Concentrating and Reading

It is often difficult to concentrate during your studies. Here are some techniques that many students have found helpful.
  • Asking Yourself Questions
  • Getting the Most from Your Reading
  • Read the Ideas

Asking Yourself Questions

The key to maintaining focus is to stop periodically and ask yourself questions, such as
  • How does this relate to what I already know?
  • If this is true, what else follows?
  • What else could these facts mean?
  • What assumptions are being made?
  • What's the evidence for this?
  • Can I think of a good example of this?
  • What are the unique points of this?

Getting the Most from Your Reading

  • Check off (with a light pencil mark) each paragraph that you completely understand. If you start to get lost in the reading, you will know exactly where: just after the last check!
  • If a section is too difficult for you, try reading in a whisper. Hearing what we read is like reading it a second time.
  • Similarly, it is good to stop regularly and summarize out loud what you have just read.
  • Try to link new information with the information you already know. Ask yourself, ``How do I already know this?'' You can also ask yourself questions such as the focus questions above. Active linking creates powerful memories.
  • Take a few seconds to visualize what you have just read.
  • Don't forget to jot down key words and concepts. If you read, `rite, and recite (``3R''), you've got a better chance of retaining crucial information.
  • After taking a short break from studying, and before you start up again, take a few minutes to review the information you have just learned. This will give you a sense of progress and motivate you to continue on.

Read the Ideas

When you are reading
  • Stop at the end of each
    • Paragraph
    • Page
    • Main Section
  • Close your book
  • Recall the ideas from memory
  • Recite the ideas out loud in your own words