Whether we like it or not, reading is a must in university. Luckily, there are better methods for tackling readings. Here are some tips to help you become a reading superstar!

I’ll be the first to admit that academic reading is not my favourite. In fact, I rarely did all my readings until my fourth year of undergrad. And let me tell you, I easily could have achieved a higher GPA if I developed better habits in first-year. Alas, I’ve lived and learned. Most importantly, I realized that avoiding readings would not fly during my master’s degree. Did I mention there’s a lot of reading in grad school? Like, a lot, a lot.

You see, postgraduate programs are usually pretty small, so you can’t really hide behind other students or avoid contributing to the discussion at some point during your classes. Therefore, reading is a must. However, whether you’re in undergrad or postgrad, if you’re at the right school and in the right program for you, the readings should be time-consuming more than they feel tedious and unbearable.

So how do you stay on top of weekly readings? Honestly, I don’t have it fully figured out, but here are the tips I picked up:

Mentally prepare 

Most things we do in life is a brain game and reading is no different. Therefore, it’s important to prepare your mind before you even start. Tell yourself that you are going to read various texts from journal articles, books, and web pages for a few hours. When you know what to expect, you won’t feel as overwhelmed. You can also mentally prepare yourself the night before you plan to do your assigned readings. That way, you will wake up the next morning (hopefully) focused and on a mission to be as productive as possible.

Change up your setting 

Sitting at a desk for six hours can work sometimes, but other times, it’s nice to get some fresh air and take your textbooks elsewhere. I once had to read over 140 pages of a book in one week and knew my apartment wouldn’t cut it. As a result, I opted for a change in scenery. I read in the park and spent some time tackling readings at Starbucks. I even read at an outdoor event to enjoy the weather, have some social interaction (or at least be around other humans), and confront pages upon pages of academic theory. Moving from your standard reading area can expose you to new sights and sounds that can help minimize the less amusing task of tackling readings.

Take notes in your own way

Take notes in whichever way works for you. I like to write in a notebook and use abbreviations I know I will understand. Some like to type their notes and add them to their lecture notes. Other students may print out the readings and highlight or underline key points. There are many potentially effective techniques! Find one that helps you retain the information and understand the concepts, then stick with it.

Make a schedule

Try to plan your week and exercise good time management by creating a reading schedule. This can be done by creating milestones that break up the readings into more manageable portions. For example, if you have three chapters to read, try reading a chapter on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Then work on other coursework and readings on the remaining days. On the other hand, you may be like me and want to dedicate an entire day to knocking off all or the majority of your readings on your day off. Either way, decide which day(s) will allow you to complete most of your readings. Then, create a simple schedule for yourself that will help you stay focused and feel good about accomplishing a major task on your to-do list.

Have snacks (and everything else) on hand

Once you’ve committed to a block of time for reading, make sure you have everything you need to make that time productive. This includes water, a notebook, a Spotify playlist, and, of course, snacks. You want to ensure that you’re not getting up every minute and disrupting the flow you seek to create. That said, you probably want to leave your phone out of arm’s reach, or use an app like Forest to encourage you to stay focused.

Try to understand the main points

Because readings can be heavy, you may want to rush through them instead of truly comprehending them. Make the effort to slow down, repeat a line if you don’t understand it, and ensure you have internalized what the author is saying. You may even google the author to understand their background and perspective (it’s more work, I knowww but it can help!).

Don’t stress if you don’t understand everything

Every course will have readings with incomprehensible concepts and theories written by some old guy from the Xth century. Read as thoroughly as possible and try to understand as much as you can. But don’t sweat it if there’s a topic that you just can’t seem to wrap your head around. Chances are your classmates are facing similar struggles, so ask clarifying questions during the next lecture.

Discuss readings with classmates 

Talk to your colleagues and friends about the readings. Discuss what you liked or didn’t like, and what you understood or had trouble with. They may reveal some points you didn’t consider or help you view a concept or idea in a new light. They will also complain with you about how much it sucks to read academic work all the time (this part should probably be discussed outside of class). 

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Tackling readings isn’t the most exciting part of school but it does help you understand new ideas, consider different fields of thought, and provide some basis for your potential research project or thesis. It’s a necessary evil—that really isn’t that evil and can be pretty interesting and enlightening. The best thing to do is embrace it. Try a couple of strategies, find one that works for you, and you’ll be on your way to becoming a reading superstar!

Check out Textbook Zombie: Reading To Retain vs. Reading For The Gist for more tips on tackling readings effectively.