GI      $

8

Learning From Textbooks

Individuals spend a good deal of

time reading throughout their lives.

They read for enjoyment, relax-

ation, or knowledge. As a result,

they often read differently depend-

ing on the purpose for reading. For

example, students do not read a

college textbook the same way

they read popular magazines or

best-sellers. Have you ever watched

people read a magazine? How

often do you see them underlining

or taking notes on what they read?

For the most part, these individu-

als do not care about how much

they remember, because they do

not expect to be tested on the

material. Yet, because of their

interest in the material, they often

remember a great deal of what

they read. College students are

expected to read and remember

material in courses whether or not

they are interested in the content

or believe it has any relevance to

their future occupational goals.

Success in different courses depends

on learning to use effective reading

strategies for a variety of college

textbooks.

Do you enjoy making checks on

“to do” lists after completing read-

ing assignments? The checks tell

you that you completed the assign-

ment, but do not tell you how

much you learned or remembered.

189