How To ABSORB TEXTBOOKS Like A Sponge

Summary

This video script offers a strategic approach to remembering information from textbooks, particularly for exam preparation. It suggests flipping through pages for an overview, reading the end chapter quiz first to identify key points, and focusing on bold print and first and last sentences of paragraphs. This method aims to enhance understanding and retention, emphasizing the importance of repetition over a single, comprehensive read-through.

Takeaways

• 📖 Most people read textbooks like novels, which is ineffective for retaining information.
• 👀 Start by flipping through the chapter to get a visual sense of its content without reading in detail.
• 📝 Check the end of the chapter for any quizzes to understand what key points to focus on while reading.
• 🔍 Skim the bold print, titles, and subtitles to grasp the chapter's structure and main topics.
• 📚 Read the first and last sentences of each paragraph to get a quick overview of the content.
• 🧠 This approach helps set up your brain with a 'map' of the chapter, making it easier to connect the dots later.
• 💡 You're not reading for deep understanding yet but for exposure and familiarity with the content.
• 🔄 This method, although slower, provides multiple layers of repetition and is more effective than cramming.
• 🚨 Activating your brain's 'reticular activating system' makes you more aware of the important points as you read.
• ✅ Following this systematic approach once will make the information more memorable and easier to recall during exams.

Q & A

Why is it not effective to read a textbook like a novel from start to finish?

Reading a textbook like a novel can lead to poor retention of information because it doesn't engage the brain in a way that facilitates memory retention effectively.

What is the first step suggested in the script for approaching a textbook chapter?

The first step is to flip through each page without reading, just to get a sense of the chapter's layout, the presence of images, graphs, and what stands out.

Why is it recommended to look at the end of the chapter before the beginning?

Looking at the end first allows you to see if there's a quiz, which can indicate what the author considers important and what you should focus on while reading.

What is the purpose of reading the bold print in a textbook chapter?

Reading the bold print helps you identify the main topics and headings, which are the key points the author wants you to understand.

Why should you read the first and last sentence of each paragraph in a textbook chapter?

The first and last sentences of each paragraph usually provide an overview and summary, helping you understand the main ideas and structure of the content.

What does the script suggest about the process of reading for exposure versus reading for comprehension?

The script suggests that initially, you should read for exposure to get a general idea and map of the content, before diving deeper for comprehension.

How does the script define 'repetition' in the context of learning?

Repetition is defined as the mother of learning, implying that revisiting information multiple times helps in better retention and understanding.

What is the 'reticular activating system' mentioned in the script, and how does it relate to learning?

The reticular activating system is an internal radar that increases awareness and focus on specific information, making the learning process more effective.

Why is the approach described in the script considered more effective than simply reading through the textbook once?

This approach is more effective because it involves multiple stages of engagement with the material, increasing understanding and retention through repetition and focused attention.

How does the script compare the suggested reading method to cramming for an exam?

The script suggests that the method is less work in the long run compared to cramming, as it helps in systematically absorbing and retaining information rather than struggling to memorize it all at once.

Outlines

00:00

📚 Effective Textbook Reading Strategies

This paragraph introduces a method to improve retention of textbook information, emphasizing the ineffectiveness of reading textbooks like novels. The speaker suggests flipping through the pages to get an overview, checking the end for quizzes, and then focusing on the bold print and first and last sentences of paragraphs to understand the chapter's structure and key points before a detailed read.

05:03

🎯 Enhancing Learning with Systematic Approach

The speaker elaborates on the systematic approach to reading, advocating for a single, thorough pass through the material rather than multiple, rushed readings. The paragraph discusses the benefits of heightened awareness through the reticular activating system, which is likened to noticing new cars or shoes after purchasing one's own. The method involves identifying important points through bold print and paragraph structure, making the learning process more effective and less stressful than cramming.

Keywords

💡Textbook

A textbook is a comprehensive educational resource that contains information and instructional material for a specific subject. In the video's context, the textbook is the primary source of information for learning and studying. The script emphasizes the ineffectiveness of reading a textbook linearly like a novel and suggests a more strategic approach to maximize retention and understanding.

💡Chapter

A chapter is a distinct section of a book, often dealing with a specific topic or theme. The script uses the term 'chapter' to refer to the individual units of study within a textbook. The video suggests starting the learning process by flipping through the pages of a chapter to get an overview of its content.

💡Quiz

A quiz is a form of assessment consisting of a series of questions or problems designed to test knowledge or understanding of a subject. The script mentions that many textbooks include quizzes at the end of chapters or sections, which can be used to identify key points and guide focused reading.

💡Bold Print

Bold print refers to the text that is emphasized by making the font thicker and darker, typically used for headings, titles, or important points. In the script, the bold print is highlighted as a way to quickly identify the main topics and structure of the information within a chapter.

💡First and Last Sentence

This concept refers to the opening and concluding sentences of a paragraph, which are often used to introduce and summarize the main ideas. The script suggests reading the first and last sentence of each paragraph to get a quick understanding of the content and structure of the chapter.

💡Comprehension

Comprehension in this context refers to the process of understanding and assimilating information. The script points out that the initial reading is not for full comprehension but for exposure, to create a mental map of the content before deeply engaging with the material.

💡Repetition

Repetition is the act of repeating something, often used as a learning technique to reinforce memory and understanding. The script emphasizes the importance of repetition in learning, stating it as 'the mother of learning,' and suggests that the proposed method provides multiple opportunities for repetition.

💡Reticular Activating System

The reticular activating system (RAS) is a network in the brain that filters sensory input and plays a role in alertness and attention. The script uses the term to describe the heightened awareness that occurs when one is focused on specific information, like spotting blue cars after buying a blue one.

💡Systemic Approach

A systemic approach refers to a methodical and interconnected way of addressing a problem or task. The script promotes a systemic approach to reading textbooks, which involves multiple steps to ensure a comprehensive understanding of the material.

💡Cramming

Cramming is the act of studying intensively for a short period before an exam, often as a last-minute effort. The script contrasts the proposed method with cramming, arguing that the former is more effective and less stressful than the latter.

💡Exposure

Exposure in this context refers to the initial contact with information or ideas, without necessarily understanding them deeply. The script uses the term to describe the purpose of the first pass through the textbook, which is to familiarize oneself with the content rather than to fully grasp it.

Highlights

The common approach to reading textbooks is flawed and not conducive to retaining information.

A new approach to reading textbooks is introduced to improve information retention.

Flipping through pages to get an overview before reading can provide a sense of the chapter's structure.

Looking at the end of the chapter first can reveal the author's intent and important points through quizzes or summaries.

Reading the questions in a quiz before the chapter helps to focus on what's important.

Bold print in textbooks signifies key information and headings that structure the content.

Reading the first and last sentence of each paragraph provides a quick overview and summary.

This method of reading is not for immediate comprehension but for exposure and creating a mental map.

The process of reading and taking notes should ideally only need to be done once with this method.

Contrasting the effort of this method with the stress of cramming before an exam.

The importance of repetition in learning and how this method facilitates it.

The concept of the reticular activating system and how it relates to heightened awareness while studying.

The effectiveness of this reading method compared to simply reading through the material once.

How this approach can change one's study habits, especially when preparing for exams.

The potential life-changing impact of understanding and applying this reading approach.

The method's ability to make the process of reading textbooks more systematic and less overwhelming.

A reminder that this approach requires initial effort but leads to more effective learning in the long run.

Transcripts

let's talk about how to remember

information that you read from the

textbook

now I covered this at the end of last

week's class but I want to go over it

again pretty quick and it's a lot easier

than you might think

now the way most people normally try to

read the textbook they start at the

first page of the chapter when they read

the last page of the chapter and that's

their approach they read a textbook the

same way they read a novel bad idea it

doesn't stay in your head so I'm going

to show you a few things that you can do

to be able to read any kind of a

textbook or any kind of a manual

especially if you are preparing for an

exam this is going to be life-changing

when you understand this approach so the

first thing that you do is you simply

flip each page what you're gonna do is

you are simply gonna take the beginning

of the chapter and you're gonna turn

paycheck-to-paycheck the page and you

just look to see what's on each page

you're not gonna read anything you are

just gonna look at what the pictures are

you're gonna look at what the pages look

like it's gonna give you a sense of how

long is the chapter how much is their

words compared to images what are there

gonna be graphs does anything jump out

at you that's the very first thing

you're going to do okay now you

back to the beginning of the chapter

again this I'm sorry I'm gonna start

over again you're not gonna go to the

beginning of the chapter you're gonna go

to the end of the chapter you're gonna

start the end of the chapter and you are

going to see at the end of the chapter

did they give you any sort of a quiz in

a lot of textbooks not all but in most

textbooks there is going to be some sort

of a quiz at the end of each chapter or

at the end of each section so can

anybody tell me why you think it would

be a good idea to read the questions in

the quiz before you read the chapters

they don't look for say the answer you

know where to look we know what to look

for what you're discovering is what did

the author of this chapter think was so

important you were supposed to have

gained from the information in the

chapter this is what you're supposed to

get out of the chapter so now when

you're reading you're reading when they

focused attention here's what I'm

looking for now you're going to go back

to the beginning in the chapter and you

are going to read the bold print

you're not gonna read through all the

sentences you're not going to read all

the information in the entire chapter

you're just going to go read the bold

print who can tell me what is the

information that's contained in the bold

print so that once you see stuff they

want you to see the stuff that they put

in bold print for a reason this is the

titles these are the subtitles these are

the topic headings these are how they

broke down the information within that

chapter in other words they're going to

break it down for you so now you're kind

of understanding how this stuff fits

together you're going to go through one

more time before you read the chapter

and you're going to read the first and

last sentence

beginning the first and last sentence in

each paragraph you're going to be the

first and last sentence need to

paragraph the first sentence of a

paragraph is the introduction it's a

quick overview if it's well written and

if it's written by a good author the

first sentence of the paragraph gives

you an indication as to what the rest of

the paragraph is about and usually the

last sentence of the power grid helps

you sum it up right now

and I want to make this one stress this

at this point you are not reading this

for comprehension you are reading this

for exposure you're not going to

understand this stuff yet why because

you haven't been able to connect the

dots but now you're gonna have a map of

all the dots now what you've got is

preview of coming attractions

now your brain is set up for here's what

you're going to get now you read the

chapter and take notes on let me tell

you if you follow this formula

you'll only need to go through the

chapter like this once now I know what

you're thinking yes even you

what you're thinking is that's how I

don't work well compared to what exactly

it's a lot of work compared to just

blowing through it and putting your book

away and going back to your video game

or your TV show it is not a lot of work

compared to cramming for a test and

hoping praying that it's gonna stay in

your head and I'm gonna stay up all

night trying to squeeze this information

into your head because now what you've

done is you've got it as a systemic

approach

remember the old expression I'm talking

about weeks ago repetition is the mother

of learning repetition is the mother of

learning right repetition is the mother

of learning so what are we doing here

you're giving yourself multiple repeats

you're getting a little bit of a quick

overview of what the whole thing looks

like you're finding out what the authors

thought was the most important stuff to

get so now you're your radar is on it's

called a reticular activating system

particular activating system a very

fancy word for your internal radar you

buy a brand new beam car and suddenly

you see blue cars everywhere

you know you happy to wear brown shoes

that day and you notice how many of the

people are wearing brown shoes that day

that is your awareness has increased

that is called the reticular activating

system and so this is what you want to

activate before you turn around read the

chapter your awareness is now heightened

the bold print you're now gonna find out

what they thought was so important they

needed to put it in bold print

these are all your headlines and now the

first and last sentence of each

paragraph of each paragraph not just the

page of the paragraph is going to give

you a quick overview section by section

yes a pic is slower than just reading

through it once but it is a thousand

times more effective can try perfect

you