NCFM Study Skills Guide

• If you don’t do so already, read the quality newspapers and jot down the key points in an article. Practise writing only a few key words, rather than writing in sentences or copying.
• Read books that challenge you, on subjects that inspire or interest you.
• Have a go at reading faster than you usually would, to see if you can still grasp the gist of what is written.
• Do background reading for your course. Find something very general or basic to read for each subject area. This will provide an overview that you can add detail to later.

To get more out of your reading session, it's worth asking yourself how you deal with the following aspects:

• Selecting the most relevant passages
• Settling down to reading
• Making sense of the material
• Staying focused and getting through the text
• Drawing on sources appropriately in your assignments: synthesis of information

Each component poses its own challenges.

"Being present – more mindful – in your reading can make you aware of your readiness to take on information."

Reading mindfully | Skills for Study

Part 1 - Reading - Why?

Part 2 - How to Read

Consolidate your knowledge base | Skills for Study

Knowledge gaps can develop quickly – through missing a class, skipping a chapter that turns out to be important, or being distracted during lectures.

Such gaps make it a struggle to understand new material and identify links between topics.

This saps confidence in your subject expertise, weakens assignments and reduces choice in exams.

By contrast, a good knowledge base helps you to see more connections so you grasp new material faster.

This enhances the quality of your work, reduces the time it takes to learn material, and boosts your confidence and grades.