Casual reading across genres, from books and magazines to newspapers and blogs, is something students should be encouraged to do in their free time because it can be both educational and fun. In college, however, instructors generally expect students to read resources that have particular value in the context of a course. Why is academic reading beneficial? • Pleasure and enjoyment • Practical application • To obtain an overview • To locale specific information • To identify the central idea or theme.To develop a detailed and critical
understanding
• Information comes from reputable sources
• Learn how to form arguments
• Exposure to different viewpoints
Pleasure and Enjoyment
This is probably the best reason to read
anything. You have chosen the material for the
purpose of enjoying yourself. Reading entertains
you, even relaxes you. However, this will rarely be
the purpose behind the reading one needs to do for
academic purposes.
Practical Application
Here the purpose is to gain information that
you can apply or use in a practical situation. Books
such as laboratory manuals, computer manuals,
instruction booklets and recipe books are all texts
that you would consult with the purpose of gaining
specific information.