{"id":35,"date":"2020-02-25T23:15:00","date_gmt":"2020-02-26T04:15:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/advancedenglish\/chapter\/create-an-optimal-setting-for-reading\/"},"modified":"2021-08-05T16:43:25","modified_gmt":"2021-08-05T20:43:25","slug":"optimal-setting-for-reading","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/advancedenglish\/chapter\/optimal-setting-for-reading\/","title":{"raw":"Creating an Optimal Setting for Reading","rendered":"Creating an Optimal Setting for Reading"},"content":{"raw":"<div class=\"__UNKNOWN__\">\r\n\r\nStop for a moment and think about yourself and the act of reading. Whether you read headlines or social media posts on a smartphone or tablet, love to settle in with the Sunday paper, devour stacks of hand-held magazines and hard copy books, or read only when forced to, what does reading look like for you?\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>Consider your ideal spot for reading. Is it a favourite chair in your living room? Your bed? A coffee shop? The cool green grass in a local park?<\/li>\r\n \t<li>What\u2019s your favourite time of day for reading?<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Do you read best in silence? Or do you like to have music playing, be around other people, or have some other sort of active distraction?<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Do you prefer print (hard copy) books, e-books, or audiobooks?<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\nIn each case, think about why you\u2019re making these choices.\r\n\r\nFor instance, many students read and study late into the night, perhaps because that\u2019s the time they have available after work and family responsibilities or maybe because they\u2019ve heard from others that all students tend to study in the wee hours.\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>Simple truth: not everyone reads most effectively at 2:00 am\u2014or at 2:00 pm, for that matter. That\u2019s not to say some people don\u2019t do their best work late at night; the point is simply to really try and find when you study best\u2014and then to make use of that.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\nAlso, you may already know that the human body works via a series of diurnal cycles\u2014cycles that move through peaks and valleys over each twenty-four hour period. During these cycles, levels of circulating hormones and chemicals rise and fall. Typically, this starts with a big chemical \u201cpush awake\u201d in the morning, a peak of energy in the afternoon, and then a gradual lowering through the evening. Understanding these cycles can be helpful in finding effective times to read and study. This is important because as a student, you\u2019ll be doing lots of reading and studying, and if you can find the time at which these activities are most effective, you can cut your reading\/study time in half while also finding it\u2019s more enjoyable.\r\n\r\n<img class=\"alignright wp-image-34 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/advancedenglish\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/931\/2020\/02\/reading-adirondack-chair-300x220.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"220\" \/>\r\n\r\nLocation is important, too. Some students work best in an absolutely silent setting, while others prefer the background noise of people, music, etc. You may find you read most effectively on your couch, in a library, or in a lawn chair in your backyard.\r\n\r\nExperiment, trying out different settings for reading until you find the combination you know is best.\r\n\r\nOnce you\u2019ve found that perfect setting, develop a routine of reading and studying at about the same time and in the same place as much as you can.\r\n\r\nDoing this will help the activity become a habit, and once that happens, it will be even easier\u2014and more effective.\r\n<div class=\"textbox shaded\">Tip: For those students with children, family obligations, pets, and other responsibilities: you may find you\u2019ll need to remove yourself from your usual daily setting in order to get your reading done. We\u2019ve heard many stories of people who can\u2019t work at home because their dog, child, or partner are constantly interrupting them. This can be well-meaning, but even so, being interrupted when trying to read or study more or less destroys the process. Don\u2019t hesitate to escape to a local coffee shop, a campus library (fact: most college libraries are open to the public), or another safe spot to get your work done. If you\u2019re in an optimal setting, you\u2019ll finish faster\u2014and then you can get back to whatever else is on your list.<\/div>\r\n<h3>Text Attributions<\/h3>\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>This chapter was adapted from \"<a class=\"internal\" href=\"https:\/\/openoregon.pressbooks.pub\/wrd\/chapter\/create-an-optimal-setting-for-reading\/\">Create an Optimal Setting for Reading<\/a>\" in <em>The Word on College Reading and Writing <\/em>by Carol Burnell, Jaime Wood, Monique Babin, Susan Pesznecker, and Nicole Rosevear, which is licensed under a <a class=\"internal\" href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc\/4.0\/\">CC BY-NC 4.0 Licence<\/a>. Adapted by Allison Kilgannon.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<h3>Media Attributions<\/h3>\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li><a class=\"internal\" href=\"https:\/\/flic.kr\/p\/6NjDJj\" rel=\"cc:attributionURL\">Adirondack Day<\/a> by <a class=\"internal\" href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/mtsofan\/\" rel=\"dc:creator\">MTSOfan<\/a> is licensed under a <a class=\"internal\" href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc-sa\/4.0\/\" rel=\"license\">CC BY-NC-SA 2.0 Licence<\/a>.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/div>","rendered":"<div class=\"__UNKNOWN__\">\n<p>Stop for a moment and think about yourself and the act of reading. Whether you read headlines or social media posts on a smartphone or tablet, love to settle in with the Sunday paper, devour stacks of hand-held magazines and hard copy books, or read only when forced to, what does reading look like for you?<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Consider your ideal spot for reading. Is it a favourite chair in your living room? Your bed? A coffee shop? The cool green grass in a local park?<\/li>\n<li>What\u2019s your favourite time of day for reading?<\/li>\n<li>Do you read best in silence? Or do you like to have music playing, be around other people, or have some other sort of active distraction?<\/li>\n<li>Do you prefer print (hard copy) books, e-books, or audiobooks?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>In each case, think about why you\u2019re making these choices.<\/p>\n<p>For instance, many students read and study late into the night, perhaps because that\u2019s the time they have available after work and family responsibilities or maybe because they\u2019ve heard from others that all students tend to study in the wee hours.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Simple truth: not everyone reads most effectively at 2:00 am\u2014or at 2:00 pm, for that matter. That\u2019s not to say some people don\u2019t do their best work late at night; the point is simply to really try and find when you study best\u2014and then to make use of that.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Also, you may already know that the human body works via a series of diurnal cycles\u2014cycles that move through peaks and valleys over each twenty-four hour period. During these cycles, levels of circulating hormones and chemicals rise and fall. Typically, this starts with a big chemical \u201cpush awake\u201d in the morning, a peak of energy in the afternoon, and then a gradual lowering through the evening. Understanding these cycles can be helpful in finding effective times to read and study. This is important because as a student, you\u2019ll be doing lots of reading and studying, and if you can find the time at which these activities are most effective, you can cut your reading\/study time in half while also finding it\u2019s more enjoyable.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright wp-image-34 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/advancedenglish\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/931\/2020\/02\/reading-adirondack-chair-300x220.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"220\" srcset=\"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/advancedenglish\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/931\/2020\/02\/reading-adirondack-chair-300x220.jpg 300w, https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/advancedenglish\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/931\/2020\/02\/reading-adirondack-chair-65x48.jpg 65w, https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/advancedenglish\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/931\/2020\/02\/reading-adirondack-chair-225x165.jpg 225w, https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/advancedenglish\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/931\/2020\/02\/reading-adirondack-chair-350x256.jpg 350w, https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/advancedenglish\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/931\/2020\/02\/reading-adirondack-chair.jpg 500w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Location is important, too. Some students work best in an absolutely silent setting, while others prefer the background noise of people, music, etc. You may find you read most effectively on your couch, in a library, or in a lawn chair in your backyard.<\/p>\n<p>Experiment, trying out different settings for reading until you find the combination you know is best.<\/p>\n<p>Once you\u2019ve found that perfect setting, develop a routine of reading and studying at about the same time and in the same place as much as you can.<\/p>\n<p>Doing this will help the activity become a habit, and once that happens, it will be even easier\u2014and more effective.<\/p>\n<div class=\"textbox shaded\">Tip: For those students with children, family obligations, pets, and other responsibilities: you may find you\u2019ll need to remove yourself from your usual daily setting in order to get your reading done. We\u2019ve heard many stories of people who can\u2019t work at home because their dog, child, or partner are constantly interrupting them. This can be well-meaning, but even so, being interrupted when trying to read or study more or less destroys the process. Don\u2019t hesitate to escape to a local coffee shop, a campus library (fact: most college libraries are open to the public), or another safe spot to get your work done. If you\u2019re in an optimal setting, you\u2019ll finish faster\u2014and then you can get back to whatever else is on your list.<\/div>\n<h3>Text Attributions<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>This chapter was adapted from &#8220;<a class=\"internal\" href=\"https:\/\/openoregon.pressbooks.pub\/wrd\/chapter\/create-an-optimal-setting-for-reading\/\">Create an Optimal Setting for Reading<\/a>&#8221; in <em>The Word on College Reading and Writing <\/em>by Carol Burnell, Jaime Wood, Monique Babin, Susan Pesznecker, and Nicole Rosevear, which is licensed under a <a class=\"internal\" href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc\/4.0\/\">CC BY-NC 4.0 Licence<\/a>. Adapted by Allison Kilgannon.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Media Attributions<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><a class=\"internal\" href=\"https:\/\/flic.kr\/p\/6NjDJj\" rel=\"cc:attributionURL\">Adirondack Day<\/a> by <a class=\"internal\" href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/mtsofan\/\" rel=\"dc:creator\">MTSOfan<\/a> is licensed under a <a class=\"internal\" href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc-sa\/4.0\/\" rel=\"license\">CC BY-NC-SA 2.0 Licence<\/a>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"author":701,"menu_order":3,"template":"","meta":{"pb_show_title":"on","pb_short_title":"","pb_subtitle":"","pb_authors":[],"pb_section_license":""},"chapter-type":[],"contributor":[],"license":[],"class_list":["post-35","chapter","type-chapter","status-publish","hentry"],"part":29,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/advancedenglish\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/35","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/advancedenglish\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/advancedenglish\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/chapter"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/advancedenglish\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/701"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/advancedenglish\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/35\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":850,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/advancedenglish\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/35\/revisions\/850"}],"part":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/advancedenglish\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/parts\/29"}],"metadata":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/advancedenglish\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/35\/metadata\/"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/advancedenglish\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=35"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"chapter-type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/advancedenglish\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapter-type?post=35"},{"taxonomy":"contributor","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/advancedenglish\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/contributor?post=35"},{"taxonomy":"license","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/advancedenglish\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/license?post=35"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}