Reading is one of the most important components of college learning, and yet it’s one we often take for granted. Of course, students who come to Harvard know how to read, but many are unaware that there are different ways to read and that the strategies they use while reading can greatly impact memory and comprehension. Furthermore, students may find themselves encountering kinds of texts they haven’t worked with before, like academic articles and books, archival material, and theoretical texts.
So how should you approach reading in this new environment? And how do you manage the quantity of reading you’re asked to cover in college?
Start by asking “Why am I reading this?”
To read effectively, it helps to read with a goal. This means understanding before you begin reading what you need to get out of that reading. Having a goal is useful because it helps you focus on relevant information and know when you’re done reading, whether your eyes have seen every word or not.
Some sample reading goals:
- To find a paper topic or write a paper;
- To have a comment for discussion;
- To supplement ideas from lecture;
- To understand a particular concept;
- To memorize material for an exam;
- To research for an assignment;
- To enjoy the process (i.e., reading for pleasure!).
Your goals for reading are often developed in relation to your instructor’s goals in assigning the reading, but sometimes they will diverge. The point is to know what you want to get out of your reading and to make sure you’re approaching the text with that goal in mind. Write down your goal and use it to guide your reading process.
Next, ask yourself “How should I read this?”
Not every text you’re assigned in college should be read the same way. Depending on the type of reading you’re doing and your reading goal, you may find that different reading strategies are most supportive of your learning. Do you need to understand the main idea of your text? Or do you need to pay special attention to its language? Is there data you need to extract? Or are you reading to develop your own unique ideas?
The key is to choose a reading strategy that will help you achieve your reading goal. Factors to consider might be:
- The timing of your reading (e.g., before vs. after class)
- What type of text you are reading (e.g., an academic article vs. a novel)
- How dense or unfamiliar a text is
- How extensively you will be using the text
- What type of critical thinking (if any) you are expected to bring to the reading
Based on your consideration of these factors, you may decide to skim the text or focus your attention on a particular portion of it. You also might choose to find resources that can assist you in understanding the text if it is particularly dense or unfamiliar. For textbooks, you might even use a reading strategy like SQ3R.
Finally, ask yourself “How long will I give this reading?”
Often, we decide how long we will read a text by estimating our reading speed and calculating an appropriate length of time based on it. But this can lead to long stretches of engaging ineffectually with texts and losing sight of our reading goals. These calculations can also be quite inaccurate, since our reading speed is often determined by the density and familiarity of texts, which varies across assignments.
For each text you are reading, ask yourself “based on my reading goal, how long does this reading deserve?” Sometimes, your answer will be “This is a super important reading. So, it takes as long as it takes.” In that case, create a time estimate using your best guess for your reading speed. Add some extra time to your estimate as a buffer in case your calculation is a little off. You won’t be sad to finish your reading early, but you’ll struggle if you haven’t given yourself enough time.
For other readings, once we ask how long the text deserves, we will realize based on our other academic commitments and a text’s importance in the course that we can only afford to give a certain amount of time to it. In that case, you want to create a time limit for your reading. Try to come up with a time limit that is appropriate for your reading goal. For instance, let’s say I am working with an academic article. I need to discuss it in class, but I can only afford to give it thirty minutes of time because we’re reading several articles for that class. In this case, I will set an alarm for thirty minutes and spend that time understanding the thesis/hypothesis and looking through the research to look for something I’d like to discuss in class. In this case, I might not read every word of the article, but I will spend my time focusing on the most important parts of the text based on how I need to use it.
If you need additional guidance or support, reach out to the course instructor and the ARC.
If you find yourself struggling through the readings for a course, you can ask the course instructor for guidance. Some ways to ask for help are: “How would you recommend I go about approaching the reading for this course?” or “Is there a way for me to check whether I am getting what I should be out of the readings?”
If you are looking for more tips on how to read effectively and efficiently, book an appointment with an academic coach at the ARC to discuss your specific assignments and how you can best approach them!
Seeing Textbooks in a New Light
Textbooks can be a fantastic supportive resource for your learning. They supplement the learning you’ll do in the classroom and can provide critical context for the material you cover there. In some courses, the textbook may even have been written by the professor to work in harmony with lectures.
There are a variety of ways in which professors use textbooks, so you need to assess critically how and when to read the textbook in each course you take.
Textbooks can provide:
- A fresh voice through which to absorb material. For challenging concepts, they can offer new language and details that might fill in gaps in your understanding.
- The chance to “preview” lecture material, priming your mind for the big ideas you’ll be exposed to in class.
- The chance to review material, making sense of the finer points after class.
- A resource that is accessible any time, whether it’s while you are studying for an exam, writing a paper, or completing a homework assignment.
Textbook reading is similar to and different from other kinds of reading. Some things to keep in mind as you experiment with its use:
Is it best to read the textbook before class or after?
The answer is “both” and “it depends.” In general, reading or at least previewing the assigned textbook material before lecture will help you pay attention in class and pull out the more important information from lecture, which also tends to make note-taking easier. If you read the textbook before class, then a quick review after lecture is useful for solidifying the information in memory, filling in details that you missed, and addressing gaps in your understanding. In addition, reading before and/or after class also depends on the material, your experience level with it, and the style of the text. It’s a good idea to experiment with when works best for you!
Active reading is everything!
Just like other kinds of course reading, it is still important to read with a goal. Focus your reading goals on the particular section of the textbook that you are reading: Why is it important to the course I’m taking? What are the big takeaways? Also take note of any questions you may have that are still unresolved.
Apply the SQ3R method: Start with Survey, Question, and Read.
Reading linearly (left to right and top to bottom) does not always make the most sense. Try to gain a sense of the big ideas within the reading before you start: Survey for structure, ask Questions, and then Read – go back to flesh out the finer points within the most important and detail-rich sections.
Don’t forget to Recite and Review.
Summarizing pushes you to identify the main points of the reading and articulate them succinctly in your own words, making it more likely that you will be able to retrieve this information later. To further strengthen your retrieval abilities, quiz yourself when you are done reading and summarizing. Quizzing yourself allows what you’ve read to enter your memory with more lasting potential, so you’ll be able to recall the information for exams or papers.
Marking Text
Marking text, which often involves making marginal notes, helps with reading comprehension by keeping you focused. It also helps you find important information when reviewing for an exam or preparing to write an essay. The next time you’re reading, write notes in the margins as you go or, if you prefer, make notes on a separate document.
Your marginal notes will vary depending on the type of reading. Some possible areas of focus:
- What themes do you see in the reading that relate to class discussions?
- What themes do you see in the reading that you have seen in other readings?
- What questions does the reading raise in your mind?
- What does the reading make you want to research more?
- Where do you see contradictions within the reading or in relation to other readings for the course?
- Can you connect themes or events to your own experiences?
Your notes don’t have to be long. You can just write two or three words to jog your memory. For example, if you notice that a book has a theme relating to friendship, you can just write, “pp. 52-53 Theme: Friendship.” If you need to remind yourself of the details later in the semester, you can re-read that part of the text more closely.
Reading Workshops
If you are looking for help with developing best practices and using strategies for some of the tips listed above, come to an ARC workshop on reading!