How is reading at university different to reading for pleasure? How do you decide what to read? What are some strategies for reading at university? Work through this tutorial for answers to these questions and more.
Use your Library Reading List as a starting pointt and select relevant sources rather than trying to read every title – especially if the list of recommended resources is long.
Read regularly as you are going along, a little bit at a time rather than leaving all your reading until the last minute.
Remember text books are not like fiction books, you do not have to read them from beginning to end. Pick the useful sections or chapters.
Use skimming and scanning to gain an overview of texts and choose what to read in more depth.
Record important information that you may need later such as page numbers or quotes/ideas that interest you.
Make critical notes as you read and review them later following up on any action points or questions from your notes.
Ask for help from your Liaison Librarians or Study Skills Advisers.
Assignment Focus
Choose relevant titles from your Library Reading List and identify the most useful chapters to focus your reading.
Think about what sources of information would be best for your assignment
Allow plenty of time to find sources beyond your reading list. Use Library Search and check your Subject Guide.