Q&A for How to Understand the Book You Are Reading

Slow down and take the time to look up vocabulary you don't understand. If there's a term or concept that's not clearly explained, try to dive deeper and figure out what exactly is being referenced and why. These context clues and ideas can help you get a more full picture of what's going on.

If you're having trouble remembering what you are reading, it may be helpful to self-check your knowledge of the book as you read. Try giving yourself a brief, honest quiz (it can be in your head!) after each chapter or after every few chapters. Can you effectively summarize what you just read? If so, good! If not, maybe you need to refresh by re-reading some of it.

For purposes of research, I would highly recommend you take notes and highlight important sections of your reading. Identify important quotes and bits of information, save it, and make sure you copy down any information necessary to cite it if writing a research paper.

Make a reading schedule well ahead of time. Budget in lots of time for sleep, and balance your reading between classes and reading materials. Spend an equal amount of time reading what's on your docket, and take really good notes while you read.

You will want to decide ahead of time what you are analyzing for. For example, if you are reading a piece of historical fiction, you may choose to analyze how an important historical event impacts the story. Then, as you read, write down anything which is relevant to your analysis. It might help to organize by the characters' names or what part of the book the scene occurs in. Be sure to write down page numbers so you can look back later and re-read for a better understanding.

Stop after every page or two and summarize what you've just read, either to yourself, or out loud to a friend.

Don't strain your eyes. Make sure you're not hungry. Read for 15 to 30 minutes, then do something you love for the same amount of time. You could also imagine the book as a movie.

It is usually not recommended to study in bed. First of all, unless you are studying something very exciting, you may find it difficult to concentrate and may just fall asleep! Second of all, your brain may begin associating bed with studying instead of relaxing, and you may start having trouble falling asleep at night. If you have nowhere else to study, make sure you're at least sitting up in bed while studying.

You CAN but that doesn't mean you will. If you're reading about a topic that is already familiar to you, it's probably safe to read through it quickly. If it's about something you don't know as well, it's better to read slowly and pause frequently to make sure you are understanding everything.

Take notes, or/and make sure you are very focused while you read and you will not forget.

Yes, but this does not help for everybody.

Take notes or put in sticky notes while you are reading. That way, you can go back to the point and find out what it was that you deemed important.

Make sure you are getting enough sleep, to begin with. Also, invent a game to make less-exciting material interesting.

It depends. Some people are more awake and alert in the morning, so they would probably enjoy reading earlier in the day. Others prefer to wind down with a book at night. You should try both and see which you prefer.

It always comes down to a matter of motivation. What's more important to you: acquiring knowledge or sleeping and playing? Ultimately, you will follow your priorities.

It depends on if you are comprehending it or not as you are reading, and on what the subject matter is. Make sure to take notes as you read to help you comprehend easier. Post it notes work well for taking and leaving notes throughout a book. If it is a simple book and you are comprehending it well it should take you only a day or two to read and understand it.

That probably happens because you're not very interested in what you're reading. Try reminding yourself of the benefit(s) you'll enjoy from absorbing what you read. (If you don't expect to benefit in any way, you're probably wasting your time.)

See Get Good Grades in Math and related articles.

Usually, context clues will either explain the word, give another word that is similar or the information following will give you an idea what it might be used for.

Restart after taking a break from the book. It can be hard to continue reading if you are retaining only some information or you just can't commit. Taking a break then really committing to reading the book, by setting a date you will have it done or how much you want to read every night can be helpful.