Chapter seven asks you to focus on building reading and listening skills. Your reading and listening skills ultimately reflect your advanced organizational ability in your higher educational experience. Where are you able to read actively and effectively retain the knowledge that is assigned to you? How do you deal with the distractions that come along with college life when you have to read two chapters in your science text, twenty pages of Shakespearean sonnets, and write a five-page paper all in one day? How are you able to stay focused? How do you retain key points and rephrase what you read? What kind of short breaks do you take?

In your first year of your higher learning experience, making the transition from reading at home to reading in a public place such as, a library, a cafeteria, or even a dorm lounge is a challenge. Your attention span is your best available resource that will help you cope with the distractions that come along with your newfound college life. When you read, pay attention to key concepts and terms. Also, having a pen gives you the freedom to jot down initial thoughts as if you were actively having conversation with a text. How do you respond to the material that is assigned to you in your different courses?

In the box below, explain the method you find most successful in your reading and listening skills. Other students may profit from your knowledge and experience, or you may get some helpful ideas from other students as well.