Study Tips — Study Better

Build a Regular Reading Habit

Reading

Reading speed and comprehension improve with regular practice. A consistent daily reading habit develops both over time.

Why this may help

Students who read regularly for any purpose — academic or otherwise — generally develop stronger vocabulary, better comprehension, and greater familiarity with how extended ideas are structured. These benefits transfer to academic reading.

How to use it

Set aside a consistent daily reading period. Even ten minutes is more useful than zero. The habit is more important than the duration, particularly at the beginning.

Step-by-step

1Choose a daily time for reading — the same time each day.
2Start with material at a comfortable level.
3Read for the defined period without interruption.
4Gradually extend the reading period as the habit establishes.

Try this

Read for ten minutes today at a time you can realistically repeat tomorrow.

Common mistake

Starting with very challenging academic texts when the habit itself is not yet established. Begin with accessible material and build.

Easier version

Five minutes of daily reading is a starting point. Habit consistency matters more than session length initially.

When it works best

Useful for all students, but particularly important for those who find reading slower or less enjoyable than other forms of study.

Reflection

Over the past month, how much have you read that was not required for school or college? Does this feel like the right amount?

Preview a Chapter Before Detailed Reading

Reading

Spending two minutes scanning a chapter before reading it changes the experience of reading it from exploration to confirmation.

Why this may help

A preview creates a mental framework that makes the detailed reading more efficient. Knowing the structure of a chapter helps identify main ideas when they appear and reduces the effort of organizing information during reading.

How to use it

Before beginning a chapter, spend two to three minutes scanning: the title, the headings, the summary if there is one, and any figures or diagrams. Then begin reading.

Step-by-step

1Read the chapter title and any introduction or overview.
2Scan all headings and sub-headings.
3Look at any summary points or review questions at the end.
4Look at any diagrams, tables, or figures.
5Begin the chapter with this structure in mind.

Try this

Before reading your next chapter, take two minutes to scan all headings and any end-of-chapter summaries. Then begin reading.

Common mistake

Treating the preview as the reading itself and skipping the detailed read. Preview is preparation, not substitution.

Easier version

If two minutes feels like too much before beginning, simply reading all the headings alone is sufficient as a starting preview.

When it works best

Before reading any unfamiliar textbook chapter, particularly in subjects with dense or technical content.

Reflection

After previewing a chapter's structure before reading, did you find the content easier to follow than chapters you read without preview?

Related: Turn Headings into Questions

Pause After a Section and Summarise It

Reading

Reading without pausing to process what was read is one of the most common causes of finishing a chapter and retaining very little of it.

Why this may help

Brief pauses at natural section breaks allow active processing of what was just read. Without them, new information arrives before earlier information has been retained, and content tends to blur together.

How to use it

At the end of each section — marked by a heading or a natural thematic break — stop reading. In one sentence, state the main point of what was just read without looking back at the text.

Step-by-step

1Read to the end of a section.
2Pause before turning the page or scrolling.
3Say or write one sentence: "The main point of this section is..."
4Check whether this matches the section's content.
5Continue reading.

Try this

In your next reading session, pause at the end of every section and write one summary sentence before continuing.

Common mistake

Pausing at the end of the chapter only, by which point the early sections have faded and the pausing loses most of its value.

Easier version

Pause after every two pages if sections are long. The interval matters more than the alignment with headings.

When it works best

For any extended reading of academic or complex material, in any subject.

Reflection

After reading a chapter with regular pauses and summaries, how does your ability to recall the content compare to reading without pauses?

Related: Create Short Chapter Summaries