Thinking about Thought, Reading to Learn, and Writing for Class

“ABILITY is what you are capable of doing. MOTIVATION determines what you do. ATTITUDE determines how well you do it.” 

-Lou Holtz

 

The Read Reader or Bookman statue by Terry Allen created in 2003. It a part of the Texas Tech public art program and can be found seen in the free speech area.

Figure 4.1 – The Read Reader (AKA The Bookman) by Terry Allen, 2003, found in the free speech area

Where Are You Now?

Assess your present knowledge and attitudes.

Yes Unsure No
1. I am a good problem solver.
2. I am considered creative by my friends.
3. I have good judgment.
4. I find it easy to make decisions quickly.
5. I am a good reader and like to read for pleasure.
6. I feel overwhelmed by the amount of reading I have to do for classes.
7. I usually understand what is written in textbooks.
8. I get frustrated by difficult books.
9. I find it easy to stay focused on my reading.
10. I take useful notes when I read.
11. I use a dictionary when needed while reading.
12. I enjoy writing and am a confident and productive writer.
13.I begin working on papers early and always revise my first full draft before turning in the paper.
14. I understand what plagiarism is and always cite online and print sources as required.
15. I seek out help whenever needed as I work on paper assignments.

Where Do You Want to Go?

Think about how you answered the questions above. Be honest with yourself. On a scale of 1 to 10, how would you rate your level of thinking skills at this time?

Poor thinking skills Excellent thinking skills
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

In the following list, circle the three most important areas in which you think you can improve your thinking skills:

  • Applying information
  • Analyzing information
  • Thinking critically
  • Asking questions about information
  • Evaluating information
  • Coming up with new ideas
  • Solving problems
  • Making decisions
  • Identifying weaknesses in ideas
  • Choosing sources for research

In the following list, circle the three most important areas in which you think you can improve your reading:

  • Preparing for reading
  • Understanding what you read
  • Staying focused while reading
  • Selecting the best location and time for reading
  • Breaking down assignments into manageable pieces
  • Working my way through a difficult text
  • Setting priorities for reading assignments
  • Reading faster
  • Taking notes while reading
  • Finding strategies for highlighting and marginal notes
  • Reading primary source documents
  • Improving my vocabulary

In the following list, circle the three most important areas in which you think you can improve your writing:

  • Citing sources in the proper form
  • Being productive with brainstorming and other pre-writing activities
  • Sharing my work in drafts and accepting feedback
  • Organizing ideas clearly and transitioning between ideas
  • Understanding the difference between proofreading and revision
  • Developing ideas fully
  • Drafting and redrafting in response to criticism
  • Using correct sentence mechanics (grammar, punctuation, etc.)
  • Using websites, reference books, and campus resources
  • Developing an academic “voice”

Are there other areas in which you can improve your thinking skills? Write down other things you feel you need to work on.

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Are there other areas in which you can improve your reading and writing? Write down other things you feel you need to work on.

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How to Get There

Here’s what we’ll work on in this chapter:

 

  • Learning how to think
  • Knowing the types of thinking
  • Establishing critical thinking habits
  • Developing creative thinking habits
  • Solving problems
  • Making decisions
  • Understanding why reading is so important for college success
  • Learning how reading fits into the learning cycle
  • Learning how reading in college is different from reading in high school
  • Discovering the principles of reading to learn (active reading)
  • Knowing where, when, and how long to read
  • Discovering the anatomy of a textbook
  • Learning tips for reading textbooks in specific subjects
  • Learning tips for reading primary sources
  • Learning tips for reading digital texts
  • Building your vocabulary
  • Reading to Learn
  • Learning how writing in college differs from writing in high school
  • Identifying common errors and become a better editor of your own work
  • Using the writing process to achieve your best work
  • Using sources appropriately and avoiding plagiarism

 

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RaiderReady: Unmasking the Possibilities of College Success Copyright © 2018 by Texas Tech University is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted.

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