How to study using your textbook

Published Nov 19, 2020

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If you use your time effectively and have a study plan in place, finding the time to complete reading assignments shouldn’t be a challenge. The key is learning how to read more efficiently and effectively. Follow the steps below to learn more about the best strategies for studying using your textbooks, but most importantly, absorbing the information they contain.

1. Find a quiet place to read where you can focus. Where you read makes a difference in how productive your reading time is.

2. Survey: Textbook chapters can be long and dense. Instead of just diving in and trying to ingest all the information in one go, take a minute to survey the material.

3. Question: If you’re taking notes as you read your textbooks, formulate questions based on what you learned during the survey step. This makes your reading more active, as you look for answers to your questions in the chapter.

4. Read: Once you’re familiar with what the chapter will cover, it’s time to start reading. Use what you discovered in step 2 to recognise any important terms or concepts.

5. Recite: Recite the information you learned. This is a good time to answer the questions you developed in step 3.

6. Record: Now that you have a strong grasp of what you’ve read, write down the answers to your questions and record any other key points from the chapter to reference later.

7. Review: Make sure you have a strong understanding of what you’ve read. If you feel confused or don’t understand a concept, use the page references you included in your notes to go back and read about that concept.

While your notes should be brief, they should be detailed enough to allow you to refresh your memory of the most important concepts.

Intelligent.com first published these tips.

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