Reading Assignments: Crash Course Study Skills

Thomas Frank discusses effective study skills, focusing on reading assignments. He explains how to prioritize readings, debunks speed reading myths, and offers tips to improve reading speed and comprehension. Techniques like active reading and the SQ3R method are highlighted to enhance retention and understanding.

What is the main reason you don't need to do all the assigned readings?

• All readings are equally important.

• Time is limited and some readings overlap with lectures.

• Reading everything makes you smarter than Jimmy Neutron.

• Teachers expect you to read everything.

What is the primary factor that limits how fast we can read?

• Our working memory constraints.

• The length of the text.

• The density of cones in our eyes.

• The number of books available.

Which technique is suggested for reading books that don't require full comprehension?

• Speed reading.

• Pseudo-skimming.

• Highlighting every sentence.

• Reading aloud.

What is a common pitfall of highlighting too much text?

• It takes too much time.

• It improves memory retention.

• It leads to mistaking recognition for recall.

• It makes the book look messy.

What does the Morse Code method involve?

• Writing summaries in the margins.

• Highlighting every important sentence.

• Reading in a rhythmic pattern.

• Using dots and dashes to mark important ideas and examples.

What is the purpose of the SQ3R method?

• To make reading more enjoyable.

• To memorize every detail.

• To enhance active reading and retention.

• To speed up reading.

Which of the following is NOT a part of the SQ3R method?

• Highlight

• Survey

• Question

• Recite