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by Katharine Hansen, Ph.D.

As you get ready to complete a reading assignment, set yourself up for success by doing the following:

Create an ideal setting: Get comfortable, but not so comfortable that you fall asleep. Ensure that distractions are minimal, unless you are truly the type who can successfully read with music or even the TV on. The library can be an excellent setting, as can a peaceful outdoor location, weather permitting.

Be sure of the assignment: Review the syllabus or your professor's instructions to make sure you are reading the right material at the right time. Be sure you noted any verbal clues the instructor gave you about the most important aspects of the reading.

Know your concentration span: Determine how long you can concentrate on reading without getting bored or distracted. Most college students can't last much longer than about 50 minutes while some lose focus after a considerably shorter period. Know what works for you because you will just waste time if you try to read beyond your concentration span.

Set a goal: Based on your concentration span, decide how much time you will devote to a given reading assignment in one sitting. You can base your goal on a certain time period, a number of chapters, or a span of pages. Factor in your concentration span so you can read for that span and then take a break. For example, decide that you will read for two hours with a 10-minute break in the middle. Or calculate the number of pages you need to read, divide them by the number of time segments you want to devote to one sitting, and take breaks after every X number of pages.

Questions about some of the terminology used in this article? Get more information (definitions and links) on key academic terms by going to our College Success Glossary.

Katharine Hansen, Ph.D., is an educator, author, and blogger who provides content for MyCollegeSuccessStory.com. Katharine, who earned her PhD in organizational behavior from Union Institute & University, Cincinnati, OH, is author of Dynamic Cover Letters for New Graduates and A Foot in the Door: Networking Your Way into the Hidden Job Market (both published by Ten Speed Press), as well as Top Notch Executive Resumes (Career Press); and with Randall S. Hansen, Ph.D., Dynamic Cover Letters, Write Your Way to a Higher GPA (Ten Speed), and The Complete Idiot's Guide to Study Skills (Alpha). She is also Creative Director and Associate Publisher at Quintessential Careers, edits QuintZine, an electronic newsletter for jobseekers, and blogs about storytelling in the job search at A Storied Career. Visit her personal Website or reach her by e-mail at kathy(at)quintcareers.com.

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