Being well informed leads you to have a more open mind in any aspect of your life and to learn about points of view that complement or question your own,” said América Moreno, coordinator of the Tec Leon campus library.
For Moreno, it is of utmost importance that students know alternatives to improve their reading experience, since with it they can increase their analytical capacity.
“The new generations want everything fast, very concise, and short, they want to read reviews or summaries, instead of reading a complete document,” he told Conecta.
She shares with us some recommendations on how to develop a passion for reading and implement it in your academic work to increase its quality :
1. Separate your reading into paragraphs
Paragraphs, América Moreno mentioned, are a structure of writing that was created with the objective of facilitating the reading of any text.
In addition to helping us assimilate complex topics, it also makes it easier to detect the main ideas and give rhythm to the reading.
Therefore, he continued explaining, that separating the reading into paragraphs will help you better understand the topic you are reading, once you understand the first paragraph you continue with the second, and so on.
2. Segment by time
“Start with 15 minutes and see how far you go, try to start with short periods of 10 to 15 minutes,” explained América Moreno.
Segmentation by time is also a tool that allows for a better understanding of the text since it prevents information exhaustion and saturation, explained Moreno.
It also encourages readers to continue reading more and more, he continued, as it helps raise awareness of the amount of information received in a certain period of time.
3. Don’t stress
Generally when students are taking exams, they need to analyze a lot of information in a short period and they tend to get stressed.
Coordinator Moreno mentioned that it is very important to work on breathing and read 2 to 3 times if necessary to fully understand what is being studied.
4. Use colors to highlight important parts
Highlighting keywords helps you know what you need from this reading, using colors or markers to highlight it.
Moreno recommends the use of different colors such as blue or green, as they help to retain information better and also facilitate its categorization.
“This will allow you to do a better analysis,” said the Library Director.
5. If the book didn’t grab you, leave it
“If the book you’re reading doesn’t hook you, leave it and don’t get frustrated,” Moreno said, adding that one of the main reasons people don’t read is because they associate it with required reading.
Not enjoying reading complicates the process of capturing information, since your mind blocks unpleasant experiences and avoids generating an analysis of what is presented to you, Moreno said.
“But if it hooks you, hold on to it so that your reading flows more smoothly and you find your passion,” he concluded.
“Being well informed leads you to have a more open mind” .- América Moreno.
In addition to suggesting these five points, America highlights that the most important recommendation is to be a responsible reader.
“A responsible reader is someone who learns to use references and knows how to respect that each piece of writing belongs to someone else,” shared the coordinator.
He says that there are professors and researchers who dedicate their lives to this and that many times students do not give them the value and respect they deserve, which is why he calls for the responsible use of information.
America concludes by sharing with us some digital platforms that we can use to find articles, stories, books, research, etc.
- The Tec’s digital library has more than 100 databases and a wide range of electronic books, articles, journals, etc.
- Google Scholar can find articles from reliable sources and on a variety of topics.
- Zenda Books is a platform where you can find short recreational stories.
