125

6

Reading for College Success

126

What you’re doing this very second — reading — is one of the most powerful learning activities you’ll do in college. And you’ll be doing a lot of it. In fact, reading is the second most frequently used form of communication among college students, after listening.¹

Do you wonder why your instructors assign so much reading? Consider this: A central reason you’re in college is to acquire knowledge. In most of your face-to-face classes, you’re in the classroom only a few hours each week, listening to lectures. In online, blended, practical, and discussion-based classes, you spend even less time listening to lectures. By adding reading assignments to the mix, your instructors can cover more material — and that benefits you in the long run. So even if you’re not a huge fan of reading, try to think of it as a great opportunity to strengthen your learning.

Reading will play a critical role in your work life, too. After all, can you think of a job that requires no reading at all — none? It’s not easy to do. Almost every job requires some kind of reading, whether it’s e-mails or invoices, medical charts or memos, recipes or research reports. Sure, different jobs may call for different amounts of reading. But it’s a safe bet that, to excel in the job of your dreams, you’ll have to know how to read, understand what you’ve read, and integrate the knowledge you’ve gained from reading into your work.

In this chapter we examine why reading is so important to your college career. We present a three-step process for getting the most from reading: preparing to read, reading with focus, and reviewing what you’ve read. We also describe strategies for reading effectively in math, science, and online classes, as well as strategies for reading journal articles. In addition, we’ll identify resources that can be helpful if you’re having difficulty reading. The chapter wraps up with tips on how to apply these concepts and practices on the job.

127