Page 174 - Keys to College Success

Your syllabi will help define reading purposes.
For example, if a syllabus shows that inflation is the
topic of your next economics class lecture, read the
assigned chapter with that focus in mind: mastering
the definition of inflation, evaluating its causes, and
so on.

Choose When and Where
You Read

When and where you study has a significant effect
on your success. Drawing on your self-knowledge,
choose the following.
Your best locations. Find settings that distract
you least: in your room, at a library, outdoors, in an
empty classroom, whatever works. Your schedule
may inform your choices. For example, if you need
to study primarily at night, you may be restricted to You may be more able to concentrate in some locations than in others. Try
safe spaces such as your room or a well-traveled many, at different times of day, and see what works best for you. This
library; if you commute, mass transit may be your student enjoys reading in her room in the daytime.
best study spot. Evaluate how effectively you focus.
If you get distracted at a particular location, try
somewhere different.
Your best times. Pay attention to your body’s natural rhythms, and try to read when
you tend to be most alert and focused. For example, night owls tend to be productive
when everyone else is sleeping, but morning people may have a hard time reading late
at night. The times you choose depend on what your schedule allows.

Manage Heavy Workloads

College reading piles up fast. When you have a pile of diverse assignments including a
world history textbook chapter, an original study on sleep deprivation, and three chap-
ters of a novel, how do you get to it all (and actually retain information)? Here are
some strategies that will help:
■ Set priorities. Consult your syllabi. When are your reading assignments due? Which
are the most challenging? Prioritize first by time, reading assignments in the order
that they are due. Then, if more than one assignment is due on the same day, pri-
oritize the longer or more complex assignments over other lighter ones.

KEY 6.1 Establish why you are reading a given piece of material.

PURPOSE GOAL OFTEN USED WHEN READING . . .
1. To understand Read to comprehend concepts and details, and to explain them in your Any college textbook
own words. Concepts provide a framework for details and details help
explain or support general concepts.

2. To evaluate Read to develop a level of understanding that goes beyond recall. Primary sources such as journal articles,
analytically Examine causes and effects, evaluate ideas, and test arguments and opinion essays, and studies
assumptions (see pages 146–147 for more on this topic). Reading, Research, and Writing

3. For practical Read to find information to help reach a specific goal or perform a Lab manuals or explanations of math
application particular action. operations

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