Page 1081 - Wordsmith A Guide to College Writing

each major section takes relatively little time and makes

comprehension easier.
3. Pay attention to new vocabulary. Part of learning any field is

becoming familiar with its jargon. Chapter glossaries, if they are

included, are a shortcut toward understanding all the key terms.

A dictionary, including online dictionaries such as

dictionary.com, is also indispensable.
4. Read with highlighter and pen in hand. If you purchase

rather than rent your textbook, it is yours to mark and highlight

as you wish. Highlight key terms and important concepts. Write

questions in the margins. Make the book a true study tool. If

you use an e-textbook, take advantage of features that may let

you highlight or copy and paste to a document for quick study.
5. Know what’s most important. Main and major ideas are likely

to appear at the beginning and end of a section. People’s

names are almost always important, as those people are likely

to be major contributors to the field.

6. Pay attention to signal words and phrases. Words such as
“also” and “in addition” say, “Here comes more information of

the same kind.” Words like “but” and “although” say, “Here

comes something different.” Close attention to change-of-

direction signals will help you sort out similarities and

differences in the material you read.