In addition to previewing the text and brainstorming questions to answer during reading, you can also develop strategies for making the text more relevant to your own life and experiences. For this activity, make a list of active reading objectives. Then think about strategies you could use to reach your active reading objectives. You may want to note which of the strategies applies to specific courses you are taking. Then, try them out and see what works. Add to (or subtract from) this list and use it as a reminder before you begin reading--or as an aid to getting started because many times just having a strategy is half the battle.
Here's an example:
Objective:
Describe processes or procedures (i.e., understand/comprehend Physics and Genetics).
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Think of examples from my life.
Make flashcards for terms/definitions/symbols.
Think of how the processes can be applied in other situations.
Look for, and make note of, patterns, groupings, divisions, categories, etc.
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