Unfortunately, college is not all about socializing and having fun. Apparently, there is school work to be done too! Many classes will require you to do a certain amount of reading to prepare you for each class. While some classes expect very little, others may pile on the work. If you are like most college students, you have more than one class that requires your attention so reading can seem a bit overwhelming. Here are a few tips to help you conquer those long dreaded reading assignments.
Step 1: Start early
I know, I know! You have heard this one before. How can I expect you to start early when you have a million other things to worry about?! Finding the time to start the reading assignment really can make or break you. Waiting until the last minute to do all of your work makes you feel like your college life is one big deadline. Starting early will eliminate that stress because you know you still have time to cover what you may not have been able to do today.
Step 2: Break it down
Shorter readings can easily be done in one sitting. If your experience in college is anything similar to mine, very rarely do you get a short reading! Many teachers assign dozens and dozens of pages for you to read and you still need to make time to do your other work. My solution to getting through the tedious reading assignments and to combat the boredom that comes along with it is to break it down. Reading 30 or more pages seems like a daunting task to complete all at one time. 5 pages seems a lot more manageable. Reading five pages in the morning, five pages before lunch, five pages after dinner and five pages during the commercials of your favorite shows etc. gets the work done without you wanting to pull your hair out. Your schedule may not allow you to break it up like that but any time you have some extra time pull out your book and start reading. Shorter amounts of pages can help you focus better and keep your attention on retaining the information you’re supposed to be learning.
Step 3: Use the questions at the end of each section or chapter to direct your reading
For the longest time I thought that the questions at the end of each chapter were for those overly ambitious kids who had way too much time on their hands. Little did I know, they actually made it easier to actually grasp the content. Often times there is so much information to read that you have trouble picking out what is important. I myself have highlighted what seems like an entire page and still couldn’t tell what was relevant. Worse is taking notes feeling as though you are doing nothing more than rewriting the book. Answering the questions the book provides helps you to pick out the valuable information and these questions can even serve as study guides for upcoming tests. Taking notes may still be beneficial but being able to answer the questions provided ensures that you truly grasp the concepts discussed in your reading.