When reading material for college, it is important to
Reading comprehension, simply stated, is the ability to recognize, understand, and retain written text. It plays a vital role in academic performance and professional success. Research studies consistently show that students with strong reading comprehension skills outperform their peers in the classroom and beyond by wide margins. Show
In college, reading comprehension provides the foundation for academic study and learning, and your instructors often assume proficiency. Whether it’s learning new terms for your anatomy and physiology class, studying assigned texts for an English course, or preparing for a big exam, reading comprehension is your key to success. You’ll rely on those skills once you launch your healthcare career too as you read and analyze patient charts, memos, and other important documents. If you feel your reading comprehension needs to be strengthened, we’ve got you covered. This guide discusses some common challenges, details concrete tips and strategies, and provides resources for improving and brushing up on your reading comprehension before you begin your college coursework. Common Obstacles in College Level Reading ComprehensionThe reading assignments you’ll face in college differ significantly from the reading you likely do in your everyday life. Reading research journals and college textbooks, for example, involves more academic language and complex concepts than reading social media posts, news feeds, or your favorite novel. College reading requires more focus, attention, and engagement for prolonged periods than does the reading most people do every day. But what does this mean practically? And how can you prepare? Learn more about the challenges involved in college-level reading and how to approach them below What are some of the main challenges college students face with reading comprehension?A Large Variety of Topics and Shifts in Writing Styles Shifting among different styles, from technical medical terminology to abstract philosophical ideas, for example, is an acquired skill. College-level reading requires navigating these shifts with ease and facility and then applying what you read to your other coursework. Though adapting to various academic writing styles can be challenging, it is not impossible with the right initiative. Learning to tackle a variety of topics and shifts in writing styles increases your chances of academic success. Heavy Reading Load Reading a large volume of material at a faster rate means you may have less time to process the information before moving on to the next assignment. Developing a sound process and utilizing effective time management skills will help you rise to the occasion with less stress and anxiety. Planning ahead is essential, especially if heavy reading isn’t yet your strong suit. Lack of Motivation Reading about topics or issues you care about is easy. In college, though, you’ll have to read and reflect upon material you may not find particularly interesting. Staying focused on a topic outside of your interest areas is difficult, especially when the reading is heavier and more complex. Consider reframing the situation and seeing it as an opportunity to expand your horizons and deepen your reading, analysis, and comprehension skills. Age of Publication and Older Vernacular In college, you’ll likely encounter dated texts and historical or even ancient documents. Fully understanding the intended meaning and significance in these cases is difficult, and the content may take time to parse out. Reading older publications is an opportunity to learn from the past and comparing these texts to those more recently written often gives new perspective and insight to the material being studied. Take these opportunities in stride by looking for modern application and connection, which your instructors will likely guide you toward. English as a Second Language Navigating reading comprehension in a language you aren’t familiar with is even more challenging. This added complication not only takes more time but also more mental capacity. If English isn’t your first language, moving between different topics and detecting dramatic shifts in writing tone or style can be especially difficult. ESL students need to set aside more time to work through the texts and seek out additional assistance. Tips to Improve Reading ComprehensionThere are several strategies you can use to enhance reading comprehension in college. These involve specific reading practices but also include preparing yourself for reading and ensuring you retain the information. Creating the right environment, considering how you interact with the text, and looking at how you process the information after you read it will all help you improve your reading comprehension. Whatever your individual struggle, know that you can improve by finding the right approach, usually made up of a combination of strategies and skills. Below are some of the most effective strategies for developing habits that can help you improve your reading comprehension. Find the Right Environment Multitasking doesn’t work well in general but especially when it comes to deep reading, the kind you’re likely to encounter in college coursework. Eliminating distractions starts with finding the right setting. Consider the type of environment that supports your learning and complete your reading-related tasks there as often as possible. Finding the right environment not only eliminates distractions but also creates a familiar atmosphere that is more comfortable for reading and learning. Overview of the Text Understanding key points and their significance is much easier if you do a quick overview of a text before diving into deep reading. Skimming a text before studying its content in detail gives a sense of structure and tells you what to expect in terms of content. Attention to these elements up front helps focus your close reading later because you already know what to expect and are essentially filling in an outline you created while previewing. You’ll likely also save time and effort in the long run by increasing your familiarity with the text and reducing extra time spent searching for information. Break Reading Into Sections Some texts are organized in individual sections or sub-sections by the author. These headings can help guide your reading in a more focused way. If a text doesn’t have them, consider doing this work yourself. When you overview the text, identify natural breaks or transitions and create individual sections on your own as if you’re making an outline. Then, tackle each section one at a time. Breaking reading into sections makes the task more manageable and easier to digest. Highlight Important Information Highlighting helps keep track of the content and gives an easy way to find the main points when you return to study it later. The key is identifying the most important information. If you highlight too much, then nothing stands out. Focus on key terms, data, or definitions and consider isolating one or two key sentences for each paragraph. Highlighting main ideas and keywords and phrases helps you work smarter, not harder. Interact With the Text Taking notes while you read texts not only improves comprehension and retention, it also gives you a handy cheat sheet when studying for exams and other assignments. It’s especially useful to note key terms or definitions and document any reflective questions that stem from your reading. If you encounter a word you don’t fully understand, look it up and write down the definition. This builds your vocabulary and gives you a better understanding of what you read. Reread Confusing Sections Especially confusing material requires extra time and effort to fully understand, which may mean multiple readings. As you read, keep track of the sections that don’t make sense initially and flag them for follow-up. Returning to these difficult portions later by rereading them, looking up confusing words, and maybe even reading the sections out loud to help you take your time with them. Rereading confusing sections until you better grasp them will help expand your understanding and deepen your reading comprehension. Review, Summarize and Discuss Once you’ve worked through the text in its entirety, take a break before reviewing your notes and highlights. As you review, summarize main points and paraphrase key insights to encourage deeper comprehension and lasting retention. Discussing the content and your notes can also help. Study groups are especially helpful in cementing the information you take in from reading. Practice The more you read, especially when you read challenging texts, the more you deepen and enhance your reading comprehension abilities. Work on your comprehension skills by reading widely and often to improve your capacity for information retention. Practicing deep reading before you enter college puts you in a better position to not only thrive in school but also to succeed professionally after Ask for Help Most colleges and universities have student centers focused on academic success. Seek out these resources for assistance with reading comprehension. Schools usually provide information on these centers through their main student services hub, and some even offer virtual resources in addition to on-campus help. If you think you have an issue like ADHD or a learning disability that prevents you from improving your reading comprehension, talk to a doctor. Check out these resource guides for students with ADHD or Learning Disabilities. Specific Techniques and SkillsYou can improve your competency even more by going beyond the more general approaches discussed above and adopting specific reading comprehension techniques and skills. Learning best practices for summarizing and paraphrasing along with discovering skills like textual annotation and speed reading can significantly bolster your reading ability. Some of the more popular and effective strategies for developing specific reading comprehension techniques and skills are discussed below. Adding one or more of these to an already solid set of skills, such as the ones detailed above, can increase your reading efficiency and help you tackle your college-level reading more effectively.
More Tools and ResourcesLooking to delve a bit deeper into some of the strategies and reading techniques discussed in this guide? Below are additional tools to help improve your comprehension skills and deepen your overall reading experience. These tools and resources include guides and instructional videos, tips for reading medical texts, information on speed reading and efficient time management, and diagrams that visual learners will find helpful. You’ll also discover ways to enhance information retention, find reading advice specific to students in healthcare, and learn how to build your vocabulary, create a comprehension mindset, and boost your memory. Some resources even include games to help you improve your reading comprehension skills.
Why is reading important in college?Reading will also strengthen your memory retention skills which are critical for you as a college student. It can also enhance your analytical thinking because you need to think about what you're reading and evaluate it. The more you read, the better you're likely to express yourself when you write.
How can you best prepare to read for college?Here are some active reading strategies and tools you can use to bolster your reading for college.. Find Your Reading Corner. ... . Preview the Text. ... . Use Smart Starting Strategies. ... . Highlight or Annotate the Text. ... . Take Notes on Main Points. ... . Write Questions as You Read. ... . Look Up Words You Don't Know. ... . Make Connections.. What reading skills should a college student have?9 Ways to Improve Your College Reading Skills. Choose the best place to read. ... . Preview the material before reading. ... . Mark key words and concepts. ... . Build your vocabulary. ... . Reference any questions you have while reading. ... . Take notes. ... . Paraphrase what you've read. ... . Review your notes.. What is the main importance of reading?Reading gets your mind working across different areas. For starters, it involves comprehension to process the words you read. Beyond that, you can use your analytical abilities, stimulate memories, and even broaden your imagination by reading words off a page.
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