Reading For University

Reading is incredibly important for success at university.

Reading will help you develop your writing.

Tips to help you with your reading:

# Manage your time

# Change the format

# Keeping track of your reading

#Use assistive technology

# Completing a literature review

It can be overwhelming to see the amount of reading required. I suggest that you break it down into what you can achieve in 30 minutes.

Small chunks of reading build up into completing all the reading required.

You are not meant to read everything at once

University reading is hard. It is normal to feel overwhelmed, distracted, or tired.
This shows you how to break reading into manageable 30-minute chunks that help you focus and remember more.

One focused 30-minute session is real studying.

Before you start:

Get:

  • A timer (phone is fine)
  • Your reading (article or chapter)
  • A notebook or notes app

Step 1:

Set your objective (5 minutes)

Before you read, decide why you are reading.

Write ONE sentence:

  • “I need this for my seminar”
  • “I need ideas for my essay”
  • “I need to understand one theory”

You do not need to understand everything.

Step 2:

1. Preview (5 minutes)

You are not reading properly yet.

Look at:

  • Title
  • Introduction or abstract
  • Headings and subheadings
  • Conclusion

Ask yourself:

  • What is this mostly about?

✔ Skimming counts as studying.

2. Focused reading (20 minutes)

Choose a small section only:

  • 3–5 pages
  • OR 1–2 sections of an article

While reading:

  • Highlight key points only
  • Write down:
    • Main idea
    • One useful example
    • Any new words (don’t stop to look them up yet)

If you lose focus:

  • Pause
  • Take a breath
  • Start again where you left off

✔ Getting distracted does not mean you’ve failed.

3. Capture the key ideas (5 minutes)

Without looking at the text, write:

  • 3 bullet points
    • What was the main idea?
    • Why is it important?
    • How could I use this?

If this feels hard, that’s okay.
It just means you may need another short session later.

Step 3:

Stop when the timer ends

When 30 minutes is up:

  • Stop reading
  • Take a short break (5–10 minutes)

Stopping on purpose helps your brain recover and makes it easier to restart.

Step 4:

Plan chunks, not marathons

Instead of:
“I need to read this whole chapter”

Think:
“I need 2–3 short reading sessions this week”

Example:

  • Monday: Introduction + Section 1
  • Wednesday: Section 2
  • Friday: Conclusion + notes

If reading feels extra difficult

Try:

  • Reading less, not more
  • Re-reading the same section in a new session
  • Using:
    • Audio versions
    • Lecture slides first
    • Short summaries before the full text

Understanding builds in layers.

Important reminders

  • You are not lazy
  • You are not bad at university
  • Reading slowly is normal and valid

Progress is better than perfection.