So many of the documents you are assigned to read are very long. You need to break the reading down or it will overwhelm you.
This is where the thirty-minute challenge comes into its own. I challenge you for your next piece of reading, give yourself 30 minutes and see what value you can extract from it in that time.
How do you go about this, when there is no chance of finishing the document in 30 minutes? You have to get picky about what you read.
Many textbook chapters have a specific Introduction and Conclusion section. Start with these. Yes, I mean read the introduction then skip the rest and read the conclusion.
In a well-written chapter, the author will make sure to highlight the most important issues in the introduction, and will very likely wrap up the chapter on those issues in the conclusion.
Having read the introduction and conclusion, then skim over the main section headings, any breakout boxes or otherwise highlighted text.
Now, make a few notes on what you have read. Aim to name the major themes the chapter discusses, any major principles the author draws to your attention, and any areas of controversy or reform that the author highlights.
That’s it. You’re done with your first 30-minute reading session.
Ok, so you haven’t read the whole chapter, but you now have a much clearer idea what the topic involves. Your appetite has hopefully been whetted, and you can mentally chalk up a successful study session.
In your subsequent 30-minute sessions, you can gradually pick off the main sections of the textbook. In the next posts, I will give you some ideas on how this can be done efficiently too.
Read Law Right 