LPT request: How do I read faster and still retain information?

Submitted by CriticalThaumaturgy t3_11abbxp in LifeProTips

I'm taking a couple of really interesting college courses right now that assign a ton of reading. I'm engaging with the courses and really like them, but I'm an incredibly slow reader and, before this semester, hadn't read a full book in over a year. Even though the classes are really interesting and everything, I'm spending most of my day reading for them and have little free time if I actually want to read for them (which I'm trying to do since I enjoy feeling engaged in school).

Does reading faster come with practice, or is it more natural talent? I.e. if I read more will I begin to read significantly faster, given that until this semester I barely read at all? Alternatively, are there any tips on how to read faster? I've found that I can force myself to read a page much faster than normal, but at the end of it I won't have retained any of its information, which isn't what I want, so how do I improve at this?

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PanSmithe t1_j9qzvic wrote

Consider checking to see if there is an audio version of your textbooks

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Image_Form t1_j9r0l79 wrote

It comes with practice. Listening to audio and quizzing yourself on short, key passages can help too. I’ve had the same problem, but audiobooks help a lot. There are even apps that link to a library account so you can rent audiobooks for free.

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keepthetips t1_j9qyjk4 wrote

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picnass t1_j9r164m wrote

Some people might have other tips, but here's my 2 cents: it's mostly practice. Think of your brain as a muscle. You wouldn't sign up for a semi-marathon and expect to do it just because you signed up. You have to start slow and build up with training. Brain works the same. A more practical tip: take notes, read them out and sum them up in your own words. Your brain deals with TONS of info all the time, it needs to know what to keep and what to throw away. By writing and rehashing it, you are signaling: this is important, I need you to keep it. I'm not helping you gain time, but it really works. (I teach adults, I tell them all the time) And last: SLEEP! A tired brain, just like a muscle, can't perform well. It's not laziness, it's a need. Good luck!

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Crystalraf t1_j9r3c0m wrote

Maybe it does take practice, idk, because I was raised by two teachers, with no cable, no internet, and just a library card. Mom had us reading books very young, a lot, growing up.

But, my sister, who is basically a genius, would speed read. She even said it wasn't working, she'd read a page and then forget what she just read. Reading at a normal pace is better. But, some people can read faster, I imagine, that is everyone has their own normal pace.

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ImNotTheGirlIThought t1_j9srlsq wrote

Read on paper (not digital) and highlight selectively as you go. Forcing yourself to find the important part of each paragraph will keep you focussed.

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