Coping with the amount of reading

I am currently a first year History and Politics student that has just started lectures but I am struggling to get to grips with the amount of reading that needs to be done. I was under the impression previously that when it comes to doing reading especially for essays, you could mostly just skim read books and/or pick out the relevant sections that were necessary but the study guides I am reading are telling me that often you need to read books from cover to cover! As it is, it takes me ages to read a fiction book from cover to cover, so how am I supposed to read a 500 page book written in really flowerly language from cover to cover in a really short space of time! Given that I am doing four modules this term, I am potentially having to read even more books than this.

I am getting into quite a panic at the moment, so I was wondering whether any current or former students could offer any advice. Am I worrying too much about how much I need to read? Are there any techniques for reading faster? Is it worth going to classes on how to read quicker? Surely I can't be the only one in this position, noone could read as quickly as these academics seem to expect to!

You are definitley panicking too much. No way do you need to read a book cover to cover- you use the index to find out what ever is relevant to that weeks seminar topic or your essay title. And you shouldn't need to read more than 3 or 4 books per seminar per week.

Hi, this is a concern of mine too. I'm doing BA history at the UEA and I'm panicking a bit about the reading too, when to do it and what to read. Obviously it's freshers week this week and I don't start seminars until Monday. Is this something that is covered in seminars and should I not think about reading until then? Thanks

I go to UEA and I've done History modules in the past so I know the way it works. You won't have been expected to do any reading for the first week, no- all it will be is an introduction. After that they will want you to read maybe 3 items per seminar - not a whole book if its listed, just points relevant to that weeks topic. Don't go overboard, there are no exams for the first semester modules so you won't get much out of trying to read loads for seminars, concentrate on essay reading.

Thanks a lot! I suppose my main confusion at the moment is reading and essay writing, I've been told that the introductory seminars next week will help with giving me a direction to go down with my reading. It's just all a bit confusing but I'm sure it will become clearer next week. I don't suppose you can tell me something about how the essays are at degree level in relation to A2 level? But thanks, your post has helped a lot

Yeah your seminar tutor should recommend certain texts. And the essays are nothing like exam essays and more like A2 coursework- you need to have a clear line of argument backed up by evidence from sources- ideally around 10 books/journals for a typical first year essay referenced using footnotes and with the bibliography at the end.

Ok thanks, I thought it looked very similar to the coursework at A level. What week do you start with picking essay questions? And from then on do you do a lot of focused reading around that topic along with the seminar reading?

I am currently a first year History and Politics student that has just started lectures but I am struggling to get to grips with the amount of reading that needs to be done. I was under the impression previously that when it comes to doing reading especially for essays, you could mostly just skim read books and/or pick out the relevant sections that were necessary but the study guides I am reading are telling me that often you need to read books from cover to cover! As it is, it takes me ages to read a fiction book from cover to cover, so how am I supposed to read a 500 page book written in really flowerly language from cover to cover in a really short space of time! Given that I am doing four modules this term, I am potentially having to read even more books than this.

I am getting into quite a panic at the moment, so I was wondering whether any current or former students could offer any advice. Am I worrying too much about how much I need to read? Are there any techniques for reading faster? Is it worth going to classes on how to read quicker? Surely I can't be the only one in this position, noone could read as quickly as these academics seem to expect to!