How to Absorb Textbooks
Don't read the textbook like a novel, this is not an effective approach.
A method by Matt DiMaio for remembering information from a textbook.
- Flip through the pages of the chapter and looking at the pictures, graphs, and headings to get a sense of the chapter's structure.
- Look at the end of the chapter to see if there is a quiz and read the questions in the quiz before reading the chapter. This helps the reader know what information the author thinks is important and what to look for while reading the book.
- Read the bold print, which contains titles, subtitles, and topic headings, to get an idea of how the information is organized.
- Then read the first and last sentence of each paragraph for a quick overview before reading the entire chapter.
- Finally, after this quick exposure, your brain is set up for what is coming. Now, for the comprehension read the chapter and take notes.
This approach is less work than cramming for a test. This is called the reticular activating system and this is what you want to activate before you read the chapter.
Repetition is the mother of learning.