Skills for Success / Academic Skills / Essential Academic Skills
Reading at university is not like everyday reading.
So, you'll need to decide what to read and also be able to find the important parts of a text without spending too much time reading all of it.
Assignments require critical evaluation of what you read and deadlines mean it is important to learn how to read efficiently. That means reading critically, but quickly. And you will probably have other things you need to do at the same time, so it is important to budget your time.
In everyday life, reading is often for pleasure and there are no deadlines.
In contrast, reading for academic purposes usually has a limited time. It also involves finding the reliable and appropriate texts, such as journal articles, a chapter in a book, a company report.
When reading, ask questions and look for the answers in the text: don't read everything - learn to scan text for what you need. You will quickly improve your speed and critical reading ability as you progress through your course. You can make this easier for yourself with our materials, linked below.
