Reading for your lectures and seminars is essential for your learning – but this can feel daunting if you have a lengthy reading list. But remember, you don’t have to read everything on the list, what you do need to read is broken down week by week, and some readings may be short sections or chapters of books.
To prepare for seminars and lectures, focus on the essential readings and make sure you block out / dedicate time for this task.
Further or wider reading will be important when you are preparing for an assignment – and this will be much easier to do if you have kept up with the essential reading.
How long you need to complete your weekly reading will vary according to the nature of your module and how learning takes place, but also on:
- The number of readings set for a particular week or topic and the length of the readings
- The complexity of the topic – if new theories or concepts are introduced which you need to spend time in understanding
- How long it takes for you to personally read/ take notes
Some students find it helpful to give themselves between one to three days before their class to do the readings and take notes. This helps them retain the information more effectively before the class so that it is still fresh on their mind going into the lesson. But this may not work for you! So, it is vital that you experiment with what works best!
