Read with a question
College reading is not meant to be read like a novel, front to back at one speed. Before you start, look at the headings, the intro, and the summary, and turn the section titles into questions. Then read to answer them, slowing down for the parts that matter and skimming the parts that do not.
Mark less, think more
Highlighting everything is the same as highlighting nothing. Instead, at the end of each section, write one or two sentences in your own words about what it said and how it connects to the last section. If you cannot, you did not read it — go back.
A note system you will reopen
The system matters less than whether you review it. Cornell notes (a cue column, notes, a summary line) work because they build in the review. Paper is better than a laptop for lecture recall for most people. Leave space to add to notes later.
Notes are a draft, not a record
The value is in what you do after class: within a day, read your notes, fill gaps from the reading, write questions in the margin, and add a three-line summary at the top. Ten minutes now saves an hour at exam time.
Turn notes into recall
Rereading feels productive and mostly is not. Instead, cover your notes and try to reconstruct the section from the cue words; make a few flashcards for facts that must be automatic; explain a concept out loud as if teaching it. Struggling to recall is the part that builds memory.
Get help calibrating
If you are reading for hours and it is not sticking, a study-skills workshop or an academic coach can watch you work and adjust the method — often the fix is small (reading without a question, notes never reviewed) and makes a large difference.
Fictional information
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