Making the transition to college from high school can be a major shock. The price of a textbook alone is baffling, plus you are expected to actually read them. Everyone’s high school experience is different, but if you’re like me and never had to touch your textbook in high school, this new change seems daunting. Don’t worry — you can study smart and totally conquer this! Here are some steps to take.
1. Read your syllabus
Don’t freak out when you don’t have to. Most professors will assign reading and not actually cover an entire textbook. Break up your reading into as many days as you can so you’re not cramming a whole chapter in one night. Professors will correlate lectures to chapters you read in your book so even if you don’t finish reading in time, you can go back and perhaps just read in-depth the stuff your teacher didn’t mention in class.
2. Annotate
Keeping a highlighter nearby helps me study later on. Pick out key words and definitions you think might pop up on a test and it will make studying later on a whole lot easier. If you’re renting your book or want to sell it back later, post-it notes are a good go-to as well.
3. Skimming
It is not important to read a textbook like you would a novel. Don’t spend more time than you have to! Most textbooks bold important words and phrases, so focus your attention that way.
4. Use your book as a supplement to your lectures
Again, if it’s covered in class, read over the section to make sure you understand, but don’t spend your time there. If you see something in your book that was part of a lecture, though, it’s a good sign it will be on the test.