Recently, Stephanie Swanberg (User Services Librarian), Carrie Pyeatt (Director of Student Services), and Andrew Kaleita (Writing Specialist) hosted a series of presentations where they shared their advice for succeeding with your graduate studies. Over the next few weeks we will be sharing their tips in a series of blogs.
Reading Tips
- Consider if you retain information better when you read it in print OR read it online?
- If you do better in print, then print out articles or chapters when you need to deep read and understand
- Try the 2 minutes rule – scan an article for 2 minutes and focus only on: Title, Abstract, Intro, Conclusion this will give you a sneak peek at what will be important to focus on when reading the article.
- Don’t be afraid to read out of order. Stephanie recommends trying:
- Abstract
- Introduction
- Discussion/Conclusion
- If relevant, then go back and read the Methods and Results (skim it first, and then deep read if needed)
- Check-out more tips here.
Listening or Reading?
Do you ever feel like there isn’t enough time to complete all the readings assigned for each class? Depending on your available time and how in-depth or critical you need to be about the reading, there might be times when listening to the reading instead could provide a solution. It’s important to note that while listening allows you to multi-task, you are probably getting a less in-depth understanding of the materials. Once you’ve finished listening to one reading, Stephanie recommends you take 1-2 minutes to reflect and jot down takeaways or questions.
Here are some popular listening apps (text to speech):
Take Notes
Taking notes as you read not only provides you with something to reference later but can actually help you better understand what you are reading. When a thought or question pops in your mind, write it down in the margin or use a comment box if reading online. Note key questions and findings/takeaways. Discuss notes or readings with a friend (or even read to a pet), speaking out loud can sometimes help you work through difficult topics.
If you’re working with digital readings here are some PDF annotation tools you can use:
- Adobe Reader
- Zotero and Mendeley Citation Managers both have PDF annotation features
- Hypothesis
- Good Reader (iPad/iPhone)
Have questions?
- Make an appointment with Andrew. Andrew is available to help students navigate the transition to scholarly writing. This could be anything from help with specific assignments to brushing up on APA style.
- Make an appointment with Stephanie* or stop by the library. Stephanie (or any of the MSP librarians) can help you navigate the multitude of resources available to you as an MSP student. She’s also a great person to contact if you need help with research.
- Email Carrie to talk about your specific support needs, accessibility needs, or anything else. If Carrie isn’t the right person to talk with, she’ll know who is.
*Must be logged into an MSP email address.
