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how to read like a professor



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Fri Mar 07, 2014 4:21 am
dhyan says...



We all read but people like me don't read effectively.

What specific types of knowledge can we gain from reading?. E.g. words collocation, style etc.

What can we learn from a single sentence? Or a single paragraph. So that we get the most of what it can give Us.

What though process runs in your mind when you read an expository article compared to a fiction? Or anytime writing compared to another?
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Fri Mar 07, 2014 2:06 pm
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Tenyo says...



That last question is an interesting one, but maybe only because I love exploring the links between psychology and art. Forgive me if I ramble.

In truth, all living things are biologically gullible. That's what allows us to really enjoy fiction and feel the emotions that we do while reading it. We acknowledge every input into our brain as fact and decide afterwards (maybe a second, maybe a few hours) whether or not it is fictional.

It's the reason we jump at loud noises or sudden movements on TV even though we know nothing can get out of the screen. Hallucinations take hold of us so powerfully because we instantly believe them, and the part of our brains that decide whether it's fictional or not sees no reason to perceive them to be fictional.

Then there's things that are 'real' or 'fictional' even when logic says otherwise. We cry over movies even if they're not real because we can relate to the characters and their emotions, and that makes it real to us. In the same way we can hear news reports about people starving, but in well fed countries we care less because it doesn't immediately impact us, nor can we relate to it.

It's the difference between reading a novel that leaves a lifetime impression on us, and reading a list of historical events that we apathetically skim over and then forget. One is made up and one is true, but it's funny how the made-up stuff seems more real to us than the true- because one causes an emotional impact that we know to be real, and the other causes no impact.

To get the most out of reading you need to find a way to imagine it and bring it to life around you, to make it real and make it matter. The more you use it, whether that's putting it to use in every day life or creative things in your head, the more you'll get out of it.

We generally read fiction and none fiction the same way. To our mind there isn't much difference- it's the way that it's written and what we do with it that makes us differ in how much we get from the text and how we perceive it.
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Sat Mar 08, 2014 2:16 pm
dhyan says...



Yes, your completely right. The more we relate to the text the more impact it has on us.

The reason i created this topic is because i'm looking for some tips on how to read like a professor. How to read between the lines. The actual thought process that goes on in the mind of a professor as he reads. What specific thoughts he picks up while reading. How he reconciles the text etc.

Basically, i need help on how to write with unity through good reading. How would i read, to learn how to write in logical sequence. I need help to learn as much as possible through reading. Be it grammar skills, logical sequence, sentence structure etc... Sorry, i don't really know how to explain myself but i hope you get the idea.
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Sat Mar 08, 2014 6:28 pm
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deleted30 says...



dhyan wrote:The reason i created this topic is because i'm looking for some tips on how to read like a professor. How to read between the lines. The actual thought process that goes on in the mind of a professor as he reads. What specific thoughts he picks up while reading. How he reconciles the text etc.

Basically, i need help on how to write with unity through good reading. How would i read, to learn how to write in logical sequence. I need help to learn as much as possible through reading. Be it grammar skills, logical sequence, sentence structure etc... Sorry, i don't really know how to explain myself but i hope you get the idea.


I think I get what you mean. I've picked up a lot of my writing skills from reading. If I didn't read, I'd probably be a really, really lousy writer. It definitely helps. And here's the thing—a lot of the time, you won't even know it's helping. I'm not even sure there's one way to "read like a professor," because I find most of the time, the things I pick up and learn as I read are subconscious. If that makes sense.

That said, there are a few tips I can share of how to grow as a writer through reading.

*Reread. If one page or paragraph or even one sentence particularly leaps out at you... if you find it interesting or striking for some reason you're not even sure of... then you should reread it. Figure out what it is that you liked about it. Usually, for me, it's the usage of words that rarely ever are used. Big, non-mainstream words that describe a scene perfectly. If it is, I'll usually tuck them away in my brain for later usage in one of my own stories—I have a good memory so this works fine, but another option is to have a pen and paper out beside you as you read to take notes.

It doesn't have to be words that stand out to you, though. It could be imagery, dialogue, the way the author skips seamlessly from chapter to chapter, et cetera. Note whatever it is you see. A pad and pencil may actually be a good idea for you. If you like something, write it down. If you love something, write it down. If you hate something, still write it down—so that you can avoid doing it in your own works.

Another thing to be learned through books is the Art of Pacing. A lot of writers struggle with pacing. Their stories will either move way too fast and confuse the reader, or way too slow and bore the reader. Needless to say, you don't want to do either of these things. I like to pay attention to how the author takes their time going through the story... while, at the same time, maintaining a healthy balance and staying away from the dreaded "boring" slowness.

*Highlight. If not a pad and pencil, another option is to dog-ear pages you want to come back to, or highlight words/sentences/paragraphs that you particularly liked. I know professors do that all the time, to go over these parts of the story with their students and whatnot... in fact, a friend of mine's a professor and when she loaned me a book of hers, nearly every page was highlighted at some sentence or other.

*Write a report at the end. If you're really committed to growing as a writer through reading, another great option would be to write a report, or a review, at the end of the book on what you liked and what you didn't. Just write it as you normally would—like if you were reviewing someone on this site or writing a report for school. Say all of the parts you enjoyed, your reasons for enjoying them, and what you didn't enjoy and why. Surprisingly, this has really helped me in the past.

Good luck! :D
Last edited by deleted30 on Wed Jul 22, 2020 9:31 am, edited 1 time in total.
  





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Sun Mar 09, 2014 12:13 am
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dhyan says...



Lucrezia, I can't thank you enough. I''ve always long for true advice like this. Your tips are going to be very useful. I think I''ll highlight good phrases and collation and just try to use them whenever possible..

By the way, you say that I should write naturally. Does that mmean that we need to learn words, not to consciously use them but to make them second nature so that they flood out at the right time unconsciously?

Another thing. I'm really interested in short reflective or expository essay I think they are called. For example on abstracts nouns. Jealousy, childhood, honesty... but I can find samples or books on the net. I would like to read and learn how to write one on my own.
Writing to change myself.

That will change the world.
  





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Sun Mar 09, 2014 12:18 am
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dhyan says...



Lucrezia, I can't thank you enough. I''ve always long for true advice like this. Your tips are going to be very useful. I think I''ll highlight good phrases and collation and just try to use them whenever possible..

By the way, you say that I should write naturally. Does that mmean that we need to learn words, not to consciously use them but to make them second nature so that they flood out at the right time unconsciously?

Another thing. I'm really interested in short reflective or expository essay I think they are called. For example on abstracts nouns. Jealousy, childhood, honesty... but I can't find samples or books on the net. Can you recommend me anything?. I would like to read and learn how to write one on my own.
Writing to change myself.

That will change the world.
  





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Sun Mar 09, 2014 4:00 am
niteowl says...



Well, I could give you some very snarky responses on how professors read, but I'm pretty sure that's not what you want. :P

One big thing that's super-important in the age of the Internet is to know your source material. Stuff gets passed around like wildfire, and it gets really tricky to tell what's true. Last week I saw a professor pass on an article from The Borowitz Report (a satire column from the New Yorker) thinking it was true because it was in The New Yorker. So yes, it's not always clear cut.

If you're reading something online and want to how if it's true, try to find the source. Search it to see what others have said about it and what its biases may be. If you really want to know more about an issue, it would be best to look up multiple sources that have varying political biases.

About learning from reading in general, I'd say the best plan would be to read a wide variety of material, both fiction and non-fiction. Things like sentence structure and grammar will vary based on the target audience.

About expository writing, here's some good info on how you can organize such an essay.

Honestly, though, I don't know if expository writing is the best style for an abstract topic like jealousy. It's intended to inform and tell facts, and I don't know how many facts there are about things like that. It could work if you narrow it down a bit though.
Examples:
What causes jealousy? Look up experts and their theories on why people get jealous.
How do different cultures/faiths discuss jealousy?
What have other people written about jealousy?

Some other styles include narrative and persuasive. A narrative essay would use a true story (personal or third-person) to show something about jealousy (say a man who killed his brother out of jealousy). A persuasive essay would attempt to convince the reader about something on jealousy (for example "There is no such thing as healthy jealousy"). Frankly, I think these would be more interesting, but that's just my opinion. :)
"You do ill if you praise, but worse if you censure, what you do not understand." Leonardo Da Vinci

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Mon Mar 10, 2014 12:17 am
dhyan says...



Thanks niteowl. I like all your suggestions. Narrative and persuasive essays is exactly what I was looking for. Expository essays would seem more boring compared to them in my opinion. Do you know where I can find essays like this on the net. I'm not good with surfing at all. Is there a specific website?
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That will change the world.
  








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