Summer is in a few days and if you’re anything like me, you’ve been thinking about the beach, great vacation spots to visit, new restaurants/coffee shops to try, or the time that will be spent with family and friends. Summer tends to be a season where we want to be on vacation. Yet, we find ourselves in the beginning of session B and perhaps you are wondering, “How in the world am I going to manage all the planning, traveling, working, and reading among other things?” Let me share with you a few tips from the PPR method, to help you focus and take advantage of the time you have for reading the textbooks.


PRR: Preview, Read and Recall

Tip #1 - Preview

Before reading the entire chapter(s); take a few moments to survey the titles, subcategories and any charts or pictures. This will help you to focus on the actual content when you beginning reading.

Tip #2 - Read

Once you have previewed the content, practice “active reading” by reading the paragraph as a whole and not focusing line by line on each sentence. Resist the temptation to write notes as you go but rather wait to finish the train of thought the paragraph is aiming to convey. After you do this you can highlight phrases or jot down notes that stand out. This will not only increase but also maximize your reading time and help you to retain the information better.

Tip #3 - Recall

After you read, recall any notes that you took while reading and double check to see if any questions you had while reading went unanswered. If you find that you are flying by with ease on the chapter; try writing a quick paragraph summary of the chapter.

May the peace of God be with you as you begin this next session!

References:

- Oregon State University

- Cornell College

- The University of Texas

- Virginia Tech University