I dont understand when reading a full text book,HELP!?

Question

I'm 18 and in college now,i'm good with reading but i dont really understand of what im reading.Especially when reading a long text like a very thick book or phrases and etc. I'm phobia of looking at thick book with full of words.

How can i overcome this problem of mine? because im concerned that later on in my following semester there would be a lot more of a reading and theory to read through.

Help!

Answer 1

I would suggest reading Sparknotes (if it's available for that text) and THEN reading the actual text. The text will make alot more sense when you already know the general gist of what's supposed to be going on. In time, you'll be able to make more sense of the text without Sparknotes.  

Answer 2

This sounds like a typical reading comprehension issue, where individual words are read but because so much effort has to be invested in reading the words, too little effort is left over to put the words read into understanding what they are saying.

So you need to move beyond just reading and recognizing the words, and that takes practice, practice, practice.  For one thing, realize that no one reads an entire college text book at one sitting and comprehends it.  People read parts of it at a time, let the meaning sink in, and continue.

So practice "catching" the meaning of what you are reading.  Monitor yourself and as soon as you know you have lost the gist of what you are reading, stop and go back and "catch" it, then press on.  Eventually, you will be able to grasp the meaning of your reading in larger sections.  Good luck.

Answer 3

Try reading aloud or reading to someone else

Read re-read smaller sections

Read aloud into a tape recorder and then play it back

Answer 4

Don't be afraid. Just pace yourself - don't start reading something expecting to understand absolutely everything. If the text is complicated you can read it over again. A second reading of the complicated parts can sometimes clarify things. If you're still having problems there are always dictionaries to aid you with complex words/ideas.

Answer 5

Have you had your eyes checked?  I found, after having problems in college, that I should have been wearing bifocals because although I could see clearly, my astimatism was causing eye strain when I tried to read for periods of time and absorb material.

  There are how to study books around, but you can do what the Notes books do yourself.  Look at the table of contents to see what organization has been imposed on the book by the editors and author.

Apply the same methods as much as you can by using paragraph headings when supplied.  While reading, at the end of each chapter, make a short note of the content - with fiction what happened, with factual the topics covered.