Study Skills for Higher Education: Reading Techniques and Note-Taking Methods

This article discusses the importance of reading and different reading techniques for higher education. It also explores note-taking methods to retain information effectively. The reading techniques discussed are skimming, scanning, active reading, detailed reading, revision reading, and active and critical reading. The note-taking methods discussed are the Cornell method, charting method, outlining method, and mapping method.

Study Skills for Higher
Education

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
MAIN BODY...................................................................................................................................3
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................7
REFERENCES:...............................................................................................................................8
Books and Journals.................................................................................................................8
Online.....................................................................................................................................8

INTRODUCTION
There is need of several skills such as communications skills, decision making skills,
time management skills, attentiveness that are required to study effectively at higher education.
There is key role of reading techniques that assist the individuals to become efficient reader. The
four methods of note taking will help the students to work effectively and learn about new
information.
MAIN BODY
Reading plays a vital role in life of a student. It is seen that there is key role reading in
University. It helps the students to read properly and retain the information. There are lots of
books and formation from which they have to study. It is necessary to read in an effective
manner so that they are able to manage time and do not get involved in unnecessary reading. It
also helps to enhance the creativity and imagination so that the person is able to perform in an
effective manner (Okasha, (2020)). There is key role of effective teaching because it enhances
the vocabulary of the student that helps them to communicate effectively. It helps them to
become confident so that they are able to perform effectively and write good in examination. It
also enhances the memory of the students. So that they are able to perform effectively in
examination. Nowadays the use of e-books is also enhancing. The students need to concentrate in
proper manner so that they are able to know about the topic and gain information from the
material. There is need to understand the reading properly plays a vital role in life of a students.
The reading techniques that helps the students to become more efficient reader are as follows:
Skimming: In this techniques the student glance over the content that they are looking at. This
technique is used when the person already has some idea related to the topic. It helps to get
general idea about the topic and helps to know the grasp of the topic. There can be done by
quickly reading the table of content or looking at the first or last paragraph. There is use of this
techniques when the student just wants to know about the information in second go. It helps to
save a lot of time of the students (Sulaeman and et.al., (2021)). The technique can be used by
students when they have less time to read.
Scanning: It is another technique of reading in which the student just run their eyes over the
content. It is done when they want to find something from the text. It helps them to see only what
they are finding so that they are able to read and learn effectively. It is generally being used by

them when there is non-academic task given to them. It is used by students to read the newspaper
or any article. It helps to know about the key terms and tell about the article. The main points
that are shown from the article are being identified by the reader.
Active reading: The name shows that it is a way of in depth reading that helps a student to grab
understanding related to topic. It is used when the student has to read something complex. They
become active so that they are able to critically evaluate the material. It helps to learn in proper
manner band being active at the time of study. Additionally, there is need to ask questions from
own self so that that the person is able to understand the topic in effective manner (Khan and
et.al., (2017)). It is necessary to take notes at the time of reading so that it can be revised in an
effective manner. It helps to retain the information till the person wants. There is just need of
quick revision after the active reading is being done. It is done when the student is reading
difficult or unfamiliar material. It is also seen that students use easy reading when they have to
know more about the topic and information is important.
Detailed Reading: It is one of the most time consuming reading technique. Herein, the student is
indulged in reading in detailed manner. Each and every word is given huge importance so that its
meaning is analysed properly. All the meanings are then used together so that the person is able
to deeper information of the topic. There is need of patience so that they are able to analyse the
information in effective manner (Arama, (2020)). This helps the students to study any scholarly
research articles, medical essays or poetic literature. These are technical in nature and there is
need of detailed reading therein. There is close reading of all the sections of the study material.
Revision reading: As the name suggest it is a method of reading where the student only wants to
revise the topic. There is need to revise the data is that they are able to perform effectively in the
examination. It is applicable when the data is familiar with the topic and already have
understanding about the topic. It is necessary to use the same at the time of revision only (Walny
and et.al., (2017)).
Active and Critical Reading: It is used that there is need to use active and critical reading so
that one is able to understand the topic of study. To analyse the information at the time of
reading the use of active and critical reading will help. At the time of reading, the reader is able
to critically analyse the topic and gain insights over the study material. By reading of continuous
basis, a person become an active reader (Reading Techniques – Enhance Your Academic Skills,

2021). The skills of the reader gets enhanced by reading on regular basis and then they do not
have to make more efforts.
These are different techniques that can be used by a reader. It is necessary for the person to know
about the various techniques. Along with that they must know the best use of such techniques. In
simpler words the student must know that which technique is suitable at which situation. For
example the use of revision technique of reading can be used at the time of revision. When the
student already knows about the topic and has good knowledge regarding the same.
Note taking is a technique that is used by students to note down the key points. These are
useful for the students when they have to revise the topic. The students are able to take notes at
the time of lecture. They write down all the important points so that they are able to retain the
information for longer duration of time. They are use as study aids by the students. However,
effective note taking helps to retain the information that is being created and use the same at the
time of revision (Thomas, (2021)). It makes the person creative as they have their own written
material. In other words, note taking can be defined as the process of recording the information
from different sources so that it can be recalled at any time. It makes the students more attentive
and serious towards the study. There is key role of note taking in understanding the topic in an
effective manner. It also assist the student improvise their skills and use the content at the time it
is necessary and required to do. All the students have their own way of note taking. The different
ways are mentioned below:
The Cornell Method: There is systematic format that is being considered to make notes.
In this method a two inch margin is left and the other six-inch area is at right. The content in the
class is noted down at that place. The cue is written in the left margin and all the key words are
also mentioned there. It is one of the organized way of forming notes (Lichtenstein, Lichtenstein
and Higgs, 2017). However, tt save time and efforts.
The charting method: The notes means noting down the important aspects in a study. There is
need to note down just the phrases that help to understand the meaning of full sentence. In this
method the students use aberrations and create mind map that is used by them. There is need to
understand the way of noting down the phrases at the time of lecture and not writing don the
whole sentence. It helps to save the time and understand the meaning in proper manner. Along
with that there is no need to write words such as “the” “a” because they do not change meaning
of the sentence. The students must note just the important points and key words that assist them

to understand the topic in future. All the specific terms must be noted down so that they are able
to remember the content of the lecture (Kacprzak, 2017). Basically it saves time of the students
and it become easier for them to learn the same. The points that they note are remembered by
them for longer duration of time. It is used when the content is heavy and is presented on fast
way.
The Outlining Method: In this method the students only outline the important part discussed in
class in their own language. It is one of the most important and widely used technique of note
taking. It is seen that the students at the time of class must note down all the important points that
they hear. At that time, it is not important to write in the language teacher is dictating. They must
write in the language they feel suitable. It helps the students to use their own words and then
understand the same information in future effectively. They have written the important points
and then they have to study from the same. It is easier way of making notes. This method is used
when the speed of teacher is fast and the student wants to note the points so that they are able to
retain the information in effective manner. They paraphrase all the points that they find
important for them (Flache, (2021)). But it is important that there is some information that can
not be paraphrased. So, that must be noted down in the way it is. It may include any phrase or
numerical calculation. It is necessary for the student to be attentive so that they are able to retain
the information. This is beneficial because the students make the notes in their own language and
it is easier for them to recall the information.
The mapping method: There is need of skills that helps in note taking. There is graphical
representation of the information. All the facts and ideas are noted down in the form of map
(Bussey and Sillence, (2019)). The ability of critical thinking is being used and it becomes easy
to understand to use the notes in an effective manner. It is heavily organized data and is
presented in an effective manner. It helps to track the data in effective manner. The use of
creativity is necessary in the mapping method.

CONCLUSION
From the analysis, it is concluded that reading plays a critical role in life of a student.
There is discussion related to importance of reading in life of a student. The different reading
techniques that assist a person to become efficient reader are also discussed in the essay. In the
end of this essay, the note-taking methods are mentioned.

REFERENCES:
Books and Journals
Lichtenstein, S., Lichtenstein, G. and Higgs, M., 2017. Personal values at work: A mixed-
methods study of executives’ strategic decision-making. Journal of General
Management, 43(1), pp.15-23.
Mason, H.D., 2019. Evaluation of a study skills intervention programme: A mixed methods
study. Africa Education Review, 16(1), pp.88-105.
Okasha, M.A., 2020. Using Strategic Reading Techniques for Improving EFL Reading Skills.
Arab World English Journal, 11(2), pp.311-322.
Owens, A.A., 2020. Filling in some gaps: A pre-nursing bioscience and study skills intervention.
Collegian, 27(1), pp.141-146.
Rodriguez, B.C.P. and Armellini, A., 2017. Developing self-efficacy through a massive open
online course on study skills. Open Praxis, 9(3), pp.335-343.
Sulaeman, A and et.al., 2021. Skimming Reading Techniques on the Ability to Identify Intrinsic
Drama Text Elements. Journal of English Language and Literature (JELL), 6(1), pp.25-
38.
Thomas, C.G., 2021. Note Taking, Note Making, and Assignments. In Research Methodology
and Scientific Writing (pp. 543-568). Springer, Cham.
Walny, J and et.al., 2017. Active reading of visualizations. IEEE transactions on visualization
and computer graphics, 24(1), pp.770-780.
Online
Reading Techniques – Enhance Your Academic Skills, 2021. [Online] Available through:
<https://www.uopeople.edu/blog/reading-techniques/>