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As we approach midterms, you may be finding yourself drowning in coursework, including mounds of reading assignments. You cannot start writing that all-important essay until you finish reading all required books and articles. You may even have to conduct outside research of your own, which requires even more reading. How does one get all this reading done in time? Read on for my top six most helpful tips on acing your hefty college reading!
Get the Books Ahead of Time!
You can find course booklists before the start of a new semester via the IUP bookstore’s online textbook lookup. If the professor has not added the books yet, reach out to them through email and see if they have decided on what books they will be using. Purchase the books used or use the IUP library to save money. The IUP library has a great interlibrary loan service, so students can obtain materials that are not readily available on the shelves. Most importantly, as soon as you obtain your books, start reading–especially books that you know will be read in full.
Break Reading Into Manageable Chunks
I recently read a book that was close to 1,000 pages long, but two things made it much less daunting: I read it during Christmas break before the semester started, and I broke the reading into manageable chunks. Start reading early if at all possible so you can pace yourself. Rather than trying to read a two-hundred-page book in one day, read fifty pages a day for four days or twenty pages a day for ten days. It also depends on how dense the text is. Some books are really fascinating and quick to read, and others take time and patience to get through.
Prioritize Which Readings Need to Get Done First
When faced with multiple different articles and books, it is helpful to determine which must be read first so you can check them off your list. If you are reading well in advance of a deadline, you have the freedom to pick and choose which book looks most interesting to dive into. Looking at the course schedule is also a great place to start, because that will help you determine which readings should be done first.
Find a “Retention” System That Works for You
Do you find that you retain information better when you annotate, write in margins, underline, or highlight your books? Or do you like to take notes separately in a notebook, Word doc, or app? Online sources can be easily annotated digitally, then you can do a keyword search in the document, including any notes you added. If you choose to read books and articles early, it is important that all of your reading does not go to waste, so you must retain the information in some way. Creating tiny summaries of each text, annotating, and note-taking as you go are great ways to keep the information fresh in your mind. Â
Form a Reading Accountability Group with Friends or Classmates
Make reading a community affair! Rather than reading in isolation, gather some friends and form a reading accountability group. If you are all in the same class, it can be a great space to discuss the same readings, but even if you are all reading different materials, you can still reflect on what you are reading. Set a timer, read for an agreed-upon amount of time, regroup to discuss what you read, and decide if you need to reset the timer again.
Make Time for “Fun” Reading Too
It can be easy to forget to set aside time to read for pleasure, but it is really important not to lose your love for reading while you are drowning in required texts. Even if you just read a few pages of a juicy novel, celebrity memoir, or even fan fiction, don’t let the never-ending required readings rob you of the joy of reading the things you love.
Hopefully, this list has taught you to avoid procrastinating and to read as much as you can early. Work smarter, not harder! As an English major, I can attest that the above tips are valuable and then some.