Reading

Anyone engaged in academic study is expected to spend a great deal of time reading. As soon as you were accepted onto your course, you were probably sent a reading list - which may have appeared impossibly long.

The prospect of having to read so much may be daunting and overwhelming, and may be compounded by the fact that you are unused to the style of language used by academic authors. If you are unfamiliar with some of the key terms and concepts, your reading speed will be much slower than normal.

However, there are ways to overcome any initial problems which you may face. If you get into the habit of applying the most effective strategy, you will find that you are much more likely to improve your reading efficiency.

Above all, remember that the person who succeeds is the person who perseveres. The more you practise reading 'difficult' texts, the easier it will gradually become and the more confidence and enjoyment you will gain as a result.

This section offers practical advice in relation to improving your reading skills. It provides examples of some effective strategies which will enable you to read with a greater sense of purpose and will help you to deal with the sheer volume of text you will be expected to get through over the course of your studies.