It’s easy to get overwhelmed looking at all the required and recommended readings that you have for your studies, not to mention the research you have to do for your upcoming assignments. It can be hard to read effectively when you have so much to do.
We recommend trying this technique:
- Scan: Preview the headings and subheadings within the text. Ask yourself: How long is this? Is there an abstract that will summarise the text? Which parts are going to be the most useful to me?
- Skim: Briefly read through the relevant sections to get a sense of the main ideas in the text.
- Key: Take note of the relevant and key sections, such as the results or conclusions.
- Full: Read the full item thoroughly from start to finish and take careful notes.
In addition to reading effectively, you will also need to think critically when reading and studying.
Critical thinking involves seven steps:
- Analyse and interpret the question
- Immerse yourself in the topic
- Ask questions
- Make links
- Understand the different perspectives
- Understand the theoretical frameworks
- Develop a position and arguments to support it.
Check out some of our upcoming workshops like Introduction to Researching or watch these videos for Tips for Reading Textbook Chapters and tips for improving your critical thinking skills.
