How to Understand a Difficult Reading Assignment

At some point in your life you've been required to read something that wasn't easy or exciting. The fact of the matter is, though, that the reading has to get done, and it has to be understood. Whether it's for work or school, these three tips will help you get the job done quickly and efficiently and look smart in front of the teacher or boss the next day.

1. Read the introduction

It seems like it should be obvious, but many people skip the introductions to readings. It's a shame, because the most valuable information can often be found in the introduction or author's note. Many times, a reading may have more than one possible viewpoint. Understanding why the author wrote something or what his intentions were will color your reading--in a good way. Synthesizing a piece of information is only good if you synthesize it in the right way. If you spend your time reading a piece and miss the author's point, you may as well have not read it at all.

Even more important than an author's note is the introduction. This may have been placed at the beginning of a reading by the editor or another influential person. The introduction is not there simply to take up space. Rather, it's a vital piece of information. The introduction helps bind the reading together with other similar pieces and gives the necessary background information. Reading Samuel Taylor Coleridge's "Kubla Kahn" without knowing the author's background story makes the reading nearly useless. To catch the full meaning of the work, one must know and understand Coleridge's life. The editor of any good work will give you the necessary clues before the piece. It is your job to read them.

2. Write on the pages

When we were children, we all got in trouble at some point or another for writing in books. It happened to me, and I'm certain it happened to you. Because of those instances, many of us are afraid to write in or on our readings. That is a terrible thing! Taking notes in the margins of your readings is one of the best ways to understand it. Underline important words and phrases and ask yourself questions in the margins. Mark important characters with asterisks or exclamation marks. Draw a large question mark in the margin or around a word you don't understand. When you need to back to the reading later, you can use the notes you left yourself to better understand your final view of the work. If you use the reading in your meeting or class period, you can bring up any questions you may have had and be able to cite the text directly. Never be afraid to ask questions--if you have them, it's nearly guaranteed that someone else them as well.

In addition to writing and underlining in a text, you may want to consider using highlighters. For some courses, I would develop a highlighter system. I would highlight important facts in yellow, important characters in blue and important phrases or sayings in pink. Any grammatical technique that I noticed the author using would be in green. While the system may seem complicated on the surface, it is in fact quite easy to implement. The great thing about the system is that you can skim pages quickly to find the information you need. Let your eye be drawn to the colors rather than the words and you'll quickly gather what is vital.

3. Rewrite the material

When I suggest rewriting the material, I don't mean sitting down and writing the current issue of U.S. News and World Report in longhand. What I mean, rather, is to paraphrase the material you are reading. If you stop every few paragraphs or pages and summarize what the author has said, you will be much more likely to remember what you've read and, more importantly, what you think the author meant. By writing down the highlights of a piece you encourage yourself to remember it. Even recalling something one time creates an additional imprint on your brain.

If you really want to reinforce your reading, try writing a summary without the material in front of you. By removing the temptation to simply rewrite, you are forcing yourself to analyze and disseminate the material. You will remember what was most important about what you read and eliminate from your mind the minute details.

By following these three easy tips, you will quickly improve your reading comprehension. Instead of trying to skim the material quickly before a meeting or class in hopes of remembering something, you'll be able to waltz in completely calm and prepared! Enjoy your new status as the one who has it all together and never worry again about forgetting what you've read!