May 29, 2019, by Alina
Keeping on top of your reading list
As exam season draws to an end, you’ve probably had a few of those ‘why didn’t I start reading this earlier‘ thoughts – haven’t we all! I’ve put together a few tips to make sure that when you come back refreshed and tanned from your summer break, you avoid getting yourself stuck in another reading hole in the middle of exam season!
Use excel to plan
Excel can be an absolute life saver! At the start of the term, put together a nicely coloured plan which shows you how many things you have to read for each module. If they’re varied in lengths then it’s worth making a note of the length, too! (That way you won’t accidentally give yourself the same amount of time to read an article and a short novel…)
Be realistic
Reading can get ever so tedious – we’ve all been there! Put together a schedule which you can follow throughout the week – I always recommend doing weekly goals and targets, rather than daily ones, because it gives you some leeway if you’re feeling a bit under the weather one day! Try not to cram a reading which might not particularly take your fancy into intense blocks, but rather aim for a little a day/every few days in order to keep relatively motivated to read on.
Timing!
As you’re putting together a plan, make sure you keep an eye on different deadlines! For example, if you have a deadline which is earlier than your exams, try not to leave the reading to the week before – it’s never ideal and will just end up being organised chaos!
Note taking
It’s always worth taking notes at the same time as you do your reading, and it’s even better if you can link these notes directly to content discussed in that particular lecture. Remember, all the readings have been chosen specifically for a reason, so try to find the connections between the lecture notes and your own reading and even begin developing your own arguments – it’ll save you a lot of panic and time in the long run!
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