How many of us have watched youtube videos in 2X the night before our finals? It has become so common to procrastinate all the important things in our lives and try to prepare for exams in a week. But we all know that successful students spend a lot of their time reading the actual textbooks efficiently. So, don’t lose your hopes yet. This article will teach how you can read your textbooks more effectively and faster.
For any student to get their desired grades, textbooks are an essential part. Reading just the notes that you prepare in the class might not be enough to ace your tests. It is especially crucial if you are studying in highschools and want your grades to be useful in the SATs. So, try to use these tips to read textbooks in a fun way:
Concentration is the key to the efficient reading:
Active reading is essential if you are looking forward to joining the Ivy League school. There is no point in going over and over on the same page if you are not soaking in the ideas. There are many ways to keep yourself active throughout the reading session. To read your textbooks more effectively, try to do these things:
- Stay away from your phone or other devices that might cause a disturbance.
- Try to use reading techniques such as Pomodoro, which helps you maximize your concentration.
- If you are okay with it, get coffee to freshen your brain.
- Sip water while you read.
- Keep small but frequent breaks in your reading schedule.
- If you are stuck with some topic, take a break or come back to it in a while.
- Try to make your textbook reading fun by making notes in the form of diagrams.
- Readout loud if you are having trouble concentrating.
So, these are some simple tips that you can consider to make it fun but at the same time read textbooks efficiently. You will end up reading the textbooks faster and more efficiently if you consider these points.
Don’t skip because it seems too difficult:
If you leave a topic altogether just because it feels a little tough, there is a high chance you are going to regret doing that in exams. Reading textbook subjects that are new to you is going to be tough and will not be as fun.
So, if there is anything that you don’t understand, you can discuss the topic with your teachers. Any teacher will be ready to help you in any situation if you ask correctly. In this case, you might not be able to read the textbook fast, but it will be useful.
It doesn’t matter if you read backward:
Reading a textbook is very different from reading a fun novel. In the novel, there is excitement at the end, and you will try not to ruin the suspense by reading the ending first. However, there is no such thing when it comes to textbooks. This gives you a gap to read and understand topics that are easier for you and take time with the ones you find difficult.
Highlight what you are reading:
As a student, you have been in a situation where you regretted not noting something down. So, use that mistake as a learning option and try to take notes and highlight the main points.
It is better to note where that definition is rather than searching for it in the whole book. If you want to prepare for your SAT’s or your finals, you will have to use this tip. Unless we have a remarkable memory, we all forget what we read in a period of time.
So, highlighting will help you come back at any time you want and easily refresh your memory. If you highlight the significant points while you revise, it will be easier for you to find out even during your exams.
Use pens to point where you are reading to read fast and efficiently:
This is another extraordinary technique that I use to read textbooks more quickly. Use a pen and drag it along as you read the lines. This will help you gain momentum. If you want to read faster but efficiently, take the pen more quickly than the speed of your reading.
This will help you increase your pace while reading. You can also use this technique to read other books at a faster speed. Especially as a high school student, you are bombarded with materials to read. So, try to use this technique and see if it works for you as well. There is no harm in trying this.
Summaries are essential to read efficiently:
As you read your textbook, don’t forget the summaries in the book. I would request you to read these summaries before you even read the chapter because it has more points and is written in a much simpler way. This will make you understand what you are getting yourself into. It is essential to know what you are reading before you start it. So, if you want to learn efficiently and try this tip.
Maintain the habit of revising textbooks:
How many times have you tried to remember something in exams, but you just couldn’t? It probably wouldn’t have happened if you had given 30 more mins to revise what you had studied.
Revising might not seem like the most fun thing to do when you complete reading your textbook. But I cannot ignore how important it is to do well in your exams or tests. If you read something spending hours on it but don’t spend some time revisiting what you have learned, more likely you will forget it when you need to remember it the most.
Finally, there are many reasons to learn how to read a textbook properly. It is not only important to prepare for exams, but it will teach you to concentrate better throughout your life. Even when you read other books, you will be able to benefit from the positive impacts of reading books. These tips will also help you complete your assignments on time.
