Study Skills - Reading for Meaning

 
Underlining

There are seven types of information that are commonly found in college textbooks:

1. Definitions of important terms
2. Categories or types of items
3. Methods for doing certain things
4. Sequences in which events occur or happen
5. Causes, or reasons, things are as they are
6. Effects, or results, of actions or events
7. Comparisons or contrasts among items

There are three guidelines to keep in mind when you underline or highlight your textbook:

1. Read a section before you underline or highlight it. Often information that seems important turns out not to be so important after you read the entire section.
2. Do not underline or highlight too much. If you underline everything it is just as useless as underlining nothing. Try to only underline about 15% of the information on any given page or section.
3. Make the major points stand out clearly. You can develop special markings to use on major points so they are set apart from other information.

Many students find that making notes in the margins of their book while reading is very helpful. This is often more convenient than making notes on a separate piece of paper. This method also makes it easier to refer to information in the book while using your notes.

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