How to Read a Textbook
Transcript
I wanted to bring you a new video toady that talks about how to read a textbook.
Let me ask you something first, is your textbook in college easier or harder than your high school college textbook? Your answers is probably, Duh, it's harder.
But let me ask you another question, why are you reading it the same way? I hope you're not and I hope your reading it differently.
If you are reading it the same way, I'm hoping to give you some good tips to make reading your textbooks more effective.
Number 1, you have to have a goal when you are reading. Make sure you know what you are trying to get out of reading.
If you don't know, ask your teacher, What do you want me to know from this chapter. What should I be getting out of this chapter? And use that as your goal.
If you have a text coming up, make sure that you think about what do I need to study, what do I need to know from this chapter for the upcoming test.
Number 2, Have a review, make a review of the chapter or the selection that you are reading. This means that you go through and read those titles, subtitles and bolded words and you make sure you understand what they mean.
Usually at the end of each chapter, there is going to be a glossary of terms and it will sometimes give definitions. If they aren't at the end of the chapter, they might be a the end of the book.
Either way, as you do your preview you are looking for the overall view of what you reading. You want to know what you are reading when you are reading.
It is sort of funny, but it works. Have a goal, and have a preview.
Number 3, have questions you want to answer. Sometimes this comes from you professor, sometime from the end of the chapter, either way, have some questions you want to answers.
If they don't have some, come up with your own questions. What is interesting to you about this chapter? What do you want to know? What do you need to now about the chapter?
Then go and answer them by reading the chapter. I promise your reading will become much more efficient that way.
Lastly, number 4, sum up what you have read in your own works.
This is powerful in helping you remember what you read and it will help you because it is in your own words.
You are used to hearing yourself speak and so when you put it in your own words you will show that you understand ad you will remember it more because it's in your own words.
I hope that these tips have helped you and I hope that your textbook reading goes better from here on out.
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