While taking a break from work and errands the other day, I caught myself flipping through my phone and came across several videos all about speed. Companies trying to make planes fly faster, astronomers talking about what happens when something gets close to the speed of light, athletes working to run faster. “Speed, Speed, Speed…faster is better!” This seems to be a mantra that threads its way into just about every part of life.
Part of me understands this. I appreciate the ambition to strive to be more. But I also think that sometimes going faster can get in the way of becoming better. Especially when we’re trying to become better readers. This post has a lot to do with the tension between doing more and doing well.
This is the Third post in a series about Reading in College. Check out this first post If you’re interested in the Realities of College Reading. If you’re curious about what professors are thinking when they assign readings, check out What You’ll Be Reading in College. And as for some hints about speed reading, you’re in the right place.
Do I need to be a speed-reader to succeed in college?
Hold up. Before talking about speed-reading, let’s think a minute about what we’re asking here. When most people talk about speed reading, they’re imagining a magical technique that enables you to read 1000 pages in an hour (and lets you get back to other business like laundry, work or video-games with your friends). Before becoming convinced that you’ll fail in college if you can’t read Plato’s Republic in one evening, let’s figure out what we mean when we talk about speed reading.
What is speed reading? We’ll start with this idea of reading speed. There’s lots of research out there that suggests average college students read at about 250 wpm (words per minute). Of course this is dependent on lots of things like if you are sounding out every word, how much experience you have with reading (and reading in this particular language) and how difficult the text is. Some research suggests that people can push their reading speed up to 800 wpm, while others argue that anything over 500 wpm is just skimming without much comprehension. So just because you say you read Plato’s Republic in one evening doesn’t mean you really understand it.
Although there are some specific training programs whose techniques can significantly improve your reading speed, most of the time what people are talking about when they say “speed reading” is a more basic set of strategies that help you move through lots of words and pages faster than you’re accustomed to. The University of Cambridge’s speed reading site and the Student’s guide to speed reading are both great examples. Neither promote a program that magically lets you read 1000 wpm. And both are full of good suggestions for how to move through your reading more quickly and with more comprehension. Because that’s the point isn’t it? You can say “I’ve read 200 pages today!” but if you don’t understand or can’t remember it, what’s the point?!
Genuinely useful “speed reading” strategies include lots of different techniques like: moving away from reading every word or “hearing” each word in their head while reading, asking yourself what you really need to get out of this reading, understanding the differences among different types of texts, having a well-organized note taking system, and spending extra time reading introductions, overviews, and conclusions. Several upcoming blogs will will dig much deeper into techniques for both reducing the time you need to spend on reading and improving your comprehension and recall.
So, back to our question…”Do I need to be a speed-reader to succeed in college?” If you’re asking “do I need a super-power that allows me to read 4 books a day?” then the answer is, absolutely not. 99% of my thousands of students have not been what we stereotypially call “speed readers.”
But if you’re asking “do I need to think about my reading strategies and how I can improve my comprehension and reduce the time it takes to read college texts?” Then yes, this is really important. Many of us have not thought about how we could speed up our reading and comprehension or have fallen into bad habits that can slow down our reading. Reading well is essential in college. Read on to find out how to do it.
Do I need to read everything in college?
You’re pretty brave huh? Asking a former professor if you really need to read everything in college? Two responses here. First, Yeah, of course! I mean, why would professors assign it if they didn’t want you to read it!? Some professors will set up reading quizzes that will test if you really read what they assigned. If you don’t read, you’ll lose points on those quizzes. Probably ¼ to a ⅓ of the questions on my midterm and final exams came directly from the reading. If you want these points…then read.
Second thought…I totally get it. I was a student once too. I was also a student who was married, had kids, and worked part time to pay for tuition, rent, and groceries. Time, money, and stress regularly piled up. All of this leaves me pretty sympathetic. In fact, it’s probably one of the main reasons I’m writing about reading. There are a lot of things about reading that I wish folks would have told me before I started school. Not because I wanted to skimp my way through school, but because I really did want to learn…I just didn’t know how to get all the reading done and given the busyness of the rest of my life.
Some upcoming posts will dig much more deeply into this question. For now though, the answer is yes, you should aim to read everything you’re assigned. But…do not read everything cover to cover like you would a novel (unless you are actually reading a novel). Step back and ask yourself what it is you’re reading, why your professor assigned it, and what you need to get out of it. Pay extra attention to introductions and conclusions. Have a set of questions you ask yourself as you read. Develop an excellent note taking and filing strategy. Take notes on every text you read, but not everything from every text.In the next few posts we’ll unpack these strategies in a way that allows you to move through your reading in a way that is both faster and more comprehensible. Read on!
Dr. Matt Friesen received his PhD in Sociology from the University of Oregon and has spent most of life as a student, professor, researcher and advisor. Check out www.gutsycollege.com for the free Workbook for Reading in College and Note Taking Template. Watch for his upcoming book Dr. Matt’s Gutsy Guide to Reading in College coming in spring 2024.
Noah Friesen’s artwork is featured in these blog posts. Noah has been drawing since 2003 and specializes in caricature and comic art. Connect with Noah, check out his gallery or commission him for your project at www.ko-fi.com/idekdraws.
