Introduction

At university you will be expected to read widely as part of your academic study.  As you begin to study at university, academic reading may appear difficult and unwieldy, especially when compared with other kinds of reading that you might enjoy (e.g. magazines, novels, etc.).  You may find yourself reading and re-reading texts in order to decipher their meaning.  This is partly due to the dense nature of the material and the fact that so many ideas are packed into the text.  It is not therefore unusual to have to read and re-read academic texts.  

John Locke (1632-1704), the English philosopher said that ‘Reading furnishes our minds only with materials of knowledge; it is our thinking that makes what we read ours.’  It is you, the reader, who makes sense of what you read.  There are a lot of useful approaches and techniques that you can develop to help you make the most of your reading. By thinking carefully, reading critically and staying active and focused while you read you will be in a better position to decipher the meanings in the text and thereby make the best of your time.

At university you will be expected to read widely as part of your academic study. As you begin to study at university, academic reading may appear difficult and unwieldy, especially when compared with other kinds of reading that you might enjoy (e.g. magazines, novels, etc.). You may find yourself reading and re-reading texts in order to decipher their meaning. This is partly due to the dense nature of the material and the fact that so many ideas are packed into the text. It is not therefore unusual to have to read and re-read academic texts.

The importance of reading cannot be emphasised enough. Its purpose is to deepen, expand and complement your understanding of the concepts and ideas introduced during lectures, seminars, labs, activities, etc. Furthermore, reading and writing are inextricably linked: reading is usually a starting point in the process of writing an essay or an assignment. As an effective reader you are also in a better position to read, critique and edit your own written work.

It is important to try to link the meaning you make when reading with your learning from other activities e.g. your lecture notes, handouts, laboratory work, experiments, field work, and other text readings such as paintings, films, events, etc. You could use your reflective learning journal to make connections between all these activities and in this way deepen and synthesise your learning experiences.(See unit, ‘Reflective learning: keeping a reflective learning journal’).