Distractions (furry and otherwise) are fine for casual reading, but critical academic reading takes more concentration.

If you’re flipping through a magazine or reading an entertaining novel, you don’t need to pay attention to every word. You can often read these kinds of materials while distracted, dipping in and out of the text without losing much of the overall meaning. This isn’t the case with academic reading. Have you ever had the experience of reading several pages of an assigned text, only to realize that you have no idea what you’ve just read? You scanned and turned each page, but nothing stuck.

When you’re reading for college (or to gain knowledge in general), it’s not enough to just read each sentence and turn each page. Academic reading is much more involved and requires a different skill set.  This section will explain the difference between casual reading and active reading and will show the actions associated with each.  It will also provide examples of the variety of materials you’ll read in the academic setting, including scholarly articles, scientific and technical documents, and visual aids — academic reading is found in ALL college courses, not just English!