Being able to read and read effectively is two different tasks at hand. Reading effectively is something that must be learned over time. It is not something that can be learned over night. Learning how to read effectively is something that is vital to be able to learn and absorb material. Something that I would give advice on is a topic such as, how to study material and maintain that material too. The advice that I wish I had be given, is that when trying to read a textbook to study, a student needs to take each paragraph step-by-step, to dissect the text and to understand the text.
Trying to read a textbook to study can be an ominous task for a student to do. It can be tiring and time consuming, and it can be something not all students have time to sit down and do every night. So, that is why it is important to have tips on how to go about reading and studying from a textbook. One tip that I would give on how to take notes and study from a textbook, is compare the facts and topics in the textbook to the notes in the material that a professor or teacher gives a student, and highlight those topics specifically in the textbook so that a student knows what to read and focus on. When a student goes back to review for a test and looks in their textbook for a specific note or fact they will know where to find it, because they took the time to mark what facts were needed for studying. An article called, “Tips for Effective Reading“ suggests that any prior knowledge of a topic you are reading about, and linking new material with your past experience will help you read more effectively, which is from the UNSW Sydney school website in an article called, “Tips for Effective Reading”. This article backs up how it is important to tie prior material from a professor to new material or different material in a textbook. Material is important whether it is from a professor’s lecture, or from a student looking up information in a textbook, but it I always important to remember to tie it all together for thorough understanding.
Another tip that is important for a student studying from a textbook is how to take effective notes to study from later. It is important for a student to date their notes, so that they know what date they took them and so they are able to plan out their reading. It is also important for a student to rephrase what they learn, so that they can study in a manner that they will retain the information, and in a way that makes since to them. If a student does not understand what they have taken notes on, their own notes will not be helpful to them later. Everyone learns different, so a student needs to know how to write material down in a way that they can comprehend the material. An article called, “Tooling and Studying: Effective Reading and Note-Taking,” says, “Paraphrasing instead of writing verbatim – writing in your own words, except for formulas, definitions, and specific facts (i.e. involving dates), which should be recorded exactly as in the text,” which is from the school MIT’S website. This shows how writing material in a person’s own words is important to study in an effective way.
Another tip I would make is that it is important for a student to read and study with a purpose. If a student goes into studying from a textbook without knowing what to study, they will sit there debating on what to study for hours. It is always important to have a goal set and to meet that goal, and to also achieve that goal. Students do not have much time in the day to waste, so it is important for the student to have their mind set on what is important in the material. The article “Tips for Effective Reading” says, “Successful study at uni is often about meeting competing demands and deadlines, so you need to get the most out of your reading in the limited time available. Before you begin, make sure you have identified a) the purpose for doing the reading and b) what you need to achieve”.
There are many important tips when it comes to reading in an effective manner, but is important to learn what works for a person individually. The same tips will not always work for different people. It is important to study and try out different tips for effective reading. Studying is something that must be learned and taught over time. Learning how to do it effectively is important, especially from a textbook. This is some tips that I would suggest for students, and that I wish I had during high school to help me.