- 1). Underline, highlight or circle words or sections that you think are important, such as keywords, definitions and integral passages. You may also want to consider developing a system in which you use certain symbols for consistent meanings, such as stars for definitions and checkmarks for themes.
- 2). Write comments, questions or reactions in the margins. These annotations can help you in following up on things that you found confusing, and may serve as good starting points for other responses to the text such as essays or exams.
- 3). Write summaries of sections or chapters at the beginning or end of sections. Summarizing will help you to check your own understanding as well as provide a reference for studying the schoolbook at a later date.
- 4). Consider keeping a list of important information inside the front or back cover of your book. Depending on the subject you're studying, you might include information such as noticeable themes, characters' names (if you have a hard time keeping track of them), key concepts, and integral dates. If you are expected to write an essay on the book, you might also want to jot down any potential topic ideas that occur to you while reading.
- 5). Use adhesive notes to mark those pages that you found particularly useful, and perhaps write a brief description on the part of the note that extends out of the book. This will save you the trouble of flipping through the whole book to look for particular annotations.
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