Page 180 - Keys to College Success

Annotate your text. If the book is yours, write directly on it. If using an ebook, use
the “insert comments” feature. Annotations boost memory and help you study. Con-
sider these tips:
■ Use pencil so you can erase questions answered later.
■ Write your Q-questions in the margins next to text headings.
■ Circle main ideas and underline supporting details.
■ Mark critical sections with marginal notations such as “e.g.” for a helpful example.
■ Write notes at the bottom of the page connecting the text to what you learned in
class or in research. You can also attach adhesive notes with your comments.
■ Circle the topic sentence in a paragraph to focus on the most important information. A statement describing the
TOPIC SENTENCE
Key 6.5 shows an annotated page from an introduction to business textbook. main idea of a paragraph.

Consider learning preferences. Explore the Multiple Intelligence Strategies for
Reading on p. 145.

Highlight your text. Although highlighting does not equal learning, it helps you
identify concepts and information that are important to learn. Use these tips to make
it work:

■ Develop a system and stick to it. Decide how you will highlight different elements
such as important ideas or long passages (overmarking vs. bracketing, using dif-
ferent colors, and so on). With ebooks, use the highlighting function.
■ Consider using a pencil or pen instead of, or in addition to, a highlighter pen. The
copy may be cleaner and easier to follow.
■ Mark text carefully if you are using a rented book or a book to be re-sold. Use
pencil and erase your marks at the end of the course. Write on sticky notes. Make
copies of important chapters or sections and mark up the pages.
■ Avoid overmarking. Underlining or highlighting everything makes it impossible to
tell what’s important. Read an entire paragraph before deciding which ideas and
details are important to highlight. If you decide that a whole passage is important
to call out, try marking it with brackets.

Yes, annotating your textbook carries the risk that you will not be able to sell it
back. However, students who interact with material stand to gain greater depth of
learning than those who don’t. If you aim to learn, the reward of annotating your text
is worth the financial risk.

Step 4: Recite
Once you finish reading a section of text, recite answers to the questions you raised in
the Q stage—say them aloud, silently speak them to yourself, “teach” them to someone,
or write them in note form. The action of speaking or writing anchors material in your
brain. This is the second R in SQ3R. Repeat the question-read-recite cycle until you
complete the chapter you are reading.
Writing is often the most effective way to learn new material. Write responses to
your Q-stage questions and use your own words to explain new concepts. Save your
writing as a study tool for review. Writing also gives you immediate feedback. When
your writing agrees with the material you are studying, you know the information.
When it doesn’t, you still need work.
Keep your learning preferences in mind when exploring strategies. For example, an
intrapersonal learner may prefer writing, while an interpersonal learner may recite Reading, Research, and Writing
answers aloud to a classmate. A logical-mathematical learner may benefit from organiz-
ing material into charts, while a musical learner might want to chant information to
a rhythm.

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