6 Tips for More Efficient Reading in Grad School

6 Tips for More Efficient Reading in Grad School Got a long reading list? Welcome to graduate school! Expect to read multiple articles and, depending on your field, even a book each week. While nothing will make that lengthy reading list go away, you can learn how to read more efficiently and get more out of your reading for less time. Here are 6 tips that many students (and faculty) often overlook. Scholarly reading requires a different approach than leisure reading The biggest mistake that students make is approaching their school assignments as if they were leisure reading. Instead, academic reading requires more work. Read prepared to take notes, reread paragraphs, or look up related material. Its not simply a matter of kicking back and reading. Read in multiple passes Sounds counter-intuitive, but the efficient reading of academic articles and texts requires multiple passes. Dont start at the beginning and finish at the end. Instead, scan the document multiple times. Take a piecemeal approach wherein you skim for the big picture and fill in the details with each pass. Start small, with the abstract Begin reading an article by reviewing the abstract and then the first couple of paragraphs. Scan the headings and read the last couple of paragraphs. You might find that there is no need to read further as the article may not suit your needs. Read in more depth If you deem that the material is necessary for your project, reread it. If an article, read the introduction (especially the end where the purpose and hypotheses are outlined) and conclusion sections to determine what the authors believe they studied and learned. Then look at the method sections to determine how they addressed their question. Then the results section to examine how they analyzed their data. Finally, reexamine the discussion section to learn about how they interpret their results, especially within the context of the discipline. Remember that you don't have to finish Youre not committed to reading the entire article. You can stop reading at any time if you decide that the article isnt important - or if you think you have all the information that you need. Sometimes a detailed skim is all that you need. Adopt a problem-solving mindset Approach an article as you would a jigsaw puzzle, working from the edges, the outside, in. Locate the corner pieces that establish the overall framework for the article, then fill in the details, the centerpieces. Remember that sometimes you wont need those inside pieces to grasp the material. This approach will save you time and help you get the most from your reading in the least amount of time. This approach also applies to reading scholarly books. Examine the beginning and end, then headings and chapters, then, if needed, the text itself. Once you step away from the one reading one-pass mindset youll find that scholarly reading is not as hard as it looks. Consider each reading strategically and decide how much you need to know about it and stop once youve reached that point. Your professors may not agree with this approach, but it can make your work much more manageable as long as you review some articles in detail.

Checks And Balances

Separation of Powers/Checks and Balances The term â€Å"separation of powers† refers to the three branches of government; the legislative, executive and judicial branches as set up by our founding fathers in the U.S. Constitution. The principle of separation of powers had already been given a fair trail in most state constitutions and had proved sound. The legislative branch makes the laws and consists of the members of Congress. The founding fathers were in a debate on whether to base the number of representatives on population, which would give more power to the more populated states, or to give each state the same number of representatives, which would give equal power to all states regardless of their populations. The Great Compromise resulted in the creation of two houses, with representation based on population in one and with equal representation in the other. Thus the House of Representatives and the Senate were created. The executive branch enforces the laws and consists of the President of the United States. During George Washington’s presidency, people had already realized that one person could not carry out the duties of the President without advice and assistance, so the founding fathers provided support for the President in the form of department heads (cabinet members), but the responsibility of all executive actions still lie solely on the President. The judicial branch interprets the laws and consists of nine (originally there were six, but that was later changed) Supreme Court justices. There are also lower Federal courts, but they were not created by the Constitution, but were later created by Congress using the powers granted by the â€Å"necessary and proper† clause. The three branches work separately and have their own individual powers, but have to rely on the other branches in order to accomplish their goals. Each branch â€Å"checks† the other two branches in some way, which â€Å"balances† the po... Checks And Balances Free Essays on Separation Of Powers/Checks And Balances Separation of Powers/Checks and Balances The term â€Å"separation of powers† refers to the three branches of government; the legislative, executive and judicial branches as set up by our founding fathers in the U.S. Constitution. The principle of separation of powers had already been given a fair trail in most state constitutions and had proved sound. The legislative branch makes the laws and consists of the members of Congress. The founding fathers were in a debate on whether to base the number of representatives on population, which would give more power to the more populated states, or to give each state the same number of representatives, which would give equal power to all states regardless of their populations. The Great Compromise resulted in the creation of two houses, with representation based on population in one and with equal representation in the other. Thus the House of Representatives and the Senate were created. The executive branch enforces the laws and consists of the President of the United States. During George Washington’s presidency, people had already realized that one person could not carry out the duties of the President without advice and assistance, so the founding fathers provided support for the President in the form of department heads (cabinet members), but the responsibility of all executive actions still lie solely on the President. The judicial branch interprets the laws and consists of nine (originally there were six, but that was later changed) Supreme Court justices. There are also lower Federal courts, but they were not created by the Constitution, but were later created by Congress using the powers granted by the â€Å"necessary and proper† clause. The three branches work separately and have their own individual powers, but have to rely on the other branches in order to accomplish their goals. Each branch â€Å"checks† the other two branches in some way, which â€Å"balances† the po...