Many of us read as an interest or hobby. Even if you don’t think of yourself as a reader – you probably are to some degree. Whether you read novels, non-fiction, magazines, newspapers, web pages, or blogs – even occasionally, it all counts as reading. But how is reading as a student different?

When you read as an interest you will probably get immersed in the plot and the characters (fiction) or be fascinated by facts about things you enjoy (non fiction).

When you read as a university student it is nearly always to develop your understanding of a topic – to learn more about theories, and to learn about latest research or developments. In most cases you will then use what you have learned, for example to support discussion or arguments you raise in assignments, or to prepare you for a class discussion.

You won’t need to read everything with the same level of attention and detail. There are different ways of reading which we explain below: