Learn speed-reading

WHEN you need to read a pile of papers very quickly, speed-reading can be a handy skill to have.

Speed-reading is skimming over a text, picking up the essential points. It can help refresh your memory when going over something you have studied before.

Speed-reading is useful for the following reasons:

> To give you a bit of quick insight into a topic

> To see what sort of information is where

> To distinguish between valuable resources and less valuable ones

> To eliminate duplicate sources

Typically, this is a skill you will use when getting ready to write an assignment or to work out your exam notes. If you’re not used to speed-reading, this is how you can build up this skill:

> Find a peaceful spot. You need silence or white noise because distractions will kill your concentration.

> Know what you’re looking for. If you want information on dominance in chickens, you can skip all the chapters that cover dominance in apes and humans.

> Sort into piles. Start by sorting into “keep” and “discard” piles. Then, sort the “keep” into topic or order of importance.

> Don’t re-read. If you’re learning, you tend to move backwards and forwards in a text to make sure you get it. Speed-reading isn’t about learning, so don’t do this.

Cut a three sentence-shaped hole in a piece of paper. Drag it over the page and don’t go back.