reading comprehension

[pomeranian4rich]

I am going to be starting college this fall and I want to use this summer to read lots of novels to improve my reading comprehension skills, and to keep my brain engaged and ready for the fall. Are there some tips to better improve my reading comprehension skills? Even though I was placed into regular college english, I feel that I am at a disadvantage than anybody else. I am a slow reader and it takes me a lot of time to digest the informations I'm reading.

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[chemist16]

The only way to get better is to practice. I would suggest NYT or WSJ articles - read them and try to understand the main points the author is focusing on. The Economist is also a good source.

 

[jb94mg]

The only way to get better is to practice. I would suggest NYT or WSJ articles - read them and try to understand the main points the author is focusing on. The Economist is also a good source.

Many people don't have enough money for a NYT subscription - it's around $500/year IIRC. The WSJ isn't free either.

 

[chemist16]

Many people don't have enough money for a NYT subscription - it's around $500/year IIRC. The WSJ isn't free either.

Just using a perfunctory Google search, I could find numerous free NYT and WSJ articles. OP probably won't get every article free but there's more than enough to read - nobody could read the entire NYT daily anyway. And it's a continuing process, so if OP so desires, he/she should go to the library when he/she gets to college because most college libraries have subscriptions to such papers.

 

[jb94mg]

Just using a perfunctory Google search, I could find numerous free NYT and WSJ articles. OP probably won't get every article free but there's more than enough to read - nobody could read the entire NYT daily anyway. And it's a continuing process, so if OP so desires, he/she should go to the library when he/she gets to college because most college libraries have subscriptions to such papers.

The NYT limits you to 10 free articles per month I believe. But perhaps OP can afford a subscription. I don't take issue with your suggestions at all, and think they're good; it just seems like people often recommend those sources of quality reading material without mentioning their cost.

 

[chemist16]

The NYT limits you to 10 free articles per month I believe. But perhaps OP can afford a subscription. I don't take issue with your suggestions at all, and think they're good; it just seems like people often recommend those sources of quality reading material without mentioning their cost.

Yeah, I definitely agree with you and I could not afford a NYT subscription. But I hope that with sufficient free articles for the summer, OP can begin this habit and continue it throughout college. I know that when I graduate, I'll definitely miss the free subscription to newspapers, journals, and databases.

 

[Goro]

Read the NY Times.

I am going to be starting college this fall and I want to use this summer to read lots of novels to improve my reading comprehension skills, and to keep my brain engaged and ready for the fall. Are there some tips to better improve my reading comprehension skills? Even though I was placed into regular college english, I feel that I am at a disadvantage than anybody else. I am a slow reader and it takes me a lot of time to digest the informations I'm reading.

 

[NeuResurgens]

Getting better at reading can only be done through practice. Just read daily and make sure to ask yourself how well you are understanding what you just read. The biggest trap for many college students is "passive reading," where you'll read a paragraph or two and then realize you didn't actually pick up any of what was said. Teach yourself to be engaged in what you're taking in.

 

[pomeranian4rich]

Thanks for the suggestions guys! I really appreciate the help

 

[Lawpy]

Thanks for the suggestions guys! I really appreciate the help

I also recommend the New Yorker. It's a great (though long) read. To complement The Economist (since it's a British news magazine), you can read BBC Features and Analysis reports and Financial Times.

 

[deleted393595]

4Chan is free...

Also paging @TheRealSVB for this

 

[Lucca]

As far as speed is concerned you just need practice. As far as comprehension is concerned you need difficult texts. Not like James Joyce difficult but challenging enough that you have to think while you read. The Economist and BBC I recommend. NYT has some good articles but most are mehhhh in my opinion. Media writing in general has gone seriously downhill. Look for editorials and opinion articles if you want to use NYT or something like that.

In general I think challenging online journals are in this order of quality:

Foreign Affairs (use your university subscription, otherwise you need to pay) > The Economist (some free, then you need sub) > New Yorker (sub) > The Atlantic (hit or miss but free) > BBC < everything else.

If you want to read a challenging book read anything with footnotes. It will force you to constantly look up new information and then synthesize it into what you are reading in order to understand what is going on.
For starters try some popular science or history books, they often contain footnotes of some kind. I liked "The History of the World in 12 Maps" for whatever that's worth, it doesn't really matter as long as you like it. "Thinking Fast and Slow" was also interesting and I recall it having footnotes. If you want to dive straight into the deep end attempt "Infinite Jest" by David Foster Wallace or any of the Oxford annotated editions of James Joyce.