Studying at London Metropolitan University

Studying at university requires a lot of reading.  Most lecturers will provide you with a module reading list.  You will not have time to read everything, nor will you be expected to; but make sure you read the essential texts (also known as core reading).  

In order to read actively and effectively you need to know why you are reading.  Are you looking for an overview of a new topic?  To understand tricky concepts, debates and theories?  To use information in your assignments?  Different goals may require different approaches.

Active reading helps you: develop your ideas, add new ideas and information to the knowledge you already have, and discover new ways of thinking about a topic. 

Reading at university is complex and demanding and you may at times feel overwhelmed by the amount of reading you will have to do.  It helps if you take control of your reading by being an active and critical reader.  

Set your reading in context

• What do I know?
• What do I want/need to know?
• What are the learning outcomes?  What is the assignment question?  Use keywords in these to help focus your reading.

Overview the text

• Look at the title, author and date of publication. 
  • Note the published date; for some areas current research is more relevant.
• Read the forward/ introductory chapter to gain an understanding of the author's purpose, perspective and approach.  
  • If it's a journal, read the abstract.
• Check the contents and index for relevant sections and pages.
• Think, go back to your context- is this relevant and useful?  
• All this will help you to determine whether the article or book will be useful  to you for your coursework, dissertation or project.

Skim read

• Skim read parts that are not useful.
• Focus on headings and subheadings.
• Read introductory paragraphs- find out what is covered in the chapter.
• Read concluding paragraphs.

Re-read

• Now read the relevant sections in depth.
• Ensure you have grasped the key concepts and themes.
• For journal articles, read the results and discussion - look for the key issues and findings.
• Don't overwhelm yourself, read in small chunks- you don't need to read the whole book cover to cover in one go!

Question and make notes

• What are the main themes?  What is the evidence? How does it fit with my assignment?
• Make notes: it improves your reading comprehension and helps you remember the key points.  
  • If it's your own book, make notes in the margin and annotate the text. 
  • If you are reading a text online you can often sign in to make notes and annotations.  
• Note down any words you don't understand- make your own dictionary.
• Always record anything you are reading- take down the title, author, date of publication, publisher, place of publication, any direct quotes with page numbers.  You may want to use a referencing management software like Zotero to help you with this.  
  • If you prefer to use paper, consider using index cards to note down these details.
  • Include key themes from the book and why you found it useful.
• See the section on notemaking.

Review and reflect

• What conclusions can be drawn from your reading?  What is the evidence?  What are the major findings?
• What is your opinion on what you have read?  Do you agree/disagree with the author?
• Are there any limitations/flaws with the information presented?
• Have you found what you are looking for?
• What else do you need to read? Are there any relevant topics you haven't covered in your reading?

When you are reading documents online there are all sorts of useful tools and apps that can help.  This may include things like read aloud functions, changing background and text colours, and using zoom.  

Immersive Reader- for webpages 

Immersive Reader can be used within Microsoft Edge web browser.  It allows you to get rid of any clutter on a webpage (adverts!) and focus only on the words. It provides a read aloud option.  You can also change the font, spacing and background to suit your reading preferences.  Use Immersive Reader in Microsoft Edge

Similarly if you use Firefox, there is Reader View and for Chrome there is Reading mode.

Immersive Reader- in Microsoft Word

You can also use Immersive Reader to customize how word documents appear while you read and edit. Immersive Reader provides options to listen to the text read aloud or adjust how text appears by modifying spacing, color and more.

Use Immersive Reader in Word - Microsoft Support

Listen to your Word documents

There are many reasons to listen to a document, such as proofreading, multitasking, or increased comprehension and learning.  This guide offer multiple options for turning text into speech.

Listen to your Word documents - Microsoft Support

Get Tech Go guides

At London Met Uni, the Disabilities and Dyslexia Service (DDS) have some great factsheets covering using technology to make text easier to read. 

Reading is a great way to relax and unwind.  It's important to take some breaks from reading academic texts and enjoy reading simply for enjoyment and inspiration.

Reading in your own time can help to enhance your vocabulary and writing style, and studies have shown a relationship between reading and improved academic performance.

There is a growing body of evidence (opens as PDF) which illustrates the importance of reading for pleasure for both educational purposes as well as personal development including mental wellbeing.

Library Services has a collection of general interest (fiction and non-fiction) books called Reading for Pleasure and Wellbeing. The collections can be found in both the Aldgate and Holloway Road libraries and can be borrowed for three weeks.