What are the benefits/drawbacks of copying novels or maths textbooks rather than reading them?
I'm trying to decide what to do with my books.
My ideas:
Benefits are it might keep you more engaged, some authors did this to see what it was like to write a novel, you can improve your notes until you've only got the good bits so no prefaces for the student, introduction from someone else or critic reviews etc
Drawbacks are it's more time consuming, paper and pens to copy cost money.
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nohomo
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- 04-12-2014 13:51
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nohomo
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- 04-12-2014 14:05
Does it vary from person to person what is best?
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PinkMobilePhone
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- 05-12-2014 01:12
Sorry, what?
Why would you copy a book? :-/ -
nohomo
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- 05-12-2014 08:35
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PinkMobilePhone
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- 05-12-2014 09:39
(Original post by nohomo)
I don't have the concentration just to read... -
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- 05-12-2014 09:42
You don't have the concentration to read but you think you have the attention to copy out a book? What?
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nohomo
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- 05-12-2014 09:47
(Original post by PinkMobilePhone)
That makes no sense whatsoever
(Original post by Arkasia)
You don't have the concentration to read but you think you have the attention to copy out a book? What?
I've never copied a novel, only a maths textbooks.
Perhaps novels are more of a reading thing. -
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- 05-12-2014 09:48
Make relevant notes, and make them on a computer. If you make them using pen-and-paper then every time you want to edit them you have to start from scratch instead of just hitting the backspace key. Copying an entire textbook will not make for relevant revision notes since they will basically be the entire book that you were supposed to be making the notes from! You need to condense the important information in your own words into manageable portions of text.
As for copying down a novel, this is completely pointless. You say that you want to do it because you can't concentrate on reading it; typing at the same time will just provide something else to distract yourself with - it will not aid your understanding of the book. It is probably best that you just sit down, suck it up, and read the book. -
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- 05-12-2014 09:49
(Original post by nohomo)
I know it sounds weird but when I read I get bored easily and caught up with prefaces etc.
I've never copied a novel, only a maths textbooks.
Perhaps novels are more of a reading thing. -
miser
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- 05-12-2014 09:53
Don't let David Cameron hear about you copying these great works of intellectual property. Authors have a tough enough time as it is without people copying out their works by hand.
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nohomo
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- 05-12-2014 09:54
(Original post by Arkasia)
You copied a maths textbook? Did you answer the questions?
I have an asperger's diagnosis and know this might sound stupid or odd.
I think the copying gives me structure to empty time and makes me feel productive in leisure time although I know it is pointless.
I have considered doing more guitar, drawing, or something else... These things are more socially acceptable. -
nohomo
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- 05-12-2014 09:56
(Original post by VannR)
Make relevant notes, and make them on a computer. If you make them using pen-and-paper then every time you want to edit them you have to start from scratch instead of just hitting the backspace key. Copying an entire textbook will not make for relevant revision notes since they will basically be the entire book that you were supposed to be making the notes from! You need to condense the important information in your own words into manageable portions of text.
As for copying down a novel, this is completely pointless. You say that you want to do it because you can't concentrate on reading it; typing at the same time will just provide something else to distract yourself with - it will not aid your understanding of the book. It is probably best that you just sit down, suck it up, and read the book.
This isn't for formal education, just my own interest so there's no time limit other than my death/decline. -
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- 05-12-2014 10:01
If you have trouble concentrating on reading in the long term, break it up. Spend, say, 10 minutes reading and then go off to do something else, but keep coming back to read. Or you could split it up into sections/chapters, reading one or two at a time.
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Updated: December 5, 2014
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