Mark Your Books!

WHY?

You COMPREHEND better: 

Ø      You DECIDE what is important, how ideas are related…a process which teaches you to read analytically. 

Ø      You TEST your understanding by putting ideas into your own words. 

Ø      You CONCENTRATE better because you read actively rather than passively.

You create an effective REVIEW tool:

Use markings to trigger RECALL:  before a test, glance at your notes to see how much you can remember. 

Annotate your book AFTER you have read part of it.  Only after reading can you decide what’s important.  Mark after reading a few paragraphs if the material is dense with detail you must know, or after a section or a chapter, as you judge best. 

WHEN?

HOW?

ACTIVELY:  use your margins to SUMMARIZE key ideas in a few words, OUTLINE a passage, write COMMENTS to yourself.  Make connections with lectures, other readings…get involved!

ECONOMICALLY:  underline as little as possible.  Make your markings concise indexes to content.  Underline key PHRASES (subjects, verbs, etc.) and occasionally whole sentences if needed.  As a guide, ask yourself, “What will this page look like a month from now, when I’m reviewing it for a test?”

CONSISTENTLY:  be sure that you LOCATE ALL significant IDEAS, details, etc.  Enumerating them helps to remember.  Use various marks—brackets, circles, etc.—consistently (for instance, you may choose to circle all new terms). 

UI Tutoring and Academic Assistance Programs: 885-6307

Thanks to Student Advising and Learning Center at Washington State University