Academic reading requires a different approach than the 'novel-reading' approach many of us are habituated to.
If you want to get the maximum value out of your academic readings, consider following these:
1. Planning:
Try and judge the aim and scope of the text in hand. Come up with a rough plan as to how you are going to cover it. Plan your time management. Plan how long it'll take.
2. First reading must be detailed:
There is no other way. The first reading must be thorough and detailed. Annotate. Come up with personal annotations if necessary.
Throw away your highlighter and use a pencil/pen. Try to emulate suitable conditions for distributed cognition to happen.
Use the margin for conversing with the author. Ask questions. Wrestle with text. Give counter-arguments.
3. Re-read/Revise:
When you find a text interesting enough, go through it for the second time. Make a summary. Note bullet points and key takeaways. Make mindmaps.
4. Compare and Contrast:
Compare the takeaways with the texts you have read earlier. Contrast the author's arguments with dominant trends and deviations. Analyse what you just read.
If you want to get the maximum value out of your academic readings, consider following these:
1. Planning:
Try and judge the aim and scope of the text in hand. Come up with a rough plan as to how you are going to cover it. Plan your time management. Plan how long it'll take.
2. First reading must be detailed:
There is no other way. The first reading must be thorough and detailed. Annotate. Come up with personal annotations if necessary.
Throw away your highlighter and use a pencil/pen. Try to emulate suitable conditions for distributed cognition to happen.
Use the margin for conversing with the author. Ask questions. Wrestle with text. Give counter-arguments.
3. Re-read/Revise:
When you find a text interesting enough, go through it for the second time. Make a summary. Note bullet points and key takeaways. Make mindmaps.
4. Compare and Contrast:
Compare the takeaways with the texts you have read earlier. Contrast the author's arguments with dominant trends and deviations. Analyse what you just read.