Reading & Annotating Texts — Marking Your Text

While most professors use at least one textbook, each has a different way of making that book a part of the course. The way you read and respond to your text needs to reflect the prof’s expectations for your engagement with the material.

For texts tied closely to the lecture

This is a good opportunity to use the Parallel note-taking system. By comparing your textbook notes with what you have learned about this material in the lectures, you can take advantage of shared material and see what your professor thinks is important enough to focus on.
If your professor expects a thorough reading before material is covered in class, make that part of your time management plan. If not, it may be better to do your survey work (including the first round of questions you have about the material) before you go to class, then to read deeply after you see what the professor is focusing on.
No matter when you do it, be sure that you are somehow reformatting your notes into study materials of some sort (e.g., 3×5’s for terms), and regularly working on them.

For texts supplemental to the lecture

Unless the professor specifically recommends otherwise, wait until after the lecture to do your thorough reading, so you know where to focus your attention.
Do a good job surveying and questioning before you walk into class, so you can be part of any class discussion and have questions on difficult concepts ready.
No matter when you read, be sure that you are somehow reformatting your notes into study materials of some sort (e.g., 3×5’s for terms), and regularly working on them.
As you’d expect, the suggestions outlined in the SQ4R process will work best with well-organized, student-friendly textbooks.

For not-so-friendly textbooks

Do what you can to survey the unfriendly text, and be patient if the questions sound more like “where is this going?” than “what do I know about this?”
Chunking is critical for this type of reading, so if it isn’t already broken down into manageable sections, take the time to create some during your survey. If there are headings, it may be useful to make an outline of the chapter that you can refer to as you read. It also can give you an opportunity to see at a glance where you’re going, and where you’ve been.
If it’s just too tough a slog, consider talking with the professor or TA about other books that cover the same content. For most courses, you also can find books in the library that take different approaches. This won’t excuse you from reading the text, but it can serve as a translator when you’re bogged down.
If a study guide is available for this material, this can be very helpful in understanding the basic concepts, as well as providing practice questions.