your dictionary to look up unfamiliar words. Highlight and annotate key information. Read the assignment all the way through before taking notes. This will help you determine what is most important and avoid marking too much. Highlight information that answers the questions you compiled, addresses topics raised by your instructor or on the course syllabus or sounds like it might appear on a test. In the margins of your book, paraphrase main ideas and record your own responses. Do you understand what the author is saying? Are you reminded of anything else you've studied? Is there something you'd like to discuss in class for further clarification? Reread the material and answer your questions. Review the highlighted, annotated text. Can you summarize what you've read in your own words? Can you answer all of your preliminary questions? Ellis recommends talking with friends or family members about what you've read. When you can teach it to someone else, you've got it!