PHASES IN THE PROCESS OF STUDYING

TAKING NOTES

• Use a notebook with sheets of paper that can be replaced and archived.
• Leave a blank margin for annotations and questions.
• When you start, write the date and the subject.
• Write in a readable handwriting.
• Use proper language.
• Write down the main ideas. Use an abbreviation code (+ for “more”, x for “times”, etc.).
• When you finish, review your questions, ideas, and dates.
• When you get home, review your notes, organize them, and complement them with other books.
• For some students, reviewing notes is a way to fix knowledge, for others it’s a waste of time.

COMPREHENSIVE READING

Description

It’s a slow, deep, reflexive, and thorough reading.

Advantages

• It lets you look into the content of the text.
• It helps you memorize.
• It lets you distinguish main ideas from secondary ones, anecdotes, examples, and therefore create an order of priority.

Applying the technique

This phase is much more effective if it is preceded by the previous two. In some cases, it’s good to do a second reading, depending on the complexity of the text.

Applying these ideas

• Don’t read in a rush.
• Read actively, using all of your critical attention.
• Use marks every time you consider something is important.
• Analyze closely all the illustrations and graphs.
• Check the dictionary and ask questions.
• Focus on the most important ideas.
• Don’t leave anything unnoticed.

Main ideas

• Read the title, subtitles, and sections.
• Pay attention to expressions such as:
  -In other words.
  – Therefore.
  – In short.
  – In conclusion.
  – Finally.
  – Hence…
• Pay attention to italics and bold letters (if there are any). This is how main ideas are often highlighted in texts.
• Look for repeated words.

Observe the graphs, tables, and illustrations.