Exercises

1. Find out more about your learning style by visiting your academic resource center or doing Internet research. Take note of strategies that are recommended for different types of learners. Which strategies do you already use? Which strategies could you incorporate into your routine?

2. Apply the following comprehension and active reading strategies to an assigned reading:

• Locate the writer’s main idea and major supporting points. (Use text features to gather clues.)
• Apply the SQ3R strategy: Survey, Question, Read, Recite and Record, and Review and Reflect.
• Apply at least one other active reading strategy appropriate for the text, such as visualizing or connecting the text to personal experiences.

3. After reviewing your syllabus, map out a timeline of major assignments in the course. Describe the steps you anticipate needing to follow in order to complete these assignments.

4. Take a few minutes to skim through the remaining chapters of this book, whose contents are described in Section 1.3 “Becoming a Successful College Writer”. Use self-stick notes or flags to mark any sections that you expect to consult frequently when you write, such as a grammar guide or guidelines for a particular essay format. You may wish to similarly make notes in other writing handbooks you own and any other reference books you will need to use frequently.