Time to R-E-A-D

Now that spring break is over it is time to get back to studying for exams since there are only 6 weeks of classes left. As the semester comes to a close it is very important that we continue to work hard in our classes and continue using the other techniques that we have learned this semester in CLS 105. Reading plays a crucial role in almost every course. Most professors assign daily reading assignments for students to read before coming to class. However many students including myself tend to either not read or not fully comprehend what they have read for class. This can be very problematic because most reading material either comes up in class discussions or quizzes or test. I used both the TART reading strategy and the MR.R reading strategy for my CHE 116 class which requires reading to be completed before class.

Before

At the beginning of the semester I would rarely ever read before chemistry class. Instead I would go to class unprepared and uninterested in the topics that were covered in class. As a result I would sometimes fall asleep in class or talk to my friends or even go on Facebook during class instead of paying attention to my professor. I often questioned myself about why I was even attending class if I was not prepared and did not even pay attention. I never actually read the book until a few days before the exam which left me with several questions about topics but I never had time ask my professor for help or fully grasp the material. In addition, I never really looked at the lecture notes that my professor put online until the test. The TART and MR.R strategies helped to change my bad habits by teaching me how to adapt my reading style to fit CHE 116.

TART
I have a CHE 116 exam on March 31st so I am starting my exam preparation process now. The TART reading strategy helped me begin studying for my exam. If you are in a lecture dependent course then the TART strategy will be very beneficial for you. The first step is you need to read the terms that are in bold print in the glossary of your textboook then you create abbreviations for the ones that you think will be on your exam. Next you attend lecture and listen for these terms after this you reread your lecture notes before reading the textbook. Then you read the chapter so that you can understand the information that was taught in lecture. The last step is creating and answer test questions that you think your professor might ask on an exam. Now you have TART

TART for CHE 116

REVIEW OF TART
I really liked using TART because it helped me recognize the CHE 116 terms before class then when I went to class I was more interested in the topics and it made understanding the terms easier since I was already familiar with them. Furthermore I like how this technique forces you reread lecture notes before reading the textbooks because like I said before I never really used to read the lecture notes. This step helped me a lot because it encouraged me to listen in class which was something that I had previously struggled with. Another reason I liked this strategy is I am a visual learner so seeing things infront of me helps me comprehend them and this strategy was organized in chunks which was another benefit of using it. In addition, I liked how TART made me think about possible questions that might show up on the exam. Although there were several things that I liked about this strategy I did not like how the strategy took a while to complete but I think the time was well spent.
MR.R

The second strategy I used was MR.R. This strategy helped me with my attention span because I had a difficult time staying interested in CHE 116 because it is a lecture course that is 80 minutes long. It only takes 3 easy steps to use this strategy. These steps include first timing yourself reading your textbook by dividing the reading into chunks that match your attention span. Then read the textbook paragraph by paragraph while you do this write down key terms. Finally make flash cards of the key terms that you wrote down so that you can review the information that you learned.

MR.R for CHE 116

REVIEW OF MR.R
Although MR.R is primarily used for auditory learners this strategy worked well for me even though I am a visual learner. I am also a linear learner which another reason why this strategy helped me. Linear learners need to have information presented to them in a well organized and sequenced way in order to continue learning which is exactly what MR.R does. Furthermore MR.R. helped me to separate my reading into smaller sections instead of it just being 20-30 pages of reading which made it easier for me to focus on reading instead wondering when I was going to be done reading. Like TART I disliked that MR.R. took a while to complete but I do not regret using this strategy. I also dislike how this strategy is limited and can not be used for courses like WRT 205 which is a research class and is not very text dependent.

AFTER
TART and MR.R both helped me to read more effectively and efficiently. I will definitely continue to use MR.R in CHE 116 because it helped me to realize how long my attention span is as well as with my reading comprehension skills which were two things that I struggled with previously. Now that I know about these two techniques I feel more comfortable with my reading skills. I am also staying awake in class.I feel more prepared for class and I find myself more interested in the topics that we are learning in class.
Conclusion
Just remember that reading often plays an important role in most courses so it is imperative that you develop effective reading strategies that work for you. Do not forget that practice makes perfect so the more you use reading strategies and personalize them according to the courses that you are taking the more helpful these strategies will be for you. Using these reading strategies will make the task of preparing for test a little less strenuous.