Reading…Helping You Help Yourself

The backstory.

I don’t know how many times someone has asked me for help.  I am always happy to help!  The first thing I ask is “what’s up?”  What usually follows is an innocent enough question.

So what could possibly be wrong with that?  Not a thing.  So, I begin my usual troubleshooting processes…  Inevitably, I ask if the person read everything required to do their assignment.

“Um…”  At that moment, I know.  In not so many words, there has been a failure to prepare.

“I skimmed through it.”  “I read most of it.”  “I didn’t even look at the chapter.”

To put it mildly, the stuff to read was kind of important.   Why?  Because it was helping you get ready for your assignment.

In order to get yourself in the best place possible to finish your assignment: read.  That’s it.  There is no way around it.

Being ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder), I totally get it.  I tend to get in a hurry.  I get bored.  In the end, I am a mess.  BUT!  There is hope!

There is help…

Sit down with your book.  Look at it.  It is simply an object with information that you need.  Even if you only read a few pages at a time, do it.

Create blocks of time to read.  Don’t try and cram it in as much as you can.  Give yourself a time limit.  Maybe 15 minutes.  Then take a break.  Do something fun or requiring energy.

After a while, get back to it.  In this way you can read more and take it in.  Plus, if you do a little every day, then you are less likely to get buried.

If you can, try and set a weekly schedule so that you have a usual time that you spend reading.  It can help get your mind into it and get you past the rough spots.

Beware!  Don’t just read it and forget it.  After that, use it.  If you don’t use it, you are more likely to forget it.  You can use the reading by writing a quick note about what you just read, or you can practice it.

Whichever way you do it, reading can only help you.  There is also the added bonus of having that extra help while doing your assignments.

In conclusion, you would be amazed how many assignments you can nail if only you read.  If you find that you have problems remembering what you read, there is help…

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