Text heavy courses, how to succeed in them?

[Beanie]

I'm an accounting major so the majority of my semester consists of numbers and excel sheets and what not. But I love taking psychology, sociology, and political science and courses like that for my electives! However, I notice that I am actually not all that efficient when it comes to opening a textbook and reading a buncha facts. I have interest in the class don't get me wrong, but sometimes looking at a chapter can be so overwhelming because there's just "so much". Reading is no problem, but I really want it to stick! If anyone has any advice I would love to try it out!

I usually take notes on Word as I read but can be time consuming and hard to tie/map things together.

 

[Superpenguin]

Get comfortable while you are reading. I can't read a text book without lying down on my bed. If it's your own book, write in it a ton to take your notes! It keeps your eyes on your book and away from any other distractions. If it's not your book, take notes with paper or pencil or use sticky-notes to place into the book.

If your book has problems/questions in it, answer them.

Doing these things help things that I read stick into my head, hopefully they can help you as well.

 

[Scribbler397]

Superpenguin is right. Sticky notes are magic, because you can add you notes to them and have them right on the page along with the text without damaging your book or its resale value. I love them. The cheapest way to buy them is to buy the store brand in staples. You can get like 20 sticky note pads for $5. Way cheaper than post its.

 

[Beanie]

I've thought about sticky but I also can't live with what a waste it is You use it, stick it, throw it u_u

 

[Hirisa]

Sociology and anthropology are my two main areas of study, and here's what has been working for me.

Most of the textbooks I've read have a summary at the end of each chapter. I start by reading the summary, then I note any definitions in the margins in a separate notebook, taking notes as I read. I read over my notes, and then I read the chapter at hand. Those minutes of preparation allow me to more fully grasp what I'm reading without the distraction of looking things up as I go. And, I limit reading dense textbooks to 20 minutes at a time, taking 10 minute breaks after each reading session. I also review my notes twice a day- once in the morning, and once more before I go to bed.

If what we're reading isn't a textbook, I still follow the 20 minute rule, and take notes as I go, again reviewing those notes twice a day, which takes all of 10 minutes. I find that my ability to retain information improved once I stopped force-reading for hours, and started reading in small, focused bursts.

 

[Superpenguin]

I've thought about sticky but I also can't live with what a waste it is You use it, stick it, throw it u_u

That's sort of what ink is to a printer, only it costs a lot more. If you can get notes to stick by typing them, then you should continue that. I just never understood how people were able to do that, especially switching from the book to computer.

 

[ben_nyc]

I've thought about sticky but I also can't live with what a waste it is You use it, stick it, throw it u_u

Ohhh, Beanie... you're hopeless! Haha, just kidding!


Use colored tabs then; they won't deface the textbook for resale & w/ their neon colors, they'll effectively bookmark the pages worth reviewing.

If you intend to keep these textbooks, then highlight key passages. Highlighting+ tabs are a winning combination!

Super mentioned being comfortable- careful here. Too comfortable & we both know what's next: a drool mark & ZzzzZZZzzzzz...

Because I dislike the weight of textbooks, I'll spend an afternoon scanning chapters & read them on my laptop & or print them out for portability.

IMO, writing & typing relevant information bolsters your memory. For each chapter that's req. reading I created an OUTLINE. Print this out & add class notes & other worthy details from the textbook- build & continue to revise & reprint this Outline. This will be your answer sheet for exams!

Best of luck, Beanie! =)

 

[Superpenguin]

Oh, also, if you hand-write your notes. You can then type them up afterward. This is a tip my teachers always say that is goo for remembering what you read. As you're typing, you'll most likely think of other important things that you forgot to write down as well.

 

[Bacon Boy]

Ever heard of Cornell notes? They're not for everyone, and despite me hating them, they helped me pass most of my classes with flying colors. Also, try to read through and think of the main idea of every paragraph (or every section with a different title) and include in it, the bolded terms (if there are any).

 

[Midoriya]

I'm an accounting major so the majority of my semester consists of numbers and excel sheets and what not. But I love taking psychology, sociology, and political science and courses like that for my electives! However, I notice that I am actually not all that efficient when it comes to opening a textbook and reading a buncha facts. I have interest in the class don't get me wrong, but sometimes looking at a chapter can be so overwhelming because there's just "so much". Reading is no problem, but I really want it to stick! If anyone has any advice I would love to try it out!

I usually take notes on Word as I read but can be time consuming and hard to tie/map things together.

I think you answered your own question. If you don't absolutely HAVE to use a textbook to study, then think outside of the box and try acting out what you're reading. There's different types of learners. Visual, Listening, Acting, etc. Just find your own method of learning and that will pave the way for a lifetime of strategies in the classes you take.

 

[Pidjiken]

I've thought about sticky but I also can't live with what a waste it is You use it, stick it, throw it u_u

Recycle. No waste

 

[SockHead]

Hell no. I get way too distracted when I read, so most of the words go straight through my head. If I really like the subject though, I pay close attention. It's kinda weird.

 

[Beanie]

I think you answered your own question. If you don't absolutely HAVE to use a textbook to study, then think outside of the box and try acting out what you're reading. There's different types of learners. Visual, Listening, Acting, etc. Just find your own method of learning and that will pave the way for a lifetime of strategies in the classes you take.

I am not sure if a month and a half of a single elective course would help me find my studying method for life :S But I already knew that people don't learn the same. I am just curious what people do and see if it's something I might be able to pick up.

Hell no. I get way too distracted when I read, so most of the words go straight through my head. If I really like the subject though, I pay close attention. It's kinda weird.

Yeah that's kind of like me Kind of depends on the prof too. Some of them are really hard to listen to.

 

[Team]

Hey Beanie! I'm in the master's program for accounting in my uni and courses like audit are very text heavy. I just skim and highlight. xD I must've read over 1000 pages per course each semester of textbook lol.

 

[Hazy]

I'm an accounting major so the majority of my semester consists of numbers and excel sheets and what not. But I love taking psychology, sociology, and political science and courses like that for my electives! However, I notice that I am actually not all that efficient when it comes to opening a textbook and reading a buncha facts. I have interest in the class don't get me wrong, but sometimes looking at a chapter can be so overwhelming because there's just "so much". Reading is no problem, but I really want it to stick! If anyone has any advice I would love to try it out!

I usually take notes on Word as I read but can be time consuming and hard to tie/map things together.

I'm studying sociology and the reading is very heavy going! If there's a lot, I might break it down into small sections and read little and often. Also I was advised to read chapters twice, which might take longer but really helps it sink in: First I do a skim-read and don't make any notes, to get the gist of it. Then I read it more carefully and make notes, putting the material into my own words (bullet points, not full sentences), and underline or highlight key points. And I look up definitions of any key words and add them to a glossary. Hope this helps!

 

[Kaiaa]

If it's a long chapter, don't intend to read it all at once. Break up your reading/note taking into several sessions, that way you don't feel over burdened. When you come back to your next reading section, see if you can remember what the previous session was trying to teach you. If you can't remember, you should skim back over those pages or re-read them before continuing. It sounds like a bit of work but doing it this way allows you to get up, stretch, do whatever it is you do, then come back to see if any of it sunk in. I find this the best way for me to study because I get restless sitting or laying in one place for too long.

If you are the worksheet kind of person, see if you textbook offers a companion booklet that comes with study sheets/practice quizzes. I had a psychology book with one and it was so helpful. I passed that class with flying colors. The booklets usually cover the main facts from the chapter so they are a good way to study when you are studying for your quiz/test, however, they tend to leave out the "fluff" which still might be on your test.

If the textbook doesn't offer a companion booklet, they usually have mini quizzes at the end of the chapter. Read over them and see if you can answer them.

 

[sheepyton]

I'm huge on color coding everything. Same color folder and highlighter for each class. It's all in association for me. You can also get little sticky tabs to put in your books. I find flashcards help me a fair bit as well.

One thing that I learned very quickly in college is the 90/30 rule. Your brain can only process new information at peak capacity for about an hour and a half; after which point the learning process slows down. Usually what I'll do is do studying (maybe 30-60 minutes of reading, 30 minutes working with note cards, or whatever other methods of study you use), then take a half hour break. You'll find it's way more productive. I've also heard people talk about the effectiveness of eating a certain candy during study as well as a test, or (again, color coordination) painting their nails a particular color or using a certain color pen when studying to help with memory, but I haven't tried that myself.

As for reading and actually internalizing your information, pick a clean, quiet, clutter-free space. I also take notes on my tablet for class, but instead of reading them, I tend to re-write them by hand. I'll then go back and read, tracing each line with my finger (and, if I'm alone, reading aloud). This reinforces kinetics, visual and aural learning. Most people have one of these three that work best (I'm a musician, so aural tends to work best for me), but coupling it with another method of memorization also helps.

Good luck with your accounting class!