Page 172 - Keys to College Success

Reading, Research,

and Writing

HOW CAN YOU DEVELOP DEEP UNDERSTANDING?

What Would You Risk? Mary Haynes

THINK ABOUT THIS SITUATION AS YOU READ, AND CONSIDER WHAT ACTION YOU WOULD TAKE.
THIS CHAPTER FOCUSES ON HOW TO UNDERSTAND AND ANALYZE WHAT YOU READ, BE AN
INFORMATION LITERATE RESEARCHER, AND KNOW WHAT COLLEGE WRITING DEMANDS.

A communication major from a politically active family, The brother had lost his spleen in
Mary Haynes thrived on the Stanford University social a childhood accident, and when he
and academic scenes, heading up campus organizations, contracted chicken pox as a freshman,
serving as a resident assistant, and routinely challenging his body could not fight off the illness
professors on racial and socioeconomic issues. and he died. Months later, the boyfriend’s
In college, Mary was a bookworm and a high- achieving father died of a massive heart attack.
student. She loved learning and research, spending count- These deaths shattered both him and Mary.
less hours in the “stacks.” However, she was less success- “I wanted to understand more about what was going
ful when it came to writing papers. She preferred to talk on for him,” Mary says, “when this opportunity came up in
about information rather than organize her thoughts on sociology class.” Assigned to research the sociological
paper. As she recalls, “I loved the learning and figured the aspects of grief and write a paper on it, her desire to know
professor already knew the information, so why couldn’t more bumped up against her lack of experience as a writer.
we just discuss?” She gathered more research than needed and found it
Early in her college career, Mary encountered a greater tough to risk letting her thoughts out onto paper. Now she
challenge: coping with tragedy. She was dating a Stanford had both emotional and academic hurdles to overcome.
upperclassman who had a younger brother at Cal-Berkeley. To be continued . . .

EXPRESSING LITERACY
IN THE WRITTEN FORM
DEMANDS WELL-HONED
SKILLS IN READING,
RESEARCHING, AND
ORGANIZING THOUGHTS
AND EMOTIONS. WRITING
ABOUT A SUBJECT MAT- Working through this chapter will help you to:
TER THAT IS INTENSELY
PERSONAL CAN HELP • Improve reading comprehension P. 136
THOSE SKILLS EVOLVE. • Effectively highlight and annotate your reading P. 143
YOU’LL LEARN MORE
ABOUT MARY, AND THE • Use targeted reading strategies P. 145
REWARD RESULTING • Evaluate reading materials critically P. 146
FROM HER ACTIONS, • Use a library search strategy P. 153
WITHIN THE CHAPTER.
• Search for and evaluate online materials P. 154
• Evaluate sources for credibility, accuracy, reasonableness,
and support P. 155
• Know the basics of effective writing P. 156