HOW YOU CAN READ FOR BETTER UNDERSTANDING AND PASSING EXAMS

Many people have discussed this topic, but many emphasized on  reader’s circumstances like time for reading, reader’s willingness,place for reading  etc. My emphasis will be specifically on reading  itself which is the source of understanding and passing exams.

The fundamental concept of reading for better understanding and passing, is actually upon  what and how you read and does not depend upon the reader’s surroundings or situation. Remember, we are reading what have been written by human and not angels, therefore we do not require all of them. We need only unique ideas from them which are boon (useful) to our mentality growth.

 The major purpose of reading is strengthening our mentality by absorbing those unique ideas from authors. mentality  is our best capacity of intelligence we use for reasoning and defining things.

Philosophically many will comply with me that, raeding is a better way for accumulating new ideas though there are many ways. Furthermore  the conception of reading is based on strengthening our thoughts for imbibing the knowledge from authors .This is definitely different from colleting  abundant of things from books to mind for

answering examination.

Thank you for being along with me on this preface, now I beg you to continue getting new ideas in your better reading and passing exams.

      1.       PICK UP MAIN IDEAS OF THE AUTHOR

Iam insisting you to take fully attention on this section because this is where the basis of our topic determined.

When I recommend you to pick up main ideas of the author, I mean you must be curious to know the intention or liability of the author’s topic .This will help you not to be confused by the prolonged topic or author’s writing style. You ought to be very keen on your reading concerning with clarifying author’s  main ideas(unique ideas) because that is what your thoughts need.

             STAPES TO FOLLOW IN CLARIFYING MAIN IDEAS FROM AUTHOR.

 A.  UNDERSTAND EVERY SENTENCE OR EVERY WORD IF POSSIBLE IN A TOPIC

It will help you in making  general review for particular topic with no difficulties from what you have read. Many readers are found themselves into reading difficulties for not understanding what they have read .With their reading willingness consume more energy in studying but finally no new ideas obtained due to lack of understanding what is said in a topic.

There are several helpful tools concerned with this like dictionary and more as I have discussed them in section (vii)

B.      EXAMINE YOUR COMPREHENSION  ON A TOPIC YOU READ

Immediately after ending up reading the topic or part of it, close up text book and ask yourself a simple question. What are major facts of the topic?. Now you can describe them comprehensively or in a prepared piece of  paper  by using your familiar language.
Briefly write down what you read then turn back to text book to satisfy yourself that you have managed to collect all main ideas from the author. This will give you more curiousness on the concerned topic since you will be ambitious to know your mistakes in a trial brief. The briefing will help you only being familiar with  the topic whereas  you will be ready for next stape.

Mind you that; many readers end up at this stage and involve into answering questions instead of moving forward  into next stage which is more important than questions6. Questions ends up only at school but mentality is within us always thus building it stronger and stronger should be prioritized.

      C.      LIST ALL MAIN IDEAS OF THE AUTHOR AND DESCRIBE THEM BY YOUR OWN WORDS

This is the specific important stage for gathering new ideas in your reading. Arrange the new ideas acquired from a topic as it is in this HIV topic example.

*meaning of HIV

*HIV transmission
*HIV prevention

Let us assume that these are main ideas revealed in a long HIV topic. Then you can explain as much as you can with the authors language if possible without misconception. Use effectively all main ideas available in the topic starting from the beginning up to the end.

Finally make sure that you have succeeded collecting all main ideas. If not settle for a little moment and then re-start  .

This process will enable you to make the topic being almost yours and not only author’s. From there you will be ready for questions or any presentation of the topic.This is what is known as the reading for better  understanding and passing exams. For sure your mentality is absolutely changed.Besides that you can contribute with your own views in a subjet. Now the subject  is not temporally  tied in your mind that  can accidently drop down and crash but it is the part of your comprehension. Now clearly you can explain about the topic with your own words and not author’s ones.

II. READ ONE TOPIC AT A TIME

Reading more than one topic at a time may affect efficiency of your mind then disable you to commit it to memory. I recommend  that,  having  only one topic at a time is more effective way for reading.

III. REVIEW  THE NOTES PREPARED BY YOURSELF

Reviewing your own prepared  notes is more important because it will help you to easily keep in memories  what you have read from the particular subject. Most of we readers tend to have funny reading. We directly hit on somebody’s  notes  or text book for cramming  without digesting them so that they become absorbable then finally being  part of our comprehension .   Don’t  waste  your time for impelling yourself assimilating somebody’s conception before converting it to become your imagination .

IV. REVIEW THE SAME SUBJECT FROM OTHER AUTHORS

Now being experienced with the subject, you can review it from other authors. That will make you competent on the subject that you can independently describe and observe with some research on it. 

V. KEEP THE TIME WHEN READING

Iam not optimistic to what time is suitable for reading . some recommend that the suitable time for reading  is eight O’clock to ten O’clock evening . Some recommend  four O’clock to ten O’clock morning.

I don’t want to argue with them but I believe somebody can read/study at any time except he/she is totally  tired .

You are required not to involve into any business out of reading. Many loose attention for their reading when they simultaneously reading while chatting, talking, watching news, listening to beats/music etc. This causes them to loose most of their new obtained ideas when considering what is going on out of reading. Eventually it makes their general review to become unexpected.

VI. AVOID OVERNIGHT STUDYING

 Overnight studying style is encouraged by wrong notion and is totally  pessimistic. For the sake of drawing attention to their learners, some old teachers could claim to have overnight studies during their schooling age.

It is unhopeful using this way because it may confuse you since you

will have no time to clarify major facts from what you are reading. That is due to a number of topics being read at a time without having time for distinguishing and analyzing main factors. Consequently you will not be able to make the new information become part of your knowledge.

VII. USE THE CORRECT DEVICES/TOOLS  IN YOUR READING /STUDY

There are number of DIVICES/tools that can make your study become luxury so that you can study while enjoying it. The  following are some useful tools for reading.

COMPUTER 

You can find a computer and install some useful softwares for studying .These softwares are like ADOBE READER, PDF-SUITE, PDF CREATER, GOOGLE DRIVE and more alike.They may help you to convert format of your files and easily save them online with GOOGLE DRIVE through your GOOLE ACCOUNT or ADOBE ACROBAT ACCOUNT. 

That is an extra benefit once your files in your computer or elsewhere are damaged or stolen.You can possibly  access them online through even your mobile. Apart from that, adobe program can be enhanced to raed aloud for you and you becoming  a listener.

You can install different dictionaries according to your needs. microsoft office has been so useful software for both scholars and officers therefore you can install a very suitable version for your studies.

By using your  computer you can share your notes and questions with your friends  by using window installed in it as fast as you want .

Once you become disabled or blind with your computer you can still progress with your reading or studies. You can use some application programs like speech recognition,Dragon naturally speaking,TalkItTypeIt etc which after editing  some commands, you can speak and your computer can type for you.

You can click (jinsi ya kusoma kwakusikiliza adobe in Kiswahili) and learn from pictures how you can use adobe to read from listening to your computer.

These tools can store electronic memories like pictures, voice and writings according to the capacity of your tool. You can carry as many pages as for the year for your studies depending on the capacity of your flash or disc. All of these can be used at any computer or laptop anywhere you find them.

Mind you that; these tools once they are damaged can’t be able to show the stored data therefore it’s better to store the same data in another tool for it’s safety.

  

Many of the smart phone or tablets can play major role in our studies or reading especially when we are far from home. What you can do to those who don’t have window phone,is to download the application program online that can function in many android phones. These applications may help you to open PDF and XPS format  files that will have been stored in your phone memory or memory card attached to your phone. Also can help opening files stored online.

Some application program with easy functionality in android phone are android pdf viewer,quickoffice and e-book droid  .You can also download other application like online dictionary,Wikipedia  which can be helpful for giving you instant translation to the new vocabularies.

It is very important for somebody with substantial desire for understanding and passing exams to have this tool or one alike. Dictionary will help you to translate new vocabularies used by author  instead of asking from another person.

By using this aid to your reading, Iam sure you will be benefited a lot. Now you will not continue With your common reading style but the most constructive like one obove.