Distractions, such as your cell phone, television, or computer can slow down your reading and limit your ability to focus. Decide if you need complete silence or some background noise, like white noise or environmental sounds, if you're outside, to help you concentrate. Have your books and notes organized nearby so that you don't waste time looking for them. Choose a chair or reading position that is comfortable, but make sure it won't cause you to feel sleepy while you read. Don't assume you can "multitask," such as surf the internet or watch TV while you read. Multitasking is a myth. To get the most out of your reading, you'll need to focus on the book and not anything else. It's important to make sure you understand the purposes your teacher assigned the reading so that you can focus your reading on those topics and ideas. Maintaining that focus will also help you understand the book more deeply and take notes more effectively. If your instructor provided you with an essay question or topic, make sure that you understand the prompt. If you need to answer a series of questions, read them carefully and use the dictionary and your class notes to clarify any words or ideas that you don't understand. Using a basic previewing strategy will help you get a sense of the overall subject of the book, as well as an understanding of its overall organization. If you know, in general, the topics the book will cover, you're more likely to understand it and to take good notes. Read the front and back covers of the book and the inside flaps, if any, for an overview of the subject and information about the author. Read the table of contents for more detailed information about the subject and the book's overall organization. Compare it to your course syllabus to determine the order you'll be reading the chapters or sections. Read the introduction and first chapter to get a sense of the author's style, as well as more information about the important subjects of the book or characters in the novel. This reflection will help you to feel more confident about your comprehension, and it will also help you to focus on the topic at hand. It will also improve your recall of the material in the book, since you it will give you a reference for the material you need to learn. What did you learn about the subject and author of the book? Is the book organized in chronological chapters? Is it a collection of essays? How will this book help you to complete your instructor's assignment? How will you take notes? Establishing your background in the subject can support your comprehension of the book and help you read more actively and quickly. What is the topic of the book? What do I already know about this topic? Why has the instructor included this reading with the other readings this semester? Even if you don't have a particular assignment, you should always think about why you're reading the book. Considering your own goals will help you understand the text and will affect your choice of reading strategies. Add your reading purpose to your reflection statement. We usually read nonfiction with a purpose of finding specific information or to get an overview of a particular topic or concept. We read works of fiction to enjoy good stories and watch for character development. For literature courses, we may also be reading more carefully for themes that grow and change over the course of the book, or for particular style and language choices that the author makes. Ask yourself: "What do I want to learn and what questions do I have about the topic?" Whenever you being reading a book, your own personal experience impacts your understanding of the story, the words, and the subjects. It's important to recognize that your reading context may be very different from the context in which the book was written. Pay attention to the book's original copyright date and country of origin and think about the history of that era and location. Consider the topic of the book and note your own opinions and feelings about that topic. You may have to set them aside for a bit in order to analyze the book rationally and academically. Be aware that the author, or authors, have different perspectives and your job is to understand their point of view as well as to have a personal response to the material. Taking this step will help you to read the material as the author intended, rather than only from your own perspective. It will also help you to understand the significance of events or ideas that the author presents in the book. Ask yourself: "What is the author's purpose for writing this material? Who is the audience? What is his or her critical perspective on the topic?" Engaging actively with the text through note-taking will improve your comprehension, concentration, and recall. Rather than passively hoping that you will understand and remember all of the material, have a clear method for recording your responses and notes as you read. Some students prefer to take notes in the margins of the book and to underline passages. If this is your method, then plan to gather these notes together after each reading session in a separate location. Create a graphic organizer based on your assignment and/or your reading purpose(s). You might include rows for chapter summaries, for details about topics or characters, for themes that you notice, and for questions and responses that you have. Add notes to the organizer as you read.
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One-sentence summary -- Find a quiet and calm place to read. Review your instructor's assignment. Preview the book before you begin reading. Write a brief reflection about your preview. Ask questions about your prior knowledge of the book or topic. Determine your own purpose for reading the book. Examine your own context. Read any additional material that your instructor provided on the book, the author, or the topic. Prepare to take notes.

There are so many things around you. Look at people walking by on the street to just basic furniture in your home. Looking around will eventually make you come up with one or two ideas on what to draw. It's easy if the object or person is close to you, because then you have an exact copy of the real thing when you are drawing.If you have a device with you, you can take a picture of it and have it right next to you to make it less difficult. . If you can't think of what to draw, just put pen to paper and make it move. Draw lines, simple shapes, scribbles, cartoon characters, stick people, or anything else that comes out. The physical act of moving your hands to create can reenergize you. Doodling allows you to think and create in a non-judgmental, almost subconscious way. These are the bread and butter of life drawing, but you can use them in other situations as well. Set a timer for one minute and try to draw the entirety of a figure or object. You will have work quickly, forcing you to capture just the essence of your subject. Do several of these drawings in a five or ten minute period. You can even use online images as subjects for gesture drawings. Photographs can be great as the basis of drawings, especially when you're out of ideas. If there's nothing around to draw, go looking for photographs that might be interesting or fresh to draw. Tell yourself that you will draw whatever you find on page three of a magazine, for instance, no matter what it is. If you're stuck and don't know what to draw, you can always copy what someone else has already done! Trying to recreate the work of a previous artist not only solves the problem of what to draw, it can also be a great opportunity to learn. Consider copying the work of the Old Masters like Raphael or Rembrandt, as well as new ones like Frieda Kahlo or Francis Bacon. Many museums allow you to sketch on site. Grab your sketchpad and a pencil, and draw a work that inspires you. Reading a book about drawing might seem like the path to boredom rather than creativity, but if you're stuck, one of these can be a lifeline. Even if you're an experienced artist, looking at the fundamentals and trying basic drawing exercises can be refreshing and lead to great ideas. Some classic books on drawing include: Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain (Betty Edwards), Drawing for the Absolute and Utter Beginner (Claire Watson Garcia) Elements of Drawing (John Ruskin) The Practice and Science of Drawing (Harold Speed), Human Anatomy for Artists: The Elements of Form (Eliot Goldfinger) What to Draw and How to Draw It (E.G. Lutz)
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One-sentence summary --
Look at your surroundings for inspiration. Doodle Do quick gesture drawings. Draw from photographs. Copy the masters. Consult a book on drawing.