If one is not a quick reader, it is hard to imagine it being an easy thing to face when a syllabus says one has to read fifty pages a week for a class. That said, however, it might need to be done, and students do pay a lot of money for their books, so here are a serious of suggestions on how to make the most of the expensive book, the assignment, and efficiency to get the job done.
Surveying a Textbook Chapter
Just as starting a draft of an essay by writing the introduction first is an ineffective approach for most writers, jumping into the first page of a chapter of reading is not the best first step to do. Before one starts reading, it is best to have an idea what the roadmap or path is for a given chapter. The best way to achieve clarity on this or obtain that information is to survey the chapter first. Read the subject headers, look at what words are defined, and what graphics are included. This lays the foundation from which one can build.
Taking a Textbook Chapter in Parts
Fifty pages all at once seems overwhelming. Quite frankly, sometimes, depending on the subject and the manner of delivery, it is hard to focus on even five pages. The key is not to overwhelm oneself. Break a chapter down into smaller chunks of material to read. After each section, quiz with some questions and see if it is possible to summarize the passage in one's own words. If not, then either the cleaving of the chapter still left the student with too much content to focus on, or it is time for a break or some time with a tutor for that course.
This technique works because the more one tries to force his or her way through something, the more resistant the mind becomes to retaining any of it. This is the same reason why cramming the night before an exam tends not to work well. One can remember the first page of notes or text, the last page maybe, and very little of the middle. Stress takes over and wipes a lot of the material out. Likewise, the mind likes to wander too. Reading smaller passages helps reduce anxiety and improves retention of material into a longer-term recall memory.
Avoid Notetaking and Highlighting With First Read of Textbook
The main fault with taking notes and highlighting in the first read-through of anything, no matter how big or small the text at hand, is this requires multitasking at a high level. First, one must read to understand the terms, at a second level the concept, at the third tier, the context of the paragraph, and a student is expecting to simultaneously sift the most important phrase or concept to write down or highlight? This is not effective to squeeze altogether. Either one has highlighting and underlining of too much text for it to be useful, or else, the student cannot recall anything read and has to go back, and read it all over again!
To make better use, plan on one read-through without taking notes until one is at least finished with a passage. This way, the first read is just to understand. The second is to sort out and prioritize and to start questioning concepts and comprehension.
Make Use of Tables, Graphics, and Chapter Reviews
Part of what likely makes textbooks so expensive, in the sciences in particular, are all the graphics and extra features. One pays for them, so it makes the most sense to use them. Many students learn best with visuals, so the book brings a way of learning the material other than by auditory or hands-on practices. The main thing is this material is still possible exam material and helps with review. The chapter summaries and review questions are great for the nights leading up to exams rather than having to read or reread those fifty pages in full. The summaries help pick out the smaller passages a student may need to further study.
In closing, here are some ways to make the assigned textbook readings something college students can do more quickly and with a higher level of long-term efficiency. Breaking it down into smaller sections and avoiding simultaneous notetaking are the biggest things to keep in mind when aspiring to become a better textbook reader.
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