READING
TIPS FOR ENGLISH LITERATURE
Not
surprisingly, a literature class is all about reading. Yes, you should show
up to class, pay attention, and take notes, but what really matters is that
you know the material you're studying. The only way to do that is to read the
assigned texts, so the following tips are all about reading.
- Do the
Readings before class. It's very tempting to wait until the professor
has discussed a piece before tackling it, but this strategy only results
in your missing half the points being made in class. You'd be wasting your
time and may lose interest, stop listening, and eventually stop showing
up to class altogether. This usually leads to not doing the reading either.
- Using
the course description as a guideline, focus your reading on specific aspects
of the texts such as narration, genre, etc. In other words, don't just
read casually. Read with a specific goal in mind. This will force you to
pay attention to what you're reading. Also, it'll give you ideas for that
dreaded upcoming essay: brainstorm as you read.
- Write
down your thoughts about the text as you are reading.
No point in brainstorming if you have no way to refer back to your brilliant
ideas. Also, it's mighty useful for when you're looking for a quotation
to prove your point. Is there anything more annoying than sifting through
200 pages for a single sentence that may or may not exist? Writing down
your thoughts as you read allows you to avoid this problem.
- Do not
be afraid to abuse your book.
Take notes in the margin, turn down pages, underline relevant passages,
etc. However, don't highlight. If you highlight the wrong thing, you can't
erase it. You're then stuck with a distracting highlighted segment with
no real relevance. That half-hour you later spend trying to figure out why
that passage is important is time lost on your upcoming essay.
- Divide
up your reading time. Don't read until your head explodes. No head,
no credits. It's in the Concordia academic rulebook. More importantly, reading
too much at a time will exhaust you. Be strategic about the way you dispense
your energy. Make every minute of studying count by making sure you are
well rested and up to the challenge.
- Most importantly,
enjoy your reading.
Reading is demanding, but don't turn it into a chore by focusing solely
on grades, assignments, and pleasing your professor. YouÕll only succeed
in making the course unbearable. If a text is particularly difficult, you
can focus on a general sense of accomplishment or establish a reward system:
give yourself a treat for every 25 pages you go through for example. Also,
you presumably took a literature course because you enjoy literature. Never
lose sight of that.
Handout written
by Dimitri A.C. Ly
Student Learning
Services, Concordia University