Are you overwhelmed by the amount of homework you need to complete every day? Is it difficult for you to remember what you read? Wondering how you will manage to complete your assignments at the end of the quarter?

Without a doubt, the reading load that accompanies college courses can be the most overwhelming part of academic life, especially for new or returning college students.

Sure, the average college reading assignment isn’t easy. Most college professors assign more than 100 pages of intricate and detailed text each week.

But it’s not just the amount of reading that’s overwhelming. If you are working toward a college degree, each time you take a new course you will likely be asked to read materials on topics that are completely new to you. This means that you will not only find new ideas and vocabulary, but also new language and text structures to express those ideas.

Sure, everything is written in English. But did you know that research shows that reading materials on an unfamiliar topic can parallel the experience of trying to read in a foreign language?

No wonder you fight!

An easier way
If the stress and anxiety of all that reading is starting to take its toll, then you need an easier way to manage your tasks. The best approach can be learned from Jack and Annie, the two main characters in Mary Pope Osborn’s elementary school level book series, The magic tree house.

In this series, brothers Jack and Annie discover a tree house in the woods near their home. The tree house is full of many wonderful books. But it has another special quality, the power to transport its occupants to the time and place of any image found in those books.

As Jack and Annie travel in the tree house, they quickly learn that they don’t always have all the obvious skills they need to survive in the places they visit.

But they have their youthful curiosity and their desire to learn.

And they have their books. In each adventure, a book serves as a valuable guide, providing Jack and Annie with the important information they will need to explore their new surroundings.

Like Jack and Annie, every time you take a new course, you are traveling to a different time and place. If your knowledge of this new place is limited, you may feel very scared.

But if you remember some powerful tools, you will survive.

First, like Jack and Annie, you should always remember your sense of curiosity and adventure. These will help you learn.

Second, you must learn to read with a purpose.

When Jack and Annie open their books, they do so to make sense of a troubling situation. Sometimes the information in the book makes sense right away. And sometimes, they need to gather more information from their environment to make sense of the book.

You can do the same.

If every new course you take is a visit to a foreign land, then your reading assignments are the guides to help you understand this land.

So before you sit down to read, determine your reading purpose.

  • What questions do you have about this land and its inhabitants?
  • What resources do you already have that will be of use to you during your stay there?
  • What else do you need to know to survive?

Asking your questions before you start reading will help you avoid the overwhelming feeling that comes from the volume of the assignment or your unfamiliarity with the topic.

Having a purpose for your reading will give you direction. You will be able both to absorb what the reading has to tell you and also to ask intelligent questions about what is missing in the reading.

And the best part about approaching your reading this way is that it will be much easier for you to remember what you have read.

If you ever want to get a refresher course on how to be a successful college reader, just pick up a book at The magic tree house Serie. You are sure to enjoy traveling with Jack and Annie.